Relax & Refresh

This article first appeared in Top Sante August 2019

A menopause wellbeing retreat could be the answer to help you not only manage symptoms but also feel empowered. They certainly worked for these readers…

“Being among women only was so supportive”

Susie Frank, 52, from East Sussex, runs organic home delivery service Riverford. She began perimenopuase aged 47 and attended the Menoheaven retreat in 2016.

‘Five years ago I started having hot flushes, night sweats and brain fog, I was struggling to sleep, suffering from weight gain and was bed tempered, too. Worst of all was the lack of energy, which was completely overwhelming. Blood tests confirmed I was menopausal. I couldn’t go on HRT because of a pre-existing medical issue so I turned instead to alternative therapies, including teas and tinctures.

When I heard about Menoheaven it sounded ideal. Having two sons, a husband and a business to run meant I rarely had the opportunity to go away on my own, and I didn’t really want to talk about menopause with friends and family. On the rare occasion I did go out to socialise. I wanted to enjoy myself rather than spend the evening moaning about symptoms!

I arrived at the retreat along with 11 other women. It felt great to be with others all going through a similar thing. Each day there was yoga before breakfast, then a workshop. We also walked a lot and did yoga nidra (sleep yoga) in the evening to fully relax and calm our minds and bodies before bed. The food was incredible: lots of raw foods and salads, which made me realise I didn’t need lots of carbs to feel full.

During the retreat I learnt helpful nutrition and yoga tips for menopause but what I loved most, especially as I live with three males, was being in a supportive all-female environment for a change.

On the final day, we ended our walk in the yurt, where a log burner was flickering away. One of the women fro the retreat team sang an ancient song in the most angelic voice which was both beautiful and powerfully emotional. I felt incredibly lucky to have connected with so many women who understood what I was going through. We all got goodie bags filled with natural, organic products, but best of all was that I came away feeling as if menopause could be positive: a chance to feel powerful, creative and to see the limitless possibilities the future holds.’