Turning 47 a few weeks ago and in the throes of perimenopause it's become clear to me through my own embodied experience and speaking to older women who've traversed this journey that one of the things so many women fear about menopause and getting older is that they will no longer be JUICY.
The overwhelming feeling and response is that they will hit the dreaded M word and suddenly become dry, brittle old ladies with less energy, less value to offer - and a less than 'moist' vagina!
They're afraid that their zest for life - their vitality - will dry up like a parched desert and their days will be spent ruminating on how things used to be when they were young and luscious.
They fear that words like moist, juicy and succulent will no longer apply to them!
So - I want to open up a conversation about the collective and cultural perspective we - as women - have around ageing because this conversation NEEDS to be out in the light not hidden away in the shadows.
I also want to share that I do not for ONE MINUTE believe that this has to be the truth for us, yet it will take a devoted commitment to unravel the thousands of years of patriarchal conditioning that we carry in our lineage around what it is to be an older woman in our culture.
Some of the most sensual, powerful, radiant and yes JUICY women I have ever met are well into their 6th decade - and they are so delicious to be around! 🔥🔥
But - I do whole-heartedly believe things do need to change - RADICALLY - if we want to embody this radiance well into our seventies, eighties and beyond.
My experience from working with hundreds of women is that we are collectively and globally tired and exhausted.
In truth we are often fucking BONE-WEARY from our chronically busy lives - and THIS is creating havoc in our nervous systems, overall wellbeing and 'juice' factor.
The altar of busy has seen much action over the past century - and as things exponentially speed up I am simultaneously seeing more and more women burning out and breaking down - unable to sustain unsustainable and unrealistic expectations from themselves and a culture fixated on achieving and doing.
Sadly pleasure takes a backseat to pragmatism and productivity.
So I ask you - how can we stay juicy when all our 'juice' is spent on just surviving the craziness of our hectic lives??
HOW CAN WE STAY SUCCULENT WHEN LIFE IS SUCKING US DRY???
The truth is we are experiencing a global Yin deficiency of epic proportions - and if we keep going the way we are then YES we probably won't be feeling super juicy later in life - yet there is another way.
Preparing for the journey of perimenopause/menopause once you're IN it is great (better late than never and all that) - but what's BETTER YET is to start preparing now - not when you're 45 and already feeling worn down by life - but right freaken now!
Recently at a Reclaiming Menopause workshop I attended I had crystal clear confirmation of what I already knew to be true - being well nourished, well rested and juicy before we enter the next phase of our of feminine life cycle - is the best preparation we can gift ourselves to be ready ( as much as we can be!) for this wild unchartable ride into the unknown.
No one woman will experience this journey the same - so there's no '6 steps to Crushing Menopause' workshop you can do to help you along the way!
It's all part of the Feminine Mysteries 🔥🔥
What you can do however is take a radical stand for yourself and commit to making changes in your life (NOW) and play with exploring different tools, practises and ways of being to see what resonates and feels GOOD!
Over the years I have explored and collected many practises from different traditions adding those that have been profoundly life changing and beneficial for me to my sacred tool kit - and so I wanted to share them with you in the hope that they may perhaps serve you in some way too.
Every day I bring some of the below practises into my life - because I LOVE how they make me feel - but also as a conscious way to prepare myself for the changes to come.
Oh - and it's important to note that being juicy is not just a state in your physical body but also a state of mind and BEing.
For me it's anchored in prioritising PLEASURE and being open and receptive to life - mess and all!
(MY) TOOLS FOR STAYING JUICY:
(Please take what you like and leave the rest!)
* Non-negotiable daily rest - collectively women are tired and wired! Adrenals are depleted and inner wells parched so creating space to rest daily serves well to keep my whole being and nervous system soothed and nourished - so take a nap, rest on the lounge, do a yoga nidra or practise restorative yoga
* Jade Egg practises - bringing these ancient teachings into my world regularly has opened me up to a whole new level of potent awareness, pleasure and an endless source of energy available from within
* Daily embodiment - bringing loving attention to being present and IN my body - through things like:
- Moving energy in my pelvic bowl - Shakti energy resides deep in the cauldron of our womb and awakening her offers a wellspring of creativity, vitality and pleasure that we can access anytime we need it. I do this by shaking, shimmying, circling, grinding, figures of eight and free flow movement of my pelvis
- Sensitisation: awakening pleasure in my body through loving gentle touch like Breast, Yoni or whole body self-massage. Not only does it awaken and enliven it is also VERY calming for the nervous system (plus has LOTS of other wonderful benefits too!)
- Dancing: sometimes slow, sultry and sensual, at others with crazy wild abandon. The key is to move my body in unscripted ways and get the energy flowing
- Sounding: sighing, howling, moaning, growling, groaning - using sound as a tool to release, open up the flow of energy through my body and soothe my nervous system
- Gentle + Nourishing Movement practises like Yoga (not the crazy hot kind), Chi King and Tai Chi
- Breath practises: breath IS life and plays a huge role in bringing us into a stare of harmony and ease. Simple practises like soft belly breathing, full diaphragmatic breath and the falling out breath (in through the nose and out the mouth with a sigh) are delicious and some of my favourites!
- Womb + Ovary Clearing, Awakening and Activation: our womb is the seat of our feminine power, creativity, wisdom, knowing, magic and pleasure - yet it's often steeped in shadow and holds our deepest wounds as well. Healing and clearing the wounds of our womb allows us to not only remember but also reclaim and access our full Shakti power
- Exploring ancient Taoist practises for cultivation + containment of vitality
* Nourishment - specifically through diet and being open to things perhaps looking different as our needs can change at this time. Tuning in and really listening to your intuition is important - plus I also found avoiding alcohol during this time has been helpful.
* Earthing - bringing my feet or entire body onto the earth daily and feeling her unconditional energy receiving me, holding me, loving me and taking in all that I am ready to let go of + gifting me back all I need (Simple yet potent AF!)
* Quiet time in nature - effortlessly calming, nourishing and inspiring!
* Aligning with your truth - if you are living your life for someone else ( instead of following what's alive and aligned for you) it may leave you with built up resentment - and this is definably not conducive to feeling juicy!
* Speaking your truth and creating Sacred Boundaries - authentically sharing your needs and cultivating the art of an empowered YES and NO
* Feeling ALL the feels - I believe that unfelt and unexpressed emotion leads to 'dis-ease' in the body and holding this energy in can create stagnancy of our flow of prana
* Making love - with my beloved or myself ❤️❤️
* Time with sisters to be seen, heard and held - the benefits of creating sacred space with my women has benefits that ripple out not only for me but also for the healing of the collective
NOTE: Most of the above list of tools are part of my sacred offerings however some are not in my zone of expertise - as in they are not in my body of work but are practises I have embodied over years of experience.
If you want to know more about anything, please reach out as I am blessed to know many gifted women who offer deeper exploration in the realms of Sacred Sexuality and Jade Egg teachings.
So divine woman -
What are your feelings about ageing and stepping into the fire of perimenopause/menopause?
Are you worried about losing your juiciness?
I would love to hear from you and open up this dialogue so that we can start to normalise, welcome and RECLAIM this powerful time in a woman's life so let me know your feels in the comments below 🙏🙏
And please also share any tools you bring into your day for staying juicy!
Supporting women in transition and women ready to come home to their beautiful body temple is one of my (many!) missions so in early 2020 I'll be launching 'EMBODYING SHAKTI' - a 7 week Sacred Journey of Awakening, Remembrance and Connection.
The format for these weekly sessions will be either face to face (in Byron Shire) or Online and will be a combination of: feminine embodiment, dance + sacred movement, sensitisation, rest, sounding, earthing and womb wisdom practises - all anchored in deep listening and loving presence.
If you want to know more about the classes or be on the list for when they launch then please get in touch!
May we enter the phase of the Wise Woman with grace, love and open arms!
With love and blessings,
Star ❤️🙏🌹 xxx
