empowered transitions: how we came to be

Fiona, our yoga therapist, was the lynchpin. 

Clementina

Fiona and I had done yoga together for some years and had been in a book group together before that. The group was a good-hearted, quirky bunch of moms trying to escape the monotony of domestication, the hell our teenagers were going through, or the pressure the full-time jobs we got paid for put on everything else. We could cope with good books, an occasional glass of wine or seltzer, and now and again, an herbal tea and a side of Rosemary popcorn. 

We were almost always three and three. Three loved the book, three hated the book, and though I didn’t know Fiona as well as some of the other women, Fiona and I were always on the same side. She had excellent book taste, a quiet charm, and an incisive mind. We were going through stuff we didn’t talk about in book group; I could just tell how we women often just “know” things. 

So when our mutual friend told me Fiona was getting her yoga certification and wondered if I wanted to be one of her first students, I didn’t hesitate. At first, a bunch of us did a few small classes together, and before long, I was going for a private session once a week. I wanted to laugh, talk, and get to know Fiona better, but she was all business, and her dedication to her craft shone through. Looking back, I realize that was precisely what we both needed.  

I’d since learned that her budding business was like a lotus blooming from the mud, and that must have been what I recognized. I, too, was going through a massive transformation, but it wasn’t until Fiona Jalinoos, yoga therapist, came to be that I shared any of the details. 

“You’re one of the strongest people I know,” she said one day. I was tired of people telling me how strong I was for blowing up my life, and I must’ve said so because she looked at me and said, “I mean literally.” 

I gladly accepted that compliment since we’d both recently become enamored with strength training. And from then on, I don’t think a session went by that Fiona didn’t mention Natalia, her strength trainer. 

“Clem,” she said, “You just have to meet Natalia.” 

Natalia-

In January of 2019, my mother was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. During this time I was searching for something. In an attempt to fill a spiritual void and perhaps even enhance my professional playbook, I decided to enroll in a yoga teacher training course.  This is where I met Fiona. What a lovely English lady, I thought. While we had few pleasant exchanges in the next several months, COVID hit and brought the training course, and our pleasantries, to an abrupt end.  

About a year later, I received a text from Fiona: “The  front door is open.”

Strange as it may seem, I thought this was some sort of outreach, an odd, or maybe English, way of extending herself, letting me know she’s there for me or just some random invitation to visit. I wasn’t sure how to respond at first but, a short time later I texted back, “Fiona, are you sure you have the right person?” She promptly answers with, “My apologies. I thought I was texting my housekeeper. Her name is Natalia too. Happy you responded though.  I have been meaning to reach out as I am interested in starting a strength training program.” 

And the rest is HERStory… In this case of mistaken identity, we started working together and her fitness journey began. In the years  since, I have watched Fiona transform,  becoming physically strong and even more beautiful and confident. The connection and friendship we forged along the way also helped me become stronger through some difficult times.

Fiona

I’d had the idea of using yoga for menopause, and the more I prepared myself, the more I realized women needed a way more holistic approach than they were usually aware of.  Wouldn’t it be amazing if we created the comprehensive support that didn’t exist?

The Meeting: 

Finally, the three of us got together and realized we shared a sense of gratitude, good health, and well-being despite our menopausal symptoms and not being where we imagined we’d be at midlife. We also agreed that our challenging lives pushed us forward in beautiful ways. What’s happening to us is decidedly good. We’re growing. We believe practicing self-reflection and expression, strength training, and yoga are at the core of our feelings of well-being. 

That’s when Empowered Transitions was born. It was born out of our shared passion for sharing wealth by supporting and empowering women just like us who are going through menopause without feeling quite as good about it or adequately cared for and supported. Because women in menopause are often overlooked and underserved in society, there’s a need for the community and services we’re offering.

Each member of our collective brings unique skills and expertise: a writing coach with experience in writing for therapeutic, transformative purposes, a fitness trainer specializing in strength training for midlife women, and a certified yoga therapist offering sessions explicitly designed for menopausal women.

That said, we’re still not complete without you. So reach out to us at info@empoweredtransitions.net and join our growing community of women who want more than aches, pains, and hot flashes from their menopause experience. 

After months of collaboration, planning, and research, Empowered Transitions officially launched its services, and we are thrilled to finally offer them to you. 

Our therapeutic writing sessions help women explore and make sense of their emotions, patterns, and thinking so they can chart a truly satisfying course forward and create the change they want to be.  

Personalized strength training programs help women stay active and healthy and increase muscle, metabolic burn, and strength. 

 Therapeutic  yoga classes promote agility, balance, flexibility, body-mind connection, relaxation, strength, and stress relief.

Help us empower menopausal women to embrace this new life chapter with ease, grace, and resilience? Please, share us with a friend. Though it isn’t all positive, we can be proactive. We can empower ourselves with accurate information and support. Through our holistic approach to well-being and our unwavering commitment to supporting each woman on her unique journey, Empowered Transitions is taking shape as a resource for menopausal women seeking guidance, community, and empowerment in the workplace, on retreat, and in supportive group and individual sessions.