Riding the Wave: Yoga for the Stages of Menopause with Mary Beth Ray

"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf." — Jon Kabat-Zinn

Menopause is not a breakdown. It is a threshold.

And it unfolds over time. It affects your body, your breath, your attention, your sense of self, and your relationship to joy. Every layer of who you are is recalibrating — often all at once.

Most of us were never taught what to expect. And most of what we're offered — quick fixes, fear-based messaging, vague platitudes — doesn't come close to honoring the depth of this transition.

This workshop does something different.

Through the lens of yoga therapy and the ancient pañcamaya model — which recognizes five interconnected dimensions of the human system — we'll spend an afternoon mapping this transition honestly, moving through it somatically, and exploring the question that menopause quietly asks of everyone who enters it: Who are you becoming?

What we'll explore together:

The science, without the fear — what's actually happening in your body, nervous system, and brain during this transition, explained clearly and compassionately

The pañcamaya model — an Indian anatomy and physiology framework from early Upaniṣad texts that sees you as a whole system: body, breath, mind, behavior, and emotions — and maps where menopause touches each layer

Yoga therapy practice — movement, breath, and awareness practices designed specifically for this life stage, accessible to all levels, structured to move through each dimension of the model

Identity and emotional wellbeing — the layer most overlooked and most needed: what are you releasing, and what is becoming possible?

Community — intentional time with others navigating this same terrain, because none of us should do this alone

This workshop is for you if:

• You are in perimenopause, menopause, or post-menopause
• You are a yoga practitioner whose practice feels like it no longer fits
• You are a yoga teacher who wants to better understand and serve students in this transition
• You are simply ready to stop managing this experience and start inhabiting it

This is not a promise to eliminate symptoms. It is a space to understand what is happening, move with it skillfully, and emerge with tools, clarity, and community.

This workshop welcomes all people navigating the menopausal transition, regardless of how they identify.

Through practice, reflection, and discussion you will be equipped with tools to support strength, adaptability, and a sustainable yoga practice for the long term.

Please bring your own snack — we'll pause mid-afternoon for community connection time. Bring a journal.

Pricing

Registration for this workshop is $125.

We offer BIPOC scholarships! Reach out to [email protected] to learn more.

About Mary Beth

Mary Beth Ray (C-IAYT, RYT-500) is a yoga therapist, certified functional medicine health coach, and holistic nutrition consultant specializing in bone health and healthy aging. With over 30 years of yoga practice and 17 years of teaching — primarily in the Krishnamacharya breath-centered lineages — she works at the intersection of movement, nutrition, and aging to help people understand their bones, nourish their bodies, and live without fear. She is a BoneFit™-trained professional, an ambassador for the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation, and is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Gerontology at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.

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