MENOPAUSE…
WHAT IS YOUR BODY TRYING TO TELL YOU?
ARE YOU LISTENING?
By definition, women are said to be in menopause when they have gone one full year without a menstrual cycle. In women, the ovaries produce the majority of female hormones: estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, which control different processes in a woman’s body including her menses. To a lesser extent the adrenal glands will also make these hormones. As a woman approaches menopause, her ovaries make less and less of these hormones and she will rely on her adrenal glands to produce these hormones. This is why protecting and nourishing our adrenal glands before we move into the perimenopausal and menopausal phase of our lives is so important.
Due to these changes in hormones, women can experience irregular periods, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sleep disturbances, depression, mood disturbance, osteoporosis or cardiovascular disease as they go through this change in life. These physical, emotional and hormonal changes usually take place between the ages of 45 and 55 years.
Women will also experience these physical and emotional symptoms during other periods of hormonal shifts; starting at puberty, with each monthly cycle, through changes of season, post partum and finally into menopause. Symptoms are a signal to us from our bodies that something needs to be addressed. Hints our bodies are giving us regarding unresolved issues and deeper needs within us that are not being met.
Heeding our body’s inner wisdom and listening to these issues as they arise can prevent symptoms from escalating as we get older.
QUESTIONS WE CAN ASK OURSELVES TO DETERMINE IF WE ARE IN BALANCE
Are we doing things that give us joy in our lives?
Do we know what our purpose is and are we pursuing that?
Are we finding true, authentic connection? To ourselves? To nature? To others?
