Hello, perimenopause
Hello, Perimenopause calling…
Are you 38+ and experiencing any of the following:
Random weight gain
Sleep challenges
Hot flushes and flashes
Skin conditions out of nowhere
Allergy intolerance
Brain fog and forgetfulness
Frozen shoulder (can you believe, this is a perimenopausal symptom!!)
Do you feel more irritated, anxious, angry, emotional?
Is your self esteem in tatters and your catastrophizing at a level you didnt think humanly possible?
If you are saying yes to two or more of these symptoms, you could be perimenopausal, yikes!
I started feeling what I now know as symptoms of perimenopause just as I was turning 40 years old, now at 48 I’m fully in it. My hormones are in free fall, a constant state of flux. As someone who has tracked their menstruation cycle intimately for years, it’s been disconcerting to lose a key connection to self. My period and body have transformed, largely in a way I am uncomfortable with. Also critically, the psychological aspect is wild, for example, I used to be pretty fearless and yet in recent years have suffered the most intense, existentially painful, anxiety. Ok yes, it is mystical and magic. But this literal change that allows us to become a completely different human being (read: crone, sage, wise elder etc) is very dramatic. To get to that other, wise side, it is a deep, dark, arduous journey. A second puberty, for real.
One of the things I’ve found most beneficial is community support - finding friends, colleagues, family who are going through this transition and have stories and tips for how to do it with more ease. It’s particularly difficult as queer person, going through other transitions to becoming gender fluid. So many transformational layers. Also, as most perimenopause resources are skewed to women (and many times for women who have children), it’s felt very isolating. So this summer/fall I’m launching a monthly workshop series to share what I’ve learnt so far and offer a space to come together in collectivity to support you and so you can support each other! The sessions will include both time to rest (with restorative yoga/yoga nidra) and time to learn.
Email me for further details and/or to book a spot: emmaklsuttonatgmail.com
Open to all LGBTQIA+ gender expansive, queer, nonbinary, transmasc, afab, lesbian humans who have or have had a menstruation cycle.