Your Kitchen Apothecary: Food as Medicine for Perimenopause with Jody Vassallo

Red Thread Guided Meditation with Host Edwina Peden

Welcome, beautiful woman. This meditation is an invitation into the quiet, powerful space of ancestral healing — a place where the personal and the collective meet within your own body and breath. Inspired by the quote from Maya Tiwari, “When we heal ourselves, we heal our ancestors and our children,” this practice is a soul-deep remembering of the women you come from… and the women yet to come. It’s for the part of you that’s ready to let go of old patterns, soften inherited stories, and create spaciousness in your womb, your heart, your life. Inside this practice, we tend to the Red Thread — the energetic thread that connects you to your mother, her mother, and all the mothers before. Whether your relationship with your mother has been nourishing or complex (or both, as mine has been), you are welcome here exactly as you are. This is a space for honesty, softness, and true transformation. I share from my own lived experience — noticing in recent years how my mother’s energy has shifted, how martyrdom and negativity made a show at times. And how that same energy began to mirror in my own mothering and marriage. Through this work, I’ve been able to hold those patterns with love, understand where they come from, and begin the healing — for myself, my sons, and the line of women who walk with me. This is not light work. But it is liberating. And you don’t do it alone. * You’ll be guided through: A grounding ritual with Shakti Mudra * A gentle exploration of your maternal lineage * A journey through the five koshas — the subtle layers of your being — to uncover what’s been stored and bring loving presence to what’s ready to be released * A powerful visualisation to heal the thread behind you and bless the path ahead * Affirmations to anchor your healing across time I invite you to approach this practice in a soft and sacred way. Light a candle. Sit quietly. Hold a piece of red thread if you have one, or simply imagine it. Let yourself be held by the great feminine — the Earth beneath you and the ancestors behind you. There is no right way to feel. There is only your truth. Let this be a moment of devotion — to yourself, to the women who came before, and to the world you're shaping with your healing. 🧵 It ends with you. And it begins with you. With love, Edwina 🌹 If this episode spoke to you, I want you to know there’s a space waiting for you beyond this conversation. The Marigold Membership is a monthly sanctuary for women navigating perimenopause and midlife — blending Ayurveda, gentle yoga, seasonal rituals, rest practices, and real, grounded support. Inside, you’ll receive nourishing practices you can return to again and again, alongside a community of women who truly get this season of life. You can join the Marigold Membership for just $29, and step into a more supported, steady, and connected way of caring for yourself. 🌸 Join us here: https://edwinapeden.com/marigold-membership-funnel [https://edwinapeden.com/marigold-membership-funnel]

Closing Circle with Summit Host Edwina Peden

CLOSING CIRCLE – PERIMENOPAUSE SUMMIT As we wrap up this first season of the Perimenopause Summit, I wanted to bring us together in a closing circle. We find ourselves in the midst of Navaratri — the Nine Nights of the Goddess — and it feels so aligned to close under the gaze of Shakti herself. Each night honours a different form of the Goddess: fierce Durga, abundant Lakshmi, wise Saraswati. She protects, she creates, she dissolves, she renews. Perimenopause has its own Navaratri. It asks us to shed, to rest, to rise. It invites us to call on the Goddess to carry us across doubts, through rage, and into truth with courage, compassion, and clarity. Over these past days, we’ve heard from so many incredible women. The feedback has been beautiful: * Jane McCann’s raw honesty was “so refreshing, inspiring, and real.” * Listening to Katie Rose felt like “two old friends catching up,” while Nat Kringoudis offered “so much knowledge on hormones and health.” * One listener loved the line: “When oestrogen drops, your give-a-shit drops.” * Another wrote: “I’m careful what perimenopause conversations I put in my ears, but this one was worth it.” * A woman in her mid-30s shared how much these conversations matter to her now — as a mother and practitioner preparing for what’s ahead. * And many of you told me you feel “shifted, more in tune, and held by a community of women, even if we don’t know each other in person.” Nearly 1000 downloads later, I’m humbled and grateful. I never set out to do this work or be a voice for perimenopause, but Dharma has a way of finding us. And here we are, breaking the taboo, changing the conversation, and beginning to see this season differently. Inside this closing session, I share: ✨ Practices you can take into daily life — mantra, meditation, rest, adornment, beautifying your thoughts and rituals. ✨ Reflections on the wisdom we’ve heard from all our incredible speakers. ✨ A blessing for your own journey into the next season of life. 💛 If you loved the summit, please take a moment to leave a review on your podcast app — it helps more women find these conversations and feel less alone. 🌸 This is not the end. Another season of the Perimenopause Summit will be coming soon. And if you’d like to keep walking together, the doors to the Marigold Membership are open. Inside we continue this work — Ayurveda in feminine form, yoga and nidra, seasonal cleanses, and a circle of women walking side by side. As a welcome, you’ll also receive a one-to-one Ayurvedic wellness session with me. ✨ Thank you for being part of this first season. May we carry Durga’s courage, Lakshmi’s abundance, and Saraswati’s wisdom into our own journeys — and walk forward not in fear, but in power, grace, and sisterhood. More about Marigold Membership for Perimenopause & Beyond HERE [https://courses.edwinapeden.com/marigoldmembership] If this episode spoke to you, I want you to know there’s a space waiting for you beyond this conversation. The Marigold Membership is a monthly sanctuary for women navigating perimenopause and midlife — blending Ayurveda, gentle yoga, seasonal rituals, rest practices, and real, grounded support. Inside, you’ll receive nourishing practices you can return to again and again, alongside a community of women who truly get this season of life. You can join the Marigold Membership for just $29, and step into a more supported, steady, and connected way of caring for yourself. 🌸 Join us here: https://edwinapeden.com/marigold-membership-funnel [https://edwinapeden.com/marigold-membership-funnel]

How to Fast Wisely in Perimenopause with Rachael Pole: PART 1

In this rich and practical conversation, Edwina is joined by Rachael Pole—ex-nurse, dietitian, yoga and breathwork teacher, and Fast Like a Girl coach trained with Dr. Mindy Pelz—to explore how women can harness the power of fasting and lifestyle shifts to support their hormones in perimenopause and beyond. ✨ A Personal Hormone Journey Rachael shares her story of navigating late-onset menstruation, long-term contraceptive use, post-pill amenorrhea, PCOS, miscarriages, and eventually finding balance again in her 40s through functional nutrition and fasting. Her lived experience brings a depth of understanding to her work with women. ✨ Cortisol, Stress & the “Bucket” Analogy We discuss the impact of stress hormones on women’s health, why cortisol must be regulated before anything else, and simple tools—from breathwork and short walks to oxytocin-boosting hugs—that release pressure from the stress bucket and restore balance. ✨ Fasting for Women Rachael unpacks how fasting is not about deprivation, but about rhythm, rest, and repair. She explains the two energy systems (sugar-burning and fat-burning), why women need to fast differently at different stages of their cycle, and how to start gently with an overnight fast. ✨ Detox & Gut Health From leafy greens to liver support, bowel health, and toxin awareness, Rachael highlights how detox pathways and gut health underpin hormone balance. She introduces Mindy Pelz’s “3 Ps” approach—probiotics, prebiotics, and polyphenols—and shares practical ways to weave them into daily meals. ✨ The Six Types of Fasts Rachael walks us through different fasting styles—from a gentle 13-hour overnight fast to 17-hour autophagy fasts, 24-hour gut resets, and extended 36–72 hour fasts that support fat burning, anti-aging, dopamine resets, and immune regeneration. ✨ Living in Flow The conversation closes with reflections on working with nature’s rhythms—sleep, eating windows, and cycles—so that perimenopause becomes not a battle to be managed, but a rite of passage into deeper vitality, clarity, and power. 🌿 What You’ll Learn * Why balancing cortisol is the first step in hormone health * How fasting supports hormonal balance when done cyclically and safely * Practical detox and gut-healing tools for midlife women * The role of joy, oxytocin, and micro-moments of self-care * How to view perimenopause as a transformative, empowering stage of life This episode is an invitation to simplify, return to your body’s wisdom, and embrace the free, powerful practices that can bring more energy, ease, and clarity in midlife. If this episode spoke to you, I want you to know there’s a space waiting for you beyond this conversation. The Marigold Membership is a monthly sanctuary for women navigating perimenopause and midlife — blending Ayurveda, gentle yoga, seasonal rituals, rest practices, and real, grounded support. Inside, you’ll receive nourishing practices you can return to again and again, alongside a community of women who truly get this season of life. You can join the Marigold Membership for just $29, and step into a more supported, steady, and connected way of caring for yourself. 🌸 Join us here: https://edwinapeden.com/marigold-membership-funnel [https://edwinapeden.com/marigold-membership-funnel]

Your Kitchen Apothecary: Food as Medicine for Perimenopause with Jody Vassallo

In this heart-centred conversation, Edwina sits down with Ayurvedic health coach and author Jody Vassallo (The Yogic Kitchen) to explore the messy, beautiful, and empowering realities of perimenopause and menopause. Together they dive into: 🌼 The importance of offering alternative perspectives beyond mainstream hormone replacement therapy (HRT). 🌼 Jody’s personal journey through perimenopause and menopause, including anxiety, body changes, and her shift into deeper self-care and trust. 🌼 Ayurvedic practices for managing symptoms like hot flushes, sleep disturbances, and anxiety—through cooling foods, yoga, breathwork, and lifestyle rituals. 🌼 Why mindful eating, seasonal rhythms, and oil-based self-care (like abhyanga) can help women feel nourished and grounded. 🌼 The spiritual side of menopause: embracing this transition as a rite of passage into wisdom years. 🌼 The power of women supporting women, breaking taboos, and reclaiming perimenopause as a sacred season of life. Resources & Mentions: * Jody’s book: The Yogic Kitchen (offered as part of the summit giveaway) * Jody’s podcast: Changing Seasons * Jody’s upcoming course: Food is Medicine * Jody's Online Community: Gather  * Jody's Food & Yoga Tour of Japan Find all this and more HERE [https://www.jodyvassallo.com/]   If this episode spoke to you, I want you to know there’s a space waiting for you beyond this conversation. The Marigold Membership is a monthly sanctuary for women navigating perimenopause and midlife — blending Ayurveda, gentle yoga, seasonal rituals, rest practices, and real, grounded support. Inside, you’ll receive nourishing practices you can return to again and again, alongside a community of women who truly get this season of life. You can join the Marigold Membership for just $29, and step into a more supported, steady, and connected way of caring for yourself. 🌸 Join us here: https://edwinapeden.com/marigold-membership-funnel [https://edwinapeden.com/marigold-membership-funnel]

Flow into Longevity: How to Move Your Body for a Vibrant Midlife with Bianca Clayton

In this conversation, Edwina is joined by Bianca Clayton—chiropractor, educator, and movement guide—to explore how dynamic neuromuscular stabilisation (DNS) can support women in perimenopause and beyond. ✨ Reawakening Natural Movement Bianca explains DNS as a method of reconnecting with the developmental movement patterns we all learned as babies—rolling, crawling, sitting, squatting—that form the foundation of how we move as adults. By returning to these pathways, we can restore strength, stability, and awareness, even after years of habits, injuries, or postural changes. ✨ The Breath as Foundation At the heart of DNS is the breath. Bianca highlights how cultural conditioning—like sucking in our bellies—disrupts natural breathing, and how relearning diaphragmatic, 360-degree breath can reset our core and pelvic floor. This not only improves physical stability but also regulates the nervous system and reduces stress. ✨ Perimenopause, Pelvic Floor & Confidence Bianca sheds light on the often-taboo topic of pelvic floor health, reminding us how central it is to confidence, sexual wellbeing, and quality of life. She explains how breath-led, functional movement can improve pelvic floor function and address common issues like incontinence, hip pain, and instability—concerns many women face in midlife. ✨ Play, Longevity & Joyful Movement From balance and coordination to joint health, Bianca encourages women to stay curious and playful with movement—whether that’s jumping, squatting, or simply getting up and down from the floor. Longevity, she reminds us, isn’t about doing more; it’s about consistent, joyful movement that keeps us adaptable, resilient, and confident in our bodies. 🌿 What You’ll Take Away * Practical breathing techniques to support core and pelvic floor function * How DNS principles can ease perimenopausal symptoms like instability, hip pain, and fatigue * The role of play and joyful movement in vitality and longevity * Why small shifts—like moving more often when sitting—make a big difference Bianca’s work is a reminder that sustainable, nourishing movement is possible at any age—and that midlife can be a powerful invitation to reconnect with strength, confidence, and joy. Find Bianca (& her Hubby Darren who is an Osteopath & Ashtanga Yoga Teacher) in clinic [https://www.greatlakesosteochiro.com/]Pacific Palms NSW and online with Banksia Movement, [https://banksiamovement.offeringtree.com/] where they run a fabulous online movement membership.  Instagram: @banksia.movement [https://www.instagram.com/banksia.movement/] If this episode spoke to you, I want you to know there’s a space waiting for you beyond this conversation. The Marigold Membership is a monthly sanctuary for women navigating perimenopause and midlife — blending Ayurveda, gentle yoga, seasonal rituals, rest practices, and real, grounded support. Inside, you’ll receive nourishing practices you can return to again and again, alongside a community of women who truly get this season of life. You can join the Marigold Membership for just $29, and step into a more supported, steady, and connected way of caring for yourself. 🌸 Join us here: https://edwinapeden.com/marigold-membership-funnel [https://edwinapeden.com/marigold-membership-funnel]