Menopause: It’s Not What You Think
The beliefs we hold about what menopause will be like, are powerfully predictive. In fact, it has been conclusively shown that on a cellular level our perceptions of our environment, not our genes, not what our environment may or may not actually be, is what dictates the way our body responds to situations we find ourselves in.
What we hear about menopause, both from western medicine and from other women, is that we should be very, very afraid. It is all downhill from here. Western medicine sees menopause as a failure of our fertility system, and sees its symptoms akin to disease. Health care in the US tends to educate through fear, because it is profit-driven, and its financial success requires making us dependent upon, and getting us to comply with, ‘treatment’. Very little in western medicine has to do with supporting the natural healing processes of the body or providing context. It divides our bodies into different ‘specialty zones’, with a doctor for each specialty. We are not encouraged to trust our bodies.
However, it is not only our western medical system that educates us to expect a horrible menopause; it is also other women. In general, women see it as a time of loss - of our beauty, value and power, with horrible symptoms to boot (do you think there might be a connection?) This is the perspective of our culture. Just as we do with pregnancy and birth, we often tell each other our horror stories. I have often wondered why. Maybe because it has a more dramatic effect, but I suspect it is mostly because we are still processing these traumas ourselves.
Well, sign me up, right? Who wouldn’t want to experience all that? Yet, this is how we are being educated about this time of our lives. The messages are all about loss, diminishment and pathology.
Why would Nature make it so that everything falls apart and we are diminished, just when we are in the prime of our lives? The answer is, She wouldn’t. Nature has a blueprint for the unfolding of every species, not least of all ours. She takes us through several hormonal transitions in our lives, each building upon the one before, and each one powerfully preparing us for the next stage. At puberty, we are hormonally prepared for conception, during pregnancy, for motherhood, and at menopause for evolving the species.
During menopause, our bodies and our brains are re-wired for creativity and integration, over reproduction and nurturing, and we begin to distill our experience and prepare the generations coming behind us. We give our gifts to life and to the world. It is a time of power and presence and the symptoms that are bothersome for many can be easily lessened. Don’t buy the message that your life is over. In many ways, the best part is just beginning.
There are reasons why modern women in our culture experience a more difficult menopause than in other times and places. Future blogs will talk specifically about how to work with your body and beliefs during this transition – how to be proactive and prepared and lessen the symptoms of menopause. Stay tuned…
