Hi,
And welcome to this practice for women in menopause.
It's a guided practice in self-acceptance and self-compassion.
I invite you to take a moment to arrive and settle in.
Putting aside the busyness of your day,
The busyness of your life,
The busyness of your thoughts,
And as if you can open a door to a sacred place that is just for you.
To come take your seat,
Rest,
And reorganize.
Take a slow breath in through your nose and a long unhurried breath out through your mouth.
Take a nice deep breath in through your nose and a nice long exhalation out through your mouth.
And again,
Inhaling and exhaling,
And now gently bringing your awareness to your body and perhaps becoming aware of any symptoms you may be having.
It might be the hot flashes,
Fogginess,
Heightened anxiety,
Fatigue.
And let it be named quietly without judgment or criticism.
Notice how your body reacts as you bring it to mind.
See if there's an urgency to brace,
Tighten,
Or push it away.
And simply notice that urge without acting on it.
And when you're ready,
Maybe bringing your hands to your collarbones and just gently tapping on your collarbones once or twice.
And saying softly,
Out loud or to yourself,
I notice you.
I see you,
And name whatever it is.
Hot flash.
Anxiety.
And then add your information.
You're not a problem.
And let the words settle.
And then bring your hands back to your collarbones and begin a slow,
Gentle tapping.
And you can say to yourself,
I can stay with myself.
Begin a steady rhythm,
Tapping.
Maybe crossing your arms as if you're giving yourself a hug.
And tapping your shoulders as you continue to repeat slowly,
I am safe in this moment.
Take a breath.
My body is allowed to change.
And you can release your arms or continue with the tapping as you say,
This is the body I live with today.
I can meet it with kindness.
Take a breath and add in a sense of compassion.
I can trust my body's wisdom.
My hormones are shifting,
Not failing.
This is a natural transition in a woman's life.
And my body is rewiring.
And I can learn and grow and become even a better version of myself.
Take a breath and bring in even a little more self-compassion.
This may be hard.
But I'm not doing it wrong.
There's no wrong or right way of moving through this transition.
I don't need to fix myself.
I only need to take care of myself.
I am learning how to live in this body.
And I can be patient with myself.
I can choose to be in relationship with myself in a supportive way.
And then if your hands are still tapping,
You can release them down to rest in your lap.
Allowing time for your body to integrate.
Feeling the surface beneath you,
All that is supporting you,
Whether you're on a chair or lying in a bed.
In this moment,
I am supported.
In this moment,
I offer myself compassion,
Kindness,
And reassurance that I will get to the other side of this.
Menopause is not a failure of your body.
It's a profound transition.
A time of reflection,
Of realigning with what you value most.
It's a time of transitioning into yourself as a wise,
Mature,
Capable,
Sovereign queen.
And then when you're ready,
We'll begin to transition from this meditation.
Bringing some movement back into your hands,
Wiggling your fingers,
Your toes.
Taking a deep breath in.
Knowing you can take this practice with you,
Return to it,
Whenever you find yourself spiraling and needing a little more support.
I offer you much love,
Empathy,
And compassion as you move through this,
Having done it myself and made it to the other side.
Please join me for another meditation on Insight Timer.
Namaste.
