18 October is World Menopause Day – a day to raise awareness of menopause and the support available to boost health and wellbeing. This year, the theme is Lifestyle Medicine.
“I’m going through the menopause and I’m hanging in there. Some days are really difficult, other days I think, wow, I’ve got through this. Going through the menopause means I’ve lived my life, I’m living my life and I have this amazing group of women behind me, guiding me, supporting me, advising me. And it just feels really lovely, really warm.”
To mark the occasion, we spoke with Meire Machado, one of our Core Company members who joined Moving Memory just before turning 50 and starting her perimenopause journey. She shares how being part of our older-led, ambitious, mischievous ensemble has made all the difference.
Meire doesn’t hide the challenges she faces going through the menopause. “There is loss during the menopause. It’s very weird. When your periods stop… there’s a sense of loss, almost like, this is it. Your youth is officially gone.”
Yet Meire found empowerment during this often difficult and hard-to-navigate time through participating in workshops, rehearsals, and performances. “I don’t think I would have gotten through menopause as smoothly if I hadn’t been with Moving Memory.”
She says it’s the space to talk openly among women who’ve been there or are right in the thick of it that helps. “Being in a group of women either going through menopause or who have been there, and having the space and freedom to talk about it, has been incredible.”
“Being with Moving Memory gives me that empowering feeling of being older and being seen and being strong.”
Movement as medicine
This year’s theme of Lifestyle Medicine resonates deeply with Meire’s experience. At Moving Memory, we’re all about keeping active – but never in an intimidating and inaccessible way.
Meire jokes about her aversion to traditional exercise: “I hate exercising. I really do. I do not like exercising.”
But that’s the key to Moving Memory’s participatory sessions – they’re accessible and tailored to each participant’s abilities, even within our Core Company. Nobody is expected to do something they can’t or don’t want to do, ever.
“Moving with Moving Memory, we do exercises that are gentle, playful, and creative. I’m creating something… we’re storytelling through movement. But we are still moving and exercising – and that is the main thing for me.”
This approach tackles menopause symptoms head-on: countering brain fog with choreography, building resilience through gentle movement, and even easing irritability through ensemble work that demands patience and respect.
“We’ve got to have time to listen carefully and respect each other, to take a step back and breathe.”
And there’s lots of mischief too. In Devil’s Doorbell, the Core Company performed the ‘menopause dance’, created using their stories and movements as a way to own the narrative around ageing bodies. “I felt liberated… I wanted to talk and do more about the menopause, and this dance was so cheeky and so bold.”
Meire reminds us that menopause isn’t an end – it can be a chapter ripe for reinvention. At Moving Memory, we are proof that older women can be ambitious and fun. We talk about menopause and dance through it, laughing at the absurdities, and supporting each other every step of the way. As Meire puts it, “We haven’t given up… Your body can do other things. You can do other things.”
If you’re going through menopause or want to support those who are, join the conversation this World Menopause Day. And if you’re in Kent and fancy a bit of mischievous movement, then come find us – we’re always ready to welcome more bold souls.
Further resources
Going through the menopause, or looking to support someone who is? Take a look at the resources below.
- Women’s Health Concern – for advice on menopause and health.
- The Menopause Charity – support and resources.
- Queermenopause – for people who identify as LGBT+.
- The Daisy Network – for premature menopause.
- Menopause Matters – information and guidance.