http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happily-ever-after-the-divorce.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happily-ever-after-the-divorce.html Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Many women who find themselves in the already turbulent and transition filled midlife years have to face another reality: the gradual decay of the marriage myth which seems to come to a head somewhere right around 50 years old. It seems that when midlife women begin to seek their power and independence, marriage becomes…optional.

· Setting Them Up for Failure

There are two large factors that contribute to the steady rise of divorce rates among the long term marriages of people in their 50s. First of all, many when young succumbed to the popular myths about marriage such as:

· We expect the same things from a marriage. Instead there is often a huge clash when family cultures and expectations collide.
· The good will get better and the bad will disappear. Rather, one learns that you can’t change him/her.
· He will complete me. Instead, what seemed like a complementary fit becomes annoying.

Unrealistic expectations and misguided beliefs about marriage constitute a recipe for dissatisfaction and frustration. The problem that really kicks this issue into high gear is that many women were raised to avoid conflict rather than to speak up when there is a problem. By midlife this has resulted in a mountain of resentments that have been harbored and nursed for years.

· Why Women Leave

Midlife can be a time for serious re-evaluation and assessment of a woman’s life. And it seems that many women in this age group find their marriages to be seriously lacking. According to a study commissioned by the AARP of people divorced in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, 66% of the divorces were initiated by women.

Fully a third of these women considered divorce for 2 years before mentioning it, and 10% gave it at least 10 years worth of thought. While you might think their husbands would be aware, 26% of these men claim they were completely blindsided by their wife’s divorce request.

So why are these women leaving in such numbers? The top reason they give is the need for self-identity.

· What Does This Mean for Women in Midlife?

Clearly there are huge gaps between our expectations of marriage and the realities. There is also a huge communication gap between women asking for what they want and men hearing them. Finally, there is the ever-present problem of women who give their heart and soul to the nurturing of everyone around them and have nothing left for themselves.

If you are women in midlife, you must learn what it means to take care of yourself. However, reversing a lifelong pattern is a huge challenge. Do you even know what you want? Can you clearly visualize the future you are trying to create?

Coaches for midlife women are very popular right now because there are thousands of women trying to figure out what they want and how to get it.

· What Does This Mean for the Midlife Marriage?

Successful marriages involve partners who support each other in their growth and development. Your part in this equation is to make sure that you have realistic expectations, listen to your own needs and wants, speak your truth and treat yourself as kindly as those around you. Marriages that thrive usually have two partners who don’t try to complete each other; rather they respect each other and their differences.

· What Does it Mean if I’m Divorced?

First of all, studies show that divorced people go on to live as happy and fulfilling lives as those who have never experienced a divorce. Whether you are divorced or married, midlife can be a pivotal time for a woman to reinvent herself and create the life she really wants. And it’s time to pay attention to the needs of her soul.

If you find yourself in these circumstances, surround yourself with supportive women friends. Stop looking and wishing for rescue. Rather find your own solutions. Create a life that is based on your authentic power rather than the myths of childhood.

75% of women who divorce in their 50s will find themselves in an exclusive relationship within two years. But many of these women will not choose to remarry. Neither marriage nor divorce is set up as happily-ever-after scenarios. However, whether it is marriage or divorce midlife presents an opportunity to learn, grow, and take steps to creating the life you really want. That part is no fairy tale and it is about creating your dreams.


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Anne Uemura, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and therapist of 25 years, and also an energy healer and life coach. She combines traditional and alternative approaches to her work with women. Her website is at www.coach4womeninmidlife.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/seeking-success-in-midlife.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/seeking-success-in-midlife.html Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500
While you may not be convinced that all the symptoms of middle age are to be enjoyed, there is reason for a positive outlook. If you look you’ll find significant scientific and anecdotal evidence supporting the fact that the midlife years can be used for unusual personal growth and development. “In a 1997 survey by the North American Menopause Society, more than half of American women aged forty-five to sixty viewed menopause as the beginning of a new and fulfilling stage of life.” Women who tend to feel successful during the midlife years are those who are able to use their struggles as an impetus for change.

· Transforming Struggles into Success in Midlife

From menopause to illness and death, midlife tends to pile on the responsibilities and burdens. This happens at a time when many women expect to be enjoying greater freedom and rewards for their years of hard work. For instance, your own experience may seem to suggest that life is just a struggle and you need to accept it.

Yes, life is hard. But successful midlife women find a way to use their struggles to better their lives. The first step is to acknowledge and accept fully your discontent. Then start turning to what would make you smile. It could mean a new and more fulfilling career, a better relationship, better physical condition or an improved financial state.

· Defining Success for Women in Midlife

Success-coaches find that most women know exactly what they don’t want in their lives: e.g., poverty, loneliness, illness. However the key to building a successful midlife experience is to invest fully in gaining with full clarity and detail the vision you want to create.

Coaching women through midlife has become one of the fastest growing careers because permanent change is so hard to implement. Just think of how many struggle and fail trying to lose weight, manage money or start exercising. When a woman seeking success in midlife employs a life coach to guide her they both will need to take some very specific steps regardless of the individual journey.

Since all permanent change is rooted in your underlying beliefs you must be willing to examine your preconceived notions about your self and the world. For instance, if your mother raised you to believe that a healthy woman “has a little meat on her bones” your attempts to lose weight are combated by your subconscious believing that that is an unwise move. We are full of beliefs that don’t serve us. Most of us cannot see ourselves without bias, which is why a life coach can add clarity and perspective to this process.

Once you have identified your coach she needs to have the resources to help you rewire key thoughts so you won’t recreate the past. Also from your dreams and list of “wants” for your life, you need to dig deep to find out what the best idea of your life purpose is. What goals would be in line with this life purpose? Then you and your coach will need to outline an action based on achieving those goals. Finally, you will embark on the journey with your coach guiding, prompting and helping you along the way.

· Build a Community for Success in Midlife

The concept of a life coach really goes back centuries. They were referred to as wise elders and given much respect. We have lost that tribal connection, and women need to build community and seek out mentors in other ways. One of the benefits of choosing a life coach is that you can seek out someone who has already been down the path that you are traveling and can point out both barriers and shortcuts to midlife success.

In addition, you can look for or create a support group of midlife women within your community, church or other organization. Having other women who intend to create the best opportunity for themselves in their present challenges are good to have on your side. Mastermind groups as described by Napoleon Hill in Think and Grow Rich are a specific form of a support group.

The challenges of the midlife years can be seen as a wake-up call. Stop to take a long look at your life and the path you are traveling. Remember Lao-tsu said: "If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading."

Your struggles can be transformed into the power to pave a new path that leads toward a more fulfilling future. Midlife offers a huge opportunity if you are willing to invest in you and adopt new ways of thinking.


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Anne Uemura, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and therapist of 25 years, and also an energy healer and life coach. She combines traditional and alternative approaches to her work with women. Her website is at www.coach4womeninmidlife.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/nurturing-your-empty-nest.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/nurturing-your-empty-nest.html Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0500
This doesn’t have to be the case. By knowing how to deal with the unexpected emotions of the “empty nest” syndrome, you can transform this transition into one of the most meaningful times of your life.

· “Empty Nest” Emotions

Empty nesters are likely to feel torn in different directions. While 58% of empty nesters claim they are ready for the kids to fly the coop, those numbers are significantly less for women (55%), than for men (70%).
On the one hand they have more time and freedom to do the things they’ve wanted before having children. Yet many women who have focused all their time and energies on raising their families may have no idea of what they want now, some 20 or so years later.
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Another issue that makes it difficult to sail on a breeze into these years of freedom is that many women are burdened with other challenges. Some face other difficulties such as divorce, moving, menopause, or care of aged parents at the same time the nest is emptying. For example, 40% of empty nesters expect that their children will move back in with them and 30% anticipate having their parent move in with them.

· Filling the Empty Nest

Whatever situation accompanies your “empty nest” experience there are steps you can take to make this transition easier and life enhancing. First, look at this change for its tremendous opportunities. Many women have chosen to concentrate on their work and have explored new careers. Others who have dealt with divorce and empty nest simultaneously have been stopped in their tracks—long enough to explore their own wants, needs, and desires for the first time ever.

After dealing with this transition, women at this age generally report feeling more confident than in their younger years. By embracing this opportunity to pay attention to your own financial, physical, emotional and professional needs, the empty nest stage could lead to the most fulfilling stage of your life.

· The Empty Nest: A Time to Turn Inward

A great place to start on this new journey is to learn to listen to your body. If you are experiencing signs of menopause or perimenopause this is your body’s way of telling you to take care of you. What changes must you make in areas like nutrition, fitness and stress management?

Another important focus is to learning to listen to your heart. For years, you as a woman, have been taught that it is selfish to take care of or focus on you. Since women tend to be nurturers by nature it is easy to fall into the trap of focusing all your energy on those you love.

It’s time to heed this lesson: by neglecting your own physical, spiritual and emotional needs you limit your ability to be there for anyone. Do you remember the fatigue and irritability brought on by running yourself ragged for your family? Now is the time to treat your self as well as you treated them.

Your emotions may be up and down due to lack of direction, loss of routine, hormonal changes or other life events. Here are other suggestions to help you get the most out of your empty nest experience.

· Listen to your emotions so you will know what you need and want. For this you may need to commit to spending time alone and writing in a journal.
· Experiment with new experiences so you can learn more about yourself. For example, try yoga and meditation to help lower your stress, improve your sleep and enjoy peaceful moments with your self.
· Find opportunities to learn how to make the best transition possible by reading, studying materials on changes and personal development. Be more prepared for the rest of your life by learning from the wisdom of others.
· Take control of your finances. If this has always eluded you or been your husband’s job, now is the time to harness your energy and learn a new competence. Start with books or classes as needed.
· Try a new hobby or class. This is the prime time to discover hidden talents and explore interests.
· Find meaningful work. Many empty nesters find this is the best time to start a brand new career.

Midlife is an exciting and pivotal stage in your life. Accept that you may have some raw or confused emotions and that this is normal. If you experience symptoms of depression and your sadness doesn’t go away you should consult a professional. Otherwise, recognize that your empty nest may be one of the greatest gifts your children can offer you.

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Anne brings to her work with women over 25 years of practice with individuals and groups. Her repertoire includes license as a psychologist, certification as a coach, Brennan healing science practitioner, Bach flower essences; work with past life regression, Psych-K, EFT; and study with Toltec and other spiritual teachers. Her website is at www.coach4womeninmidlife.com


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/life-coaches-as-partners-in-midlife.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/life-coaches-as-partners-in-midlife.html Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Midlife transition offers the same opportunity to everyone if they are able to see it with a positive attitude. Sometimes, however, it is hard to see the whole forest when your arms are wrapped tight around one tree. This is where a life coach comes in.

Life Coaching has evolved into an expanding profession, offering guidance for many different areas of life—including careers, finances, nutrition, exercise, spirituality. In midlife there is a special opportunity to look back and decide what hasn’t worked and to look ahead to having what you want in any area of your life.

A life coach is someone, often with a psychology or counseling background, who guides you through your self-discovery to help identify what doesn’t serve you.

Many who write, speak and teach about this process of improving your life, agree that your underlying beliefs are the key to your ability to make permanent life changes. The problem is that most people are unable to “see” their underlying assumptions and try to move forward without help.

· Using a Life Transition Guide

A warning: not all coaches base their coaching on the importance of subconscious beliefs. Consider finding one that will so you can work at a deep level. Even then the methods and style of these coaches may differ but the basic process is similar. Your life coach will help you discover the core beliefs in your subconscious mind. Important ones are about what you deserve, how important you are, how life is supposed to be, about loving and being loved, about being successful, and so on.

Together you will find a plan for rewiring those beliefs, identifying your goals and dreams, and creating an action- plan. Finally, your coach will help you to navigate the obstacles that are keeping you from attaining your goals.

Let’s look at a typical kind of midlife transition. Imagine that Debbie has two children who have moved out of the house. She and her husband spent all their savings on college for the two children and retirement is inching closer every day. Debbie is 48 and has worked as an administrative assistant for the last 10 years. She isn’t bringing enough money to save for retirement, feels adrift since the kids left home and has been suffering from back pain, panic attacks and insomnia.

In this scenario Debbie’s life coach helps her discover that she always believed the man should be the breadwinner. And that it would be disrespectful for her to out-earn him. With her awareness of her traditional views, she concludes that these beliefs aren’t helping anyone and works to change them. Also brainstorming with her coach leads to the idea of running a business as an online virtual assistant.

As Debbie moves forward with your business idea, her coach helps her make a plan to pursue her goal, encourages her and together designs a timeline to help her be accountable to herself.

The coach also encourages Debbie to start taking better care of herself and to see a health professional about her symptoms. At the doctor’s Debbie is shocked to find that she has been having menopause symptoms for two years now and has been suffering needlessly. Through her doctor’s care, better diet, exercise and a new yoga class Debbie begins to feel much better.

· If You Could Do it Yourself You Would Have

Life coaches offer a team approach to life. As a woman in midlife you probably spent the last few decades nurturing others and trying to do a great job whatever your responsibilities. And yes, you’ve been independent and self-sufficient. However now is the time to change to work collaboratively in partnership with a life transition guide, a life coach.

If your intention is to create balance, live a life of purpose and embrace the abundance the world has to offer, you must be willing to do some serious work to get there. A life coach will work with you, usually on a weekly basis, and assist you in getting the clarity you need to cut through the mundane demands of everyday life.

Midlife can be a miraculous journey of discovery and revelation. A life coach can partner with you and accompany you so you make the most of this precious life passage.


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Anne brings to her work with women over 25 years of practice with individuals and groups. Her repertoire includes license as a psychologist, certification as a coach, Brennan healing science practitioner, Bach flower essences; work with past life regression, Psych-K, EFT; and study with Toltec and other spiritual teachers. Her website is at www.coach4womeninmidlife.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/answering-the-midlife-wake-up-call.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/answering-the-midlife-wake-up-call.html Fri, 27 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0500 · your body has betrayed you with strange new ailments,
· your children leave the nest,
· your marriage or lack of one bothers you,
· your aging parents rely on you,
· you’re not financially stable,
· your career doesn’t exist or isn’t satisfying.

Midlife may bring on challenges in every aspect of your life. Is there a way to answer this call without smashing the whole clock to pieces? Is there any reason that you are given such struggles to deal with? Yes. Take a deep breath and relax.

Your wake-up call is about to change from an irritating unrelenting buzz to softly playing music, gently but firmly nudging you down the path toward your best life. The best part is that the picture of “your best life” is completely yours.

· Celebrating the Awakening of the Midlife Mind

One of the amazing laws of the universe is that it tries constantly to keep us in balance. One way the universe performs this function is to send us various messages throughout our lives. When your body starts to experience menopause symptoms like hot flashes, decreased sex drive and insomnia--that is your body telling you to take a look at your nutrition, stress level and exercise.

Your time spent in this midlife season is full of transitions and re-evaluations. You are given an opportunity to look at the life you have created and decide if that is the one you really want. What an amazing gift this can be for those women who choose to embrace this time. You have the choice to view a midlife struggle like menopause as a bother and inconvenience or as a chance to improve and take control of your life. Why not love it instead!

· Finding the Support to Put You on the Right Path to Midlife Success

As women at this midlife transition re-evaluate their current life, they may discover areas of great dissatisfaction with work, family, marriage, health, spirituality, plus overall personal growth and development. Life coaches for midlife women have evolved in response to the need for support during this time of phenomenal growth and change.

In order to make significant, lasting and appropriate changes to your life, many things need to happen. First of all, you need the support of other like-minded women and mentors. In the past wise elders would mentor women in a family or town but we seem to lack this support system in our society. Many women find the elders in their family may not provide the example they are seeking to emulate.

Other resources? Women’s peer groups like the Red Hat Society have started to take root. A life coach is a more intimate, trained and focused version of the wise elder. A good life coach should help you gather your talents and resources from your past experiences, build a vision for the future and navigate the obstacles on the path to your goals.

· How to Use Your Midlife Wake-Up Call

Your midlife experience will not be exactly like that of any other woman. Ground your explorations in affirming your uniqueness. Embrace attitudes that will keep you positive. Surround yourself with people and resources that uplift you. Learn how to become empowered by circumstances and appreciate what you can learn rather than feel victimized. Learn to ask questions and discover where your answers are.

That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t ever be sad, frustrated or tired on this journey. Rather it means being wise enough to seek out help when you need it. It means rewiring old ways of thinking and acting. It means embracing the years of wisdom and experience you have been accumulating to create your best life for yourself. Finally, answering your midlife wake-up call means acknowledging the full range of power you possess over your thoughts, actions, and life.



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Anne, www.coach4womeninmidlife.com, has over 25 years of practice with individuals and groups. Her repertoire includes license as a psychologist, certification as a coach, Brennan healing science practitioner, Bach flower essences. It also includes past life regression, Psych-K, EFT, study with Toltec and other spiritual teachers.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/career-changes-at-midlife-finding-the-career-you-were-meant-to-have.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/career-changes-at-midlife-finding-the-career-you-were-meant-to-have.html Fri, 27 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Midlife women should first realize that they are not alone. The MacArthur Foundation study “Midlife in the United States” found that 36% of women have experienced a midlife crisis by age 50. Many of them are looking to new careers as part of their solution to how life is unfolding at this time.

Divorce often adds to the need to find a career because of distressing financial realities. The MacArthur study found that the divorce rate for women in their 40s is higher than that of those in any other age range. And if they have spent years at home raising their children these women find themselves without “marketable” skills and are likely to panic.

Another reason women change careers at midlife is because they are looking for fulfillment. Some may have already had a successful career or finished putting the kids through school. They are ready for more: possibly work that gives back to their community or expresses more of their creative spirit.

· How to Make a Successful Career Change During Midlife

Remember that you are a veteran: you have been through several life transitions before reaching this one. Like any growth period in your life there is bound to be fear, stress and confusion. Here’s the great part about getting through this one: you get to use all the life skills and wisdom you have been accumulating to make it work.

Therefore, it is important take the time and space to reflect on this life-altering decision. Let your choices be less driven by financial need, and be more about your talents, desires and life purpose; in short a decision that makes you feel great.

Again, remember that you are not alone. The Pathfinder Center reports that more women over 40 change careers than those in their 20s and 30s combined. And because of the demand for career transition services, there are many resources to explore: books and tests about aptitude, interest, values, style and personality. The possibilities can be overwhelming.

Here is where Career Transition Coaches come in. At minimum they will help you with a thorough evaluation of the physical, emotional, financial and professional aspects of your life. But if you want the best, you want a coach who will help you discover what hasn’t worked for you. And that coach should be a guide to help you ingrain the beliefs, attitudes about life and yourself that will lead to the kind of prosperity you deserve.

You will want someone at your side as you consider taking huge risks in order to step into a bigger idea of yourself. It means creating new habits and a new self-image. Imagine someone standing with you who sees the greatness in you that you cannot yet believe in.

· Why Midlife Career Changes are Working

While women at midlife may face obstacles in returning to the workforce or starting a new career, they are making it work. The number of women making more than $100,000 has tripled in the last decade. And women in their midlife years are poised to add to these numbers because they have the skills, confidence and desire to pursue their dreams.

Statistics show that women’s ability to fulfill their dreams increases after age 50. So there is a lot of reason for optimism. Take heart and embrace the challenge.

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Anne, www.coach4womeninmidlife.com, has over 25 years of practice with individuals and groups. Her repertoire includes license as a psychologist, certification as a coach, Brennan healing science practitioner, Bach flower essences. It also includes past life regression, Psych-K, EFT, study with Toltec and other spiritual teachers.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/the-secret-about-the-secret.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/the-secret-about-the-secret.html Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0500
The secret brought success to historic icons like Plato, Einstein and Newton. In our time Bob Proctor, Joe Vitale, Lisa Nichols, Michael Beckwith and others attribute their impressive successes to the secret.

Have you had your share of struggles and transitions in your life? If you’re reading this you probably have tried to change and improve, only to stop with frustration and self-flagellation as you failed to reach your objective. So you may understand why the recent revelation of the secret has led to a surge in the field of life coaching.

What is this secret, and how can you apply it to your life?

Learn the Laws of the Universe

The secret has always existed. The wisest people on the planet have been able to learn and use it.

Bob Proctor explains the secret. It is the Law of Attraction based on vibrations, “You choose the vibration you live in by the ideas you are emotionally involved with.” In a simple example, you have experienced this often in your life when someone else’s energy either made you smile with warmth or shrink away from their negativity. This reflects a law of physics that states “like attracts like.”

Understand The Sabotage of Your Subconscious Mind

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the secret is as simple as the power of positive thinking. On the contrary, positive thinking alone will leave you frustrated and confused when your hopes don’t come to fruition. There is good reason that most of your efforts at change aren’t successful. It is because what you do on the conscious level doesn’t bypass what is in your subconscious mind. And your subconscious mind has been programmed with limiting beliefs impressed on you repeatedly from the moment you were born.

For example, if you grew up being told that “Money doesn’t grow on trees”, and “Rich people are greedy” then all your conscious efforts to make and keep money will be sabotaged by your core beliefs. The same is true for weight loss, relationships, and any other significant changes you may try to make.

Build Your Vision of an Abundant Universe

The secret explains how most people get what they don’t want. By focusing or worrying about what they don’t want in their lives, “I don’t want to be fat/ poor/ unhappy,” they attract it. Unless your picture of the life you desire is positive and is imprinted with absolute clarity and captivating detail you cannot begin to work towards it. Once you have created this vision, however, the universe will move you towards it with amazing efficiency.

Using a Life Coach for Guidance and Clarity

One secret about The Secret is that you need to support yourself by surrounding yourself with others who share and uphold your vision. Teaming with a life coach is one way to be accountable, set clear goals, clarify and enhance your vision, and work through any obstacles in your way.

Another secret about The Secret is that working with the Law of Attraction is only the beginning and not a magic silver bullet. There are more laws to study and absorb.

“The Secret” is being touted as heralding a “new era in humanity.” Indeed, just think how fortunate we are to live in a time when access to the greatest minds on the planet is literally a mouse click away. Best of all, “the Secret” has given millions of people hope.

Join in. Start to picture the future that you desire to welcome into your life. The Laws of Attraction and Vibration are just waiting to help you create the life you have always wanted. But make sure that you have a qualified life coach to provide the proper support to create your major mindset change.


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Anne Uemura, Ph.D., www.coach4womeninmidlife.com, is a psychologist-coach-healer with an eclectic and diverse background including work with: Bach flower essences, Barbara Brennan, Brian Weiss, Psych-K, Toltec teachers, Cristhal Bennett; and students/clients she saw during her 13 years at UC-Berkeley and in her private practice of over 25 years.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/let-wisdom-usher-in-your-change-of-life.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/let-wisdom-usher-in-your-change-of-life.html Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0500
It may be most helpful in midlife to remember all of who we are: physical, mental, spiritual and emotional beings, a holistic unit. Your mental state affects your physical; your fitness affects your emotions; etc. Conventional medicine has tried and failed for years because it has approached women’s health in a compartmentalized fashion.

The symptoms of menopause and perimenopause are difficult to recognize because they are likely to occur alongside huge lifestyle changes in a woman’s life: e.g., the death of a parent, caring for aging or ill parents, children leaving home, etc. Often it is difficult to differentiate the reactions to life changes--mood swings, fatigue and depression--from those that result from hormonal changes.

Some of the symptoms you may experience could include fatigue, weight gain, hot flashes, mood swings, feeling overwhelmed, joint pain, loss of desire, cravings, insomnia and heart palpitations.

Conventional medical therapies for menopause symptoms typically rely on HRT. While some women can experience relief through it, an important step is missed in the diagnosis process by starting at this end.

Consider the physical changes as your body’s way of getting your attention. And they may lead you to recognize critical factors like poor nutrition, fatigue and stress. In short, you may be receiving “red flags” about your neglect of self-care. These underlying issues contribute to both hormonal changes and metabolic damage. Attempting to treat the symptom without understanding the cause is akin to sticking bandages on random points of the body without knowing where the cut is.

For this reason more natural approaches like vitamin-mineral supplements, yoga, acupuncture, exercise and herbs are more likely to address the underlying issues.

So forget “menopause” and think “change of life.” Start to realize the power in embracing this time as yours. That does not mean joyfully flinging open the windows and singing praise songs during a hot flash. Rather consider opening to the centuries of wisdom carried deep within your DNA.

Rediscover the wisdom of your body and spirit. Use this time to gain a sense of balance and power in your life and birth YOUR own fulfillment.


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Anne Uemura, Ph.D., www.coach4womeninmidlife.com, is a psychologist-coach-healer with an eclectic and diverse background including work with: Bach flower essences, Barbara Brennan, Brian Weiss, Psych-K, Toltec teachers, Cristhal Bennett; and students/clients she saw during her 13 years at UC-Berkeley and in her private practice of over 25 years.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>