The Unmasking In Perimenopause
First off, a reminder that in the Northern Hemisphere, we’re still deep in winter. Imbolc is coming up tomorrow, February 1-- the first signs of spring and the midpoint between the winter and summer solstice. Yay, more LIGHT and longer days!
However, this means you may still be in a dreamy state, wanting more rest and cocooning. Me, too. And also, feeling some of the stirrings of spring coming. It could be a great time to plan a little more activity for March and April, if you know that you need more rest now and tend to have more energy as the equinox approaches.
It’s a delicate balance from a doshic perspective– there is kapha accumulation happening now (earth + water) and we still have a foot in vata season (air + ether)-- and the subtlety of this varies based on where you live. As we move into spring, we will need more healthy stimulating activities, like getting outside on a vigorous walk to break a sweat.
Honestly, this wasn’t even the biggest thing on my mind this week. As usual though, it seems important to remind you (and me) about how we are not separate from nature, and we shift with the changing seasons. I love this dynamic shift and flow, and it also teaches us how to shift and flow with life.
What’s been on my mind lately around this huge transition known as perimenopause, at least for me, is the unmasking.
I’ve been feeling so raw and vulnerable lately. It seems like more and more, the people, practices, and substances that are less nourishing are asking to fall away.
Okay, some aren't just politely asking. Some are screaming.
This process sometimes is conscious and requires effort, and sometimes it instead requires surrender.
Taken a few weeks ago at Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica. Photo by Ron Michael Photography.
One of the things asking to fall away requiring conscious choice is alcohol. It is just becoming more clear that it is harmful to my body and mind, even in small quantities. So why, at times, am I willing to trade in a couple of hours of distraction and relaxation for a night of bad sleep and increased anxiety the next day? It’s a mystery.
I also see old issues from decades ago coming back up to be dealt with. Shadow work that I thought I had moved through, and YET, there it is: another layer, a deeper one. Stuff I’m not ready to talk about yet, but it’s there.
I’m being asked to show up more and more as myself with less filters in all areas of my life. With less attachment to outcomes.
I suspect, since you’re here, dear one, that this is happening to you too.
I’ll leave you with a reminder from one my teachers, Dr. Claudia Welch, who said: