Spiritually Speaking, What is the Point of Hot Flashes? by Barbara Rose, Ph.D.

I am always searching for the truth, especially when I am going through a phase in life in which I have no prior experience. I figured if I could ask God for answers about anything that has troubled me and receive answers to those questions it was time to ask, “What is the point of hot flashes?”

I wanted to know the spiritual reason, rather than the physical reason. The answer I received made sense to me, and brought me some comfort, along with more reverence for this stage of life, even when it is physically uncomfortable.

The hot flashes serve to remind a person that they are midway through this life cycle, and it acts as a spiritual catalyst to take stock of one’s life, see where you are, where you have been, and what you would like to create, change or contribute, because ‘time’ is going by, fast.

So many people feel eternally young, as I do, and go about our lives as if we have eons in this lifetime. Physically, we have decades. And yet, during this mid point in life, we may begin to ask ourselves, “What is it that I can create? What can have lasting value and meaning in this world long after I am gone?” I have asked myself those same questions, surprisingly, when the hot flashes started.

Something has to wake us up. If it’s not on the outside, then we will feel it internally. There is more to the meaning of taking stock and contributing than goals of an outward nature, it also applies to our relationships. Who and what are we putting first? In the busyness of life, it is too easy to forget that a moment showing love to anyone we love is worth far more than transient accumulation or what people refer to as success.

During this mid point in life, we begin to ponder what ‘success’ really is to begin with, as well as how to make it last. We can never control an external condition, but we can retire the old philosophy that success means a good job with great pay.

How many hugs (gestures of kindness) have you received today, and how many have you given, including to yourself? Just like a good laugh can help you to feel better emotionally, so can a pure gesture of kindness. You can never have too much wisdom or too much love.

When the hot flashes start to surface out of nowhere, take stock and ask yourself what is going on now in your life that wisdom would guide you to love yourself or another more to create a change or bring about a positive transformation from your heart, for the highest good of all, including yours.

The next time your face turns red, and you feel like your body’s temperature must be at least 180 degrees, ask yourself what you would prefer to completely turn around in your life if you were guaranteed that you could.

When you begin fanning yourself, as your body temperature slowly rises, ask yourself what you would like relief from in your life, such as a certain person, task, or condition.

When you start to ask people, “Is it warm here, or is it just me?” Remember that no one can feel your feelings, or express your feelings but you. It may very well be that you are the only person feeling warm, when everyone else says it’s cold. Honor your uniqueness. It is a gift to our world.

If you notice yourself saying, “I’m burning up!” Ask yourself if you are burning up another hour or day of your life, living and doing everything other than what you would really prefer. When you discover your truth, simply follow through with it in your actions.

While you are experiencing this ‘change of life’ ask yourself if you are changing your life to the exact degree that your body is changing on the inside. What is it in your heart that you would really like to change from this point forward?

When you start to think of retirement, ask yourself what, exactly, you would do that would fill you up with so much joy, that you would even pay to do it. Start that now.

Why is this stage of hot flashes called “menopause”? Here is the answer from a spiritual perspective.

Men = Your ‘I Can’ ‘Achieve’ ‘Accomplish’ ‘Take Charge’ attributes.

O = Coming full circle and seeing how your heartfelt contributions live on for eternity, circulating from generation to generation.

Pause = Notice, take stock, go within, question yourself. Take a few hours, days or weeks to really get in touch with who you are and why, exactly, you are in this life, as well as what would bring you incredible joy to express and experience for the remainder of this lifetime.

And finally, in conclusion, remember that this is just another phase that will soon be behind you. Love and honor it for what it is bringing to your attention. Love the wisdom you share, the love you express, your unique ways that make you so wonderfully you. Remember that there is a point to the hot flashes after all. They are to get you to notice the current state of your life so that you can take charge and transform anything according to what you prefer. A change in your perspective is your starting point. Then, just like me, you can live it all out exactly the way you want to, because this is your birthright as a human being.

I noticed that when I drink cold iced tea or cold water, this helps a great deal with that internal inferno. What would you like to “drink up” in your life’s living experiences? What joyful experience would you like to incorporate into your daily life again? We are here to live with joy. Fun is something that we all deserve. The next time you have a hot flash, ask yourself what fun you would love to bring back into your life. Discover or rediscover it, and then, align it with your heart, feel the joy, picture it, experience it, and then experience it some more.

If you start to get bogged down with the doldrums of a mediocre, repressed, going-through-the-motions type of life, your next hot flash can actually bring you a flash of great insight. Follow up on it, and enjoy it with all you’ve got.