The Gift of Menopause

,We have so little information about a life process that happens to every woman. Fortunately, science is starting to uncover greater understanding of this and how our body is operating. This is a process that is purposeful, healthy and part of our path as woman. There doesn't need to be a denial, a dread or a fear of problems that occur when we stop producing eggs. It is part of a brilliant sacred vessel that gives life and there comes a time when it is no longer the main function of our body. It is natural, normal and healthy and it is a time to give life to ourselves!

I imagine I am in it. I no longer get my period regularly and at times I can experience hot flashes from too much coffee. It has not been a big issue with me. I have learned of my body and what is actually happening to it. It doesn't make me feel old, unwanted or uncomfortable. I am in a life process like getting my period, now I am not. It is natural for my body not longer to be able to produce off spring and I am  happy about it. So let us get an understanding of this process so we can feel better about ourselves and what is going on.

Stress can cause this process to start earlier than normal. All my health information shares how our body gets burnt out by being in high levels of cortisol, adrenal stress. When our mighty adrenal glands are exhausted, our body doesn't run as well as it should. During menopause or perimenopause, these glands are very important in the transition. If they are taxed, the transition will not be as smooth. Our body can't do it's work so easily. It is paramount to get a handle on our responses to the outer world so our body is less exhausted in life, This stress creates issues that are not necessary or healthy. Finding ways to be in oxytocin, the pleasure hormone are the way to rejuvenate as a woman. There is no other way than shifting our body state out of this cortisol and into the parasympathetic more often. It helps with all life, this transition as well.

As the ovaries get to the end of their egg generating years, the energy that was used monthly for this process moves upward through our body on a journey to our pineal gland. On it's path it passes through all our body and gives us an opportunity to clear ways of being and review old issues. Our primary focus for most of our life was the family we created. When in those years, it is our nature to consider the group, the peace of our family, the stability of them as our highest purpose. We put up with situations and conditions that work for all and sublimate our desires. It is natural and part of what woman do. Society expects it and we have been trained to  be a good woman. Peace on the homestead creates health of the group. Our nature is to nourish so we do this and often through denying our pleasures.

As our children grow, our life and purpose changes. We reclaim back energy for ourselves. We haven't put ourselves in the picture fully for years. The empty nest, depression, SAD, putting our nurturing toward animals or a cause,  all can come forward during this time of change. We are in a process that is much like the teenage years when we first got our period. Our body now moves the energy upward, allows us the reflection and review of these quieted desires and griefs. We are given the  time for this past  to come up and be release as part of our birthing a new. Our pineal gland in our brain supports us to expand our wisdom out of our small group of family and into the larger world. In doing this process, we revisit old wounds as part of this journey. Having put others before ourselves for so long has created issues that we get to clear in this later life process. It is purposeful for we are reconnecting to ourselves. We no longer need to tend our clan in the same way and can do things we desire.

As we get the opportunity to rebirth ourselves from the full on caretaker role to a role of caring for ourselves in a way that will support us now in the world, a lot of old stuff is to surface and purposefully.  We are capable to handle these griefs or losses now. We feel through them. It is a very pensive time in life of inward movement. We are looking at ourselves, our lives, what didn't work, letting it go and moving into a new expression that we haven't had since we became mothers. This is a huge shift and delightful when we understand we are refining ourselves. Yes there is labor involved.  We can put time into us and whatever path we want once again. 

Fear is present  for we have been doing this role most of our lives. We have shelved parts of ourselves.  it is ok for we are now reviewing them again. It is an investigative time to reflect and let go of imbalances so we can be authentic in who we are. The energy goes upward and passes through the power center.  We get to see where and when we gave away our power. Anger surfaces for us and the hormones and chemicals in our brain bring this and old memories forward. It is part of the physiological process. Our brain is now stimulated by the very hormones that worked in our womb.  Activating a part of our brain to clear issues and renew our power. 

Many woman will walk through old abuses as an opportunity to reset their views to clearer ways to support themselves.  All the injustices we put up with little and big, get a review so we can realign ourselves for this new way that doesn't involve others running the show. We get to process how we use our power, where we got it taken away or gave it away and how to now experience our power differently in light of our waning parenthood. Marriages actually fail at this time for a clearer view of what was happening comes forward and we get to decide if this is the life we want  now that there is no clan to sacrifice for. It is part of the biological process for us to take a look at  our memories and  anger so we may be changed from it. 

The energy goes through our heart and wants to clear any imbalances there. It is a gift this review of ourselves. We get to clear out old stuff that is no longer supportive for our future selves. We let go of these hurts by processing them. It is why depression, health issues of these organs and melancholy is part of this transition. We are preparing for our birth of our individual self in a way that supports us.  It is like lightening sparks us. It goes through our body, lights up our imbalances on its journey to the brain so we may heal ourselves through a reorder, self care and gentleness. Allowing our real self to come into being in this next leg. Health issues all a sign of the imbalance and an opportunity to care for ourselves in a greater way.

The energy travels past the thyroid and throat, another menopausal health issue. What has been unspoken, what words did we not say. We are in a new position now where remaining quiet for the good of the group is no longer necessary.  We get to review and speak up for ourselves. Again, the chemicals in our brain are being stimulated to go through the memories, anger is inspired and unspoken words are brought forward. This is for our review so we can transition to this new phase of life that supports us fully in a way of self development that works for our spirit of being. 

These reproductive hormones are now supporting the reproduction of us by stimulating areas of the brain. They are creating this review and new look at life for us to clear our past and go forward taking care of our true individual self.  No longer having to be quiet, neat, ordered and holding the clan in peace. What a beautiful process this is to grow into your authentic woman in this new stage.

Of course it has it's hardship and it is meant to have this review for survival of ourselves. We can know this process is happening and honor it. The anger is a stage of it purposefully. Not so we can rant at others but so we can allow that anger to process things that need not hold us in that old place. Perhaps giving us power to change things. In doing this we become a more authentic version of ourselves. Our pineal gland comes alive, we are a true wise woman of our culture. Now helping the larger group in ways that work for us. 

That is the story of our body,  the emotional energy that we are processing in our menopausal years. It is taking back our power that we, as woman have given up for our clan to thrive. We no longer need to do that as a biological position or an emotional one. Our body sets us up for the next phase where our strength, our truth, our individual being can be further brought forth in the power it is. We should welcome this transition and use this inward movement to our great benefit. Health and understanding  come from this reflective time.

It is similar to our body growing with a baby, business or an idea.  We birth all kinds of things, it is our gift of being a woman. We went through the shifts of our body as it grew and feed the life inside and managed through the emotions. the tiredness, the challenge of it. So we do it again on the back end for ourselves. This sacred vessel is well designed to support us here and we need to get on board that it is working with and for us, not against us. There is wisdom to how it runs. We are now the baby to be born yet again in greater power and beauty.

 Unfortunately, we have not carried an understanding of our body or our role through life. We just were not taught how it works as the ancient woman's mysteries share clearly.  See the big picture and the beauty of being a woman.

We are young and vivacious, we get in surged with hormones that stir our body to give life. This is an innate drive and we know nothing of it, often we disconnected from our body right then and there. We lived this cycle unknowning of it or the path to work with our body. Maybe we had children and fulfilled that nourishing reproductive drive, nurtured our offspring and supported the clan we created. All natural instinctual processes we are designed to do.  Now as we leave those years, our gift of ourselves is given back. We get surged with hormones again to review, release, change perspective after all this process and become an individual again. Now wiser, more powerful  for the process. We are woman. This is our life path and purpose. It is a beautiful gift of nourishing force. Now we get to nourish ourselves with all the wisdom we learned from doing it for others. How lovely is that. A beautiful story of menopause. 

As we embrace the true story of ourselves, we gently allow this review to support our rebirth. We get support in the form of herbs, medical help, psychological help, whatever you deem necessary to birth yourself in comfort. It is not all comfort for it is birth. So we walk through it like all other phases.  We are gifted back ourselves. The childlike girl we were before this whole process of hormones began gets to come into expression. We are ready to be a new,  beautiful, wise expression of ourselves. How cool is that?

I know I am enjoying this rebirth fully and enjoying every bit of it! It is just the Art of Being a Woman!

Christine Northrop, The Wisdom of Menopause has great herbal and  medical information on this process and ways to support you.

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