I’ve been using this metaphor a lot lately to help me explain my understanding of the menopause transition, and I want to share it with you.
When I was in my reproductive years, it was like I was driving on the highway at 120kph – weaving in and out of traffic, rushing to my destination, juggling all the different demands in my life, doing all the things. I knew I was moving fast, but I told myself “I’m a strong woman, I can handle it” and kept racing along.
Then in my mid to late 40s, it started to get more challenging. I was still travelling along at the same speed, but the road was bumpier, there were more curves in the road. I knew I was travelling too fast but I didn’t know how to slow down.
Then in my late 40s, the road got even bumpier. There were big bumps and cracks in the road, narrow bridges, more curves, and by my early 50s it had turned into a gravel road full of potholes … but I was still doing my best to keep travelling as fast as I could … and it was not pretty! I don’t recommend doing what I did! The fall of 2023 was awful! I was sleeping in 20-40min segments with long periods of lying awake with a spinning brain in between, I’d get surges of heat rushing through my body and I was vibrating with anxiety. It was awful! I really don’t recommend hitting the menopause transition at full speed. It was rough!
With the wisdom of hindsight, I can see that Life had been trying to tell me to slow down for years… and I wasn’t listening. I had places to go, things to do. I had no interest in slowing down. But Life had other plans for me. The “invitation” to slow down and enjoy life started as a whisper, then got louder and louder until I finally had no choice but to listen… and I’m really glad I did!
It’s been almost 3 years since everything went completely sideways, and although it’s been a rough journey, I’m so grateful for it because I’m now living my life at a pace that feels more natural and I feel so much more alive, excited, and engaged with life. The gravel road has now become a lovely country road, and I’m enjoying the slower pace – noticing the trees on either side of the road, enjoying the gentle curves, and stopping occasionally for a scenic picnic. It’s so much nicer than the days when I was speeding down the highway! As much as the past 3 years have been really, really, really hard, I’m grateful that I was forced to slow down because it’s lead me to where I am now.
In my newsletter in early March, I was speaking to you about Menopause as a portal to our wisdom years. This important reframing of the menopause transition has been huge for me. I gave a couple of talks last fall on this topic, and have recorded a version of that talk to share with all of you. It’s included as a bonus in my new course Empowered Menopause, but it’s such an important topic, I want to be able to share it more widely so I’ve added it to the podcasts & speaking page of my website, and have embedded it on the Empowered Menopause course page if you’d like to watch it.
If you or someone you know would like to join us for part 1: Hormone Basics on April 21 and/or Part 2: Navigating Menopause Together on April 28, there are still a few spots left. You can do one or both parts, in any order. There is a small course fee ($35) for the self paced online learning portion of the course and the workshop is covered by MSP/Medavie. More information and registration on the Empowered Menopause course + workshop page. Use coupon code BCRESIDENT to access the reduced rate of $35.
Please note, the workshop is only available to BC residents. If you are outside of BC and are interested in the Empowered Menopause self paced online course, you are invited to use coupon code SISTER to get 30% off.
I hope you enjoy the video for Menopause: A Portal to our Wisdom years, and that it helps you listen to your body, challenge your conditioned patterns and nurture your spirit.
Sending you so much love sister,
Shana