05 Aug 2025 - News

Which Menopause Type Are You?

Over the years, I’ve had countless heartfelt conversations with women going through menopause—each with her own story, yet often echoing the same concern:
“Why does my experience feel so intense, so different from what others describe?”

Some feel overwhelmed by sudden heat waves and emotional highs and lows. Others speak of sleepless nights, persistent fatigue, or a sense of losing touch with who they once were. No matter the symptoms, the deeper desire is always the same—to feel at peace in their own body again. To feel like themselves.

As an Ayurvedic practitioner, I’ve come to see menopause not as a problem to fix, but as a powerful, sacred turning point in a woman’s life. It’s a time of transformation, an invitation to reconnect with your deeper self—and Ayurveda offers a profoundly compassionate roadmap to navigate this change. My approach is both rooted in tradition and responsive to your real, everyday experience. And what I’ve seen time and again is this: when we understand our menopause type, we reclaim our power.

Below, I’ll walk you through the four Ayurvedic archetypes of menopause and how to support yourself with practices tailored to your constitution. Whether you feel fiery, airy, earthy, or balanced—there is wisdom here for you.

The Fiery Type: Cooling the Inner Blaze

If you’re experiencing intense heat—literally or emotionally—you may be moving through a Pitta-type menopause. Hot flashes, night sweats, burning skin, irritability, and quick frustration are all signs that fire has risen too high in your system.

Pitta women tend to be sharp-minded, purposeful, and strong—but when out of balance, that brilliance turns to burnout.

To cool this internal blaze, I guide my clients toward small but potent rituals:

• Begin your day with a few sips of rose or mint-infused water.

• Practice sheetali pranayama, a cooling breath that calms the nervous system.

• Favor foods like cucumber, fresh coconut, and leafy greens.

• Use herbs like shatavari and aloe to soothe the body.

These cooling choices are not about restriction—they’re invitations to soften, to return to your natural clarity and grace.

The Airy Type: Grounding the Winds of Change

If your mind feels scattered, sleep is elusive, and your skin is dry or sensitive, you may be navigating a Vata-type menopause. Vata is the dosha of air and ether—it governs movement, and when imbalanced, it can leave you feeling ungrounded and overwhelmed.

I often work with creative, intuitive women whose Vata is elevated. They may feel anxious, emotionally sensitive, or disconnected from their body.

What helps most is grounding—physically, emotionally, and energetically:

• Try a nightly ritual of massaging your feet with warm sesame oil.

• Write one line of gratitude before sleep to anchor your thoughts.

• Favor warm, nourishing foods like kitchari, roasted root vegetables, and spiced milk.

• Herbal support like ashwagandha or nutmeg can help calm your system.

These practices bring you back into your center—where wisdom and peace naturally live.

The Earthy Type: Awakening the Dormant Flame

If you’re feeling heavy—emotionally or physically—if weight gain, foggy thinking, or sluggish digestion are your primary challenges, you may be in a Kapha-type menopause. Earth and water rule here, and though they offer great stability, excess Kapha can turn into stagnation.

Kapha women are nurturing and dependable, but when out of balance, this dosha creates resistance to change and a sense of dullness or apathy.

To bring lightness and movement:

• Start your mornings with dry brushing or light cardio to awaken circulation.

• Spice your meals with ginger, black pepper, or turmeric to stoke your digestive fire.

• Choose lighter meals during the day—like a lemon-dressed quinoa salad with bitter greens.

• Introduce energizing practices like invigorating yoga or brisk walks in the sun.

These small shifts rekindle vitality, helping you feel lighter and more inspired.

The Balanced Type: Tending to Subtle Shifts

Maybe your symptoms are mild, but you still feel called to align more deeply with this life stage. If that’s the case, you may be the Balanced Type—someone whose doshas are mostly in harmony, yet who senses the subtle transformations of menopause and wishes to move through them with intention.

Even when things feel steady, this is a powerful moment to tune in and elevate your daily rhythm:

• Begin your day with five minutes of mindful breath and movement.

• Choose seasonal, sattvic foods—simple, fresh, and nourishing.

• Keep a morning or evening gratitude journal to track the inner growth you might otherwise miss.

• Support your system with herbs like amalaki or gentle adaptogens.

Menopause can be a time not just of maintenance—but of quiet radiance, refinement, and renewal.

Menopause doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. It’s a profound recalibration—a rite of passage that deserves reverence. And you don’t have to walk it alone.

At my clinic, Ayurvida Wellness in Mission Hills, I’ve created a space where you’re not just heard, but understood. Whether you’re fiery, airy, earthy, or balanced, I’ll help you uncover your type and work with your natural rhythms—so you can feel vibrant, empowered, and deeply connected to yourself again.

We’ll use food as medicine, breath as grounding, plants as allies, and self-care as sacred practice. Together, we’ll build rituals that work for your real life—not rigid rules, but intuitive steps back to wholeness.

If this season of life has felt confusing, isolating, or overwhelming—please know that it doesn’t have to stay that way. There is wisdom in your body. And there’s a path forward that honors all of you.

With love and care,

Christianne Madrazo. Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, graduate of Mount Madonna Institute, College of Ayurveda in California, and student of Dr. Vasant Lad, one of the world’s foremost experts in Ayurveda.

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