In January, I transitioned into my next stage of life. I am now (according to the medical community) officially in menopause. One entire year without my period. There was no cake. (there was a chocolate soufflé for my birthday!) There was no symphony. There was no big event. Simply another day, another moment, another sunrise.
One thing I have noticed is that the symptoms do not go away. I am still experiencing hot flashes, mood swings and sleep disruption. The symptoms appear now on a monthly cycle. Interesting, I am back on a cycle, though a different one.
I have noticed a pretty consistent sense of calmness and accomplishment that pervades my days. The years leading up to menopause (approximately 12 years of perimenopause!) were at times filled with anxiety and stress. What I didn’t realize early on is that these symptoms were a tangible bodily expression of hormonal power surges. Our bodies are remarkable. They have a wonderful way of self-expression and we have the ability to connect our thoughts and feelings with our physicalness in a way that serves ourselves.
Yoga and meditation has helped mitigate my hormonal symptoms. It is amazing what intentional breathing and body movement can do to ease through our transitions.
There is no need to mourn our lost youth. We haven’t lost anything. We are smarter, bolder, prettier, funnier, and most of all joyful. You can look back as you can learn a lot from the reflection, but don’t stare. There is so much more ahead of us and a lot more to do.
So I have gone through the ‘BIG’ change. SO WHAT!
I’m not done yet!
Who Stole My Estrogen? 