During this morning's yoga class I heard myself say," the felt sense experience of our body is not a mental thing." It's so easy for me to get into my head when it comes to my body, into the ideas I have about what my body needs, versus a present time experience of my body, as my body, and feeling into its needs on its terms. Can you relate?
This disconnect between mind and body shows up in so many ways in our culture. When we eat at meal time, but without an appetite (which means our body's actually not wanting food), the mind and body are disconnected. When we push past our fatigue and power through our work day, or get stuck on the couch when our body wants to move, there's a mind/body disconnect. When we work out hard when our body is already fatigued, we're imposing an agenda on the body.
What would it be like to give ourselves permission to yield to the real needs of the body?
Learning to listen and attend to the body on its terms is important for everybody. At perimenopause (and post menopause), it's as important as ever. This shift in life-stage for a woman means there's a new landscape to discover. The ways we've always taken care of ourselves may not work well anymore. It's not that we're doing something wrong, it's simply that we've entered a new life stage, and our needs have changed.
The good news is that overriding the body's needs in late perimenopause and menopause won't work. When we try to push through, we can crash and burn. Enter hot flashes, edginess, irritability, low energy, anxiety....
More good news is that syncing up with your new life stage is easier than it might seem when unwanted symptoms are presenting. Hot flashes, more frequent cycles, unwanted extra weight, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep....All of these symptoms are meaningful through the lens of Ayurveda and individualized constitution, and when we resolve the root cause, we can find our stride again.
If you're a yogini in perimenopause or beyond and you're ready to radically improve vitality and balance hormones, I want to invite you to join my 16 week Living Ayurveda for Perimenopausal Yoginis, (and beyond...means our menopausal sisters are warmly welcome, too).
This 16 week program is designed to support you in re-aligning with your unique body-wisdom, reigniting your digestive fire, and shoring up your energy leaks for a symptom reducing perimenopause and menopause.
We're starting mid-January, but I'm opening up an early enrollment period now.
Enrollment is by application, so we can make sure this is a good fit for you. There is no obligation to join by applying! Together we'll discover if this course is a fit for you.
Early enrollment gives you the time and space to get ready for a great beginning mid-January. Once enrolled, you'll have immediate access to these programs to support your preparation.
Your Elemental Nature: learn about or refine your understanding of the 5 great elements, 3 doshas, and your unique constitution and present state of imbalance through this sweet audio course with accompanying illustrated booklets.
Seasonal yoga classes and yoga library filled with yoga and meditation videos to use to support your daily breath/body and meditation practice.
I've never worked with a woman who regretted deepening her self-care journey. But I often hear women speak to the regret they feel at not starting sooner. What are the real costs to your health, physical and mental, for postponing upgrading your health at this stage of your life?
In service and love,
Shannon