Women traditionally embraced the changes of life and became wise elders. With their child-bearing years over, they could focus on themselves and explore their consciousness. They believed in the power of energy and invited healing, love, forgiveness, and peace into their lives through directed intent. They understood the importance of energetic bodies and the connection between chakra systems and life changes. Creating dedicated space for this journey had numerous benefits. It reignited the connection with oneself, which was seen as the most fulfilling purpose while in the physical body. Additionally, it allowed women to form connections with others on a similar journey, sharing stories with compassion, understanding, heart-felt love and kindness.

The first step of the Wise Woman journey is to embrace change and find your soul’s unique power. 

You will learn how to connect with your higher self and feel more calm, empowered, present and peaceful in your day-to-day life. 

At this stage, you will learn the Yogic practices that stimulate the endocrine system, particularly the thyroid, pituitary, and pineal glands, include:

• Tune into the wisdom of the body through movement and let go of superficial beliefs and limiting concepts about the body.
• Learn the art of relaxation – dedicate time and space for relaxation of both the body and mind to reduce stress, cortisol levels, inflammation, and regulate hormonal processes for weight management, and to connect with the heart of your inner wise woman.
• Simple practices of meditation to implement each day.
• Learning mindful eating and incorporating new, simple habits into the routine.
• Practising simple eating to reduce cravings, promote a healthy gut biome, increase energy levels, and maintain ideal weight.
• Feel-good fasting and embracing hunger without stress.
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Benefits: These practices promote presence and ease in life. When the body-mind is at ease, homeostasis and balance can occur, allowing for optimal repair and healing in the body and a calm, clear, and focused state of mind. Emotionally, these practices help us respond to life rather than react, making us more available to ourselves and others. By broadcasting a healthy signal into the world, our world responds accordingly.

Much of our patterning is inherited, stemming from our conditioning in this lifetime and the ancestral wounds we carry. In scientific terms, this is referred to as methylation. Our environment, both internal and external, profoundly impacts our physiology, mentality, and emotions, and these effects are passed down through family lines.

The subconscious mind holds the profound data about these wounds, which manifests in our body, in our tendencies, and character traits. One way these wounds can manifest is through the body’s armour, which serves as a form of ‘protection’.

During practices such as meditation or hypnosis, when we transcend the body-mind and step outside the constraints of time and space, there is an increased opportunity for healing to occur and the release of this wounding. 

By accessing these states of consciousness, we create space for healing and liberation from the burdens we carry. We liberate ourselves from guilt, from shame, from fears and victimhood, and reconnect with our true power.

The breath serves as the bridge connecting the physical, tangible realm with the unseen realms of reality. By consciously adjusting and influencing the patterns of our breath, we can effectively de-armour the body, leading to transformative changes in our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. Through the breath, we can tap into and release dormant energies within us.

Being an efficient breather holds numerous benefits. It promotes the production of nitric oxide, which contributes to mental clarity, increased energy levels, regulation of blood pressure, balanced brain chemistry, which gives rise to inner peace, calm, centeredness, resilience to stress, and improved sleep quality.

Exploring the channels of energy within the body and understanding how the breath influences our physiology, mentality, and emotions can be enlightening. There are various breathwork techniques to explore, including alternate nostril breathing, Bhramari (humming breath), belly breathing, the 1:4:2 breath ratio, Breath of Fire, full yogic breathing, full spinal breathing, and Ujjayi pranayama. Sound frequency to open breath, body and mind.

By incorporating these practices into our lives, we can harness the power of the breath to bring about positive transformations in our well-being and overall experience of life.

Much of our waking time is consumed by distractions and continual stimulation of the nervous system. This can contribute to chronic stress, depression, and anxiety.

To achieve balance in body and mind, it is important to create space for silence and rest. However, for many, this may be challenging, boring, or even scary. The absence of distractions can bring forth mental and emotional turmoil because we have seldom allowed ourselves to simply be and tap into the wisdom of our body-mind. Our bodies serve as feedback devices, yet we often underutilize its potential. There is a wealth of wisdom waiting to be expressed if we open ourselves to it.

Yogic practices ultimately lead to meditation, which prepares the body to sit comfortably and observe the subtleties of the mind with minimal distractions. Various forms of meditation, such as sound meditation, Vipassana, Yoga Nidra, seated meditation, Metta (loving-kindness meditation), expanding and contracting awareness, and Advaita (deep contemplation of “Who Am I?”), can help in this preparation.

Through these practices, we can unlock the full potential of meditation, allowing the body-mind wisdom to flourish. By dedicating time to contemplate and observe, we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, fostering profound growth and transformation.

Yoga aims to maintain the body as a healthy “vehicle” for the union of self-consciousness and universal consciousness. The practice encompasses various elements mentioned above. Asanas, or postures, play a significant role in promoting balance in bodily processes, invigorating, strengthening, and increasing flexibility, allowing us to move through the world with ease and comfort.

The state of the body reflects the state of the mind, with an open body suggesting an open mind. Through different body positions, yoga manipulates the body, leading to the strengthening and lengthening of muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, nerves, and the spinal cord. This also opens the joints, which in turn affects the energetic channels which changes consciousness.

The practice of yoga influences all systems of the body, including the cardiovascular system, endocrine system, nervous system, digestive system, integumentary system, immune system, skeletal system, and reproductive system. By engaging in these postures, the body seeks balance, which ultimately leads to a balanced mind.

For menopause, specific yoga practices are recommended, focusing on the hips, lower back, pelvis, and pelvic floor musculature. These include Upward and Downward Cat, Downward Dog, Warrior poses, Triangle pose, Plank pose, Child pose, Happy Baby, Twists, Sun Salutations, Forward bends, Balancings, and MoolaBandha (Pelvic Floor Lock).

By incorporating these practices into one’s routine, we can harness the power of yoga to support physical well-being, cultivate balance, and navigate the transformative stages of menopause with grace and resilience.