Wellness retreats for menopausal women help combat mood swings, hot flashes, and more. A menopause vacation — at home or away at a luxury spa — can make this life change a more positive and meaningful experience.
Gone are the days of women suffering through menopause in silence. Rather than shying away from physical and mental changes, many women in midlife today are embracing symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and insomnia with some well-deserved self-care at luxury resorts like Canyon Ranch, Lake Austin, and Amilla Maldives Resort, all of which are offering relaxing getaways designed specifically for women going through menopause. These menopause vacations offer everything from yoga to massages to nutrition classes to help women cope with their changing hormones and bodies.
Despite the fact that virtually every woman in the world goes through this change, the details of menopause are rarely discussed in Western society, leaving people feeling isolated and alone as they struggle to navigate this transition. Luckily, that’s starting to change.
DailyOM turned to the experts to find out more about menopause vacations and how you can create a self-care ritual at home.
What Is Menopause?
According to the National Institute on Aging, the official definition of menopause is the time in a woman’s life that marks the end of her menstrual cycles. After 12 months of not getting a period, you’ve officially gone through the menopause transition. This typically happens between ages 45 and 55, and may be accompanied by side effects like hot flashes, weight gain, vaginal dryness, brain fog, mood swings, irritability, and insomnia.
“All of the above symptoms can happen in the decade preceding menopause and can last for months or years, or [can] come and go,” says Ann Hofstadter, MD, a board-certified OB-GYN in Los Angeles who sees plenty of patients going through perimenopause (the time leading up to menopause) and menopause in her practice. “The experience is different for every woman, but very few women just stop having periods with no symptoms.”
This is exactly why finding a good support system — like other menopausal women — can be so important. “It’s tough to get older because our society is not supportive of people as they age,” says Dr. Hofstadter. “It’s always comforting to know other people feel the same way you do and have similar issues. It’s important to know you can live a productive and rewarding life beyond menopause. There is a lot of wisdom that comes with aging and we need to embrace that.”
Interested in learning more? Check out Shedding Your Menopausal Middle in 10 Days
Menopause Can Be a Time of Celebration
Although Western society tends to treat women going through menopause as “old” and “irrelevant,” this isn’t the case in many other parts of the world. In fact, there are cultures that celebrate menopause, rather than perceiving it as a time when women lose their sexuality and vitality.
The Unitarian Church, for example, has a long-standing ritual called a craning ceremony that marks a woman’s transition into this next stage of life. The ceremony is usually held by a woman’s circle, which includes close friends, family, and mentors.
The Mohawk women of Quebec also celebrate menopause by setting aside time to focus on the shift from their families to themselves. Researchers who conducted an eight-week study among the Mohawk group discovered that their culture considers menopause to be an important continuum of life.
What Is a Menopause Vacation?
Embracing aging can be difficult in a culture that doesn’t support the journey, which is why taking a vacation with other women going through the same life changes can be a wonderful way to build your support systems and celebrate menopause, rather than mourning what others have decided you’re losing.
Menopause vacations vary from resort to resort, but they are typically pampering and relaxing getaways designed to help women cope with the symptoms mentioned above. Most of these wellness retreats include a panel of experts on hand to advise menopausal women about addressing challenges they might face during this change through nutrition, movement, and meditation. To alleviate stress, some resorts offer pampering treatments like massages, reiki, and facials.
“It’s really exciting to be treated not with shame, but rather something that’s been earned that holds some beautiful opportunities.”
Local thermal therapy may be helpful for menopausal symptoms, and though there is anecdotal evidence that hot tubs and infrared sauna may make some people feel better, there isn’t research yet to support this practice (and it’s important to note that for some women, heat from saunas and hot tubs may trigger a hot flash).
Is a Menopause Vacation Right for You?
Going on a menopause vacation may be just the break you need, especially if you’re feeling alone in your menopause journey. These retreats offer a great way to connect with other women going through the same changes, as well as helping women find a way to reset, relax, and recharge.
“Any time you take a dedicated break to focus on your health is a real treat,” says Debbie Misajon, owner of The Coconut Traveler, a luxury travel company in Hawaii. “When you are on a menopause retreat, you are often given practical tips on how to manage the change while enjoying a range of spa and wellness treatments.
“Menopause used to mark ‘aging out,’ but women are beginning to understand it’s just another chapter to embrace,” she adds. “It’s a time to learn more about ourselves both during and after the process. It’s really exciting to be treated not with shame, but rather something that’s been earned that holds some beautiful opportunities.”
How to Plan Your Own DIY Menopause Retreat
Not everyone has the time or the budget to take a weeklong menopause retreat to the Maldives or Canyon Ranch. It’s still totally possible to enjoy a wellness retreat for menopause in the privacy of your own home or in a peaceful outdoor setting.
“Begin by identifying an area in your home or, if weather permits, a local park to create a retreat,” says fitness expert and Yoga Alliance–trained instructor Desi Bartlett, who has trained Alicia Silverstone and Kate Hudson.
“Depending on the size of the space, this will determine how many friends you can invite to your retreat,” Bartlett says. “Ensure that everyone has a blanket or yoga mat, and set up mats or blankets in a circle. Ask each participant to bring something that represents wisdom to her. If you are the facilitator, introduce yourself and let each woman know that they are entering a safe space and that any personal information shared will not leave the circle. Then ask each woman in the circle to share her experience during this transition of life and place the object that represents wisdom in the center of the circle. This simple ice-breaker can be a lovely beginning to a shared retreat experience.”
A few elements that you may want to have in your DIY menopause retreat include the following, Bartlett tells DailyOM.
- Sight: “If you are outdoors, choose a space in nature that inspires you. This could be on the beach or near a forest. If you’re at home, consider purchasing two or three beautiful plants or flowers so that there is a visual cue from Mother Nature to connect to a sense of well-being, health and blossoming.”
- Scent: “A natural room spray can set the mood. Vanilla is [one] scent that people adore and associate with the comfort of home.” And research shows that aromatherapy with lavender or neroli may be helpful in reducing menopause symptoms and improving sexual desire.
- Touch: “A soft blanket and pillow or a soft yoga mat with microfiber top are soft to the touch and encourage a sense of comfort and ease.”
- Listen: “Set the tone you would like for your retreat with two to three songs before you gather in a circle to share your stories. Segue from the music to a formal introduction and your ice-breaker. After that, you can either enjoy an online yoga class together or consider hiring a local yoga and meditation teacher.” (Yoga can be one helpful tool for reducing the frequency of hot flashes.)
- Taste: “Add lemon or cucumber slices to a pitcher of water for everyone to enjoy. Retreats often offer healthy food to enjoy after a movement class.”
The Bottom Line
There’s a good reason why menopause vacations are on the rise. These retreats a haven for women who feel alone navigating their menopause journey. They’re also a great way to help minimize symptoms and connect with other women in the same stage of life. “It is far less common to live in a multigenerational home in our modern world,” says Bartlett, who recently co-authored the book Total Body Beautiful: Secrets to Looking and Feeling Your Best After 35. “Not everyone has an elder to model and inform them what healthy aging looks like and how to thrive during these years. Not everyone has a group of women their same age they can share with.”
This is why connecting with other menopausal women can be such a compelling and meaningful experience.
“After 25-plus years of teaching, I have learned the power of community,” says Bartlett. “Being on a retreat, whether it is at home or at a retreat center, can be validating, cathartic, and empowering. We validate one another when we simply nod or give a look of recognition that says, ‘I’ve been there.’ Empowerment occurs when we educate and lift each other up with the knowledge of practical tips and techniques that can help ease the transition into the wisdom years.”
