Power Doesn’t Have to Push

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the kind of strength we, as women, have been taught to value. The kind that gets praised. The kind that performs well in the workplace. The kind that pushes through—even when our bodies are clearly asking for rest. I’m sure I’m not the only one who wanted to sit out during gym class while on my period, only to be told, “Exercise will make it easier.” That message was loud and clear: override your instincts, keep going, be strong.

And I’ve been wondering… what if that isn’t the kind of strength we need right now?

When I say “patriarchy,” I’m not talking about men. I’m talking about a system—a power structure so embedded in our culture that it shapes our definitions of strength, success, and worth. It's a system that values force over flow, dominance over receptivity. And it doesn’t just impact women. Men are conditioned by it too—often disconnected from their emotional lives, pressured to perform rather than simply be.

Many women, especially in professional spaces, have learned to survive within this system by mirroring it. We push. We hustle. We meet intensity with more intensity. We’ve internalized the idea that to be effective, we have to be aggressive.

Even with our own bodies.

We treat our skin with harshness, thinking that stronger products mean better results. By midlife, many of us have unknowingly worn down our skin’s natural barrier. And beyond the skin, we’ve approached wellness with the same mindset: more effort, more restriction, more control.

But midlife—especially perimenopause and menopause—asks something different of us.

It invites us to soften. To lean into our feminine. To create rather than conquer. To listen rather than force. To pull rather than push.

This isn’t weakness. It’s not passivity. It’s a different kind of strength. A wiser one. A cyclical, intuitive power that’s always been there beneath the noise.

This is our chance to reclaim it.

How to Connect with Your Feminine Power

Feminine power isn’t about gender—it’s about a way of being that values intuition, creativity, receptivity, and presence. It’s the power of the moon, the tide, the breath in and out. It’s relational rather than hierarchical. Rhythmic rather than linear. It doesn’t demand attention; it draws it in quietly, deeply.

In a world that often celebrates output, productivity, and external validation, reconnecting with your feminine power can feel unfamiliar. But it’s already within you—waiting to be remembered.

Here are a few ways to begin:

• Listen to your body. Feminine power is body-based. Let your body lead. Rest when you're tired. Eat what truly nourishes you. Move in ways that feel good, not punishing.

• Honor your cyclical nature. Even if you’re no longer menstruating, your energy, emotions, and intuition still move in waves. Track your inner seasons. Know when you’re in a time of planting, blooming, or resting.

• Create space for stillness. Feminine wisdom often speaks in quiet moments—through dreams, subtle feelings, or creative nudges. Give yourself moments where you aren’t “doing” anything.

• Engage the senses. Aromatherapy, warm baths, beautiful fabrics, nourishing foods—these aren’t luxuries, they’re portals. Sensory experiences connect you back to the richness of your inner world.

• Trust your knowing. Feminine power is intuitive. It may not always be logical, but it’s often right. Practice tuning in and trusting what arises before reaching outward for answers.

As we move through perimenopause and into menopause, this feminine strength becomes more available. Less about proving, more about being. Less about fixing, more about feeling. It’s a kind of wisdom that can only come from lived experience—and it’s yours to claim.

A Meditative Pause: Reclaiming the Feminine

Find a quiet space where you can sit or lie down comfortably. Place one hand on your belly, the other on your heart.

Close your eyes.

Take a few slow, full breaths. On each inhale, feel yourself soften. On each exhale, imagine releasing any urge to fix, force, or push.

Repeat gently to yourself:
“I don’t have to push to be powerful. I can soften and still be strong.”

Stay here for a few minutes, letting your body absorb this truth.

Journal Prompts

1. Where in my life have I felt the need to push in order to feel worthy, effective, or safe?

2. What would it feel like to lead with softness, creativity, or receptivity instead?

3. How is my body asking me to shift during this phase of life?

You are not becoming less. You are becoming more of yourself—stronger in ways this world doesn’t always recognize, but deeply needs.

Take good care,
Françoise