“Yvette, you were just here a minute ago, don’t you remember’, my face flushed with utter embarrassment; I was totally confused. I worked as a Medical Rep and trained nurses in each ward in the hospitals across South Wales. At that moment, I didn’t know which hospital I was in or which wards I had trained.
 

To cut a long story short, I went into the hospital corridor, where I held onto the radiator and cried. I was humiliated and feeling very scared and vulnerable. These were the early symptoms of my peri menopause. Then came the terrible mood swings and arguments, shouting at my adolescent daughter, who was dealing with her own raging hormones; thankfully, my young son spent most of his time plugged into his Xbox headphones so that he didn’t hear the terrible rows we had. 

 

My relationship had ended; I was a single mum spinning all the plates on my own and not knowing where I was from day to day or how I would wake up feeling in the morning. I drank nearly a bottle of wine a night and more on the weekends. It helped relieve the symptoms then; turning the music up and dancing in the kitchen alone made me feel lighter but in the morning the anxiety would return larger than before. I was totally lost and alone. 

 

The Truth is, I was ashamed of my own behaviour, and none of my friends, not even my close ones, were aware of how bad things were. The DRs had given antidepressants to help with the mood swings, which worked for a bit, but my tolerance to any drug is low, and I suffered terrible headaches, so I eventually had to give them up. The increased brain fog from the menopause was made worse by the drinking, the anxiety was made worse by the hangovers; it was a downward spiral that I didn’t know how to stop. I remember praying, I had never prayed before. But I just asked for some help. I didn’t know what else to do………… ‘Please show me a sign, show me the way

 

One day, a friend invited me to join her on a yoga retreat….. just a few miles from my house, but it was enough for me to kick start my reset and begin my spiritual journey. Once you open that door and follow your heart, the doors just keep opening. I knew that I needed to change my career. I always wanted to do something that would help others, but as a single mum, I couldn’t afford to take time out to retrain as a nurse or counselor. My spiritual practice had moved onto a daily meditation, and I had found that this was positively impacting my well-being. 

 

My life was beginning to feel lighter. I drank so much less, and I had clarity throughout my days. my home was more peaceful as the mood swings were few between now. Then, during the lockdown, I decided to take a teacher-trainer mediation course. Since then, I haven’t looked back, following the signs and acting on the inspirations, knowing that I had found my purpose, and this now gives me the deepest joy to know that I can teach others that there is an easier way to live your life and reset your menopause. 

 

I don’t take any HRT or antidepressants. I live a happy, calm and peaceful life without the anxiety and stress, and virtually all of my symptoms have subsided. Every now and again, I have a day when I feel a little fragile or some physical symptoms rise again, dizziness or lack of energy. But I know how to manage this with meditation practice and understand that my physical body is asking me to rest. I eat healthy not because I should but because I want to; I no longer crave the toxins like sugar and alcohol.

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