TIME FOR A PAUSE

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MINDFUL PAUSE

Menopause, a natural transition that happens in women between their mid-40s and their 50s, causes a variety of bodily changes, including hot flashes, mood swings, and weight gain, which can be difficult to manage. However, whereas previous generations of women lived with the problem quietly, things are different now. Women going through perimenopause and menopause are putting themselves first, and one way they are doing so is by signing up for menopause retreats, which allow them to take a break and approach the transition in their own unique way. Luxury resorts in India are creating vacation packages that include everything from highly customised cuisine to hormone balance courses.

“Menopause retreats are designed to help women traverse the many stages of perimenopause and menopause, as well as the symptoms that accompany it, such as hot flashes, nocturnal sweats, and achy joints,” says Sharmilee Kapur, Founder Director, & Pranic Healer at Atmantan Wellness Centre.

According to the Global Wellness Summit, the menopause market will be worth $600 billion by 2025, with more than one billion women reaching perimenopause between now and then.

“The thought of Menopause is not a palatable one especially when one is in their 40s, but considering we have managed to change how the world views menstruation, it is high time we and the world re-defines menopause as a turn of season and not a looming stage of life,” says Sharmilee adding, “This is exactly what propels the need for menopause vacations or retreats. A holiday where women can put themselves first, take on mindful techniques to combat symptoms, get personalised nutritional guidance

(and prescribed nutraceuticals), be guided on the right physical activity, and most importantly, come out of this vacation with life-altering techniques on coping with the symptoms of mood swings, hot flashes, and hormonal changes.”

“Mindful eating is the cornerstone of our cuisine philosophy. Therefore, we emphasise portion control and conscious eating (i.e. being mindful and in sync with the food in front of you). This helps in effectively managing menopausal weight swings. Hydration is also promoted as it is known to lessen the symptoms of hot flashes,” explains Dr. Manoj Kutteri, medical director & chief executive officer (CEO) of Atmantan.

IT’S LIFE-CHANGING

Menopause retreats should be designed to be extremely customised, addressing both the physical and mental transitions that women between the ages of 45 and 55 (and even those in the perimenopause stages) face, as no two women will have the same menopausal experience. “Menopause cannot be “cured”, but guests can learn ways for managing and alleviating symptoms,” says Sharmilee adding, “Residential wellness retreats can transform a menopausal vacation into a healing longevity retreat by incorporating traditional techniques such as Yoga, Pranayama, prescribed meal plans, laughter and dance sessions, detoxification therapies, improved sleep patterns, and more.”

TIME TO REDISCOVER YOUR INNER GODDESS

Actress Courteney Cox recently posted on Instagram about her menopausal misery. “Menopause will change the way you feel about getting older. Menopause will eat you alive. It’s horrible,” Cox tells her followers.

Is all the talk about wellness resorts really helping women redefine menopause?

Led by fitness specialists, nutritionists, and physicians, Ananda, a luxury spa resort in the Himalayas, began a menopause retreat programme in 2022.

The Rebalance programme attempts to deliver curated programmes to assist perimenopausal or menopausal guests in navigating the

MENOPAUSE

RETREATS ARE DESIGNED TO HELP WOMEN TRAVERSE THE MANY STAGES OF PERIMENOPAUSE

AND MENOPAUSE, AS WELL AS THE SYMPTOMS THAT ACCOMPANY IT, SUCH AS HOT FLASHES, NOCTURNAL SWEATS, AND

ACHY JOINTS.” — SHARMILEE KAPUR

hormonal changes associated with the ageing female body.

Rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, its innovative framework encompasses a nuanced diagnosis of underlying bodily imbalances disrupting hormonal equilibrium. “Drawing from an array of traditional Oriental therapies—including acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, Tibetan Kuu Nye, Kundalini, and Japanese Shiatsu—the programme targets the obstruction of energy flow along the body’s fourteen meridians,” says Geetika Sharma, Ananda’s wellness strategy, director.

TAILORED RETREATS

The Rebalance programme restores harmony, relieves discomfort, and revitalises systemic function through tailored interventions such as herbal medicine, cupping therapy, and therapeutic exercises guided by expert physiotherapists, providing a holistic path to navigating the challenges associated with hormonal transitions. “This is accomplished by combining

Ayurveda, yoga, meditation, and emotional healing to support all of these processes at once. Approximately 10 to 12 percent of our clients each year seek to address hormonal health problems,” says Geetika.

THE REBALANCE PROGRAMME

RESTORES HARMONY, RELIEVES DISCOMFORT, AND REVITALISES SYSTEMIC FUNCTION THROUGH TAILORED INTERVENTIONS SUCH AS HERBAL MEDICINE, AND THERAPEUTIC EXERCISES GUIDED BY EXPERT

PROVIDING A HOLISTIC PATH TO NAVIGATING THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH HORMONAL TRANSITIONS.”

— GEETIKA SHARMA

In “The Menopause Talk,” a can’t-miss discussion Drew Barrymore had with Oprah and Maria Shriver, she had opened up about her personal experience with the change. Neena Gupta encourages women to openly discuss menopause and opposes ageism by emphasising that life and opportunity continue beyond this phase.