Slower, Deeper, Wiser Menopause
"The world" - right from a young age is governed by attaining and achievement, and that does, of course, need our attention.
However, today, we live within structures of work, education, and social relations that value “faster, higher, stronger.” Our way of life is so preoccupied with curating, performing, and shaping our identity in ways that go against what brings absolute satisfaction, nourishment, and connection. That feeling is most intense for women in midlife. We are now quite familiar with the sandwich generation term.
This yang-denominated world seems very much “out of whack” as our bodies go through the transformative period of perimenopause and enter menopause. We need to learn to listen to our bodies. They are wise and give us messages about what we need. Very commonly, we crave and rest, yet we can often feel we are on a conveyor belt with no stop button.
Mindfulness practices open us up to the “other world.” One in which the values and experience of “slower, deeper, wiser” can be connected and brought into the light.
These practices can be accessible and user-friendly, making space for learning how to turn toward the direction of slower, deeper, and wiser.
Mindfulness is not flakey stuff. Learning these skills and applying them to the menopause journey is demanding and purposeful. When I teach Qigong, I remind my students that slow movements done with intention and attention bring the greatest shift in our energy and support us to have a different perspective on this time that is often seen as negative.
My best mindfulness tip for the week is to cultivate inner beauty—knowing what radiates from within us. Many of us still struggle to appreciate our outer beauty as we age and take all kinds of measures to be more attractive on a physical level.
During my training in Radiant Lotus Womens Qigong, I had the privilege of being taught a deep session with Adriana Ayales, the founder of Anima Mundi Herbals; She shared about the curanderismo use of flower baths, or Baños Florales, which use plants and rituals to nourish a beautiful internal landscape that reflects outward.
Here is her recipe, which is perfect to do, especially if you are in the northern hemisphere and summer blooms are out.
BAÑOS FLORALES Ways to prepare:
Traditional: Fresh flowers and garden herbs are placed in a bucket of water and sprinkled or poured around the body for energetic cleansing.
You can also make a large pot of tea on the stovetop using the herbs of your choice and pour it into a warm bath.
Or place fresh and/or dried herbs, essential oils, crystals, rocks, salts, etc, are placed directly into bath tub.
Lie Back and Enjoy!
Quote of the Week - shared by Master Daisy Lee and Geeta Iyengar (at different times)
“Be unapologetically wide”
drop the need to be narrow at the waist and hips and instead let it spread as it wants naturally in menopause and see how it allows us to hold space for new creative energy that is our birthright as a wiser older woman.
Go well this week
Clarissa x