Spring is just around the corner!
What do think of when you hear that phrase? I think about the renewal of nature, the rebirth of all the green, growing things, the actual birth of baby animals, as well as the clearing out of winter - everything that has piled up over the long sleep.... spring cleaning, spring detoxing and the first few glimpses of the warmth of longer days to come.
Spring is all about renewal, birth and rebirth. It represents maidenhood, menarche and all of the firsts of nature.
For some of us, though, Spring may be a melancholic time of longing for years past, nostalgic feelings for our youth and sentimental yearnings for our own spring many years ago. We are experiencing shifts and changes in our bodies and health that we did not expect. We may feel like the best years of our lives have passed and are facing growing older with trepidation.
If you resonate with this, I'd like to share another perspective with you. It's a term used in Traditional Chinese Medicine referring to the third phase of a woman's life, when she is shifting out of the phase of fertility and into menopause. It's called "second spring". I love this phrase because I think it is a much more accurate description of this time in a woman's life.
While we live in a society that values youth over maturity and girlish beauty over seasoned radiance, it doesn't have to be that way. Many cultures around the world respect and appreciate the wisdom and elegance only gained through time and experience. Many cultures value this period in a woman's life as an opportunity to experience a rebirth of sorts. A rebirth of creativity, a time of inspiration and an occasion when a woman who is in balance and clarity can truly make a difference in the world.
I don't know about you, but this sounds a lot better than spending the longest phase of my life pining away for lost youth!
One way that we can change our perceptions around menopause and our shifting into this third phase of life, is by making a commitment to honor our health and our bodies in natural ways that not only nourish us, but nurture us as well. Mindfulness practices, meditation techniques and nutritional therapies could be a part of this picture.
Your second spring can be a time not necessarily of physical fertility, but of creative fertility, unprecedented inspiration and sharing your talents and wisdom in ways that resonate with your true calling.
If this speaks to you, you may be interested in my upcoming free training, called 6 Keys to Embrace Menopause. In it, I will be sharing many more ways we can learn to flourish during our Second Spring, as well as natural methods for addressing common health issues before, during and after menopause so we can feel energized, vital and radiant throughout the third phase of our lives.
You can find out more here.