Our culture is both youth and action oriented. Every day we are bombarded with messages telling us to wake up, shape up, speed up and be happy! How often does anyone recommend that we slow down, ground ourselves and acknowledge the full range of emotions? Yet slowing down and paying attention to our internal yearnings is exactly what feeds us, particularly as women in the menopausal years.
The hormonal changes that begin in a woman’s thirties or forties have a profound impact on a woman’s body, and in turn on her whole being… physically, emotionally and spiritually. Dr. Christiane Northrup describes this as a whole body “circuitry update”, which affects our nervous system and our brains in particular.
When women feel the early stirrings of the Change, they often don’t realize what’s happening. They may experience such intense mood changes, irritability and anxiety that some women actually question their sanity. But there are biological explanations for all of this. For example, hormone fluctuations affect the hypothalmic part of the brain, which mediates strong emotions such as anger.
The menopausal years are a time when old emotional wounds surface. Northrup tells us that the hormonal changes facilitate the strong emotional reactions often experienced by women. It is the body-mind’s way of drawing our attention to unresolved emotional issues.
Allopathic medical doctors are trained to deal only with physical changes, and often ignore emotional and spiritual concerns. Women are regularly given hormone replacement therapy and/or anti-depressants, while underlying issues are glossed over.
Unless we are informed and have a progressive health and personal support system, we may not know that other, more holistic choices exist for rebalancing the body-mind. If symptoms are unmanageable there is a wide range of options for women, from counselling to herbal remedies to acupuncture to medication.
While a doctor’s advice about physical symptoms is often a good place to start, I have always viewed the menopausal years as a time to journey inside – an opportunity to heal old emotional wounds.
To me nothing less than a complete life change is truly in order. Menopause demands that we adjust the way we in which we live our lives…from the choices we make about how to spend our time to our physical health. Attending to the internal changes taking place and gently following our intuitive guidance requires time and attention, and support from others. I encourage you to speak up about your needs in all areas of your life, whether it be in the workplace, at home, or in your healthcare choices.
You are the expert on you. Let your wise self gradually unfold. Have conversations with supportive, like-minded women to clarify what your needs are. These meetings could be as informal as a chat over coffee, or could be a formal support group. Whatever you choose to do, find your own unique way to give yourself the gift of time and space. Self care is so vital at this time as our physical, emotional and spiritual needs are more immediate.
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Ellen Besso is a North Star Coach, personally trained by Martha Beck, PhD, and a certified counselor with a holistic approach. Through her Odyssey of Change program, Ellen coaches midlife women through life challenges as they strengthen their body-mind-spirit connection, release beliefs that limit their growth & take specific actions to move themselves towards their ideal life. If you feel unsatisfied in any area of your life and would like to explore life questions in more depth, contact Ellen at: 800 961 1364 or info@ellenbesso.com. Find out more about Ellen’s work and read articles by her at: www.ellenbesso.com
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Source: http://www.a1articles.com/article_184224_28.html
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