The Wisdom of Menopause

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chris_northrup_md: For the same reason that menopause is associated with new energy or this midlife life force, it is also associated with a sense of dying to our old obsolete ways of being in the world. Oftentimes the beliefs and behavior that have served us well and helped us survive the first half of life must be revised or eliminated. If we don't change, we set ourselves up for disease and premature death.

Unlike in adolescence, when we were certain we were immortal, we've now lived long enough to witness all around us friends and family members.... So menopause becomes an opportunity to direct our lives on purpose and according to our inner needs.

Menopause is often seen as a time of raging hormones, mood swings, and erratic behavior. What's really important for people to understand is that hormonal fluctuations do not, by themselves, cause craziness. Instead they simply heighten unfinished business. When we can see our own irritability and craziness as labor pains, then we can understand and have patience with ourselves as we go through the process of transformation.

chris_northrup_md: Absolutely not! The spiritual piece of menopause is so imbedded in the process of menopause that there is almost no hormone or medication that can mask it. And that is truly exciting!

chris_northrup_md: I've worked with all kinds of different hormonal preparations for years, and I've come to believe that in low doses, when the hormones are bio-identical--they match those found in the female human body--then they are generally safe and often very helpful. However, there are women who react to the slightest dose of hormones no matter what form it's in.

In general, I recommend that women going through a natural menopause try alternatives to hormones first; e.g., high-dose soy, exercise, supplements, and dietary change, and use hormones only if more natural means are unavailable or ineffective.

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