Here are somethings that helped me through my journey to menopause. They are specific to me and I encourage women to listen to their own intuition and follow what is best for their own body as each woman’s journey is unique.

I started perimenopause when I was at 44 and entered into menopause at 50. I used to teach Fertility Awareness, a science of the natural female body cycles; the menstrual cycle. Fertility Awareness teaches you how to read your body. When you know your own cycle you can naturally prevent pregnancy or become pregnant. It is a powerful tool. All girls should learn this about their body soon after menstruation. Women in Aboriginal tribes knew this information. It is basic knowledge about the female body. A “how to” that most of us never received. I learned about my body through Fertility Awareness. I got to know my body’s cycles very well and knew when I entered perimenopause. I think having this knowledge helped me through a smooth transition to menopause.

I Listened to my Intuition.
At the beginning of perimenopause, a friend came over to visit. She brought a cake she had made with infused fresh rose geranium in the cake and the frosting. I could not eat enough of this cake. I craved it. It was the rose geranium. I was intuitively drawn to the rose geranium in my garden. I created many products from rose geranium. I made rose geranium hydrosol and infused rose geranium oil. I used the hydrosol and the oil in my body care products. The house smelled of rose geranium from the fresh plant and all this helped to balance my hormones. Rose geranium is known for its balancing affect.

Later on, I started to have “warm flashes” and my legs felt restless at night but that was the extent of my physical symptoms. The warm flashes never progressed and neither did the restless legs. I don’t know how women cope with “hot flashes” because these few warm flashes were enough for me. At this time I was again intuitively drawn to flaxseed oil and pomegranate juice. Flaxseed oil and pomegranate help to balance hormones. Every morning I made a smoothie that included flaxseed oil, pomegranate juice and protein powder. When I had restless legs, I massaged them with a lotion I kept by the bed and my legs would calm down right away. The lotion had lavender essential oil and sweet orange essential oil in it. This combination of essential oils with the lotion produced a cooling and relaxing effect on my legs.

Rose Geranium Essential Oil Pelargonium graveolens
Rose geranium was my lifesaver. I used it in my bath, my lotion and body oil. It’s an uplifting, balancing essential oil and has an affinity for menopause. Rose geranium essential oil helps to balance the menstrual cycle and helps relax the body.

Extreme Self Care
This is a time to care for yourself. Your body is going through a wild tumultuous time and tremendous transformation. If you have been a caretaker most of your life and caring for others before yourself, you will find it extremely hard to continue this pattern. The more you care take, the greater the suffering. Ask me, I know. This was my most challenging area. This time of transition is about being comfortable in your own body, to say what you need to say and be who you really are. If you don’t, the process is hard. Be Who You Are and Stop the Care Taking. Care for yourself first.

Warm Baths Before Bed
Warm baths are excellent to help relax the body and promote sleep. Make sure the water is warm. Hot baths will only heat you up making it harder to sleep. Add fresh herbs like rose geranium, chamomile or marjoram to the bath water or add a few drops of calming and relaxing essential oils to 1/4 teaspoon of oil and disperse into the bath water. Try chamomile, lavender, sweet orange, rose geranium, marjoram or ylang ylang. Drink a cup of chamomile tea.

Massage with Body Oil
After your bath or shower, use a nice body oil with essential oils. Trust your intuition and try essential oils you are drawn to. You may want to try rose geranium essential oil. The combination of sweet orange and ylang ylang essential oil help to relax and promote sleep. Marjoram essential oil also helps to promote sleep and blends well with lavender essential oil.

Massage your Feet
Massage your feet daily. The best time is right before you go to bed. Use a body oil, body butter or lotion to massage your feet. Massaging the feet will calm the body and promote a good night’s sleep.

Aromatherapy Cooling Mist
Create your own cooling mist and spray yourself with it when you do start to heat up. Use a glass bottle with an atomizer spray; add 4 ounces of distilled water and up to 25 drops or 1/4 teaspoon of essential oil. (Use fewer drops for high intensity essential oils such as the chamomiles, ylang ylang, etc). Start with a few drops at a time. Some cooling essential oils are peppermint or spearmint (don’t spray near the eyes), German chamomile, Roman chamomile, cape chamomile, rosemary and lavender

Move Your Body
Walk, Bike Ride, Swim, Hike, Yoga, Dance, etc. Only you can move your body and make time for it. If you do something you like, you will continue with it.

Have Fun and Do What You Love
Stop waiting and enjoy your life and share your gifts now.