#Menopause the Mental Journey

      I wrote a few weeks ago about menopause - my journey and the herbs I use.  But others have very different journeys.  And let's face it walking from motherhood (or the possibility of it) through the door to crone (elder, wise woman) is a big transition both physically and mentally.  For some growing older is more mentally challenging than physically challenging.  I know I have been "older" than my own mother for eight years.  She has been 39 for more than a few years now.
     There are many factors that cause women in this culture to not relish growing older.  It's heartbreaking to see.  My recommendation for this is learning to love yourself and who you are. I know this can be much easier said than done for many. My advice, for what it's worth is to start by ignoring the media, the airbrushed magazine photos and the lies.  Find things you love and do them. Find inspirational older women and learn from them. Defying Gravity: A Celebration of Late-Blooming Women by Prill Boyle is a great book to remind you that life does not end in mid-life. I had the privilege of meeting Prill and she signed my book, "May you never stop listening to your heart & flying with your dreams."  This is key for all of us I think.
     Creative endeavors - painting, writing, cooking, sculpture, gardening are great ways to get out of your head and into yourself.  You don't have to be "good" at them.  You don't have to show people or publish - you just have to create for yourself. I love to cook, counted cross-stitch, gardening and making skincare products.
     Yoga is my answer for a lot of things.  It helps with posture and flexibility.  It helps with balance so you are less likely to fall.  It calms your nerves.  And there are so many types of yoga you are bound to find one that fits your personality.  Maybe it is gentle and restorative or maybe vinyassa or hot yoga are more your style. Try a few until you find one you like.  And dance...  belly dance has been my cure for midlife angst.
     The New England Journal of Medicine published an article discussing leisure items that could reduce your risks of dementia.  These included cognitive items such as crossword puzzles as well as physical activities such as golf, walking, swimming and dancing.  Dancing was the only physical activity to reduce your risk of dementia.
     Belly dance is one of those things I've always wanted to try but never did.  I saw an advertisement for an introductory class and jumped in.  The welcome letter said to where comfortable clothes - yoga pants were great.  I tried to find a pair to wear and they were all six inches too long and gave me camel toe ( I have since found brands made for women of average height with a little junk in the trunk).  I showed up to my first class in sweats.  The kind I only wear at home.  I felt fat, defeated and ugly.  By the end of that first class I was hooked on the dance and felt more beautiful than I had in ages.
     My point is to get out of your own way and find something you enjoy that makes you feel alive and beautiful even if at first you feel clumsy, awkward and defeated.  Our motto at belly dancing is to "embrace the train wreck."  We are each learning new ways to move our bodies and it doesn't click at first try (or second or third) but we keep dancing, moving and eventually our bodies take over and the moves become more fluid. I find this a perfect metaphor for life; things may not click the first time (or second or third) but we keep trying and eventually we find what brings us joy.

Menopause - more herbs - more relief

     

 There are many herbs used to make the journey preceding menopause more comfortable.  For many there period just stops.  For others it can be a physical and emotional roller coaster. And the one thing that seems to be consistent is that it is different for everyone.  My first piece of advice would be to listen to your body, your intuition.  I was told repeatedly by my doctor that I was too young to have any symptoms.  Hormone imbalances do not ask your age.
     I needed to balance my hormones and my lifestyle.  For me I needed to cool things down - at work, in life and in body.  Changing what I could at work, eliminating things in my life that were not bringing me joy and cooling herbs helped.  I have not stepped fully through the door to menopause yet but I am enjoying the journey.
     I mentioned the herbs that I use for myself in menopause.  But, there are other herbs to help as well.  The herb that received a lot of press a few years back was Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa).  When it didn't work for everyone it lost its credibility.  )It was found in a German trial that combined with St. John's Wort that it is 78% effective in reducing hot flashes.  Herbalists use it for those with menstrual pain where estrogen levels are too low.  It is antispasmodic and it is effective in easing ovarian pain and uterine cramps, before and during menstruation.  It restores tone to the uterus and reproductive organs.  It helps bring on delayed menses by stimulating the uterus and by improving blood circulation to the pelvic area.  It may also improve bone health. Because it is a uterine stimulant do not use if pregnant.
     Wild Yam - Diocorea villosa  is a plant source for a steroid like substance, diasgenin, which was the starting point of the contraceptive pill.  There is no suggestion that the plant was used as a contraceptive in the past, although it has been traditionally been used in Central America to relieve menstrual, ovarian and labor pains due to its relaxing qualities.  It acts to regulate the progesterone to estrogen in the system.  It is used for menstrual distress, infertility, menopause, endometriosis and hot flashes.  It is an anti-inflammatory and reduces the acute inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis and eases joint stiffness.  It is used for liver health, the endocrine system and gallbladder problems.
     Motherwort - Leonurus cardiaca (lion hearted) - She stimulates the muscles of the uterus, and is especially suitable for delayed menstruation, menstrual pain and premenstrual tension especially if shock or distress is a factor.  She should not be used if menstrual bleeding is heavy.  She hastens childbirth so she is to be used only in the last few days of pregnancy.  She is used for insomnia associated with menstruation.  She may shrink fibroids but may increase menstrual flow.
     Smilax sarsaparilla - this spicy root is what gave old fashioned root beer its flavor.  It is used for the prevention of gout, arthritis, inflammation of the joints and is particularly useful for scaling skin conditions like psoriasis.  Its estrogenic action makes it beneficial in premenstrual problems, and debility and depression associated with menopause.  It should not be used if you have kidney problems or diabetes.
     I have had much success combing these four herbs along with Chasete berry (Vitex Agnes-castus).

Menopause

     Menopause the word that strikes fear in the hearts of many.  I never really understood that nor the fear of growing old.  I embrace the changes that come with time.  I am more settled into myself.  I'm definitely wiser than I was.  And wise enough to know that I really know very little.  There is always something new to learn or explore.  I finally know what I want to be when "I grow up." I want to be me!  I'm happy being beyond quirky as my hubby says.  I'm happy being a cook, a mom, a wife, a friend, creative, an herbalist, a belly dancer, a yogi, a traveler  and anything else that strikes my fancy at the moment.
    And with all that I am reaching an age that my doctor will finally agree means that the "change" is happening.  Before that I was told I was too young to have hormonal changes.  OK, so I am not present in my body and what I am experiencing.  That soapbox story is for another time.  Truth be told that since I started menstruating each month has been a new adventure.  And now that it is sometimes several months or a couple weeks in between my moon time the adventure is still new.
     I never considered my period a curse.  It was one more step in the evolution of my growing.  There were times it was messy or inconvenient, there were times I cheered that it arrived and I was not pregnant, there were times I was sad that it arrived and I was not pregnant and now I am looking at a time in the not to distant future that it will not arrive any more.
     Some women walk through the door of change with no "symptoms"  their period just doesn't come any more.  Others battle fatigue, bloat, weight gain, mood swings, hot flashes, brain fog and so much more.  A good clean diet and exercise can do wonders for just about any dis -ease.  I also believe in herbs to aid in life transitions.
     I have had mild hot flashes most of my life.  So, now that I get an occasional HOT FLASH it intrigues me.  It gives me pause to reflect, research and experiment on myself.  I am my own test subject.  When I was having extremely painful ovarian cysts I refused the birth control pills the doctor suggested and added Vitex agnus-castus to my daily routine.  This made them almost completely disappear; at most I would feel a twinge.  When the hot flashes increased in intensity I realized I had reduced the vitex I had been taking.  Bringing her back into my life brought some balance and the hot flashes decreased.
     I have a few formulas I use for others depending on their symptoms.  These formulas aren't meant to cure anything.  There is nothing to cure.  Menopause is not a defect or disease.  It is a life transition.  What these formulas do is help bring things back into balance so that your transition is easier.
     Knowing that I run hot I have introduced cooling herbs into my daily diet. I love iced hibiscus tea for example.  It is deliciously fruity tasting, cooling and loaded with vitamin C.  I eat a lot more vegetables and lean protein and stay away from the breads, grains and pastas as much as possible.  I do this because I feel better when I do.  I'm listening to my body.  Your body may be different.  If you run cool you may want to introduce warming foods and spices to
your diet.  Ginger, cinnamon and root vegetables will warm you.
     My current formula for myself is Vitex agnus-castus, hawthorn and gotu kola.

Vitex Agnus-castus

Vitex Agnus- Castus - Chasteberry  balances hormones.

Hawthorn berries

Crataegus oxyacanth -  Hawthorn - is a heart tonic.  It relaxes and dilates the arteries, especially the coronary arteries.  This increases blood flow to the heart and can reduce symptoms of angina.  It will lower high blood pressure and raise low blood pressure.  It is used in Ayurvedic medicine to lower cholesterol and strengthen the cardiovascular system. By improving circulation it can aid those with cold hands and feet.   It can clear toxins from the gut and regulate metabolism. It can work on the nervous system to help calm a person who feels anxious or agitated.  Combined with lemon balm it can aid children with ADD and ADHD.  Its antioxidant properties ease inflammatory connective tissue disorders.

Gotu Kola

Centella asiatica - Gotu Kola - is a memory tonic.  I usually live in my head and can debate a topic with the best of them.  When I was suddenly stopping in mid sentence and could not finish the thought or even remember what the conversation was about I started to get a little nervous.  I made a few stress relieving life changes and started taking gotu kola.  It combines well with hawthorn berry for strengthening capillaries and veins.  By improving the integrity of the capillaries it is useful for the eyes, venous insufficiency, spider veins, varicose veins and anal fissures.  It clears toxins and inflammation and has been traditionally used for easing arthritis, gout and joint inflammation.  Gotu kola enhances concentration, improves memory and relaxes the brain when it is over stimulated.  In the ayurvedic tradition it is used to strengthen the mind, slow the aging process, support people with Alzheimer's disease and aid those who have experienced a stroke.  It can be used by those who meditate to help quiet the mind.  It calms and relaxes the central nervous system, reduces anxiety, depression and insomnia.  It is beneficial for inflammatory conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, acne and hives.