Moving through menopause with Hot Bloomers
Vanessa Walker, executive director of the Cape Breton Centre for Sexual Health and Wanda Earhart, manager of programming/community engagement at Every Woman’s Centre in Sydney.
When Vanessa Walker began navigating the early stages of menopause, she felt overwhelmed and uninformed.
“Nobody prepares you,” she says. “I thought it was hot flashes, no periods and that was it.”
It might seem surprising that Vanessa would feel this way, given that she is the executive director of the Cape Breton Centre for Sexual Health. But she isn’t alone. Until very recently, this powerful and personal transition was rarely discussed. People spoke about “the change” in hushed and even pitying tones. Menopause symptoms – there are dozens – are still dismissed and misunderstood by many, including doctors, employers and spouses.
Lucky for Vanessa, last fall she discovered an opportunity to create the kind of support she had wished for. Wanda Earhart, the manager of programming/community engagement at Every Woman’s Centre in Sydney, had sent out a call on social media for new programming ideas and partnerships. Vanessa immediately pitched the idea to co-facilitate a menopause support group.
“It was like the stars aligned,” she recalls. “Wanda loved the idea, and even in our first brief meeting, I learned so much about menopause through her First Voice experience.”
The result, Hot Bloomers, is a five-week program in Cape Breton open to anyone who has or had ovaries and is navigating perimenopause, menopause or post-menopause. It offers multilayered support delivered with lighthearted humour in a safe and inclusive space.
The beautiful and vibrant Hot Bloomers logo was created by Frenzy Nicole Amrosia. It was selected by program participants in a contest that saw entries from around the world.
“We include cis women, trans men, non-binary folks, gender-diverse folks – anyone whose lived experience is going to intersect with hormonal changes or transitions in their life,” says Vanessa. “Once we’re together validating each other and speaking about our experiences, we feel supported. When we feel supported, we’re going to advocate for ourselves better, celebrate our bodies and dismantle stigma.”
The first two sessions of the program are focused on movement and include a chair yoga workshop designed for all bodies and all abilities. Movement is a tremendous ally through all stages of menopause.
“Even the simplest, smallest movements are better than no movement at all,” says Vanessa. “That’s why it’s great that we do in-person meetings – you have to move to get to the meeting!”
In most cases, Wanda says, participants come to Hot Bloomers because changes are happening that they don’t understand and they want to feel more informed and less alone. The response has been tremendous. Once one person starts sharing, others jump right in to share their experiences and tips. They’re also developing genuine friendships.
“It’s creating a community, even outside of Hot Bloomers, which is really special because it can be super isolating when your body starts to change,” says Vanessa. “It’s not just physical changes. It’s emotional changes as well.”
That community of support is exactly what inspires the two to continue to grow and evolve the program, adds Wanda, and to be there for its participants in the long term.
“When people think of menopause or they know someone who needs support,” she says, “we want them to think of Hot Bloomers.”