Menopause: Stepping into our Agency
At the onset of menstruation, hormones begin an ebb and flow of cyclical rhythms that protect, build and renew to prepare for the possibility of bringing new life to the world. 🌍
But as we reach the edges of midlife things begin to change.
Anciently, these years are known as the Wisdom Years. 🤍
“The woman in menopause, who is becoming the queen of herself, finds herself at a crossroads of life, torn between the old way she has always known and a new way she has just begun to dream of…”
~Dr Christiane Northrup
We are no longer protected by a choreographed surge of progesterone, drop of estrogen followed by a monthly reset. The hormones that once governed so much of our life stories, suddenly cease production, fertility ends and we step into a space known as menopause.
As this change takes place, our brains, once dependent and protected by progesterone and ovulation literally must rewire.
We’ve had years of practice, but now, our health has always hinged on how we have cared for ourselves. But now, we can really see it. Our wellness is directly connected to what we take in and how we let go.
it may be the first time we realize our choices are squarely in our own hands. Both physically and eternally.
Not in the hands of our leaders or spouses (or potential spouses) or children… our Eternal Destiny is ours to work out with our Savior, who, if we let Him, gently reminds us that “we began with Her.”
Make no mistake, as poetic as it sounds, this process was never meant to be easy.
Great opportunities for growth never are
We see whisperings of this eternal truth in Ecclesiasticus 6:22
“For wisdom is according to her name, and she is not manifest unto many.”
Ecclesiasticus 6:22
and again in Mosiah 8:20
“…for they will not seek Wisdom, neither do they desire that she should rule over them”
Mosiah 8:20
It is our humanness that resists change. And that eternal gift of agency is the key that allows our spirits to heed the call of our changing minds and bodies – if we choose.
“Time is growing short.
~Brene Brown
There are unexplored adventures ahead of you.
You can’t live the rest of your life worried about what other people think.
You were born worthy of love and belonging.
Courage and daring are coursing through your veins.
You were made to live and love with your whole heart. It’s time to show up and be seen.”
” You Began with Her. She continues with you”
~Amber Eldredge, In Her Image
For a beautiful continuation of these thoughts and the voices that inspired this post, check out Whitney Call Meek’s post entitled “on my body and expanding.”
Best-
Shelley
PS-
The Exhausted Woman’s Revolution is open
If you’re ready to change how you view, nourish and restore your body – This is a fantastic place to start.