Bringing Menopause into the Light
/By Rebecca Airmet — Last Updated: December 8, 2025
Beyond Either/Or: An Integrative Wellness Mindset
“Hormone therapy is safe."
”I won’t get breast cancer.”
”I wish I could sleep.”
”Why do my joints feel like I’m 90?!”
This was the soundtrack of my early perimenopause - chaotic, confusing, exhausting. Looking back, I realize the transition began in my late 30s. Like many women, it wasn’t a quick chapter; it was a multi-year journey that no one had prepared me for.
“Be strong,” says one friend, “your body is made for this. Women have been going through menopause for millennia!”
“Get on hormones now,” another urged. “You don’t have to live like this!”
Between the hot flashes, mood swings, brain fog, and sleepless nights, I ping-ponged between those two black-and-white perspectives for years. Part of me trusted my long history with natural wellness; another part stood steadfastly behind evidence-based Western medicine.
Of course, the truth wasn’t either/or. Both perspectives are valid.
An integrative approach - holistic and natural care alongside Western, evidence‑based medicine - honors wisdom regardless of origin.
We Weren’t Taught This Part
I grew up in a community where we simply didn’t talk about our bodies. I learned about menstruation from a single school assembly and a dog‑eared book. Sex ed happened mostly at school; at home and church it came with dire warnings and “abstinence until marriage.” Menopause? That was “when your period stops” - a vague, distant event no one wanted to explain. And I had heard the phrase “hot flashes”. That was the extent of my education
Generations of Women Growing Up in Silence
So when symptoms began in my own body, I did what many of us do: I called my mother.
“When did you hit menopause?” I asked.
“Oh, I don’t remember,” she said, and changed the subject.
It took a year of gentle pestering before she gave me a straight answer. When I started talking to girlfriends in their 40s and 50s, their stories were the same:
“No one talked about this.”
“I figured it out on my own.”
“I didn’t know what was happening until years into it.”
We were raised in a culture of secrecy - where women’s bodies were private, whispered about, sometimes shame‑filled. Many of us entered perimenopause like explorers without a map.
Breaking the Silence
A few years ago something shifted. I realized that if I didn’t start talking about menopause openly, my daughter - and the next generation - would inherit the same silence.
So now I talk about it:
With my daughter and her friends in their 20s
With my friends’ daughters
With my girlfriends, openly and without apology
And yes (brace yourself) even in front of men and boys
Menopause isn’t shameful.
It isn’t a punchline or the end of vibrancy, strength, or sexuality. It’s a powerful transition that deserves daylight, not whispers.
Let’s Get Clear About Options
Managing menopause isn’t one‑and‑done. There’s room for both holistic approaches and medication. Research shows bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is safe for most women, and there’s strong evidence that exercise, nutrition, sleep practices, stress reduction, meditation, and botanical supplements can ease symptoms significantly.
It’s not a competition between “woo‑woo wellness” and “hard science.”
It’s not “medication or nothing,” and it’s not “tough it out because women always have.” There are many real, evidence‑backed options - holistic and medical - and you get to choose the combination that honors your body.
My Two Big Messages for Women and Girls
After years of navigating this in my own body, here’s what I want every uterus-owner to know:
1. We don’t need to suffer in silence.
We can talk about our bodies - not with embarrassment or hushed tones, but with pride and curiosity. This is the only body we get. It is worthy of care, attention, and conversation.
2. Health is not one-size-fits-all.
Your menopause journey doesn’t have to mirror your mother’s, sister’s, or friend’s. You deserve guidance that respects your whole self - your hormones, stress, sleep, energy, lifestyle, and values.
I’ve read books.
I’ve listened to podcasts.
But really, nothing takes the place of conversation.
Join the Conversation
If you’ve ever thought:
“Is this normal…?”
“What’s happening to me?”
“Are there natural ways to feel better?”
“Should I be considering hormone therapy?”
“I feel alone in this.”
- then I invite you to join other women in community at Green Lotus in January for:
5 Holistic Principles of Menopausal Wellness, a workshop with Dr. Carolyn Torkelson.
In a warm, supportive, honest space, we’ll focus on holistic, integrative wellness, and Western medical strategies you can use to support your health through the years before, during, and after menopause. Most importantly, you’ll be in a room full of women who get it. Women who are ready to share, learn, laugh, ask questions, and feel seen.
No more guessing.
No more “just push through.”
No more trying to piece things together alone.
It’s time to bring menopause into the light - together.
Join the Menopause Wellness Workshop
Explore classes and workshops at Green Lotus
Rebecca Airmet is a writer, editor, bookkeeper, breathwork facilitator, coach, and staff member at Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center. She is also editor of the monthly newsletter. She is deeply interested in holistic health and has maintained a personal meditation and yoga practice for nearly thirty years. She is looking forward to completing her 200-hour yoga teacher training in the near future.
