Menopause is finally getting the press and attention it deserves, and thank goodness we now have the knowledge out there to educate ourselves about what changes are happening and to be able to make informed choices as to how we want to deal with our symptoms. We now know that we are most likely to enter perimenopause in our 40s and therefore when we start feeling out of sorts; gaining weight; feeling rage; forgetting things; losing our confidence; or generally feeling slightly bonkers, we can know that it’s our hormones changing and preparing us for the next stage of life.

One of the most important factors is that we don’t feel alone or ashamed. There are so many more symptoms of perimenopause I didn’t realise until I did my training with Petra Covney, and sharing with the other women in the group helped me to feel like I’m not some mad, evil mother who has no patience, that actually my Oestrogen is fluctuating and that’s where the rage is coming from. That knowledge, with some breathwork tools and some Osteopathy to help my aching joints, has helped me to manage my rage, (a bit).

Menopause/ perimenopause can still feel like a ‘dirty’ word, God knows I still want to look and feel as young and fit as possible. But we need to reframe menopause. We need to see this as a time of life where we, (if we are privileged), get to focus back on ourselves. We can use this time to really nail down our nutrition, to prioritise our fitness, to learn about nature’s natural options of support and to learn to trust in ourselves and to put our wants first. And if we want the HRT, go get the HRT!

Menopause Yoga is very suitable for absolute beginners. A lot of the classes focus on restorative poses as we want to bring our cortisol and stress levels down. We use breath and meditation techniques to help cool hot flushes or help us deal with anxiety and brain fog. For post-menopausal women there is a more dynamic practice as we step into our second spring and find more energy and zest for life. Keep your eye on here for details of workshops to come.