How Menopause Connected Me to Mother Nature.
Let me share with you a little bit about myself.
I am a summer girl.
What do I love about summer?
- Light – I love the length of daylight
- Warmth – so I can wear flip-flops and shorts
- Smell – the scent of heat and plants, even the rain
- Sound – the swifts screeching on the breeze and leaves moving on the trees
- Feel – how I feel light and lifted by the collective happiness
The change of season from summer to autumn always makes me feel a little sad like something is ending, and it is, lots of women I speak to feel this way about menopause.
When we feel sad we naturally focus on and attract more negativity into our life.
To shift my mindset I decided to focus on the things I do like about Autumn;
- The colour – Nature’s final colourful display before the dormant winter
- Being cosy – Cuddling up with candles and blankets
- New beginnings – that fresh start feeling of September, getting organised
- Food – dusting off the slow cooker and planning hearty meals
My Journey to Menopause
I qualified as a nutrition therapist in 2019. I had just turned 45 and menopause was not on my radar, I didn’t know there were over 34 symptoms of menopause, it was just a word I had heard.
Since I was 31 I had used a Mirena coil for contraception. I loved it as I didn’t have a period and I just got on with my life as a wife, mum, and step-mum with a busy childminding business.
For as long as I can remember I have been interested in natural health and well-being.
Growing up my best friend was passionate about the environment and taught me so much about the products we use and how we can make small changes to make a big difference.
I started making natural face and hair masks as a teen, moving onto eco-friendly cleaning products when I moved into my first home and even using washable nappies for my children. I’m not saying I was perfect but I had an awareness and did what I could over the years.
Research is something I love and supporting my clients with their health and well-being led me down many rabbit holes.
A frequent research hole was menopause.
You can’t help but relate research to yourself and as I approached 47 I started thinking about my own ailments and putting two and two together;
- Joint pain – I struggled walking down the stairs in the morning
- Abdominal pain – even though I still had my coil
- Dis-organisation – SO unlike me! Forgetting things, difficulty concentrating
- Questioning – What is my purpose, what am I doing this for, why do we celebrate Christmas!?
Christmas was a big sticking point for me, people around me were caught up in the commercialism of Christmas and many did not even believe in the true meaning. I have never been overly religious, I believe in something bigger but what?
I started to follow a more spiritual path, for want of a better word. I found that the seasons were real and tangible.
Back to the research and I found The Wheel of the Year. The wheel of Mother Nature and things I could focus on and celebrate to support me to feel more connected to the bigger picture of life and also my body and menopause journey.
These things included;
- Intentionally getting outside whether that is walking or gardening or just connecting my bare feet to the ground.
- Bringing the outdoors in. Collecting seasonal foliage to decorate my home.
- Foraging, collecting free food from nature bursting with goodness. (Be certain of what you are collecting to eat).
- Celebrating the Festivals of the Year. The Equinoxes, Solstices, and midway celebrations in-between these; Samhein (Halloween), Imbolc (February), Ostara (March/April) and Beltane (May Day).
Many women experience a call to reconnect although they may not realise this is what it is.
They may feel disillusioned with life, disconnected, overwhelmed and questioning their part in the grand scheme of things.
Is this you?
Menopause and the Seasons of Nature
I finally realised I was on my own menopause journey when I had my coil removed ‘just to see where I was’.
My periods were irregular, to say the least. My ailments continued and I continued to research.
It’s funny how you attract opportunities. It’s like buying a new car. Once you decide on the one you want, you see them everywhere!
It was at this time that I came across Lauren at Aligned & Purposeful. She was a business coach who was teaching marketing in an aligned and authentic way.
At this time we were just post covid and I had had to pivot my business online. I was a great nutrition therapist but knew NOTHING about marketing my business online and everything I had tried so far was stressful and icky!
Lauren coached using moon cycles. I learned so much from her from a business point of view but also had a lightbulb moment. I could apply these principles to support my clients, who all seemed to be of a certain age, as well as my own menopause health.
If you have been in my world over the past year you will know this information but if you are new here, welcome! This is how to apply the moon cycles to your menstrual cycle and menopause health;
- New Moon: The first day of bleeding, akin to the winter season, embodies the Wise Woman/Crone.
- First Quarter Moon: The follicular phase aligns with spring, representing the Maiden.
- Full Moon: Ovulation corresponds to summer, embodying the Mother.
- Last Quarter Moon: The luteal phase mirrors autumn, representing the Wild Woman.
I teach women Menstrual Cycle Awareness, but what if like me you have an irregular cycle or no cycle due to birth control or menopause?
The moon cycle is 29.5 days, and the average menstrual cycle is 28 days, which provides us something to track, plan by, take action by, organise by and most importantly of all REST by.
Menopause Your Inner Autumn
I feel like I missed a trick in removing my cycle from my life for so long, hindsight is a wonderful thing!
Every menstrual cycle you experience is like a mini lifecycle, including menopause which is the autumn of our cycle, as you can see in the table above.
So, getting back to my original point, embracing and celebrating the changing of the seasons has helped me to see the bigger picture, that ‘this too shall pass’, that nature has lots to offer and to teach.
Learning to listen to your inner cycle and understand what your body needs will support your transition through menopause and beyond.
We should feel privileged to be old enough to reach menopause.
If we are lucky we can live 30+ years post-menopause and I for one want my health span to match my lifespan so I can fulfil my purpose and enjoy my life.
Living in alignment with the seasons has taught me about rest which is so important during menopause when the body is undergoing big changes.
Embracing this change of season supports me in expressing my feminine energy.
Naturally, my energy is very masculine, aligned with spring and summer, setting goals and taking action and this has led to burnout and illness in the past.
As nature takes time out in Autumn and Winter it has encouraged me to do the same.
To slow down, review and plan.
Whether this is for your garden, home improvements, business or personal growth, taking this time leads to better results and less running around like a headless chicken!
Rituals to Connect to Autumn
Over the years I have found a connection to the changing seasons through my children and their school traditions such as Harvest Festivals, Nativity plays, Easter activities and summer fayres.
When your children finish school, especially primary you lose some of that connection to the celebration of seasons and the earth, which can further increase the disconnect you can feel deep within yourself.
Soul Rituals are something I share in my Monday Moon Day emails. Here are some rituals to support you to rediscover and reconnect to the world around you, your body and your menopause journey;
- Gratitude – We can’t always be happy BUT we can be grateful. What are you grateful for this season?
- Declutter – Restore balance in your home. I don’t know about you but during the summer my living space can be neglected when all I want to do is be outside or it is just too hot to clean.
- Re-organise your wardrobe – Bring out your autumn/winter clothes, and create a capsule wardrobe so you can be organised, know what you will wear each day and feel confident and comfortable.
- Preserve – There is such joy in tasting summer during winter. Make berry cordials, jams, preserves and gin to enjoy on cold dark nights.
- Decorate – Get outside and look for the first signs of autumn, collect some autumn foliage, branches of berries, acorns and conkers, and display these around your home. Make cosy areas with candles and throws.
- Garden – Plant bulbs for spring flowering, as they start to appear from February onwards, it will bring joy that Spring is on its way.
- Routine – Design new routines to support your optimal health for the new season, overhaul meal plans, change up your bedtime routine and focus on eating the bounty of the harvest season.
Whether you love the change of season or not, navigating menopause is a unique experience for everyone.
I hope this post has inspired you to intentionally connect with the Earth and discover some rituals that will bring you joy on your journey.
Skip forward to 2024
Using the moon cycles and syncing my nutrition with inner and outer cycles is second nature to me now.
Feeling aligned with my body’s needs helps me feel in control of my life and my health.
This summer I made a minor business pivot switching from Menopause Nutrition Therapist to Menopause Doula as this better encapsulates my approach to supporting women to manage symptoms and navigate a path through menopause and beyond.
If this way of approaching menopause appeals to you join my email list by downloading my free eBook 5 Nutrients Your Body Needs During Menopause to get started.
If you would like to chat with me about your unique menopause transition, book a Wild Well-Being call and come away inspired and motivated to begin your journey to optimal health.