Name: Amber Johnson

Menopause phase: Perimenopause

Place you call home: Medellin, Colombia

What you’re creating: Finishing my wellness book, creating plant-based skincare products and medicines, herbal community activism and entrepreneurial cohorts in Colombia

Age: 45

1. Rituals can be deeply personal. What is one personal practice you’ve adopted to embrace the transitions of menopause?

Nutrition, movement and seeking joy.

2. Have you redefined beauty in this stage? If so, how? Do any of your rituals support this definition?

I feel more beautiful the more healing takes place. All of my rituals are working towards vitality on all the pillars of self care.

3. Is there a particular practice—whether it’s movement, meditation, or something else—that has become essential to your well-being in this current stage of your life?

Meditation is essential, but living abroad has opened up my heart in ways I never could have imagined. Also plant medicine on a deeper level has facilitated spiritual awakenings and unblocking ancestral trauma long due to be released.

4. What role does your community or your sista circle play in your menopausal and aging experience, and do you share any rituals with other women that support this journey?

Absolutely. I share via my Facebook group Holistic Herban Healers on the plethora of healing modalities that I utilize for thriving. I share anytime I am around women of all ages, especially the younger generation.

5. What does the concept of sacredness mean to you as you age, and do you honor this stage of life through any special rituals?

My nutrition is sacred. My movement is sacred. My plant based skincare is sacred. My words and thoughts are sacred. Daily life is a ritual.

6. Looking back on your pre-menopausal years, is there anything you wish you had known or done differently to prepare for this transition? How does this wisdom shape your rituals now?

Ive been preparing for this time since my mid 20’s.

7. How do you define well-aging, and what does it look like for you?

Joy, nourishment, healthy relationships, love of myself, honoring my ancestors, my children’s success. All of it being in balance and alignment.

8. Everyday Rituals: Share one ritual for each of the following, that you’ve not shared above

Daily Ritual: I walk everywhere, all the time in the sunshine. Living in a city that promotes walkability has been a game changer for me.

Weekly Ritual: I take salsa, bachata and champeta lessons.

Monthly Ritual: I partake in a monthly Ayahuasca ceremony.

Yearly Ritual: My birthday “New Year” reflection time comes prior to the end of the December and lasts until the end of February. That quarter of reflection, preparation and honoring how far I’ve come is a very special time.

Rituals In The Pause: Amber Johnson