Menopause as an inner turning point – when the body begins to speak

In recent years, I have accompanied hundreds of women through self-awareness and art-coaching processes, and time and again I experience that there is a stage of life that stirs especially deep questions within us, yet surprisingly little is spoken about it honestly and in a supportive way. This is menopause, also known as the climacteric period.

Many women come to me first describing physical symptoms — fatigue, sleep disturbances, hot flashes, or mood swings — yet after just a few conversations it almost always becomes clear that the real difficulty is not only the body’s changes, but the inner uncertainty that appears when our former roles, patterns of functioning, and points of stability no longer fit who we are becoming.

At such times, many women say, “I’m not who I used to be,” and although this may feel frightening at first, from both professional and personal experience I see this sentence as the beginning of an important inner transformation.

Menopause is not a flaw in the system, nor an unpleasant detour on life’s path, but a natural transition that — if given space and attention — can lead to deeper self-knowledge, clearer boundaries, and a more mature sense of identity.

In art-coaching processes, we therefore don’t only talk about what is happening, but also work with images, colors, creative expression, and various artistic tools, because these often connect more directly to our inner world than rational explanations. I frequently integrate elements of bibliotherapy as well, and when the topic of menopause comes into focus, I sometimes turn to the haikus of Zita Csák’s book Hőhullámvasút (Hot Flash Rollercoaster), since these short, condensed texts can capture emotional states with surprising precision — states that would otherwise be difficult to describe at length.

I do not use them to analyze or “decode” the poems, but because a single line can open an inner door and help give voice to everything the body has been carrying silently. From there, true self-awareness work can begin, where feelings are no longer enemies but guiding lights.

My experience shows that when a woman learns to connect with her own inner processes, menopause no longer becomes something to endure, but a conscious, supported transition in which a new kind of strength, calmness, and inner stability gradually emerges.

If you are currently in this stage of life and feel that something is coming to an end while you cannot yet see clearly what wants to be born in its place, it may be worth allowing yourself to slow down and turn inward, because it is often in this quieter space that direction reveals itself.

A short self-awareness exercise

Take a few quiet minutes for yourself and write down the feelings that most often accompany your days lately. Then choose one that feels especially strong today. Imagine that this feeling could speak, and ask it: what would you like to tell me, and what do you truly need from me right now?

Allow the answer to arrive not through thinking, but rather as sensations, images, colors, or impressions. If you feel inspired, draw it, paint it, or choose one card from the Colourful Emotions card deck that best expresses what is happening within you.

Then ask yourself the following questions:

• What has this stage of life already taught me about myself?
• Which inner resources helped me through difficult transitions before, and how could I mobilize them again now?
• If I moved one small step closer to greater balance, what would be the smallest yet realistic change I could make as early as tomorrow?
• Who or what offers me genuine support during this period, and how could I connect with it more consciously?
• Six months from now, when I look back on this time, what would I like to know about myself that I could feel proud of?

If you enjoy working with visual tools, the Colourful Emotions cards can be a great support. I often use them in my own processes, because a single image can help express emotions and often guide us toward inner insights more gently and precisely than any analysis. If you feel you would benefit from a supportive companion for your at-home self-awareness work, you can learn more about them here.