When I entered perimenopause, I found myself weeping in the prayer hall – our Sikh communal space felt like soft ground under my feet. I was overwhelmed by hot flushes, anxiety, shifting identity – and yet that safe, sacred space offered a silent invitation: you are seen, even if just by this gentle community.
Spiritual longing in a changing body
For many South Asian women, faith traditions are both anchor and expectation. We look to temples, mosques, gurdwaras – not just for prayer, but for guidance and support. Yet these same spaces often reflect cultural silences: “That’s nature,” or “It’s our time to be grandmothers,” can feel dismissive when emotional and physical changes land heavily.
I know this firsthand. At the gurdwara sahib, I found comfort in shared sweet milk tea after prayers, but rarely a conversation about what was happening to my body. Midlife was still a grey area.
Why spirituality can feel like a contradiction
Faith expects us to be strong, silent, and enduring. Yet menopause doesn’t follow a quiet path. It disrupts us in ways that spiritual disciplines sometimes don’t acknowledge. Our bodies change, hormones fluctuate, and our emotions rise and fall.
We find ourselves praying “Sat Nam” – truth is my identity – and yet that truth holds tears we’re taught to hide.
Reclaiming sacred space for our shift
What if we claimed permission to speak in those centres of worship? To request an evening gathering for midlife women? What if the langar hall served chai and conversation about perimenopause? What if the granthi included a prayer about women’s changing bodies?
I will be reaching out to the Gurdwara Sahib, inviting them to recognise women’s lived, embodied journeys. Slowly, others joined in with curiosity and respect.
How spirituality can support the transition
- Ritual as Round-Table: Imagine beginning meet-ups with the lighting of a candle, not for grief, but for sacred change.
- Prayer for Permission: Saying Waheguru while breathing through a hot flush can ground us in compassion.
- Scriptural Reminders: Sikh scripture praises every life stage. We can use that as a counterpoint to cultural shame.
How The Sattva Collective honours spiritual identity
At The Sattva Collective CIC, our midlife circles often begin with a moment of stillness – a simple practice to tune inward. We don’t prescribe faith, but we honour the spiritual roots South Asian women carry.
Our upcoming Midlife Summit will include a moment of meditation or blessing, making room for women of many traditions to be seen, not just medically, but spiritually.
Invitation to spiritual alignment
My journey has taught me that faith can either mute us or magnify us. Menopause asked me to slow down, not to stop believing. It invited me deeper, not into darkness, but into a sacred unfolding.
If your community or place of worship is ready to hold space for midlife women, I encourage you to begin the conversation. You might be surprised how much healing can happen when we invite spiritual care into this human transition.
Discover more from THE SATTVA COLLECTIVE CIC
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
