Welcome to this special Christmas Day episode of the Menopause and Cancer Podcast. For many of us—cancer survivors navigating treatment-induced menopause—this day might not feel like the picture-perfect celebration we see in movies or on social media. And that’s okay. In today’s episode, I want to turn celebrating on it’s head - and celebrate YOU.

Let’s take a moment to pause, breathe, and reflect on what it means to celebrate ourselves. Whether you’re feeling gratitude, exhaustion, or something in between, this is your gentle reminder that you are enough just as you are.

• What does “celebration” really mean on a day like today?
• Why it’s okay if today doesn’t feel joyful, and how we can find moments of peace.
• Reframing Christmas: turning the focus inward and celebrating your resilience, strength, and small wins.
• Wrapping yourself in warmth—literally and figuratively—and filling up your own cup.

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Episode Highlights:

00:00 Celebrating quiet strength over hustle and tradition.

05:03 Menopause post-cancer impact underestimated; needs support.

07:36 What does celebration mean to you today?

11:24 Feeling detached yet grateful during a family celebration.

14:39 Celebrate yourself with affirmations and self-care.

19:48 Disconnecting from the body impedes true enjoyment.

21:53 Embrace being the proud, empowered, "difficult" woman.

25:49 Celebration for you, unity, connections, and healing.

Connect with us:

For more information and resources visit our website: www.menopauseandcancer.org

Or follow us on Instagram @menopause_and_cancer

Join our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub

This is perhaps the most important practice of 2024. By taking time out for yourself, you’ll be in awe of everything you’ve achieved and overcome this year – you’ll be in awe of yourself.

I will guide you through a series of structured questions to help you reflect on the past year and begin looking ahead to the new year with purpose and intention. But don’t worry – we’re absolutely not here to set New Year’s resolutions. This is about something far more meaningful: discovering what truly matters to you and figuring out your priorities in a thoughtful and intentional way.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Intro

07:13 Reflect on events from January 2024 onward.

15:15 Reflect on key life areas: home, mind, and body.

22:06 Reflect on personal growth, challenges, and achievements.

29:13 Did you connect with and care for your body?

40:41 Reflect on personal growth and supportive actions.

55:54 Affirmations nurture self-care and self-acceptance.

58:00 Place affirmations in daily spaces for positivity.

Connect with us:

For more information and resources visit our website: www.menopauseandcancer.org

Or follow us on Instagram @menopause_and_cancer

Join our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub

Today’s 15-minute Yoga Nigra will help you ease anxiety.

Welcome to the Menopause and Cancer Podcast Wellbeing Series where we share practical tools to help you heal and recover through and beyond cancer.

In this series, we share practical tools to help you release anxiety, improve sleep, reduce stress, and feel more present—through many tools such as meditation and more, all brought to you by our community. Take a moment to relax and rejuvenate.

Do not listen while driving. Meditation and mindful movement are powerful tools to support you. This is not a substitute for medical care. Consult a doctor or trusted health professional if needed.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Intro

00:35 Yoga Nidra with Louisa Rasmussen

Dr. Shelley Latte-Naor from MSKCC Cancer Center in NYC shares the evidence for the benefit of yoga nidra with us: there is some evidence supportive of the use of yoga in general and yoga nidra in particular both in the menopausal space as well as in cancer survivors.

• A recent review ( PMID: 37489597) synthesizing the evidence on Yoga Nidra and found benefits in reducing stress, improving mood, enhancing well-being, and improving sleep quality.

• At least two systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PMCID: PMC6980280 and PMCID: PMC6980280) yoga significantly improved hot flashes, total menopausal symptoms, sleep quality, anxiety, depressive symptoms, body mass index, and blood pressure.

• There is also plenty of research of the benefits of yoga with meditative techniques for cancer survivorship. For example large randomized controlled trial ( PMCID: PMC9990873) demonstrated that yoga significantly improved cancer-related fatigue (CRF), physical activity, and quality of life among cancer survivors.

• In addition to that there's also recent evidence both in the cancer population and in the general population that yoga can improve sleep quality (PMCID: PMC3757292) .

Resources: Go to www.menopauseandcancer.org to join our expert-led workshops, programs and find oodles of inspiration.

Recorded for you by Louisa Rasmussen

www.breathebalancebe.com

Instagram @louisa.breathebalancebe