For far too long, the menopause transition has been framed as the beginning of decline—a dreaded phase where youth and vitality slip away. But what if we told a different story? What if menopause is actually a homecoming—a return to the truest, most authentic version of ourselves?
This profound transition can begin as early as age 35, often before we even realize it. The changes are undeniable: shifting hormones bring hot flashes, sleepless nights, brain fog, joint pain, and mood swings. But alongside these challenges lies an opportunity—a doorway to clarity, power, and deep self-awareness. When we are educated about this journey, we can meet it not with fear, but with intention and curiosity.
The Deep Conditioning That Keeps Us Small
From the time we were little girls, we have been conditioned to track the needs of others—always scanning for how we can be of service and what will make us more likable, more pleasing, and more accepted. We learn that our worth is tied to how much we can give, support, nurture, and sacrifice. We absorb the unspoken message that our value is tethered to youth and desirability, and that our ability to care for others should always come before our care for ourselves.
And then comes the menopause transition. And suddenly, we are no longer wired the same way. The shifting of our hormones—particularly the decline of estrogen, which is closely linked to caregiving instincts—creates space for something new: our own voice, our own needs, and a growing trust in the wisdom we carry.
A Rite of Passage Into Power
The menopause transition is not just a biological shift—it is a rite of passage. In many cultures throughout history, postmenopausal women were revered as wisdom keepers, leaders, and healers. Menopausal women often participated in rites of passage ceremonies that marked their transition into the “wise woman” stage, signifying their accumulated knowledge and experience. These rituals often involved community recognition, spiritual practices, and connection to the natural world, such as sweat lodges, special clothing, and symbolic acts representing their new role as elder advisors within the tribe. These ceremonies honored and celebrated this phase of life rather than viewing it as a decline.
But in Western society, menopause has been medicalized and stigmatized—reduced to a series of symptoms to be treated rather than a transformation to be honored. And this is not by accident. The notion that menopause marks “the beginning of the end” is a patriarchal construct—one designed to keep women fearful, uncertain, and disconnected from their innate power. In reality, this powerful transition is a shedding. A burning away of old conditioning. A reckoning with who we are beyond the roles we’ve been assigned.
At this moment in time, we have the opportunity to create space and intentionality around both addressing the challenging symptoms of menopause and encouraging the profound opportunity for women to burn off limiting programming, step into their wisdom, and come home to themselves.
An unprecedented number of female voices are now part of the medical community—and they are on fire. This profound transition can feel cataclysmic for many women, as it affects every aspect of the brain and body. Until recently, women presenting with menopause-related symptoms were told it was in their head and sent home, or they were told it was just part of being a woman and that they would simply have to suffer through it.
The sweet spot in menopause care takes into consideration the potency of the mind-body connection. Anything that is framed exclusively as negative will almost certainly be experienced as negative, overshadowing or making inaccessible all the potential gifts.
Now, imagine how different a woman’s experience and outcome of the menopause transition would be if we told her the whole truth: that it is a profound transition—one that, like other rites of passage, comes with very real, very challenging bio-psycho-social-spiritual elements that require and deserve our attention. And in honoring this process, she will undergo a transformation that will bring her back home to herself and to the extraordinary wisdom and power that has been within her all along.
The Gifts of Menopause: Reclaiming Ourselves
As we move through this transition, we begin to see through the illusions that have shaped us. We no longer have the same tolerance for people-pleasing, for self-sacrifice that leaves us depleted, for relationships and commitments that drain us. We begin to make choices that honor our energy, our needs, our well-being.
We stop seeking permission. We say ‘no’ without guilt. We prioritize ourselves—not as an act of selfishness, but as an act of self-respect. It’s really no surprise that it was extremely common during the late 19th Century and well into the 20th Century for midlife women to be diagnosed as hysterical and often institutionalized. Women finding their own voice and using it threatened to upset the entire patriarchal “applecart.” This common practice, by the way, didn’t end until 1980.
The clarity that emerges in midlife is one of the greatest gifts of menopause. We begin to ask: What do I want? What do I need? Who am I when I’m not defined by how I serve others? And perhaps for the first time in our lives, we truly listen to the answers.
A New Narrative: Welcome to Your Menomorphosis
Menopause is not the end of something—it is the beginning of everything. It is the moment we step fully into the woman we were always meant to be. I like to think of this potent and life affirming transformation as a “Menomorphosis.”
The Menomorphosis is a woman’s transformation into a more powerful, more embodied, more fearless version of herself. A version that no longer shrinks or plays small, that no longer asks for permission before making every move, that no longer apologizes for being fully and authentically herself.
I believe the world needs this version of women, perhaps now more than ever—the version that knows her worth, trusts the wisdom she carries, and refuses to be held back by outdated narratives.
So the question is: Are you ready to come home to yourself? Join the conversation. Share your experience. Let’s rewrite the menopause narrative—together.
