Picture two friends, both in their early fifties, having coffee on a January afternoon in Winnipeg. One is fanning herself with the menu, cheeks flushed, asking the server to turn the heat down. The other is still wearing her coat, hands wrapped around her mug, wondering how anyone could possibly be warm right now. They are both going through menopause. So why are their bodies doing opposite things? If you have ever asked your doctor this question, you probably heard one word: hormones. And...

Your Body Changes in 7-Year Cycles (A Winnipeg Menopause & Self-Care Guide) There is an ancient idea about women that I keep coming back to—especially when I think about menopause in Winnipeg and the women in their 40s and 50s who walk through the doors of Pocca Poca Spa. More than 2,000 years ago, the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, one of the foundational texts of traditional Chinese medicine, described a woman's life in seven-year cycles. Seven (7). Fourteen (14)....

Maybe nothing dramatic happened. You are still working. Still raising your family. Still taking care of everyone. Still doing most of the things you did ten years ago. But somehow… your body feels different. You don't recover as quickly. Stress seems to stay in your body longer. Your shoulders are tighter. Sleep may not feel as restorative. You may feel exhausted even after you have technically “rested.” Your body temperature may feel unpredictable. Your mood may change more easily. And...