Where Does The Energy Go After Menopause? An Ayurvedic Look At Apana Vayu

Most of us learned to track the menstrual cycle by calendars and cramps. Ayurveda invites us to notice it as a movement of energy. Apana vayu is the downward-and-outward current that governs menstruation, elimination, and childbirth. It is also a teacher. Each month, apana escorts the body through a complete act of letting go.

So what happens when menstruation ends?

Ayurveda suggests that the current does not disappear. It recirculates. When bleeding ceases, the significant energetic outflow that once moved down and out begins to refine and move in and up. This simple idea reframes an entire life stage. Many women describe feeling drawn toward study, contemplation, service, or leadership in ways that surprised them. Seen through the lens of prana, this is not a personality change. It is a redistribution.

How to support this redirection:

1. Guard your sleep like a ritual. Deep rest steadies prana so subtler currents can rise. Try tech-off an hour before bed, light stretching, and Yoga Nidra audio while you drift.

2. Eat for clarity. Aim for regular mealtimes and warm, digestible foods. Add steady protein and keep dinner on the lighter side so sleep stays easy.

3. Tend the senses. Gentle oil massage before a shower, a few minutes of alternate-nostril breathing, or simply stepping outside at sunrise to reset your clock.

4. Create a simple altar to attention. One cushion, one candle, five minutes daily. Sit, watch the breath move. Over time you will feel the “up and in” current gather.

5. Choose one act of service. As energy rises, it naturally seeks expression. Offer an hour a week to a student, neighbor, or community project. Let the inward current become outward wisdom.

Midlife often reveals what was waiting for space. When we support apana’s quiet turn, the mind grows clearer, the heart steadier, and purpose has room to breathe.

Health Disclaimer:

The information shared on Everyday Ayurveda with Kate is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, supplements, or wellness routine.

Protein

Here are some foods that Ayurveda texts talk about that will get you your protein. A few, like tahini, are my modern add-one that follow the ancient principles. Do you eat any of these???

I talk about protein according to Ayurveda IN DEPTH on episode 23 of the Everyday Ayurveda Podcast. Get the rest of the story about how and when to eat your protein!

I Do These 5 Things for My Sleep

Sleep can get weird at the change of seasons. These are my five musts for sleep:

- Start early. My prime working hours are 10-3. I do my health routines, including food prep, in the AM, then I focus on work.
- I begin to wind-down in the afternoon—not just at bedtime. I may still be working, but I’m not letting myself get whipped up.
- Eat grounding meals by 2PM. Ease into sleep with a lighter meal at night. 2-3 hours before bed.
- Take a sensory break between 2–6PM (even 10 minutes helps).
- Ditch the evening sugar and screens.

When sleep gets weird, I ask myself: Am I doing too much?

At the end of the day, nothing matters more than sleep! What works for you?

If you missed episode 27 of the Everyday Ayurveda podcast- it’s all about sleep!

The effects of a food

Ayurveda doesn’t say a food is good or bad. The effects of a food depend on certain factors.

The way your body responds to a food depends upon…

Your climate
For example, cold food in a cold place will be tougher on your gut

Timing
Pizza at midnight will disturb the vibe more than at midday…agreed?

Quantity
One or two pieces of pizza may be completely digestible for you, but the third could put your belly over the top.

So, let’s love our food when we eat it, and try to eat it at the right time and place.
Love, Kate

fall Into Balance

The “wind” comes up in autumn which can get you feeling a little tweaked, easily overwhelmed, perhaps irritable from leftover summer heat.

A few simple fall tweaks can have you feeling less tweaked!Slow down even for a few breaths before you eat and enjoy better digestion and mental space.Don’t let the chill getcha!Shift from salads and fresh summer fruits to cooked greens and veggies, and cooked apples, prunes, and the like.

Make coriander tea by boiling 16 oz of water with 1 tsp coriander seed (crush it first) for 15 minutes. Strain and drink warm or even room temp. It’s benefits are endless this time of year.To learn more recipes and techniques for balance this time of year, check out the Fall Community cleanse here, where we learn by doing it! together!

What your poo is telling you

OK, no photos for this one thank goodness! What is your poo telling YOU? Drop any questions in the comments. I don’t mind talking about poop. I’m a professional, in fact.

Can you guess which dosha is at work in each of these poo-types?? Leave your guesses in the comments.

Want to go deeper in healing your digestion? Get my MasterClass - Improve Digestive Health: Agni and Ama at the Ayurvedic Living Institute, find our course catalogue here!

Your Digestion Needs a Break

Eating too often is one of the biggest problems for digestion in many of the people I work with.

I talk about how this, and other surprising factors, contribute to weight gain and what to do about it in podcast episode #35 on Weight Gain. Listen to podcast wherever you get your podcasts and remember to follow to be the first to know about new episodes.

Want thicker, shinier hair?

Your hair is telling you a story. Ayurveda says it’s about your bones, digestion, and even your bedtime. Want to hear more?

🎧 Listen to Everyday Ayurveda with Kate podcast episode #45 for ancient wisdom and modern tools for your best hair yet.

Wellness Business Start-Up Kit

Ayurveda Pros, this is what your new business is missing...a step-by-step guide to getting started. This kit is for those who are ready to build and grow a practice and an online presence.

Videos, checklists, journal prompts- the Big Picture, broken down for you. You got this!

Get my Ayurveda Business Coaching Kit: Everything you didn’t learn in Ayurveda School at the link in bio.

Ayurveda Pros, this is what your new business is missing...a step-by-step guide to getting started. This kit is for those who are ready to build and grow a practice and an online presence.

My Panchakarma Experience at SoHum Mountain Healing Resort

Autumn is the time we start thinking about Ayurveda’s recommendations for a seasonal cleanse. Come along with me, as I tell you about my cleanse last spring, when I traveled to Asheville, North Carolina, to undergo a 7-day panchakarma retreat at Dr. Vasant Lad’s new center, SoHum Mountain Healing Resort. I hope to inspire you to get on board for your own deep healing in this season (don’t miss the discount code at the end of this blog!).

Nestled in a stunning mountain landscape, the days were warm and bright while the nights turned cold—but there are fireplaces in the rooms - a total highlight for me! Each day was gently structured with treatments, rest, and practice. I had regular meetings before and during the week with my practitioner, which provided steady guidance and reassurance, and a truly kind staff was present throughout to support the process. The treatments I enjoyed included abhyanga-shirodhara—warm oil poured over the body and head—as well as a deep nasya therapy with a warm poultice to support my respiratory system, which has taken a long time to recover after an illness in Europe. These therapies soothed my nervous system while helping me feel deeply reconnected to my body.

It had been less than six months since losing my dad, and this experience became an opportunity to process grief in a truly embodied way. Panchakarma isn’t just about clearing the body—it creates the conditions for the heart and mind to release what has been held. With the support of my fellow participants, I was able to share openly, and our family-style meals each day became a place of connection. Herbal teas and kitchari were available anytime, offering simple nourishment and a sense of being cared for. Chef Sean is an inspiration! 

I’ve been through probably six extended Panchakarmas over the years, and every time, the issue I seek healing for is resolved—sometimes it takes two treatments over two years, but the shifts are real and lasting. Some days feel light and joyous, others tender and raw. Ayurveda teaches that undigested emotions lodge in the body, and during treatment, they are given the chance to move and release.

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my posts about the process—from my ghee-licious home prep to my arrival at SoHum, but what stays with me most from my time at SoHum is not only the physical reset, but the emotional and spiritual clarity I carried home. Panchakarma is a sacred process of remembering what it feels like to live in rhythm with nature’s intelligence. For me, it was a time of healing, community, and reconnection—with my body, my grief, and my devotion to Ayurveda.

If you can carve out 7 days to experience Panchakarma, especially in a place as intentional and beautiful as SoHum, I wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s not just a cleanse—it’s a path to self-realization. My friends at SoHhum are generously offering a $500 discount when you book a panchakarma retreat and mention code KATEPK2025. If you go, please let me know how it was!

with love,

Kate