"I was bleeding when the news came that he had been killed. I
stopped within the hour and I haven't had a period since. I was 38 then;
I'm 62 now."
Step 1. Collect information . . .
Menopause is the cessation of menses. In some books, it is nothing more
than that, and what I call the "menopausal years" gets demoted
to "peri-menopause" (a word I intensely dislike, having seen
it arrive just as women were claiming the power of their menopausal
years). The Crone does not menstruate. If your periods stop during your
menopausal years, no remedy is needed. Even if they start again, and
stop again. . . .
I have met quite a few women in their late 40's who are eager to have
a child, and want to prevent the cessation of their menses until they
had achieved their goal. A woman at one of my workshops said she had
a child at 53, three years after her last period. To our wail of outrage
and surprise, she laughed and advised: "Stay away from new lovers
during menopause!"
When not associated with menopause, lack of menstrual flow (indicating,
usually, lack of ovulation as well) is called amenorrhea, and constitutes
a severe health risk. Bone loss during one premenopausal month without
menses is the equivalent of one year's bone loss post-menopausally.
The most common reasons for the menses to disappear before menopause
(excluding pregnancy) are lack of body fat (from eating disorders or
heavy athletic training) and stress. These remedies may be used by women
of all ages.
Step 2. Engage the energy . . .
o If menses cease due to loss and grief, try homeopathic Ignatia. If
after a severe emotional shock, try Natrum mur.
Step 3. Nourish and tonify . . .
H Nettle leaf infusion has reportedly returned the monthly flow to women
drinking it regularly, even in their sixties!
o If menses stop due to lack of body fat, increase the amount of olive
oil and butter in the diet to at least 4 tablespoons a day. Also see
the information on weight gain, page XXX.
o If emotional upheaval has stopped your menstrual cycles, seek supportive
counseling or a therapy group to help you work with your grief, anger,
and repressed memories.
H Dong quai (Angelica sinensis) root tincture, especially when combined
with while peony root (Paeonia albiflora) and licorice (Glycyrhizza
glabra), is a superb remedy for women whose menses cease unaccountably.
Let a daily dropperful or two nourish your "palace of the child"
and help you establish regular cycles. CAUTION: Avoid dong quai if you
are prone to flooding, or have fibroids.
Step 4. Sedate/Stimulate . . .
o Acupuncture treatments can be quite useful in re-establishing normal
menstrual/hormonal cycling.
o Strong pennyroyal (Hedeoma pulegioides or Mentha pulegium) tea, a
cupful/250 ml or more a day, for the three days of the new moon, can
stimulate menstrual bleeding and restore regular cycling.
Step 5a. Use supplements . . .
o Supplements of vitamin E, 200-600 IU daily, have helped women restore
ovulation and menstruation. Consistent use brings best results.
Step 6. Break and enter . . .
o Ten or more sessions of Rolfing (body work focused on breaking patterns
held in the fascia between the muscles) can restore menstrual cycles
for women not yet in the menopausal years.
If you liked this excerpt by Susun S.
Weed, you will want
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read some excerpts :
Building Better Bones
Kundalini Meditation
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Read Juliette de Levy-Bairacli's introduction:
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