My journey in massage began in 2002 when I completed my qualifications and started a part-time business. While I found it challenging, my focus was always on creating the perfect ambience for my clients. After a break, I returned to massage therapy in 2019. Over the years, this business has become a powerful vehicle for me to express different facets of my role, particularly in bringing feminine power and strength to working women.
In recent years, my attention has increasingly turned towards menopause. I recently developed a meditation and sound bath specifically for women during their monthly cycle. This was paired with a demonstration on the best areas to massage during that time of the month, as it’s a wonderful opportunity to love and nurture the body.
My menopause was sudden, and I was in disbelief, despite having experienced many symptoms like hot flushes, sleepless nights, body aches, and lethargy. Now, it was undeniably real. I felt an overwhelming need to navigate my body, initially through six months of HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy), followed by gentle guidance, meditation, and passive self-love. I devoured books and listened to podcasts, soon realising I could still help others.
I blessed every moment, thanking my body with my whole soul for creating life, knowing my periods had been a gift. I recognised the immense courage of those suffering from endometriosis or who couldn't have children. My time of hot, sweaty shirts and physical aches and pains was nothing compared to the emotional loss of not having that semi-secret, private moment with my body every month. My secret is that menopause has allowed me to reclaim a space that is still just for me.
If you are experiencing deep emotional feelings of loss or grief, spend some quiet time in peaceful meditation. Use that time in your mind to retrace how you typically felt receiving that blood stain after an afternoon in bed. Think of the self-care you provided your body then, and give that nourishment back to your body now. Let waves of love and light flood your emotions, sweeping away distant feelings of betrayal and ending.
If you never saw your menopause coming, it's not your fault. No one ever sat you down and gave you a step-by-step guide. The truth is, self-love is the only force, and finding the love you once gave yourself will give you strength. Remember those moments when you trusted friends, and that inconvenient frustration when life was happening, but then your period arrived, throwing a curveball. You always got through it! And while you were counting pads and tampons before a beach holiday or a weekend away with friends, imagine your delight if it could all vanish without the fuss.
Unintentionally, in a more primal sense, we have always had our maiden, mother, and crone idolatry to stay mindful of, planning within these guidelines. The work done for women going through menopause in the last 20 years is mind-blowing. Businesses are now taking it seriously, offering time away from work and even small acknowledgements; these are fantastic baby steps towards a fruitful revolution. Because many women who had babies during their child-bearing years simply didn't know what hit them. While I don't personally recommend HRT, I will say it allowed me to take a breath. One of the biggest factors of menopause is the dramatic drop in oestrogen, and HRT can help with that until you feel ready to take the next step. The next step will always be menopause.
What can be frustrating for my age group is that I was finally starting to feel on top of my goals. As a culture, we celebrate success in youth, and then if someone is 70 and takes up tap dancing, we celebrate them too. But the thing to remember is that women experiencing similar life events and experiences to you aren't as likely to become a source of common knowledge because that wouldn't make the news. We all encounter those 'Aha!' moments.
Let's show the next generation how to stay connected.
