Mindfulness and Relaxation for Menopause Changes Lives of Women across Greater Manchester
About The Menopause Project: Supporting Women Across Greater Manchester
In celebration of International Women’s Day, we wanted to take the time to reflect on the Menopause Project, an initiative by Mind in Greater Manchester. The project was awarded part of the £1.97 million government fund and offered FREE menopause support across the region.
Which local Minds were involved?
-Mind in Salford
-Manchester Mind
-Tameside and Glossop Mind
-Rochdale Mind
-Stockport Mind
Launched in April 2018, the project aimed to raise awareness and provide essential resources for women experiencing menopause. Key achievements included:
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Free Training for SMEs: The project provided menopause awareness training to small and medium-sized businesses (with fewer than 250 employees), particularly those that lacked the resources for such programs. This training helped managers and colleagues understand menopause symptoms and support those affected.
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Mindfulness & Relaxation Courses: Free courses were offered to help individuals manage the emotional and physical impacts of menopause. These courses focused on mindfulness and meditation techniques to support better mental health and well-being. Salford and Manchester Mind delivered this part of the project.
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Culturally Inclusive Awareness Sessions: The project delivered menopause education in diverse communities across Greater Manchester, offering sessions in multiple languages. These sessions raised awareness of menopause symptoms and available support, ensuring everyone, regardless of background, had access to valuable resources.
Though the project has now ended, it made a lasting impact by empowering women and supporting their health and well-being. To mark International Women’s Day and the conclusion of the project, we’d like to share reflections from our trainers on their experience delivering the program as well as hear from participants about how the project has positively impacted their lives.
I’ve been running Mindfulness and Relaxation for Menopause courses for Manchester Mind since I created the course during lockdown in 2020. The funding for the Greater Manchester Minds Menopause project was brilliant because it meant I could focus on delivering the courses and tasters, and train Mind in Salford’s trainers to deliver it too.
Ruth (Mindfulness and Relaxation for Menopause Trainer, Manchester Mind)
I can honestly say that delivering 8 week courses and tasters has been really wonderful for me as a trainer. I’ve seen first-hand the difference that meditation and self-care has had on women struggling with menopause symptoms from anxiety and brain fog, to joint pain and sleeplessness. It’s also been great to be part of community who are supporting each other through these challenges.
Who participated in the Mindfulness and Relaxation for Menopause course, and what changes or benefits did you observe as a result?
While the commonality has been menopause, the groups themselves have often been quite varied, with attendees from all over Manchester from a range of backgrounds and cultures. We’ve had attendees of all age rages too – from those in their 30s living with surgical or early menopause, right up to women in their early 60s still coming to terms with this stage of life.
In the first week, we always do a bit of symptom sharing. This isn’t just important for bonding as group, but helping us all (me included!) feel that we’re not alone in this journey, and that we’re not going mad! As the course progresses, I can start to see the impact that the course and practices have. For some, it might be a something simple, such as moving towards acceptance for their experiences, or they’re not getting as anxious or irritated all the time. Some might find that their anxiety is still as frequent, but they feel that they’ve got tools to manage it. For others, it might be that they are starting to sleep better, or are managing their hot flushes in a kinder way.
What was your favourite thing about delivering the course?
The thing I love the most is seeing women who’ve probably spent their lives putting others first, start to put themselves in the centre again.
I think that encouraging rest and relaxation is quite radical in today’s fast-paced, productivity focused world. Self-compassion is woven through the course, and the difference that being kind to ourselves can make cannot be under-estimated. Symptoms might improve – or they might not – but being kind, curious and aware through mindfulness can be a huge game changer. Playing a small part in nurturing this in others is why I love running this course so much.
What have women said about their experience of the course?
Posted on: 6th March 2025
