The Reiki Cafe 

Hi Everyone,
This I'm sure is a subject close to many peolples hearts! Not just the ladies, I know how difficult a time it is for husbands and partners and children. Has anyone found anything other than continuous treatments that help?
This may be constued as a sexist comment, it isn't meant tobe, but I am sure that if men were the ones to go through it there would be a solution, and I think that is more about how assertive men are and women don't like tomake a fuss.
I ask as I have some clients with all the range of problems associated with this time in their lives. Any ideas? thanks!
Annie

For me personally it was a nightmare so I speak from experience :) I actually thought I was going crazy. The mood swings, sleepless nights, the hot flashes, the night sweats and grumpiness were awful. Having always been a petite slender woman I found the weight gain to be quite depressing. At the time there was a commercial on TV by actress Cheryl Ladd who urged women to talk with their Dr. to see what treatment was best for them. I tried that and do you know what she told me? Live with it! I was in such shock walking out of her office. When I got in the car I wss furious, then I just broke down and cried. Needless to say she is no longer my Dr. Thank God I have the most loving, patient, understanding husband a woman could ever dream of. In the middle of winter when I was opening doors and windows he said nothing, in fact we laugh about it now :) he was so patient during my moods and held me when I was in tears. The man deserves Sainthood :) Being left to "live with it" I started doing research on menopause. Losing estrogen throws you whole system into a tail spin. Your body loses the ability to know when it is full, hence the weight gain. I was constantly hungry. You also lose muscle mass and we all know muscle burns fat. Diet plays an important part and I found I was much better off if I stayed away from sugar and cola then reminded myself that I didn't need to eat as much and drank lots of water. Your skin also loses it vibrance so it is important to pamper yourself. Excerise is also important. Reiki played an important in helping me get through this period of my life. Again it was my husband who was right by my side. He would reiki me whenever I asked as it always calmed me down and kept me grounded. Love reiki :) It is powerful medicine. I read somewhere where you should face menopause head on, embrase it as if you were the great volcano Pele. I liked that :) As women we are indeed mysterious creatures :) Encourage your clients to hang in there. There will be a calm after the storm :) I am surprised that there aren't any support groups for women going through menopause.

One more thing, it is also a great time to take up a new hobbie. I started making and designing jewlery. Having gone to Mardi Gras you can never have enough beads :)

And a little note here. In my research I discovered men also go through a form of male menapause. Interesting.

By sharing my experiences I hope it will help your clients.

LLL ~ Cachet

Annie,

Hi,

I am not sure how you figure men can solve menopause (or rescue women from it as if that were our duty). It almost sounds as if you blame men for menopause (though I am sure that is not the case). Of course, some men surely are a bit dense and insensitive to the process. But, I mean, where are all the bright, talented female physicians in the matter? They, of course, will deal with menopause as well.

Aside from all that? it sounds as if you are cursing at the night. In Samsara it seems all blessings (the gift of being able to bear children) have their counterparts (the time when childbearing is no longer possible). Transitions can be tough. But, from the the man's (sympathetic) point of view, consider impotence (or as it is now chicishly termed, ED) as a pretty difficult transition for the guys.

As for getting thru menopause? My wife relied heavily on Reiki and yoga and aerobic walking (and a little bit on me).

:)

Cheers,

RC

Interesting, RC, how you and I can read the same words and interpret them so entirely differently.
Blessings,
Hanhepi Wi Winyan

coyotesong,

Hi,

To quote, in part from the original post: "This may be constued as a sexist comment, it isn't meant to be, but I am sure that if men were the ones to go through it there would be a solution,....."

What is there to misconstrue here (disclaimer, not withstanding)?

As I said, there are many bright and talented female physicians who I would think would have much better insight into menopause than many men. Though perhaps I am in error here? Perhaps women are too close to the issue? But, I would also say that many men are not exactly disinterested parties.

Mars and Venus are, afterall, also part of Samsara.

lol

Cheers,

RC

Standing outside in a snow storm wearing only my birthday suite and still feeling as if I were on fire........an experience I am glad I nolonger have. There is a balance that does come. For me, at 35 and no Reiki, herbs, excersize, dressing in layers helped alot. Grounding and meditation helped also. Mood swings were very light and almost non excistent.

blackearth

Dear Annie,
Perhaps men go through it, and just don't know it. Middle age crisis.
peace,
Prosperity

Being male, and not being on fire in my middle years, it's true that I don't spend as much time thinking about this.

But I have been speculating lately, that the trial of menopause confers special powers on those who, as cachet said, embrace the volcano. I'm thinking of intuition, healing and earth-awareness. While it's true that many men are in touch with these things, we still must admit to awe at the energies issuing from the womb, starting with the children themselves.

Is it possible that we have made this into a "problem" needing a "solution" because of a male distrust of female transformations?

Mystical traditions tend to highly value inner fire, for the clarity it brings. So many involved techniques are taught, when the experience is right here on our doorstep, when we reach a certain age.

Hmmm...I suppose if I were forced to spend five years in a sweat lodge, I might have a slightly less optimistic view...

Blessings,
Aronaya

aronaya said on

>Mystical traditions tend to highly value inner fire, for the clarity it brings. So many involved techniques are taught, when the experience is right here on our doorstep, when we reach a certain age.

What a beautiful thought Aronaya :) I understand in the Native American culture they honor women and celebrate the onset of a young girls menses simply because she now has the ability to bring new life into the world. It is only fitting then that we should celebrate its ending as well :)

And I must admit a sweat lodge does leave you drained but you do see things in a brighter light and become a little wiser :)

LLL ~ Cachet

aronaya,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- yes, I would guess that most everyone who actually has poured a lodge (or sat a sweat someone else poured) did so willingly

>:-}}

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Dear Friends,

I seem to be going through the change right now, too. I'm having mood swings (which is a particualry confusing situation when you're bipolar already). Does anyone know of any natural solutions to them? I'm actually considering asking to go on HRT just to handle them.

Rock On!
Roxy

I found that herbs helped some but lost effectiveness after awhile.

I had a particularly difficult 'transition' and actually lost my mind for awhile. (I'm not kidding, there were other contributing factors as it was also a very trying time in my life in other ways as well but I did go crazy for a couple of years)

Some people walk through it without to many difficulties some have more. I had more and my recommendation to anyone's spouse when this time comes is to buy a hard hat just in case.

:-))

Walk in beauty,
Rebecca

Otoharo!

I have tried to remember what I did, and you know, I just can not bring it all back. I began having indications did whatever I did and it all went away! Never to return.

finality

In traditional Chinese medicine, kidney energy controls the reproductive system and (related, of course) much of the endocrine system. A treatment of bringing yin energy into someone's kidneys and circulating it through her body (especially up to her head then back down) got rid of her hot flashes for a few months; the treatment took about 10 minutes (happened during a group dinner, so time was limited; otherwise, it would've been longer). (While I was working on her during that time, she said it felt as if there were ice packs on her face.) After a few months, chronic stress seemed to have depleted the restored kidney energy; I'm guessing that a repeat treatment probably would've helped at that point. Yin energy flows from the ground up; is associated w/ the ground, water, and the moon; is relatively cooling. Hot flashes occur when kidney yin is deficient, resulting in kidney yang being uncontrolled, so that the feeling of heat goes all over. (For working w/ yin energy, I "visualize" -- see, feel, etc. -- standing in an ice cold mountain stream and breathing the water in through my feet, up through my bones, then into the recipient.)

So anyway, I'd recommend working on the "kidney" system (including kidneys, kidney meridians, uterus, and ovaries), especially bringing yin energy into them. I think qigong exercises for boosting kidney energy would also be likely to help. Good luck.

Bruce

Well! thanks everyone!
R.C. all I meant was men are better at getting things resolved,women are perhaps, more accepting, it is natural and should be embraced and celebrated, BUT loosing your mind your body and your temperature control all at once is hard going and one needs all the help one can get! I know people have used menopause as a defence in murder trials and I know just how hard it is for the famillies, so surely looking for a little help all round is not a problem?
To use the image given I can't imagin a guy going to hte doctor with impotence and being told it's natural. live with it, to be overly delighted!

On a lighter(!) note I wrote my car off yesterday at a crossroads, Total maniac going too fast on the other road, all help for the ensuing aches and pains for myself, my son and the other driver would e most gratefully received!
Annie
P.S> Guess I'll have to change my icon now!

Annie,

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your mishap.

And, no worries. :) Perhaps there is also an issue of the definition of 'natural' as it might apply to the develoment of disorders such as impotence. There can be any number of contributing factors such as age, genetic make-up, medications, chronic use of alcohol (even though not considered at 'abusive' levels), drug use, etc. And, which of these would be considered natural or 'un-natural' might be open for debate. Whether the response to the condition would be different based on the presumed 'cause(s)' is also probably affected by the different personality dynamics of various men.

As for men being more 'solution' oriented? The professional women I know are definitely solution oriented. They may express it a bit differently than men, at times, but the dynamics are there as more and more women seek careers that require these skills. And, the school-age daughters of many of these women also seem to be developing similar dynamics. So, a lot of this seems to be cultural and social; not genetic as it was taught to me (but always questioned by me as well); unless one wishes to argue that men and women both have a gene for 'achievement motivation'.

:)

Take care,

Cheers,

RC

Roxy,

You may find Maca Maca helpful.

blackearth

Hey honey,
How bout trying some bio-denticals. I've heard good things about them. When its time appropriate I'm sure I'll be looking more fully into them because I want natural hormones going into this body, not mare urine or whatever else they come up with!!

Much love and good luck,
Jahnavi