Dear ladies, queens of your households,  May you give yourself a few moments of peace today to experience the blessing of rest.

Yesterday, sitting on my bed, I noticed my thighs bulging out and my belly swelling out above the hips. Those are not love handles, they are the proof that the Venus of Willendorf was a menopausal woman. Normally, i.e. before menopause, I was a 5'2" rectangular (according to Land's End virtual model) body in mid-life shape, ie yoga helps for flexibility and stretching, but lack of cardio and brisk walking has led me to get out of breath climbing stairs. 

I am definitely not Old. I may be ancient to my 15 year old daughter, but in my heart and mind I am still youthful. In fact, I have never felt more 'myself' than now. Being over 50 may have made me feel a little creaky in the hips, but yoga fixes that pretty well. Menopause has many advantages, and once over the rollercoaster of emotional and hormonal changes, (the pre-menopause part is where the challenges lie) it's all down-hill - I mean, up-hill, I mean...smooth sailing from here.