09/09/2026
MENOPAUSE RITUAL 07 — TOUCH
Menopause can be felt in the body.
Research shows that muscle and joint pain become more commonly reported through the menopause transition. But not every pain is caused by menopause — our bodies are far more complex than that.
For me, this makes one thing especially important:
Listen.
For more than 20 years, I have studied the body — anatomy, physiology, massage, aromatherapy, mental wellbeing and different therapeutic traditions.
But some of my earliest lessons came much earlier, through my Thai and Indian family roots, where touch, herbs, food and caring for the body were simply part of life.
Today, at Cookie’s Organic Spa, I still follow one principle:
Before I touch, I listen.
How does your body feel today?
Where are you holding tension?
Does your body need movement, rest, warmth — or simply a moment to feel itself again?
Research is also exploring massage during menopause, with promising findings for some psychological and fatigue-related outcomes. But massage is not a cure, and it does not replace medical care.
For me, its value is also something beautifully human:
Touch gives us a moment to reconnect with our body.
Menopause is teaching me to give myself the same attention I have given other women for so many years.
Not only asking:
“What is wrong with my body?”
But also:
“What am I feeling in my body?”
Sometimes listening means rest.
Sometimes movement.
Sometimes seeing a doctor.
And sometimes, it means allowing yourself to receive safe, intentional touch.
🎧 Audio/voice credit: Yakov Gershkovich — from my SFL Advanced training.
I’m grateful to continue learning, listening and bringing what resonates with me into my own journey and work.
