Womb Yoga for (peri-)menopause

This time in a woman's life is a period of transition from the fertile period, to the complete ceasing of the monthly hormonal cycle.

  PERI-MENOPAUSE:
During this period, that can last for around about 10 years, the cycles get longer or shorter, ovulation occurs less often, and the cycles become more irregular and unpredictable. This often goes with  fluctuations in moods and emotions and going through a deep process of shedding. Archetypically we enter the phase of the Wild Woman - a period of letting die what no longer serves us, and allowing for our wild and dark side to come forth, alongside letting go of a very important part of being a woman: our fertile years & monthly cycles.

  MENOPAUSE:
After menopause occurs - which is once a woman has had her last period - the womb becomes smaller than before and takes on a different shape as it no longer experiences a cycle. This causes shifts within the pelvic area of all pelvic organs that may find their place again. This period of a woman's life is the time in which her inner wisdom and inner knowing of who she is has become stronger after the transformational process proceding this life phase. At menopause, she enters the phase of the Wise Woman: finding inner stillness and strength within.

For many women this time is an extremely intense period of transformation,

of (re)discovering oneself.

And yet in a society that is often focused on YANG energy - hard work and perseverance - there is (still) little recognition for this time in women's lives, sometimes causing women to just keep going without really thinking about the enormous transition.

This is precisely what causes challenges - physical, mental and emotional - to become louder and louder and demand attention, because this phase asks very much for  YIN energy - that of surrender and stillness to be able to navigate the storms.