As women, we move through many phases of femininity–from maiden to mother to crone.
For many women, the changes associated with menopause are seen as negative. However, with the right information and resources it can be a time of empowerment and grace.
Psychologically, the realization that fertility is ending can subconsciously make a women feel less than feminine. She must come to terms that her time as a mother has passed and that she is moving into a phase that many associate with middle-aged, matronly images that are quite opposite of the sexy, vibrant woman that our media and society portray as desirable. It is important that a woman embrace these changes and reconnect with the feminine wisdom that she certainly did not possess in the maiden and mother stage.
There are many physical changes that come with peri-menopause and menopause. Low energy, weight gain, foggy memory, hot flashes, insomnia, decreased energy, decreased skin elasticity, mood swings, to name a few. These symptoms can make a woman feel as if she is not the same person, lost in a negative transformation.
Sexual issues can become forefront during this time. The lower hormone levels can often result in loss of libido, vaginal dryness and even painful sex. This often causes a woman to question her sexual health and her vitality. Nutrition, exercise, meditation and bioidentical hormones are all natural approaches to balancing the physical changes of menopause.
Menopause can be an an opportunity for great spiritual growth. As we contemplate our changing bodies we often become very insightful and tune into our feminine wisdom. We realize that there is a new freedom that comes with the end of our fertility cycles. We are free from the worries of unwanted pregnancy. We instinctually become bolder and more outspoken. Our filters often disappear. We are not so concerned with pleasing others but finally give ourselves permission to please ourselves. It is easier to accept ourselves as strong, beautiful, and intelligent. Our insight becomes clearer and we often become deeply connected with our intuition.
Vivian Keeler
Dr. Vivian Keeler has devoted most of her adult life to the care and education of women and their families. She has been a Chiropractic Physician since 1986 with a special focus on the health of pregnant women. She is a natural birth expert who has attended more than 800 births as a doula and has taught HypnoBirthing-The Mongan Method, to hundreds of couples over the last 13 years. She is also a Certified Hypnotist. She is a faculty member of the HypnoBirthing Institute and sits on their Board of Directors. Dr. Keeler has received the HypnoBirthing Institutes Diamond Award for her contributions to the advancement of HypnoBirthing. She has shared her expertise through many speaking engagements, articles and interviews and is responsible for co-creating several training programs that have inspired many birth professionals to become agents of change in their own communities. Dr. Keeler is the co-founder of Amazing Births & Beyond and Contemporary Doula International. Her passion lies in inspiring and empowering women to create beautiful births, happy families and health in body, mind and spirit. She resides in Hollywood, Florida with her husband, Tim and their two amazing daughters, who were birthed naturally at home.
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