Unlocking the Power of Menopause: A Conversation with The Red School.

Playback speed

Share post at current time

Share from 0:00

0:00

Transcript

Unlocking the Power of Menopause: A Conversation with The Red School.

A different and much needed perspective on the benefits of perimenopause and menopause.

Amanda de Cadenet

Sep 29, 2024

Transcript

Hello Friends,

As is my way, I like to share with you the information I learn about as I am navigating my own journey through life. When I hit perimenopause, I had no idea what was happening to me. I thought I was losing my mind—and in many ways, I was. My brain, as I knew it, was rewiring to support the transition I had started. But it was terrifying to be so uneducated about the weird and seemingly random changes I was experiencing not just physically, but also spiritually and emotionally.

In all my years of interviewing women, no one—not one woman—had ever mentioned the word “menopause.” And I understand why. One reason is that we live in a society that values and applauds desirability and youth, so to announce that you're entering perimenopause is to admit that you are past the sell-by date that much of our culture deems acceptable.

As I became interested in the topic and wondered why more people weren't talking about it, I started to dig into the available information. I quickly discovered that most of what I could find either focused primarily on the medical perspective, which is important, or presented menopause in ways that seemed too hopeless and bleak.

One day I was lamenting to my friend

Nadia Narain

and she told me about the book Wise Power: Discover the Liberating Power of Menopause to Awaken Authority, Purpose and Belonging by Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer. This book has been such a game changer for me. It’s the only book that I've come across that looks at menopause through a lens that is hopeful, uplifting, and, most importantly, makes sense.

I am so honored to have these two women on the show today to share the wisdom they’ve written about and gleaned from their work at the Red School, an online community and program dedicated to activating vitality, creativity, & leadership through menstrual cycle awareness and conscious menopause.

There is not a lot of support for anyone going through menopause, and this conversation is aimed at helping you understand the stages and what is needed to navigate them successfully.

I hope you find it as helpful as I did and please share your thoughts with me in the comments—I am so curious to hear what you think.

Keep having meaningful conversations….

Love,

Amanda X

This episode is brought to you by SEED. Please visit seed.com/amandac to apply the code 25AMANDAC for 25% off Seed’s VS-01™ and/or DS-01®.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:43] Sjanie explains her history with Alexandra, the work they have done and the background of The Red School and the access women have to their studies online
[4:16] Alexandra discusses the pain she had with her cycle and how that led her to recognize the benefits of menstruation
[13:50] Alexandra and Sjanie discuss the first phase of menopause, which they call Betrayal and the mental breakdown that ensues
[19:02] Alexandra discusses having support during menopause and being self-awareness, and she shares phase two, which is called Repair
[22:18] Phase three is called Revelation
[22:20] Phase four is Visioning
[28:56] Phase five is Emergence, and they discuss the guidelines and tools that are shared in the book Wise Power
[35:30] Discussion about HRT

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

The Red School offers online studies that last six or 12 weeks, including self-study programs.
Menstrual cycle awareness is when you stop, listen and respond to your body.
Understanding what is happening during menopause unleashes a power of liberation.

More from Alexandra Pope & Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer:

Red School - Website
Red School - Podcast
Menopause: The Great Awakener
Wise Power Retreat

Listen and Subscribe on Your Favorite Podcast Platform:

Apple Podcasts
Spotify