wisdom, a symptom of menopause?
Welcome to Empowered Transitions: Writing Through Menopause
Welcome to Empowered Transitions, a sanctuary where your menopause journey is honored, supported, and celebrated. I'm thrilled you've found your way here. My name is Clementina, and I'm not just a writing coach; I'm a passionate advocate for women actively navigating the transformative journey of menopause.
Before we delve into the depths of this pivotal life stage and how writing can help you rock it, let me share a story with you.
Ten years ago, I was 39 years old, nursing my second son, who was in an Ergo baby carrier, and trying to wash some dishes when my mother called. Back then, she called too often, usually to complain about my father. That day was different, though. She got right to the point.
"You know," she said, "I went through menopause when I was 40."
"40?" I mainly questioned to make sure I'd heard her correctly.
“40,” she confirmed. I didn't even really know what menopause was, but I started panicking just the same. Had you been inside my mind, you'd have heard, 40? I'm 39, and I've spent the last decade birthing and nursing babies. I cannot; no, I will not go through menopause next year.
"Is that early?"
"Very," she said as if it were one more reason I ought to feel sorry for her.
Instead, I got off the phone, ran up the stairs to my Kindle, and downloaded Christianne Northrup's The Wisdom of Menopause.
Do you know the book? It's an 800-page tomb. I read it from cover to cover.
I chose it because in 1996, when I was still freshly out of college and found myself in a decidedly female jam, Dr. Christiane Northrup's first bestseller, Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, practically saved my life, and I vaguely remembered being introduced to–and not caring about–menopause then. Northrup, Louise Hay, and Carolyne Myss convinced me to believe what I had suspected: I couldn't heal my body without counting my mind and spirit as integral parts of the whole.
It was a no-brainer then; no matter when my body began perimenopause or menopause, I would choose to experience it from physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions, using all three to navigate my course. With many, many, fewer books on menopause at the time, The Wisdom of Menopause seemed an obvious place to begin. First published in 2001, it explores the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of menopause, offering insights and guidance to help women navigate this significant life transition with grace and empowerment.
And while Northrup wasn't the first–not by a long shot–to argue for a combination of HRT and holistic treatments such as dietary changes, exercise, stress reduction techniques, and herbal remedies, her emphasis on the importance of addressing menopause as a multifaceted experience that encompasses not just physical symptoms but also emotional and spiritual aspects was new. While menopause is a phase, all women go through, often with inadequate or appalling, generic support, The Wisdom of Menopause advocates for a personalized approach that takes into account each woman's unique needs and preferences, which may include a combination of medical interventions and holistic treatments, some of them that may not seem to have anything at all to do with menopause at first.
All of the information I found there was helpful, and I felt inspired by Northrup's encouragement to advocate for myself and make informed decisions. With my worst fears eased, I was surprised by my biggest takeaway: That women in America suffer more during their menopausal years than women in any other country in the world.
Wait, what?
Yes, that's what she said, and I felt it. I remembered my days traveling Europe and the reverence people seemed to have for older people there. And it started to make sense to me.
Northrup left me with this advice. I'm paraphrasing loosely from ten years ago because I want to share the distilled version I carry with you. She said as you approach menopause, or even go through it, take the time to figure out what's bothering you, or as my favorite memoirist, Mary Karr, would say, what's stuck in your craw. What are your resentments? What resentments will you have in the future if you don't learn to understand and have more compassion for yourself? What dream do you feel is slipping away? Make it a reality. Who do you want to be on the other side of this transition? Why not make peri and menopause a bridge? In other words, regardless of what society tells us, only we can decide if our lives are over or just beginning with menopause.
And I know no better medium than writing to do this work. Writing, combined with strength training and yoga therapy. Wow! Just wow! If this piques your interest, stay tuned for more from Empowered Transitions, join our _______post-release
