The Perimenopause Roadmap: A Gen X Woman’s Guide
Our generation was told we could do it all — careers, caregiving, relationships — often while ignoring our bodies. Perimenopause reminds us we can’t push forever. It asks us to slow down, listen, and create new rhythms that honor who we are becoming.
For me, researching and writing this roadmap has been part of reclaiming my own body and preparing for this new season. My hope is that it helps you feel less alone, more empowered, and deeply supported.
Embracing the Shadow: A Fall Contemplative Practice
Fall is a season of transition—trees shed their leaves, daylight wanes, and we naturally turn inward. In Ayurveda, this is Vata season, a time when dryness, instability, and anxiety can surface. Spiritually, autumn mirrors the work of shadow integration: acknowledging the unseen, the hidden, and the unexpressed within ourselves.
Shadow work can feel intimidating, but it is one of the most powerful practices for healing and renewal. Just as the earth pulls energy inward to prepare for winter, we too can honor this rhythm by facing our inner shadows with compassion.
Meditation and Contemplation for Fall: Cultivating Stillness in Vata Season
As autumn unfolds with its crisp air and golden leaves, the energy of Vata dosha becomes dominant. Vata is light, airy, and mobile—qualities that can inspire creativity and movement, but when imbalanced, they may lead to restlessness, anxiety, or difficulty focusing. This makes fall the perfect season to anchor your daily routine with meditation and contemplative practices.
Movement for Fall: Yoga & Exercise to Balance Vata
As autumn arrives, nature shifts into a season of wind, dryness, and change. Ayurveda calls this Vata season—a time when our bodies and minds can feel light, erratic, and ungrounded. While movement is always important for health, the way we move in fall can either bring balance or deepen imbalance.
Autumn Foods: Nourishing Balance in Vata Season
As the air turns crisp and the leaves surrender their vibrant colors to the earth, our bodies, too, feel the shift of autumn. In Ayurveda, fall is governed by Vata dosha, marked by qualities of dryness, lightness, coldness, and movement. To stay grounded and resilient in this season of transition, we must look to foods that bring warmth, moisture, stability, and nourishment.
This is the wisdom of autumn eating: aligning with the season so your body feels supported, not depleted.
Understanding Vata in Fall: Balancing Body, Mind, and Spirit
As autumn descends in the Northern Hemisphere, nature begins its graceful shift. The air turns crisp, the leaves fall in fiery hues, and the rhythm of the season becomes lighter, drier, and cooler. In Ayurveda, these qualities reflect the Vata dosha—comprised of air (vayu) and ether (akasha).
Vata governs movement: the flow of breath, circulation, elimination, and even the movement of thoughts across the mind. When in balance, it is the force of creativity, adaptability, and inspiration. When out of balance, it becomes the root cause of instability—manifesting as anxiety, dryness, exhaustion, and weakened immunity.
The Spark of Fall: Harnessing Tarot Wisdom & the Autumn Harvest Spread
As we stand on the threshold of fall’s arrival, we are reminded of the cyclical nature of life and the power of transformation. The crisp air, shifting colors, and falling leaves whisper of endings that make way for new beginnings. In the Tarot, this seasonal rhythm is beautifully mirrored in the Ace of Wands—a card that embodies inspiration, creativity, and the spark of something new.
Fall Pumpkin Turmeric Buttered Coffee (Ayurvedic Bulletproof Coffee)
Autumn is the season of crisp mornings, falling leaves, and the airy, cool energy of Vata dosha. As the body transitions into fall, we crave warm, grounding, and nourishing foods and drinks that bring stability and comfort. This Fall Pumpkin Turmeric Buttered Coffee is my Ayurvedic twist on the popular bulletproof coffee trend—infused with pumpkin, turmeric, and cozy fall spices.
Winter Salts: Warming & Energizing Blend for Kapha Season
Winter is the season of Kapha dosha—heavy, slow, damp, and cool. These qualities help us feel nourished and cozy, but they can also lead to sluggish digestion, low energy, and congestion. This Winter Salts blend is spicy, stimulating, and invigorating, designed to balance Kapha by warming the body, boosting metabolism, and clearing stagnation. Sprinkle it on soups, legumes, roasted vegetables, or even avocado toast for an energizing kick that keeps you light and bright through the colder months.
Fall Salts: Grounding Ayurvedic Blend for Vata Season
Fall ushers in the Vata dosha—dry, light, cool, and unpredictable, just like the wind. While autumn inspires creativity and clarity, it can also bring anxiety, dryness, and digestive irregularity. This Fall Salts blend is warming, grounding, and nourishing, designed to balance Vata’s airy qualities. With earthy spices and mineral-rich salt, it enhances roasted vegetables, soups, and grains—bringing comfort and steadiness to your meals as the seasons shift.
Summer Salts: Cooling Ayurvedic Blend for Pitta Season
Summer brings the fiery energy of the Pitta dosha—hot, sharp, and intense. While the warmth fuels activity and creativity, it can also lead to overheating, irritability, and inflammation. This Summer Salts blend is designed to cool and calm Pitta, soothe digestion, and keep the body refreshed. Light, cooling herbs paired with mineral salt make this the perfect seasoning for fresh vegetables, salads, or cooling summer soups.
The World – Wholeness Realized
The World, numbered XXI in the Major Arcana, is the card of fulfillment, integration, and the sacred return. It marks the end of the Fool’s journey, not with a final period, but with a spiraling exhale—a dance of completion that echoes into the beginning of something new. When the World appears in a reading, it often brings with it a sense of wholeness, divine timing, and the realization of long-held visions.
Judgement – Breakthrough, Awakening, and the Call to Rise
Judgement, numbered XX in the Major Arcana, often brings with it a jolt—an internal reckoning, a blast of truth, or an external event that calls us to account. In traditional Tarot imagery, we see the Archangel Gabriel blowing a trumpet as the dead rise from their graves, arms outstretched in surrender and awe. It is the moment of resurrection, revelation, and ultimate clarity.
The Sun – Illumination, Zenith, and the Sacred Return
The Sun, numbered XIX in the Major Arcana, is one of the most joyful and radiant cards in the Tarot. Often interpreted as a symbol of clarity, success, vitality, and innocence, the Sun represents the full bloom of consciousness—a spiritual zenith in the Fool’s journey. It is the card of illumination, revealing all that has been hidden. Yet, for me, The Sun has always carried a much deeper and more mysterious significance.
The Moon – Illusion, Ancestry, and the Subconscious Path
The Moon, numbered XVIII in the Major Arcana, is one of the most enigmatic and multilayered cards in the Tarot. It illuminates the night with borrowed light, casting long shadows and revealing what the Sun cannot. It is the card of mystery, illusion, dreams, and the unseen forces that shape our psyche. The Moon doesn’t lie—but it does ask you to question what is real.
The Star – The Light Beyond the Storm
The Star, numbered XVII in the Major Arcana, arrives like a cool breeze after the chaos of The Tower. Where the Tower breaks down illusion and shatters false structures, The Star restores peace, hope, and divine clarity. It is the quiet after the thunder, the inhale after the scream. In a reading, it often feels like a breath of fresh air—like grace itself has appeared.
The Tower – The Grace of Ruin
The Tower, numbered XVI in the Major Arcana, is one of the most feared and misunderstood cards in the tarot. Often depicted as a tall, crowned structure being struck by lightning, engulfed in flames, with people leaping from its windows, the image is nothing short of dramatic. And yet, within the chaos lies an undeniable truth: destruction is sometimes the only path to liberation.
The Devil – The Chains We Choose
The Devil, numbered XV in the Major Arcana, is one of the most misunderstood cards in the Tarot. Often feared or dismissed, the Devil represents not external evil, but the internal chains we willingly wear. He is the shadow made manifest, the habits we justify, the addictions we excuse, and the illusions we cling to for comfort. He stands not in opposition to divinity but in revelation of our disconnection from it.
Temperance – The Sacred Art of Patience
Temperance, numbered XIV in the Major Arcana, is the alchemical card of balance, integration, and divine timing. She appears when we are being asked to do the impossible: to wait, to trust, and to find harmony in what feels like contradiction. Her energy is not one of stagnation but of sacred synthesis. She teaches us that true transformation is not explosive—it is gentle, incremental, and born through presence.
Death – The Sacred Alchemy of Letting Go
The Death card, numbered XIII in the Major Arcana, is one of the most misunderstood cards in the tarot. In pop culture, it evokes fear and finality. But for those of us who walk the spiritual path, Death is a holy portal. It is not about physical demise alone; it is the card of endings, transformations, and sacred release. Death is the quiet, potent force that strips away illusion, clears away what no longer serves, and prepares the soul for a rebirth.