If you've woken up feeling tired,
Uncomfortable,
Emotional,
Or disconnected from your body,
This practice is for you.
Menopause can ask so much from us.
And some mornings,
It can feel like we're waking up in a body we don't quite recognize.
For the next few minutes,
There is nothing to fix and nowhere that you need to be.
This is simply an invitation to meet yourself with compassion.
Accept what is here today.
And take the day one gentle step at a time.
So before we begin.
I want to invite you to set down any expectation that you should feel different than you do right now.
Maybe you woke up rested.
Maybe you didn't.
Maybe your body feels heavy,
Achy,
Or warm.
Maybe your mind is already racing.
Maybe there's a sadness here.
Irritability.
Anxiety.
Or simply exhaustion.
However you are arriving today.
You are welcome here.
Take a slow,
Comfortable breath in.
And gently let it go.
Again,
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
Without trying to change anything.
Simply notice your body.
Notice where it makes contact with the bed,
The chair,
Or the floor beneath you.
Notice the support that is already there.
You don't have to hold yourself altogether in this moment.
And as you notice your body,
See if you can also notice any urge to judge what you're feeling.
Perhaps there's a thought that says,
I shouldn't be this tired.
I should be able to handle this better.
Why can't my body just cooperate?
I used to have so much more energy.
If any of those thoughts feel familiar.
Know that you are not alone.
So many of us move through this season carrying not only the physical changes of menopause,
But also the quiet grief,
Frustration,
And uncertainty that comes with them.
There's nothing wrong with you for finding this hard.
There's nothing wrong with you for needing more rest.
There's nothing wrong with you for waking up exactly as you are today.
Take another gentle breath in.
And as you exhale,
See if you can soften the struggle.
Just a little.
Not because you have to like what you're feeling.
Not because you have to pretend that it's easy.
But because fighting your experience often becomes one more burden to carry.
Instead.
Perhaps you can simply say to yourself.
This is what my body feels like today.
This is what my heart feels like today.
And I don't have to battle either one.
Allow those words to settle.
Imagine that there is a wise,
Compassionate part of you sitting quietly beside you.
A part that has seen you through every season of your life so far.
A part that knows.
How much you have carried.
How much you have adapted.
And how hard you have worked to keep showing up.
Notice what it might be like.
To hear that part say.
You don't have to earn self-compassion today.
You don't have to prove that you're strong enough.
You don't have to force yourself to feel gratitude or positivity.
You are allowed to simply be where you are.
Take a slow breath in.
And let it go.
As you think about the day ahead.
You might notice the mind wanting to rush forward.
There may be responsibilities waiting.
People who need you.
A long list of things that didn't get done yesterday.
See if you can gently remind yourself that you do not have to carry the whole day right now.
You don't have to solve this afternoon before the morning has even begun.
You only have to take the next step.
Maybe the next step is getting out of bed.
Maybe it's taking your medication.
Making a cup of tea.
Feeding the Dog stepping outside for a moment or simply taking another deep breath.
We don't have to know how everything will get done.
You don't have to have all the energy you'll need for the entire day.
You just need a napkin.
For the next small step.
And when that step is finished,
You can take the next one.
Notice if there is even a tiny bit of relief in allowing today to unfold one moment at a time.
Let your shoulders soften.
Let your jaw unclench.
Allow your hands to rest.
And quietly repeat these words to yourself.
I do not have to fight my body today.
I do not have to judge what I am feeling.
I can meet myself with kindness.
One step at a time is enough.
As we come to the end of this practice,
I want to acknowledge something important.
You took a few moments this morning to slow down and listen to yourself.
In a world that often encourages us to push through,
Ignore our needs,
Or criticize our changing bodies.
You chose something different.
You chose to offer yourself a little compassion.
You chose to pause.
And that,
By itself,
Is an act of caring.
Whatever today brings.
I hope you carry this reminder with you.
Your body is not the enemy.
And you do not have to fight your way through this season alone.
Take the day one breath.
One moment.
And one gentle step at a time.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
I hope you'll return to this meditation whenever you need a soft place to begin again.
This practice will be here ready to meet you exactly how you are.
