Perimenopausal in a Pandemic

10/03/2022

The NADA protocol helps alleviate hot flashes and night sweats for breast cancer survivors. I offer the NADA protocol at Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center on the second and fourth Thursday of each month and at Hip Circle Empowerment Center on the third Thursday of each month. If Thursday evenings don’t work for you, schedule a session at my practice.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35247073/

19/10/2021

Happy World Menopause Day!! In honor of this day, I have created a special yoga nidra to celebrate the magical journey of peri-menopause - the journey to rediscover your voice, reconnect with your intuition, explore your creativity, and own your power. The imagery in the visualization is borrowed from the amazing Kate Codrington.

https://youtu.be/Rx484Fliu3k

This is a special yoga nidra to celebrate the magical journey of peri-menopause - the journey to rediscover your voice, reconnect with your intuition, explor...

31/10/2020

In this discussion with Becky Paulin-Liston from Integrated Physical Therapy and Yoga, we talk about bone 🦴 health. At minute 6:30, we emphasize the importance of posture. 💀

29/10/2020

29/10/2020

Judith from Link Physical Therapy shared that in our 20s our vaginal tissue is like a Tempur-Pedic mattress and in menopause it’s more like a futon. At minute 4:30, they talk about actions you can take to improve blood flow and tissue resilience to be more mattress like. They can help address common symptoms like painful sexual, urinary incontinence and recurring UTIs. I encourage you to watch the entire discussion!

24/10/2020

A laughter practice can help manage perimenopause symptoms, and is a great way to re-energize yourself. Chelsea Greenbaum from Evanston Laughter Wellness explains what laughter Wellness is. Around 7:30 we do some practice exercises.

22/10/2020

Self compassion is a skill that makes the perimenopause transition smoother. After I read this response to a post by a woman suffering from insomnia, I knew I needed to have Elizabeth Bierbaum Clarke from Third Wave Wellness, LLC join me to talk more about self-compassion. "I’d like to add that you ARE normal. STILL normal. This is a normative response to an insanely abnormal situation. Trauma, and that’s what’s happening here, as loved ones lives are in potential danger, changes the way your brain functions... I might suggest adding one concept that might be useful, and I’m using it with myself and sharing with others - that you attempt to practice self-compassion and acceptance, and by that I mean being present for your feelings, attending to them with kindness and practicing radical acceptance of the situation. You are managing a lot, holding a lot, for both yourself and others. You are doing your best in the face of an impossible situation that you can not control. Control what you can, of course, (meaning everything from wearing a mask to being a pleasant pest with others or taking a melatonin - I like the blue chocolate ones I found at Whole Foods) but much of this is beyond the scope of what even the very best of us can influence. So, when you can not fall asleep or when you wake up in the night, remind yourself first to be present, then kind or gentle with yourself in that moment. And then accept that you are awake, not beat yourself up for it or fight it. Just be awake, and be present for that moment. That’s what’s happening, so show up for it just like you do for other things in your life. Take deep breaths or pray or have warm milk or whatever you feel like trying but do it as part of accepting what’s happening not as a form of avoidance - whether that means allowing for being awake when you have an early morning, or allowing for (witnessing or honoring) your fears for your sons with asthma, or accepting the presence of the pandemic as a whole - it doesn’t matter. Fighting with what IS will only make things more painful. Being present for your experience of insomnia or anxiety and creating more space for your feelings will ultimately help create the shift or change you are seeking. "

20/10/2020

"Body positivity is about reclaiming that relationship with your body that you were given when you started, until the world got in your way." Malik Turley, Hip Circle Empowerment Center
At around minute 21:30, we discuss actions you take to embrace your body. It's worth investing the 40 minutes to listen to the entire discussion - it inspired me to re-listen. You can jump to minute 3 where we really get started.

15/10/2020

I know many of us are experiencing anger and frustration. During perimenopause, your hormones fluctuate wildly - which sometimes results in irritations and frustrations escalating to rage quickly. If you have always tried to repress your anger to be "nice", it can be an even bigger challenge. In this FB Live, Julie Schiffman EFT and I talked about using tapping to release your anger, so you can use it to take positive action, get your needs met and gain new insight about yourself.

14/10/2020

Struggling with brain fog? Did you know that your cold, sleep or allergy medicine could be making things worse? Ingredients diphenhydramine or dextromethorphan decrease acetylcholine levels which can impair memory.

13/10/2020

During peri menopause, the intuitive capacity of our brain is enhanced. This was a discussion with Sonia Tully about Tuning into your Intuition. Some highlights of this discussion: At around minute 8:30, Sonia gives suggestions of ways to make space to connect with your intuition. At minute 23, Sonia provides suggestions for addressing your propensity to over give. Again, it's worth investing the time to watch the entire video. Note: The video freezes for just 20 seconds around minute 4. Sonia is teaching a class tomorrow at the Infinity Foundation.

12/10/2020

This is a FB discussion with Queen Wheeler about how the perimenopause transition helps us explore authenticity and alignment with our values. At around 6:30, Queen talks about the importance of finding space for yourself - a physical space to do your soul work, a space that supports, inspires and motivates you, that doesn't contain any irritants. As this pandemic continues, it is critical to have space for yourself. Watch the whole thing - she also provides suggestions about how to avoid blowing up your life.

11/10/2020

In this FB discussion, Marcy Wellek Kirshenbaum from Enhance Nutrition, LLC shared the importance of eating the right foods so that your detox system is functioning optimally to minimize issues during perimenopause. There is a ton of great info here...at minute 4, she talks about the importance of cruciferous veggies, just after minute 15, she talks about Vitamin E and Selenium. At minute 12, she talks about using the DUTCH (dry urine test for comprehensive hormones) to see if foods like yams, soy and flax seeds would help you manage perimenopausal symptoms for you or actually make them worse. She's a wealth of information - make sure to watch the whole conversation so you don't miss any of her tips.

09/10/2020

Research shows what many of my clients already know. Acupuncture reduces the frequency, duration and severity of hot flashes.
https://www.reliasmedia.com/articles/138189-new-research-eyes-acupuncture-for-women-with-menopausal-symptoms

08/10/2020

Suffering from hot flashes and/or night sweats? Try some black cohosh tea.
Studies have shown that menopausal women experiencing hot flashes have significantly fewer and less severe hot flashes after using black cohosh. Black cohosh is also commonly used for vaginal dryness, heart palpitations, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and irritability. Check with your doctor first if you have high blood pressure or liver disease or are taking any medications that impact your liver.

07/10/2020

In honor of the VP debate tonight, it seems appropriate to re-share this discussion with one of the top 20 executive coaches in Chicago, Lisa Kaplin about how to find your voice and speak your truth during perimenopause. (Congrats to Lisa on being selected a top 20 executive coach by Influence Digest )

07/10/2020

Studies have shown that Vitamin C with bioflavonoids can help reduce hot flashes (as well as addressing vaginal dryness and supporting bone health). Talk to your doctor about what dosage may be healthy for you. Natural sources of bioflavonoids (which help your body absorb Vitamin C) include the white pulp of citrus fruits, grape skins, berries, cherries and wine.

05/10/2020

Check out this FB Live discussion with Beth from Roots and Wings Energy to shift your perspective on hot flashes and learn some techniques to manage them..