Maura J. Zimmer is a Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, and has helped over a hundred women get their power and confidence back through lifting weights.

Frustrated by injuries in her 40s, and the resulting negative messages from the medical world, she was inspired to become a coach in order to help post-menopausal women add lean muscle, get out of pain, and truly thrive in their lives.

She is a three-time National Champion in Masters short track speedskating, and an avid hiker, kayaker, and gardener.

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When I was in my 40s, I went through some pretty significant upheavals that coincided with perimenopause. Then in my 50s, there was another kind of growth spurt as I started to be able to tap in to my menopausal wisdom. Now, more than a decade in, I’ve had yet another upgrade.

So it was interesting to learn that these three intense midlife transitions coincide with three significant astrological events: the Uranus opposition (around age 42), Chiron return (around age 51) and second Saturn return (around age 59).

Astrology can offer preparation and guidance as a person moves through perimenopause and beyond menopause, astrologer Inese Soncika says.  Each can be painful but offers healing, clarity and the courage to help us expand into our new roles as wise elders.

In this podcast, Inese shares how each of these "big three," as well as the bonus gifts of the Jupiter return (around age 48) and the third nodal return (around 56), can serve as building blocks for aging unapologetically.

Her own awakening and healing path has been a powerful life classroom from which Inese's work springs. With her background in evolutionary astrology, practical psychotherapy, trauma and energy healing, and coaching, she offers guidance and deep healing, holding space for transformation and helping others  reclaim their true power and gifts.

At the core of Inese's mission and soul work is an opportunity for expansion, deep understanding of your soul purpose, and remembrance of your true potential and personal power.

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In the past year, I've read several books about aging and menopause that stress the importance of healing laughter. So when I learned about Emily Harris, founder of Spirited Fun Improv, a safe and lively class where women in their prime stay curious, build friendships, and lighten up, I knew I needed to know more. You cannot make a mistake in her class, says Emily, an award-winning improviser, storyteller, and arts educator based in the Pittsburgh, PA, area. "Everything the participants say or do is absolutely right," she says. "When was the last time that happened? No scripts. Nothing to remember. And no wrong answers." When life suddenly changed for everyone in March 2020, Emily moved the class online, recognizing that improv exploration is ideal preparation for the unexpected – which nowadays is all the time. Improv has been a part of Emily's life for more than six decades. In this episode, we talk about the power of improv not only for self-care and mindfulness, but also as a way for women to be seen and heard, and how embracing the improv mindset of "yes, and ..." can be an important element for continued growth as we age. She'll also share what's next for the program's virtual and in-person offerings.  Learn more Web: Spirited Fun Improv  Email: [email protected] Phone: 412.370.2402

I wanted to chat with ADHD coach Erik "Doc" Anderson (who himself is an ADHDer) after I learned that many of the symptoms of perimenopause/menopause – such as depression, anxiety, brain fog, forgetfulness, memory struggles, and other cognitive issues – mimic adult ADHD. 

It's estimated that 85% of adults with ADHD are undiagnosed. For women, that figure may be even higher because ADHD in girls and women often presents differently and is missed. The life changes and hormonal changes ushered in by perimenopause may bring to the forefront ADHD traits that previously had been manageable.

Erik says that a diagnosis of ADHD in later life often enables his clients to connect the dots and develop a deeper understanding of themselves.

In the course of my conversation with Erik and his wife, Andrea, of Coaching for Creative Brains, we touched on what ADHD is and isn't, why ADHD in women often goes unaddressed, and how "fast brain" women can acquire some new tools that transform their ADHD into their greatest strength. 

RESOURCES

Recent surveys have shown that many partners often feel rejected, frustrated, and bewildered by what is happening to their significant other as they progress through perimenopause. I wondered if my husband felt the same 25 years ago – a time when my menopause transition included mood swings, anxiety, angry outbursts, and depression.

We’ve known one another for nearly 40 years and are no strangers to deep conversations. I asked him about it on a recent long drive. It was interesting for me to hear his perspective. And so, in an effort to raise awareness among other partners, we bring you this podcast.

Research confirms that having trauma in your background can magnify menopausal symptoms. 

Why? Because many women who had trauma during their childhood – not just physical trauma, but emotional as well – never got treated, "so they're walking around with about a thousand pounds of emotional garbage ... hurt, pain, anger, depression, anxiety," says renowned physician Pam Peeke, M.D. The unhealed wounds remain, and their legacy often is an overactive nervous system, chronic anxiety, and depression, which can go into overdrive during the menopause transition.

There are all kinds of ways to address these symptoms, but the ones that intrigue me most are the ones that connect mind and body. That's why I was so interested to learn more about TIMBo (Trauma Informed Mind Body) from Becky Burns of The Holding Space RI.

A licensed facilitator of TIMBo (Trauma Informed Mind Body) and an advanced IET (Integrated Energy Therapy) therapist, Becky helps heal trauma by combining these two modalities.

In this podcast, Becky describes the TIMBo process and the experience a woman might have as she learns its skills and makes her way toward feeling joy. 

RESOURCES

Increasingly, neuroscience research has identified breathwork as a bona fide way to release stress and increase relaxation. The breath has a powerful effect on the state of our brains, our bodies, and our emotions. 

I wanted to know more about breathwork and how it might help alleviate such perimenopausal symptoms as stress, anxiety, sleeplessness, and mood swings, so I turned to certified breathwork facilitator Amy Chauvin. She conducts breathwork workshops, virtual events, corporate events and private sessions for clients who wish to break free from anxiety, feel lighter, happier and gain more clarity in their life.

In this podcast, we talk about Amy's introduction to breathwork, what a breathwork session might be like, the benefits of the practice, her clients' reactions, and more.

(When I interviewed Amy, I had not yet participated in one of Amy's breathwork sessions. But I participated in one of her virtual sessions in early January and – WOW! – it's everything she says it is. I felt light and energized afterward.)

Amy has a studio in East Greenwich, R.I., and travels the U.S. holding transformational events and workshops. You can reach her at [email protected] for booking and event inquiry, follow her on Instagram @awakengreens, and find her at her website. 

A powerful and productive cronehood is no accident.

I’ve been exploring the process by reviewing my own experiences and learning from others –authors, educators and wise women who have gone before me.

I gathered my ideas and concepts with other findings to present “Manifesting Your Cronehood,” a special webinar that was part of a week-long series of presentations to an international audience.

Grateful for the inspiration obtained from the writings and works of Jean Shinoda Bolin, M.D., The Red School, and Felicitas Kusch-Lango, and to friends and acquaintances along the way.