Is It Hot In Here? Or is it just me?

Well, there you have it. I have had three hot flashes in the last week. I am not impressed.
The first two I didn't recognize as hot flashes. I just thought that I was perhaps getting sick. But today the light bulb turned on. I was in the yard doing some raking when I suddenly felt like my head had been submerged in ice water. My heart started to beat a bit faster. I stopped raking. What is going on? I know I am working hard but hard enough to have a heart attack? No, it cannot be. My blood pressure is good. A little low actually. My cholesterol levels are really really good. What could it be? I put the rake down and suddenly I felt so hot. I went inside and up to the bathroom. My face was flushed. Although it was barely warm enough to be outside without a sweater I felt like it was 100 degrees. I splashed some cold water on my face and went back downstairs. Was I having an anxiety attack? Was I dying? What was happening to my body? And then all at once it hit me... it must be a hot flash. I thought about the previous two episodes and the modis operandi was the same. It was a hot flash.

As a former yoga instructor I drew on my knowledge and remembered that meditation and Ujjayi breath are helpful for hot flashes. I sat in seated meditation pose and began mindful breathing. Slowly but surely I felt better. The heat left me. It lasted almost 40 minutes, just the same as the last two times. I must say, I did not like it one bit. But now I know what it is and I know how to deal with it so perhaps next time it won't last so long. Hopefully.

This menopause thing is for the birds. I hope it doesn't last long but after all, I am almost 45!