Most women consider menopause as a stage of loss—we lose our youth, our beauty, our relevancy, and our sexuality. Because of the beliefs that were programmed into our brain since childhood, we start believing that you lose your identity upon reaching the menopausal period. However, that doesn’t mean we have to stop growing and living a spark-filled life. 

In this week’s podcast episode, I talk with Annabel Wilson, founder, and director of Living Ashram. Five years ago, she embarked on an incredible journey of awakening to purpose. On this journey, she found the key to living a juicy, spark-filled life which she willingly shares through the Living Ashram app.

In our conversation, we talked about how beliefs shape our reality, the importance of examining our beliefs, about spiritual longing, guilt and shame and its consequences, the essence of forgiveness, and how to find out what your core values are.

If you are someone who wants to continue blazing your own path after menopause and live a purposeful life, this episode is for you. Listen to this podcast and level up your life now!

What’s Discussed in This Episode:

1. Annabel’s journey towards the creation of the Living Ashram app [05:05]
1. Her goal of becoming the healthiest version of herself [06:13]
2. The real journey towards finding purpose starts at home [08:18]
3. What the Living Ashram app is about [09:12]
2. How Annabel awakened to her purpose [11:08]
1. The meaning of breakthrough and its relevance to finding purpose [12:46]
2. Examining your beliefs can give you that breakthrough [14:20] 
3. Awakening to your purpose brings back spirituality [16:42]
3. The real journey home is to the healthiest version of yourself [20:32]
4. Stop beating yourself up and start forgiving yourself [22:55]
5. Suffering is optional [24:20]
6. Feel the darkness, but never close [26:37]
1. The essence of forgiveness and gratitude practice [28:14]
7. Menopause and how it affects women’s perspective and fears [30:01]
8. The MENO-Mate pillars; How menopause affects women’s sexuality [32:12]
9. Our beliefs shape our reality [34:22]
1. Embrace your femininity [35:43]
10. Menopause is the beginning of freedom [39:27]
1. Finding the joy in what you do [41:18]
11. Our outside world is a reflection of who we are [43:28]
12. How to figure out our core values [45:20]
1. Identifying where you feel in lack of [45:57]
2. Reflecting on frustrating moments can unlock your core values [47:57]
13. We need to move past money shame [49:00]
14. Your emotions are your guide to help you decide what you do next [50:20]
1. Listen to your emotions and unanswered needs [52:08]
2. Start meeting our own needs [53:02]
3. Working with your inner child [54:53]
15. Schizophrenia and the shadow self [56:29]
16. What happens to you doesn’t define who you are [58:21]
17. People need to have the self-awareness to know that they need help [59:46]
18. Awakening to your purpose is a daily effort, not a one-time high [1:02:07]

About the Guest:

Annabel Wilson is the founder and director of Living Ashram. Formerly the managing partner of Athena Equity Partners, she devoted her time to finding the antidote to universal disconnection, anxiety, fear, suffering, and overall lack of wellbeing. 

Her wish is for humanity to stop beating themselves up and start forgiving themselves. She is also dedicated to helping people become the healthiest version of themselves through the Living Ashram.

Resources:

• Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.drmichellegordon.com/podcasts/) 
• Join the Menopause Movement with Dr. Michelle Gordon Online Community 
• Connect with me on Instagram (@drmichellegordon)
• Follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/DrMichelleGordon)
• Join in on the next beta group (https://bit.ly/betawait)  
• Visit Annabel Wilson’s website (https://livingashram.com/)

Books mentioned in this episode:

• A Course in Miracles (https://amzn.to/2AqwiQZ) 
• Autobiography of a Yogi by Pramahansa Yogananda (https://amzn.to/2VHw9jt) 
• The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Singer (https://amzn.to/3gniQNi) 
• May Cause Miracles by Gabrielle Bernstein (https://amzn.to/3eYxlqg) 
• The Alphabet Versus the Goddess by Leonard Shlain (https://amzn.to/2YRS6hY) 
• It’s Not Your Money by Tosha Silver (https://amzn.to/38kEajE)

Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Menopause Movement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Thank you for tuning in!