Almost 7 years ago I was in a bad place mentally and physically. I was 44 years old but I felt like I was 70. My mom had passed away after battling the side effects of a stroke for 7 months and I had gotten divorced after 21 years of marriage. I was mourning the death of my mom, my marriage and everything I’d pushed down after my father died in a car accident when I was 9. I felt like I was completely alone in the world. To top it all the effects of the trauma trigged perimenopause. I had picked up over 20kg, was having severe hot flushes, mood swings and everything else that goes with it. I felt and looked horrible.
It was then that I decided that I was on a very slippery downward spiral and could no longer continue and needed to get myself sorted out. I went to see a doctor, signed up with a Personal Trainer at the gym and joined Weight Watchers. I also started following spiritual coaches online and in person to deal with the effects of the trauma.
All of this set in motion a new journey of discovery of who I truly am. It reignited my passion for dance which began my dream of one day opening my own dance studio specifically for older women to let go and have fun through dance.
I became fitter, I lost weight but most importantly, I learned to love myself for who I am and I realised that I have a significant amount to contribute to this world and don’t need to quieten my voice for anyone.
Today at the age of 51 I am fitter than I was in my 30’s, I have kept most of the weight off and I have accomplished so much that I didn’t believe I could. I qualified as a Reiki Master in 2019, I am completing my Personal Training Certificate and in July this year I opened my own dance studio specifically for older women to let go and have fun through dance.
Getting older and moving into menopause doesn’t have to be death sentence. Your mind is such a powerful tool and if you feed it correctly physically, emotionally and spiritually, you can make long lasting, wonderful changes. You just have to be prepared to take that first step and stick to it. Was it easy? No, it wasn’t. There were many ups and downs but I was more committed to being a better person for myself than I was to being unhappy. I gave myself grace and compassion just like I would to other people and gave myself permission to have bad days. I celebrated my wins, believed in myself and my capabilities, trusted my instincts and said YES more than I said NO.
It’s still a journey that I walk every single day and I will continue to walk because I refuse to be that person I was ever again. I am grateful for all the lessons I have learnt along the way – good and bad and I use those lessons to continue my journey of enlightenment.