Why nourishing your whole self in menopause is so important
Recently I received some information from the Akashic Records for a Circle I was running and it was around the importance of nourishing oneself. It hit a chord with all of us present so I thought I would share it more widely so that you too can benefit.
The need to nourish in menopause
As women hit menopause the things that used to nourish us may no longer. We need to adapt and change, to find the things that nourish and sustain us going forward.
In the words of the Akashic Records in respect to the menopausal woman:
“She is often at a place of depletion, having given of herself over many decades in support of others. It is now essential that she provides nourishment for herself to provide rejuvenation and replenishment of the soul.”
They also talked about women being exhausted at this point in their lives and exhaustion coming in many forms, not just physical but also:
“a tiredness of the heart, a weariness from constantly giving and serving with little or no return from others.”
In other words, by the time we hit menopause we are depleted and exhausted in multiple ways. It’s little wonder our bodies are demanding rest at this time.
Unfortunately we’ve been taught that we must continue on at all costs, be productive every day, keep turning up, and to completely ignore the signals our body is giving us to rest, recover and adapt.
How do we nourish ourselves?
What we need is something the lights us up again, lifts our energy and enthusiasm, rewards us and fills our emotional cup.
“One's heart and soul needs to be nourished to allow for growth and expansion rather than stagnation.”
We need to tune in to ourselves, to recognise where our energy is renewed and where it is depleted. Identify what activities or people uplift and energise us, and those that drain us of energy.
Anything that uplifts us, whether it is people, places, or activities is nourishing. Anything that brings us down is depleting us and causing a drain on your soul.
Because we are already drained and depleted when we enter menopause we need to focus on rebuilding ourselves.
The Akashic Records also said:
“We would like to remind women that it is not selfish to care for oneself. It is an act of love and kindness, not only to oneself but to those around you as well. Everyone benefits when you are at your peak and everyone suffers when you are depleted. We therefore remind you that it is of the utmost importance that one takes time to nourish oneself, preferably on a daily basis”.
Notice they said "preferably on a daily basis”. We are not talking about the odd massage here, getting your nails done, or having a bubble bath every now and then. We are talking about the things you do EVERY DAY that nourish and rebuild you.
It is the daily rituals that will allow you to slowly be replenished and bring you back to a state of wellbeing and peace within yourself.
Opportunities for development
They also went on to say:
“Once one's energy levels have risen sufficiently one can then begin to expand and grow in ways that have not been achievable when one's role was to nourish others at a deeper level. Now that you have been released from this there are enormous opportunities for development.”
I find that last sentence incredibly exciting - that there are “enormous opportunities for development” for us in post menopause. We’ve been lead to believe this isn’t the case, that we’ve hit the end of the road when we reach menopause and that it’s all downhill from here.
That is absolutely not the case, and I can speak directly from my own experience here. I’ve learnt an enormous amount about myself since I turned 50. Opportunities for growth and expansion have been provided in multiple ways.
In many ways menopause is a gift. It forces us to change. It challenges us to reflect on our life to date and adjust it to suit who we are now, not who we have been in the past.
Bringing about balance
The Records also stated that women have been held back in order that the masculine have power but that is about to change and there will be more balance going forward.
“It is through focusing first on yourself and then on others that the balance will be restored. We cannot say much more on that at this time but we wish you to know the pivotal role you play in bringing about balance between the feminine and the masculine for future generations.”
They talked about boundaries and the importance of saying no to things that do not replenish us and yes to the things that do. They told me this is within our power and our rights and then they said the following:
“You are not here for the pleasure of others. You are here for your own growth and expansion.”
In other words do not always prioritise others pleasure above our own. We are here to learn, to grow, to expand and if we are constantly putting others needs and desires above our own we are in fact restricting our own growth and expansion for the benefit of others.
Resistance from others
You may find that you meet resistance from those around you but the messaging here is to stay true to you, as this allows others an opportunity to learn and grow as well.
Relationships are always evolving - that is their nature. Those closest to us can choose to grow alongside us or to follow a different path.
Challenges in relationships as we change and grow can be difficult. It’s never easy and it can create chaos for a time. However, the Records went on to say:
“Strength comes from overcoming adversity. Beauty comes from recognising the strength within. We acknowledge the strength and beauty within each and every one of you.”
“Cherish your magnificence and your strength. Acknowledge your own beauty and continue to nourish that deep level of love and acceptance by focusing on what you need first above others. Only then will you reach your full potential in this lifetime.”
Again, isn’t that last sentence interesting? Only when focusing on yourself first will you reach your full potential in this lifetime.
Have you ever thought about it like that before? I hadn’t, but now that it has been presented to me in that way I can see how it makes total sense.
And I absolutely want to reach my full potential in this lifetime. I want to see what I can achieve, where this amazing life takes me, what areas are ripe for exploration that I hadn’t even considered before (and I’m told there are many - how exciting is that?!).
We all have so much ahead of us, so much potential and growth, new things to discover, new ways of being. There is a reason they call it your Second Spring in Traditional Chinese Medicine. We’ve been through the full cycle culminating in winter (menopause) and now we are fresh and new, about to start over, to blossom and bloom again.
I can’ wait!
Kàren
Going deeper
If you want to explore this further I invite you to pick up your journal and answer these questions:
Where do you feel depleted and in what form is it (physical, emotional, a tiredness of the heart, weariness of giving with little or no reward)?
Tune into yourself and identify:
What activities, people and environments uplift you?
What activities, people and environments drain you?
What can you do on a daily basis that will nourish your heart and soul and replenish your energy?
Where would you like to expand and grow?
What is in your heart, calling to you that you have put off until now?
Where do you need clearer boundaries, or to say a straight “no” to certain things?
What is stopping you from doing so?
Where are you still putting others' needs first and your needs last?
