Menopause…..how many of us truly take a pause during this important transition? For most of us, the inner call to slow down and attend to ourselves gets overridden by the ongoing demands of daily life.

Menopause often comes at a highly inconvenient time for many of us, a time when major transitions are occurring for both our children and parents: graduations, marriages, caregiving needs of our aging parents.

During my menopausal journey, both of my daughters graduated college, got married, and my father passed away. Since I played a key role in each of my loved ones’ transitions, I had to be very mindful and creative about finding time for something I knew intuitively was absolutely essential for me at this time, a deeper self care.

My body signaled me over and over again….take ….a ….. pause Lynn…..s..l..o..w……..d..o..w..n….take care of yourself. Sometimes this came to me in whispers, sometimes in shouts. But the signals kept coming.

Entering menopause with an over stimulated, frazzled nervous system can exacerbate menopausal symptoms. I know it did for me. My menopausal body fired off in unpredictable and distressing ways at times, emotionally and physically. Having a sense of humor, especially when shared with my menopausal sisters, provided a welcome release during this time.

Menopause imparted many valuable lessons and ultimately became a gift to me. My body thankfully signaled me to start paying closer attention to my deeper needs which then revealed lessons related to surrender, self care and compassion.

The first and most important discovery I had during this time was the need for more space and time for myself. A caregiver, by nature and profession, creating bed-945881__340this time challenged my primary sense of identity. This challenge intensified as I discovered that my boundary setting wasn’t easy for those who had become accustomed to having more of my attention and energy.

However, setting healthier boundaries enabled me to begin giving to myself what was so freely given to others for much of my life. This self love and nurturing facilitated a deeper relaxation and openness within which allowed my nervous system to unwind. A deeper wisdom began to emerge where new possibilities for my life were revealed.

The reproductive, creative energy held in my womb, questioned, ‘what do you wish to birth now?’

Most women in our culture generally are not supported to take time for themselves during this pivotal transition. In my view, this is a deep loss both personally and collectively.

Much like a butterfly’s transformational journey, menopause can be a time we enter our own chrysalis,chrysalis allow our body, psyche and spirit to surrender, and our transformation to unfold. When we are allowed to let go of what no longer serves us, reevaluate what does, and remain unattached to anyof it, we can emerge renewed. Revitalized in body and spirit, our inspired mind and overflowing hearts are then ready to meet the world in unprecedented ways. We deserve this!

This article appeared in the February 2016  issue of SYBIL magazine.