As we enter into perimenopause and menopause, we are entering into the second largest hormonal shift of our lives.  This is a big shift!!  And as such, many of us feel a need to make some CHANGES….   

This is where the Abundancia Wheel comes in.

We want to reframe menopause, to redefine it into a time in our lives where anything and everything is possible.  Where are dreams are no longer put on the back burner, but rather are brought to the forefront!

Within the 12 sections of the Abundancia Wheel, you will begin to explore new and varied ways to:

• Find a better balance between what you need to do, and what you want to do
• Learn how to truly nourish yourself so that you have the energy and stamina to realize your dreams
• Explore your own inner power and find the courage and support you need to make the changes you desire
• Create new and reaffirm existing connections within your family, groups of friends, and among mentors

Read on to find out how these 12 areas of your life can indeed help YOU make this second half of life better than ever!   And sign up below for access to our FREE Abundance Challenge! 

How to Put the Abundancia Wheel to Work for You!

A note before you read on…this is a long one (on purpose!) to explain our Abundancia Wheel (Wheel of Abundance). There are links to handouts that will help you on this journey! So please scroll through and put the Abundancia Wheel to work for you!

In 2014 I studied to become a health coach at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN). I was drawn to the program because of their holistic approach to nutrition – meaning they did not just focus on what was going into the body, but rather how balanced are you in ALL areas of your life?

At IIN, they created something called the “Circle of Life”, and as health coaches, in our first session with a client we discuss the Circle of Life to see in which areas the client needs to focus for positive growth and change.

It is a very useful, visual tool for helping people who are looking to make some changes, especially while facing big life shifts. (Like, oh I don’t know, all your hormones taking on a mind of their own and you feeling like a completely different person at times? Hmm?)

As we enter into our second half of life, examining our level of happiness and balance in all areas becomes even more important.

We encourage you to check out this wonderful tool for yourself via the link below! (And then, read on!)

When I began working on the Abundancia Tribe blog (check out the complete story here), my primary purpose was to share with the world the amazing things I have learned (and continue to learn!) in my own search for holistic health, and especially now that I am in perimenopause.

During this transition to menopause, our bodies are going through so many changes, and understanding all of the areas of healing which we can support have never been more important.

The definition of “holistic health” according to the American Holistic Health Association: Holistic Health is actually an approach to life. Rather than focusing on illness or specific parts of the body, this ancient approach to health considers the whole person and how he or she interacts with his or her environment. It emphasizes the connection of mind, body, and spirit. The goal is to achieve maximum well-being, where everything is functioning the very best that is possible. With Holistic Health people accept responsibility for their own level of well-being, and everyday choices are used to take charge of one’s own health.

The whole person. Mind, body and spirit. Accepting responsibility. (Yep, it’s allll up to us….)

And although I still find much value in the Circle of Life, I felt that it didn’t dig deep enough. I know, from my own experience and that of so many other members of my community, that AS important as taking care of our physical bodies, we must also be mindful of the following:

• working to heal and nourish our emotional and energetic bodies,
• to connect with ourselves and our communities,
• to find balance with life’s experiences, and
• to feel empowered as we enter into the second half of our lives!

Thus, the Abundancia Wheel was born! (or as I like to think of it, the Circle of Life 2.0)

We will be using this Abundancia Wheel throughout our blog, as a way to check in with how we can help support you on your own path of wellness and healing, and share with your our own experiences in all of the areas. This post serves as an introduction to the 12 sections of the Abundancia Wheel; and without further ado, here are:

12 Reasons Why Menopause is the New Black

1. BALANCE

When we talk about balance in our lives, the most common is “work-life balance” (a term I love and, well, don’t love). And for women, especially those who are mothers, this typically means “how can I have it all and stay sane!?”

Now balance certainly does involve work, and certainly does involve life (and family, and finances, and….and…and….). If you Google “work-life balance worksheets”, you will get no less than 24,900,000 results in 0.41 seconds. Thats nearly 25 million options. I will leave it to you to sort through those if you are interested…..(smile).

HOWEVER, what if it starts with spending as little as 5 minutes a day just on YOU? What if it starts by remembering your dreams & passions?

Keeping our dreams in mind IS important to holistic health, and you can start by making a list of the things you would do if money were no object. Just a quick brainstorming, anything goes(!) kind of a list. (Click here for our free Guide to Living Your Dreams to help inspire you!)

Keeping our dreams in mind IS important to holistic health, and you can start by making a list of the things you would do if money were no object. Just a quick brainstorming, anything goes(!) kind of a list. (Get Inspired!  Click here for instant access to our FREE Guide to Living Your Dreams!)

2. ACCEPTANCE

Many of us have problems accepting changes in our lives, whether they be small or life-altering, and especially when they are bad or traumatic changes. But what many people don’t think about when hearing this often quoted phrase, is that the good things also pass/change/go away.

Depressing, right?!?

But wait! The good news is, that acceptance is another area in which we can explore and support each other as we learn to truly embrace the simple truth that the only guarantee in life is change.

Although at the same time, we need to realize that just because it is simple, doesn’t mean that it’s easy. (no doubt!)

Believe me, it has taken me a good long while to embrace the aforementioned ‘simple truth’ (and I am still a work in progress!). It once took me 7 years to finally feel closure after a horrible dumping from a cowardly ex. Seven. Years. But wow(!) it was sure aMaZiNg when I finally did!

And I did so with the help of diving deeper into my emotions, and more importantly, with the support of my friends.

We all have stories of acceptance (or not), of forgiveness (or not), of feeling good when we look in the mirror (or not), of enjoying spending the holidays with our families (or not)…. Acceptance comes in many, many forms, and goes hand in hand with forgiveness.

Let us help you get started toward a deeper dive into Acceptance and Forgiveness by accessing our FREE handout here.

3. GRATITUDE

By now, you have most likely heard about how important gratitude is in your life, and there is good reason for it. Positive Psychology cites the following 5 Proven Health Benefits of Gratitude:

• Improved Sleep – this includes the quality of sleep, the duration, and also reduces the amount of time needed to fall asleep

• Strengthened physiological well-being – this means less trips to the doctor, and faster recovery times when you are ill, including terminal cases

• Longevity – since gratitude is highly correlated with optimism and positive thinking, studies show that grateful people live longer; this was backed up by a more recent study as well

• Increased energy levels – this includes increased physical as well as mental vigor and vitality

• Increased likelihood of physical activity – having trouble making it to the gym? Try starting a gratitude journal, and you may just find it a bit easier!

There are many ways to incorporate gratitude practices into your life, including a gratitude journal or writing Morning Pages as suggested in The Artist’s Way by Julie Cameron.

To help you reach your full Abundance, we have also developed a FREE Simple Gratitude Prompts handout to help you get started.  Take some time with these and answer them in your favorite journal.  Take note of how you feel afterward.

4. NOURISH

Generally when you hear the word nourish, you think of food. And absolutely this is a key component of nourishing yourself. As our blog grows, we will be including healthy recipes, kitchen tips & short-cuts, and courses to help you nourish your body and those you love with food.

However, another key component is learning to love yourself. And truly, this is THE key component to nourishment. And to truly love yourself, you must learn how to give to yourself. This could mean more time for YOU, exploring new hobbies, taking an art class, or spending time with your friends.

This can be a difficult process, especially for those who are so used to giving to others – our children, our friends, our family. You may even feel selfish for directing that giving towards yourself, and yet, how are you supposed to care for others, unless you care for yourself first?

When we feel good, when we sleep good, when we have more energy, we have MORE to give. A lot more!

We have developed a simple checklist which you can access here for FREE to help you start truly nourishing & loving yourself every day!

5.  MOVEMENT

Did you know that exercise is good for you? (hahaa) YES, we allllll know that exercise is good for us. And if you’ve ever had any period of time in your life in which you actually exercised regularly, you also KNOW that you felt better! That you had more energy! That it was easier to go to sleep, AND easier to get up! That (maybe) your clothes started to fit the way you wanted! That bad eating habits seemed to disappear all on their own!

So why, oh WHY, don’t we all exercise regularly?

Because…..life. Procrastination. Kids. Work. Chocolate.

I have fallen into this as much as anyone, having been a yoga instructor and cardio HIIT instructor. I swore to myself that I would NEVER stop!! (heh, heh….)

So part of this blog will be following my progress as I get back on the horse (as it were), and work towards losing that extra weight I have found (about 20 pounds!), and start getting myself back into shape.

Keep an eye out for simple videos on stretching, gentle yoga, and strength training on the Abundancia Tribe + Academy YouTube channel. Some of which will be taught by me (Kelly), who is not 25, and who doesn’t have an Instagram-ready beach body….

In the meantime, please check out this movement planner which you can access here for FREE, and start doing at least 15 minutes of exercises a day! I’m in it with you!

6. SELF-HEALING

Our bodies heal themselves every day. Think about a cut or bruise you’ve had, and how they heal automatically without having to do anything! Recovery from a broken bone or surgery is the same, as our miraculous bodies do what they are programmed to do.

But did you also know that when we sleep at night, miraculous healing occurs? This includes the following:

• Our sympathetic nervous system is allowed to relax (the fight or flight system),

• Hormones are released helping wounds heal faster,

• Our memories are sorted and stored into long term memories,

• Cortisol levels lower (the stress hormone), and

• Our immune systems release inflammation fighting proteins – among many other benefits!

When we are awake there are many active ways (in addition to exercise!) in which we can help ourselves to deal with the day-to-day stresses of life, focusing more on the energetic body.

Like in acupuncture, we can affect the energetic lines in our bodies by practicing yoga, meditating, and placing our own healing hands on our bodies. Some of you may question this last one, but think about how it feels holding hands with your partner, or giving someone a hug – the effect on our energy is palpable.

These are some examples of exchanges of energy, and you absolutely can help yourself heal and relax!

When you go to sleep, try placing one hand near your heart, and the other on your belly. As you are relaxing toward sleep, just breathe, and visualize your hands energetically relaxing your body, your thoughts, and your nervous system. You may be surprised by the results!

Using essential oils also greatly increases the body’s ability to heal itself, and there are some very easy ways to incorporate them into your life. Click here to have instant and FREE access to learn about 5 Basic Essential Oils that you can start using immediately!

7. EMPOWER

Getting to a place in your life where you feel empowered is essential to living a holistic life, especially for women. When we feel bogged down by the day-to-day realities of taking care of children or loved ones, working to make ends meet, AND THEN trying to fit in self-care, exercise and a healthy diet into our lives (phew!!) – trying to focus on empowerment can feel overwhelming.

From the Journal of International Development and Gender Development, Women’s Empowerment is defined like this: “The process in which women elaborate and recreate what it is that they can be, do, and accomplish in a circumstance that they previously were denied…..People are empowered when they are able to access the opportunities available to them without limitations and restrictions such as in education, profession and lifestyle. Feeling entitled to make your own decisions creates a sense of empowerment.”

For those of us entering into the second half of life, facing perimenopause and menopause with all the changes associated therein (and if you are reading this while in your 30s, don’t worry, you will get there too! smile), finding our base of power can mean:

• Getting out of an unhealthy work environment or relationship,

• Finding ourselves with more free time (now what?) after raising our kids and sending them out into the world,

• Raising small ones while facing hormone imbalances that make it challenging to remain patient, or

• Feeling like we have forgotten or not yet realized our dreams that we had for ourselves in our 20s and 30s.

We believe that women deserve to be validated no matter what age you are, and never more so that when we are entering into the second half of our lives.

So where are you at when it comes to your own empowerment?

Take a look at our empowerment prompts so you can start making those changes – no matter how small! – to find your own empowerment to continue with confidence throughout your life.  Get instant FREE access here!

8. IN(ter)DEPENDENCE

Similarly to empowerment, the feeling of independence that a women has (or is seeking) is unique to each woman and can help give her the strength she needs to start that new side gig / take that vacation / have time to herself / feel empowered.

So let’s take a closer look at the word Independence. According to the Cambridge dictionary, the definition of independence is: “The ability to live your life without being helped or being influenced by other people.”

Now let’s talk about what’s wrong with that definition.

I’m not sure that any of us can survive in this busy, ever-more-connected world without help from close friends and loved ones. (Like the old saying goes, no woman is an island.)

Likewise, very few of us can say that we are not “influenced by other people.” This influence could be detrimental (why is everyone else on vacation but me?), or it can be beneficial (such as following the example of a successful, strong business owner).

Even achieving financial independence requires us to work with others, right?

Although for us, too, achieving a sense of independence has been integral in getting us to where we are today….here at the Abundancia Tribe, we want to promote a different sense of independence – that of inTERdependence.

A definition from the Cambridge dictionary of inTERdependence is: the fact of depending on each other; also that everything in nature is connected to and depends on every other thing.

Whether you strive to find time to yourself away from daily responsibilities, want to get away from a job that is not soul-fulfilling, need to get out of a dependent or abusive relationship, or perhaps free yourselves from an unhealthy addiction, you will need help and support to achieve your own sense of inTERdependence.

Abundancia Tribe is here to support you! Let’s do this!!

You can start with small changes or shifts in the way you live day-to-day. Check out our FREE worksheet to begin finding your in(ter)dependence, and start making those small changes that can help free you! You can do it! We see you, and we believe in you!

9. COURAGE

The root of the word courage is cor – the Latin word for heart. According to Brene Brown, one of the earliest definitions was indeed “To speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.”

Today, many think of heroic acts and brave deeds when speaking of courage, such as Malala standing up for women’s education and willing to put herself in harm’s way to do so.

But what about having a difficult conversation with a loved one where you have to show your vulnerability and ‘tell all of your heart’?

When we make ourselves vulnerable, when we tell all of our heart, we are most definitely being courageous. Very, very courageous.

One of the biggest lessons in my life is that “it never hurts to ask.” I asked when I was 150% certain that the answer would be a resounding NO; but I got a YES, and it led me here to Costa Rica where I am able to live a life I wouldn’t have dreamed possible 20 years ago. (You can read the full story here.) What I learned, is that if you ask, and they say ‘no’, you are in exactly the same place as where you started.

Remember, courage is not fearlessness – fear can be a great motivator. Courage is looking into you heart, being brave and confident enough to do what you believe in, and asking anyway.

And maybe, just maybe, you will get a YES.

Check out our FREE Find Your Courage pdf, filled with questions and journal prompts to help you start finding your courage, living your courage, and maybe, just maybe, you will find your oh-hell-YES! Or as the estimable Maya Angelou put it: “Ask for what you want, and be prepared to get it.”

10. CONNECTION

Connecting with others as we navigate our worlds is absolutely essential to living a balanced and healthy life. In this day and age, we are “connected” alllllll the time now that we have all grown an additional appendage – otherwise known as a smartphone…..

However many studies have shown that loneliness is rising to epidemic proportions thanks to our new level of ‘connectedness’. Don’t believe me? You can check it out for yourself here, here, here, here, here, here, here….you get the picture.

BUT! Before you go destroying your phone (on which you may be reading this!) or cancelling your Facebook and Instagram accounts, those studies also indicate that it all depends on how you are using all those social media accounts. And perhaps more importantly, if you were already feeling lonely to begin with.

If you are keeping in contact with friends and family who live far away, great! But if you are looking at everyone’s vacation photos and just feeling miserable….not so great!

What we want to build here with the Abundancia Tribe, is

• A community where women can come together to support each other as we transition into the second half of our lives.

• A safe space where you can let go of whatever is no longer serving you and return to balance,

• A place to be inspired by others to truly nourish yourself,

• Where you can be empowered to confidently seek out and fulfill your dreams, and

• A tribe where you can connect with others who are seeking the same.

[Important note: We are not psychologists, and if you are suffering from depression, or feelings of loneliness are keeping you from daily activities, there are many resources available to you including some listed in this link. Please, we encourage you to seek out the help you need!]

Please check out our FREE handout on Connection here and start looking at the connections in your own life today! When you join our Tribe, you will expand your connection even further within our community of strong women!

11. EXPANSION

The majority of women living in our community have arrived here from other countries (myself included) or even came up to live in the mountains and get away from the city, in order to create a new way of living that focuses more on quality of life.

It is the expansion that we experienced traveling that allowed us to see that it is, in fact, possible.

Now I am not at all suggesting that everyone reading this should sell all their things, pack up and move to another country. Nor am I assuming that everyone has the ability to travel the world on a whim. But a weekend or holiday trip to a nearby town promoting an odd curiosity can certainly be intriguing! (Click here for the US, and here for the world.)

Expansion involves the feeling of growth – and it can be achieved in small steps:

• Maybe you want to try a plant-based diet?

• Maybe there is an art class you have always wanted to take?

• Maybe you have a lot of tension from work and/or home, and want to try a martial arts class to get that arghhhhhh(!) energy out?

• What about reading a book about an historical period that always fascinated you? Taking a class at a community college or finishing that degree?

• Maybe there’s a yoga or meditation center close by that you’ve never tried?

• Or perhaps you are entering into the perimenopausal phase of life, and are curious as to why you (at times) want to rip the head off of someone for some otherwise small offense? (Note: we do NOT recommend that….smile)

Whether expanding your mind or your horizons, it is healthy to feed your curiosity, drop those fears you have of trying or doing something new, attend a social gathering, concert or festival that you may not have considered before.

How can you bring expansion into your life? Click here for a FREE handout with some ideas to get you started on what just may be a life-changing path…..it never hurts to try!

12. CREATIVITY

You do not have to be considered an artist to be creative, and there is most definitely not a ‘creative gene’ that only a lucky few are born with.

We all have the power to create, and it can take many, many forms, including (yes) drawing, painting, writing, dancing, playing an instrument…but arguably it is just as creative to:

• Learn how to balance multiple projects at work

• Prepare meals for a mixed vegetarian-carnivore household

• Organize all the kid’s school schedule & activities

• Deal (correctly) with that uncle at holiday gatherings who wants to talk politics, and

• Nod politely to the one person you wish you weren’t talking to at a social gathering.

(To learn more, here is an interesting article on the 4 types of creativity, as defined in a 2004 study.)

Tapping into your creative side has many health benefits as well, and a 2010 review in the American Journal of Public Health found that how creativity affects the brain and body leads to benefits like:

• increased mood

• decreased anxiety

• heightened cognitive function

• reduced risk of chronic illnesses, and

• improved immune health.

(You can read more as outlined in this study, or you can find a summary of the study here.)

Additionally, many doctors have found that engaging their patients in art therapy (sometimes simply asking them to draw a picture how they perceive what may happen in a surgery or treatment for serious illness), has shown them to have a speedier and easier recovery time.

One of the pioneers in using art with cancer treatment is Bernie Siegel, MD, who has written several books on his over 30 years of experience both as a cancer survivor and oncologist (he is also very entertaining to listen to).

Here among the Abundancia Tribe, we believe and know how important creativity is to living holistically and we will be providing more posts, videos and courses in and around this topic as we continue on this journey with you!

And in the meantime, we want you to get started exploring your creativity TODAY! Click here for a FREE handout and start finding your inspiration!

In Summary….

As we enter into perimenopause in transition to menopause, we want women to feel validated, seen, appreciated, and supported.

1. Balance
2. Acceptance
3. Gratitude
4. Nourish
5. Movement
6. Self-Healing
7. Empower
8. In(ter)dependence
9. Courage
10. Connection
11. Expansion
12. Creativity

With the help of the Abundancia Wheel and the 12 Ways to Find Your Abundance, we are providing you with the 12 Reasons Why Menopause is the New Black.  We want this to be YOUR realization of your dreams / healing of past traumas / expansion of your hopes / discovery of your inner power — all of it with the support of a beautiful community of women!

We see you!  We support you!  We validate you!

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the second, and best half of your lives!!