Shhh.. we don't talk about menopause. Raging hormones! It means aging, discomfort, hot flashes and emotional instability.

Or does it?

Historically even 100 years ago, menopause was framed as a disease to be treated, often with horrible surgeries or cold water therapies. Many women did not survive these 'treatments' and those who did suffered immeasurably - mentally, emotionally and physically. Then in the 1940s HRT was developed with the introduction of Premarin (pregnant mares urine), with the theory that waning estrogen should be replaced. The changes in demeanour and physicality were disruptive to the status quo. The idea remained - women lacked something that required replacement. And the hormone estrogen was blamed. Replacement with higher levels of the hormone estrogen provides for a more docile and cohesive female experience.

Fortunately we have come some way.

Or have we?

From the menarche to the menopause women are bombarded with ways in our society to look better, look younger, smell better, change our hair, skin, nails, clothes and to enhance ourselves and make ourselves more pleasing and palatable. We are under a constant drip feed of 'beauty for attention' and it is no surprise that this pattern and pressure ramps up the closer we get to menopause. We learn to ignore our inner message and voice, we tend not to speak up. We continue suppressing our true self to take care of the needs of others, and this suppression over time, leads to mental and emotional blocks and noticable problems in our physical body.

We often don't stop to think that menopause is actually only one day! The one year anniversary of the last menstrual period. We are taught to look foward to not having the inconvenience of menstruation, which many women have suppressed for many years or sometimes decades with various synthetic hormones or IUDs. In the years leading up to menopause we are outward focused, with our energy being scattered to the four winds, leaving little for reflection on what we really want. Then we get the so called symptoms.. the first hot flashes, cramps and dysregulated menstural cycles.

Often we think of menopause symptoms like hot flashes, digestive problems, weight gain, aches and pains and we treat these as a physical level problem only without having regard for any underlying mental and emotional causes. Where we do not pay attention to our mental and emotional symptoms, (by suppressing and self medicating) we eventually experience physical symptoms that we can no longer ignore. During the childbearing years and more so in the 10-15 years or so of perimenopause we are given hundreds of opportunities to address mental and emotional imbalance with every menstural cycle, and the PMS symptoms and messages that arise and get louder.

If we allow ourselves to pay attention to these messages at peri menopause or earlier, we can restore our natural state of balance and live a more fulfilled life of happiness and meaning. However, if we have not done the inner work and listened to these messages our body gives us, we get some really, really loud messages - physical symptoms we can no longer ignore - at menopause, to prepare us for the second half of life so that we can live a life with happiness, impact and fulfilment.

As an anthropologist, looking at the cross cultural studies on menopause, we see without exception that in traditional cultures the only symptoms of menopause are lowering of FSH and estrogen and cessation of menses. This becomes the definition of menopause worldwide - but it means so much more in our society. Therefore, we know its not the hormones that provide the myriad of symptoms we experience in the west - there is much more to it. In addition in traditional cultures, women past menopause are well regarded, respected and tend to hold higher status positions in society for the wisdom they embody. In our culture we have the converse experience.

If we can consider and address the language of our menopause 'symptoms' and messages, we can begin to unravel and restore balance. Perhaps the brain fog is a message to slow down from overload. Perhaps the irritability suggests we have boundary issues and the need to speak our truth - another reason perhaps why thryoid problems tend to surface in the perimenopause years. Hot flashes may be regarded as literal heat coming to the surface - the angers and resentments under the surface that we haven't addressed yet. We know through much of the modern science now that the brain rewires itself at midlife. The old patterns are no longer needed and give way to new wisdom, creativity and coming into our true self.

Of course there is likely to be nutritional depletion that needs to be addressed (from years of modern life), and some adjustments to be made with foods and lifestyle, but these are really secondary to the main event. The possibilities and potentials. The fulfilment and meaning. The magic in menopause.

This is the reason I created Magic Menopause 8 Week Program, to provide a solution for women approaching or having experienced menopause, to live this life in the most profound and fulfilled way, allowing the future and second half of this life to be pure magic.