Constructive Rest: The Unsung Hero of Self Care in Menopause

It’s Menopause Awareness Month, and amidst the sea of advice and information which, in itself can be overwhelming for any person going through perimenopause and menopause, I'm going to champion the unsung hero of menopausal wellness: Constructive Rest.

Menopause brings waves of changes in all aspects of your life, and the impact on mental health can be significant. Brain fog, sleep troubles, stress, anxiety, and a host of other symptoms can be the dominant experience and ultimately take its toll. As we enter autumn, followed by darker evenings and busier winter days, life in the northern hemisphere tends to get hectic.

When symptoms flare up, the urgency to find solutions can be overwhelming. Pelvic floor and genitourinary symptoms can become especially challenging to manage amidst busy lives. That's where Constructive Rest comes into play.

For me, Constructive Rest is a daily practice, a reset button to return to factory settings. While it's often portrayed as lying down in stillness, my approach includes gentle movement, massage, and mobilization.

REST IS ORDINARY, NOT EXCITING, BUT SO NECESSARY AND DEEPLY REWARDING

A bit like pressing the reset button to return the body to ‘factory settings’ Constructive Rest is a chance to plug back in to your whole system.

While often tough as lying down in stillness, my approach includes gentle movement, massage and mobilisation with bolstering for passive release. By the end your body will feel heavy and light, supple, soft and quiet. Ready for stillness.

For many, just lying down and trying to relax doesn't cut it. The day's static buzz in your body can make it hard to instantly switch into relaxation mode. Tension in the hips and lower back can initially make lying on your back uncomfortable, and knowing how to bolster for maximum benefit isn't widely advertised.

Tight, stiff areas of the body can't be forced into submission. They need coaxing, support, and gravity's gentle guidance. Muscles, fascial tissue, and the nervous system all benefit from orientation to surroundings, proprioceptive inputs like soft ball massage, and mobilization with the gentle movement of joints.

If this all sounds a bit technical, don't worry—it's accessible to everyone. While I'm trained to teach on high-tech Pilates equipment, you don't need shiny gadgets to tap into your body's innate rest and digest capabilities. Low-tech props, used skillfully, are readily available and portable.

Let me share these low-tech skills with high-tech results, helping you achieve deep restorative rest that feels like melting into the floor. Plus, you'll experience the best night's sleep ever.

Starting on November 7th, I'm teaching these essential life skills over a 5-week series, beginning in the evening after daylight savings ends. As life picks up with the holiday season, menopause and GSM symptoms, stress, and sleep issues can intensify.

Last year, I personally experienced this challenge, and this year, I'm determined to carve out time in the week dedicated to nourishing and replenishing rest.

Love a good stretch that runs deep? This is the class for you.

If you love a deep stretch, want to feel like you've done something good for your body, and cherish lying down at the same time, this is also the class for you.

For those dealing with symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse, overwhelm, GSM, and sleep disturbances, these skills will become your go-to practice when life becomes too much.

Drawing from my experience as a hands-on therapist, Pilates teacher, somatic experiencing practitioner, pelvic floor coach, and restorative exercise specialist, we'll use bolsters, balls, straps, and blankets to lengthen, stretch, release, and ground your body.

This is an online evening class with a recordings library so you can access and repeat the classes when you need. And here's the best part—afterward, you can simply roll into bed.