The Art of Healing

Awakening In Midlife: Navigating Perimenopause, Menopause, And Beyond

• Charlyce Davis MD Reiki Practitioner

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Get Your Copy of the ebook, Awaken in Midlife Here:

Awaken in Midlife-Embracing the Stages of Menopause


Join us at the Apology Tour on January 29th, 2026 here:

The Apology Tour 

The ground shifts in midlife, and many of us wonder, why do I feel like a different person? We open a clear, compassionate conversation about perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause—what changes in the body, how those shifts shape mood and identity, and why none of it means you’re broken. With a practical lens and a holistic heart, we unpack the stages, bust persistent myths, and map simple daily habits that rebuild steadiness.

We explore how fluctuating hormones can disrupt sleep, focus, and temperature regulation, and we get specific about confirming menopause after twelve months without a period. From there, we look ahead to post-menopause, where many women feel more stable yet need to protect bone density, metabolic health, and cardiovascular resilience. You’ll hear a candid discussion of weight redistribution, skin and hair changes, hot flashes and night sweats, plus the emotional landscape of midlife—caregiving strain, career pivots, relationship stress, and grief that often arrives all at once.

Support is the throughline. We share accessible tools like resistance training, fiber-forward nutrition, hydration, and sleep hygiene, along with a calming breath practice to reset your nervous system at night. We also speak directly to women who cannot use hormone therapy due to complex medical histories, emphasizing inclusive, whole-person strategies and a truly multidisciplinary perspective. Along the way, you’ll get details about our live Apology Tour conversation with Dr. Lakeisha, a free ebook to guide your journey, and a holistic summit featuring intuitive healers, functional medicine experts, health coaches, and yoga instructors.

Your body isn’t betraying you; it’s communicating. Join us to gain language for the season you’re in, reclaim self-trust, and gather tools that make each day more livable. If this conversation resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend, and send us your questions—your story helps shape the summit and the support we build together.

Welcome to the Art of Healing Podcast community.  This podcast is devoted to helping you find what works on your journey to health and wellness.  This podcast is devoted to providing information on many healing modalities.  Learn more about:

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SPEAKER_00:

Hello and welcome back to the Art of Healing podcast. I am Dr. Charlize. And if we have not met before, nice to meet you. And if we have met before, good to see you again. Today's podcast, I'd like to start off with an announcement and then to remind you to listen to the end. Or I guess two announcements. So the first announcement is we will be meeting live on Zoom January.

SPEAKER_02:

I'm gonna check my calendar.

SPEAKER_00:

January 29th at 6 p.m. Central Standard Time. This is going to be a stop on the Apology Tour, and I will be hosting Dr. Lakeisha. This is going to be a great conversation. You can actually come join us live. So if you'll check your show notes, I'll put the link where you can sign up to join us. That's a Thursday night. It's 6 p.m. And you'll get to hear the Apology Tour, which is basically addressing what went wrong in women's health and hormone replacement therapy and what to do next. The next announcement is that accompanying this podcast, I have an ebook that will be an excellent resource to review later because we'll have some things to discuss for those of us women in our 40s and our 50s or our early 30s. So in your show notes, if you'll make sure to check for that download, and you can review that later. And it's a bit of a preview of our big summit that's coming at the end of February.

SPEAKER_02:

And that we'll discuss a little bit later.

SPEAKER_00:

So for those women, those of us, the thing I'd like to start with is have you ever thought, why do I feel like a different person lately? And have you ever wondered if you were distressed, if you were being traumatic, or maybe something's wrong? What I'd like you to think about is maybe you're not broken, and maybe nothing's necessarily wrong. What may be going on is that there are changes in your body and it's related to your hormones, and you're going through hormonal transition. You might be in hormonal transition, and honestly, no one's ever talked to you about what's happening and what to recognize. Today I'm giving you a grounded and compassionate starting point because menopause and perimenopause isn't just a medical event.

SPEAKER_02:

For women, it's an awakening.

SPEAKER_01:

Your mood has changed.

SPEAKER_00:

Your body feels unfamiliar, your cycles are getting weird or changing, you're feeling a lot more anxious than you used to. Your tolerance for anything is lower. This episode is for you. And yes, totally. I'm also officially sharing with you the awakening in midlife, embracing these stages of menopause. So that is in your show notes. It'll be as well if you're looking in social media, it'll be in the post there if you'd like to get your copy. It's designed to help you feel less confused, less alone, and more empowered. What's really happening is your body is shifting seasons, it's changing. And when we don't have language for the season, we blame ourselves. In the ebook, I break down the stages of menopause, the physical changes, the emotional shifts, and even the spiritual insights that might come in. Because midlife is not just biology, it's your identity.

SPEAKER_02:

Let's start with a reframe.

SPEAKER_00:

What I really want you to take away and really take this into your heart is that perimenopause and menopause are not declines, they're transitions and they're changes. Your hormones are changing, yes, but also your clarity, your boundaries, your sensitivity are all changing. Sometimes when it feels like you're falling apart, it's actually that you're waking up. And I want to have support for you during that awakening. So let's talk about the stages of menopause. So the transition into or out of the reproductive years into the post-reproductive years called perimenopause or menopause, for some women may happen abruptly, particularly if a severe illness has done something to their body or it has been surgical. And that'll be a talk for a different time. It just occurred to me that would be good to discuss. But otherwise, the transition occurs naturally and incurs roughly in four stages. In the ebook that you'll find in your show notes, we walk through the stages of what happens, but let's talk about those as well during the podcast. The first stage of menopause is perimenopause. This stage starts possibly in your late 30s or in your early 40s, and this is a period of time when the hormones associated with reproduction and fertility and menstruation begin to fluctuate. So women may notice that their cycles are changing, they might notice subtle changes in their sleep, they might notice their mood is different, some people might say a little bit spicier, and overall their body feels unpredictable. The next stage is actual menopause. This is important because until you've had 12 months, one full year without any type of period or vaginal bleeding, you're not officially in menopause. You're officially in menopause when it's been a whole year without a period. It's always important to remember that because unless it's been a full year, there could be some residual function of the ovaries. Although pregnancy may be very low risk, it is potentially possible. So it has to be a full year of no period that then you are considered to be a menopause. The symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, sleep issues, and changes in weight.

SPEAKER_02:

The next stage is post-menopause.

SPEAKER_00:

This is a stage that many women feel more stable. It's also a very important time because bone health must be protected. Metabolic health, very important. Overall, everything that's keeping you alive must be protected at this point because they're all at risk because of decline in all of those hormones that you have previously. It can also be a time that feels freeing because for a lot of women, the post-menopause, the years later, they feel much better. I'm going to add something that I want you to keep in mind. Your experience won't match anyone else's. Menopause does not follow a script. So don't worry about comparing. It is good to listen, it's good to share stories. I've had to learn this myself with my own patience and myself, that your menopausal journey won't be like anyone else's. Again, make sure you get a copy of the book because you can be reading this on your phone. It's a gentle guide to help you come and you can come back to it again and again.

SPEAKER_01:

So let's talk about some myths and some realities of perimenopause and menopause. Let's bust a few myths that keep women stuck. Menopause means you're old and irrelevant.

SPEAKER_00:

Reality, for many women, it's the beginning of the most powerful era of their lives. In reality, perimenopause and menopause are multi-year transitions. That's why if you felt off, you felt it for a while. Multi-year is in five years, ten years, possibly longer.

SPEAKER_01:

Myth number three: you just have to suffer through it. That's not true. Support exists.

SPEAKER_00:

There are options, there are communities, there are gatherings. And my favorite reality is menopause is not just physical, it's emotional, it's relationships, it's spiritual. Now let's talk about the physical changes that occur during these many, many years of transition. So changes in our weight, skin, in our hair, and how we feel temperature-wise. And we want to approach this without shame. Keep in mind, like I'd said before, your journey won't look like anyone else's. It will be absolutely yours. Many women notice changes in their weight. Sometimes it's around the middle or the abdomen. They also notice that their skin gets drier, it's not as elastic, the hair may be thin or maybe changing textures. The other things are hot flashes, night sweats, feeling like you're a furnace and there's no thermostat.

SPEAKER_01:

Here's the truth. Your body is not betraying you, it's communicating.

SPEAKER_00:

This is why having support and information matters. So a few things that you can do right away, not even big steps. Healthy movement, working with some weights a few times a week. We all can benefit from more fiber and more plants. All of us need to make sure we take in enough water. And even if your sleep right now is terrible, you can try to have a good bedtime routine. Make sure that you don't overstimulate yourself at night with excessive screens. We talked about this in the last podcast. Make sure that you turn that blue light off on all your screens because all of your devices are set to do that. Easy step you can take and really have all the screens off before an hour before bed. And make sure you keep your room nice and cool. So there are a few steps that you can do in preparation for discussing next steps with your medical provider. In the ebook, I'll also mention some other practical other things that you can do during this time before you get to your doctor to talk about what your options are. Mindfulness, meditation, and breath work, they help even if you're in the storms of a very chaotic hormonal transition. When women are going through hormonal transitions, there's the physical aspect, which we covered briefly, as I am studying this topic more because my background's internal medicine. And as you listeners are probably aware, we as physicians don't get that much training on working with women in menopause. It's really a new era in medicine that we're confronting how impactful this period of life is for women. But we are aware of the physical consequences and the big risk that, you know, the risk of heart disease goes up, the risk of bone loss, very important, and important to address bone loss as early as you can, really in your 30s or 40s, if possible. We know about certain cancer risks going up, and then we also know there's a mental health aspect. So for some women, this might be the thing that stands out. The mood swings, anxiety, sadness, and the question of why am I feeling like this? Wormones play a big role in how our brain, our physiology functions, and it changes how we feel. In addition to this, for a lot of women, midlife brings a lot of pressure. You could possibly be sandwiched, a sandwiched generation where you are the caretaker of children or grandchildren, as well as aging parents or grandparents. You may have marital issues that you are questioning things in your marriage or having trouble communicating with your partner. For many women, midlife can bring career stress. They have questions about what they're doing, why they're doing, should they be doing something else, or they are working towards promotion or something else. But it is possible all of those could come together. Relationship stress could even spread to friendships, could spread to siblings. It really can go pretty far. Also, midlife is a time for many women of loss and grief. So it often coincides to being an empty nester, children growing up, leaving the house, death of loved ones, aging parents, ending of important relationships, a divorce. It's a lot of times all of this stuff hits all at that time during midlife and during the menopausal transition.

SPEAKER_02:

So here is what I'd like you to hear.

SPEAKER_01:

Needing support is not weakness, it's being wise.

SPEAKER_02:

Tools like mindfulness and meditation can help.

SPEAKER_00:

They really do help. They're not just trends or something you kind of see on social media. In terms of the menopausal transition, tools like mindfulness and meditation can help with your nervous system, especially when you're sorting out what to do next if there's really a big crisis going on. A simple practice that you can try tonight is placing when you're comfortable in the bed, done all your 19 routine.

SPEAKER_01:

Place one hand on your heart, one on your belly, breathe in for four, and out for six.

SPEAKER_00:

And try doing that about five times or maybe more, right when you're getting in the bed. Simple nervous system reset while you're figuring out what you need to do next. Ask yourself at the end of this breathing exercise, what is my body asking for now?

SPEAKER_01:

Not what the world wants, not what you just should do, but what does your body need right now?

SPEAKER_00:

By doing this brief exercise, it's the beginning of trusting your higher self, developing trust in yourself and listening to yourself. So I have two important invitations, which I mentioned in the first one, which is getting a copy of the ebook, which you'll find in your show notes. If you want a gentle guide to these stages, the symptoms, and a few self-care things you can do while you're preparing for whatever needs to happen next, then you'll want to get your copy of Awakening in Midlife, Embracing the Stages of Menopause. So in the show notes, you'll find the link there to get your copy.

SPEAKER_02:

The next.

SPEAKER_00:

And if you want to learn about those before they are affecting you. And this is going to be multidimensional care of the body, the mind, and your energy. In your show notes, you'll see a link there if you'd like to have a look. You are certainly free to sign up because now, if you sign up, it's free. If you are wondering what menopause is doing to you or could do to you, or if it's affected you, or even in the past, if it's affected you, and you never got to have this conversation, and this was a journey that you went through years ago, you're not alone. So you'll want to make sure to get a copy of the book and then also a preview and sign up to join us. This will be a wait list, and the speakers that we have coming are so exciting. We have got intuitive healers, functional medicine doctors, health coaches, yoga instructors, a truly holistic approach to perimenopause and menopause. So in your show notes, you can have a look. You can go ahead and sign up to be on the wait list where you'll be the first to notify when we're going live and all of the updates on that program.

SPEAKER_01:

Before we close, I want to leave you with this. Your symptoms are not a personal failure. They are information.

SPEAKER_00:

Menopause is not the end of you.

SPEAKER_01:

It is the beginning of the most honest chapter of your life.

SPEAKER_00:

If this episode helped you, please share it with the ladies in your life. Share it with friends, with family, those you love, I maybe kind of like, or somebody you think needs it. Especially if you think someone who's been silently struggling. And if you're seeing me on social media, say hi. In particular, if you are catching clips and parts of this on social media, I do have a specific ask. If you are in or wondering about that perimenopause or menopausal transition, and you are being treated for serious medical illnesses, high blood pressure, hypertension, cancer, history of blood clots, neurological disorders, and you have specific questions about that. I'd like to know. Because part of our hormone harmony summit is I want to make sure that we can speak to women that some of the traditional paths that we might offer in medicine, such as hormone replacement therapy, won't be available to. And this is going to be a population you all just don't get heard from a lot. So if you are a woman who's in the early stages of perimenopause, in perimenopause, or menopausal, shoot me a DM. Or if you're listening, shoot me an email. You can send a message in your podcast listening app and tell me, share, share your story, share your questions. Because as we're preparing for the summit and as we are talking about this more and more, I want to make sure that I answer your questions. And that's a very important population. You all that have already been told you can't take hormone replacement, but you are going to have to brave this menopausal journey and how to do it. And you'll definitely want to be there for the summit because we'll have a lot of tools to support you if the traditional route of just hormones will be available to you. Until next time, be gentle with yourself. You're not behind, you're becoming. This is your journey. It's our perfect journey. It's not gonna look like anybody else's, so don't even worry about it. So, as we part ways, I would like to say thank you so much gratitude for you joining me. Because this is such an important topic, so important right now, and so important to us personally. If you feel moved, send me a message, email me, Charlize at HealingArts, Health and Wellness.com, shoot me an email. You can send me a direct message on social media about your thoughts, your worries, and particularly if you're one of those people that the traditional routes aren't available to you. I want to hear your story and I want to know how we can support you during this time. So thank you so much for listening. We'll be in touch probably next week, maybe a little bit sooner. Otherwise, thank you so much for joining me.

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Dr. Charlyce

Host