For many women, the menstrual cycle is seen as something that ends with menopause a chapter closed. But in truth, our connection to menstrual health, hormonal balance, and womb energy continues long after our final bleed. The Crone, or Wise Woman, phase is not a decline it is a deepening. A return to inner knowing, purpose, and feminine power.

In yogic philosophy, this inner energy is known as Shakti; the creative life force that lives in each of us. As women, we carry this energy in the womb space, whether we are bleeding, pregnant, perimenopausal, or long into our elder years. Shakti is not defined by biology, but by presence. She asks to be honoured, listened to, and expressed.

The Crone Archetype: Forgotten, But Not Gone

The archetype of the Crone exists across cultures. She is the elder, the guide, the woman who holds the stories of the land and the wisdom of the body. Yet in today’s world, the Crone has largely been silenced. In many ways, the patriarchy has celebrated youth and productivity at the cost of elderhood and intuition.

Where we once turned to the Wise Woman for healing, insight, and care, we now see her hidden away too often unseen and unheard.

Reclaiming the Crone means acknowledging that wellness is not only for the young. It means recognising that women’s health is lifelong, from menarche to menopause and beyond. Our cycles may shift, but the need for nourishment, balance, and connection never ends.

A Womb-Centred Approach to Aging

In Ayurveda, the post-menopausal years are considered the Vata stage of life governed by air and space. This is a time of greater subtlety, insight, purpose, offering wisdom and peace. But it can also bring imbalances: dryness, restlessness, anxiety, and disconnection from the body.

This is where womb-centred practices can be profoundly grounding:

• Yoga & movement that supports the pelvic floor and lower back and strength building
• Meditation focused on the womb space and breath awareness
• Warmth and nourishment through diet, herbs, and oil massage
• Creative expression with writing, singing, ritual, storytelling

These practices not only support the physical body, but also give space for emotional release and spiritual connection. They help us ask deeper questions: What is my purpose? What wisdom am I here to share?

Hormonal Awareness: Not Just for the Menstrual Phase

Just as there’s often an overemphasis on the menstrual phase, with little awareness of the follicular, ovulation, and luteal phases, there’s also a common belief that hormone education is only relevant for those who are actively menstruating. In reality, our hormones influence us throughout our entire lives, from our first bleed, through the reproductive years, across the threshold of perimenopause, and deep into the wisdom of the Crone years.

Understanding how hormonal shifts affect our sleep, mood, digestion, and nervous system can empower us to make choices that support long-term wellness. And this understanding can be deeply liberating. We stop trying to push through discomfort or ignore symptoms. Instead, we begin to listen. To honour. To align.

Listening to the Body’s Wisdom

When we take the time to tune in to the body through movement, stillness, or breath, we begin to hear a quieter voice. One that has often been drowned out by busyness, expectation, or shame. This voice speaks not in words, but in sensations. It may say: slow down. Be still. Create. Grieve. Begin again.

At this stage of life, the voice of Shakti becomes less about outward expression and more about inward integration. But it is no less powerful. In fact, it may be the most powerful stage of all.

Honouring the Crone in Community

In many indigenous cultures, elder women are revered as keepers of wisdom and ritual. Their presence is essential to the health of the community. We need to return to this way of seeing. To value the insight and presence of older women not just in theory, but in practice in circles, classes, conversations, and leadership.

To see the Crone, to listen to her, and to allow her wisdom to shape our collective healing.

Women’s wellness is not a trend or a phase. It is a lifelong relationship with body, breath, energy, and emotion. Whether you are bleeding or no longer do, your connection to your womb and to Shakti remains.

The Crone reminds us that it is never too late to deepen that connection. To soften, to slow, to tune in. And in doing so, we reclaim not just our own power, but a lineage of wisdom that has always been there, waiting for us to return.