Women on a Journey

SEPTEMBER SERIES — Women on a Journey

This Month’s Journey: A humorous, honest, liberating exploration

of the midlife body — and the woman we are becoming.

Week 1 — The Lived Body

Week 2 — The Changing Body

Week 3 — Midlife Sexuality

Week 4 — The Woman I Am Becoming

Week 1 — The Lived Body

A humorous, honest, liberating midlife body‑acceptance series inspired by my Women’s Group and Lake Michigan ritual.

1. This Week’s Focus — The Lived Body

This week, we begin with the body as it truly is: lived, weathered, wise, and wonderfully human.

Not an “aging body.” A lived body — shaped by decades of storms, reinventions, heartbreaks, migrations, and quiet victories.

Wrinkles, gray hair, softness, strength, shifting hormones, shifting desires — all of it is part of the story.  And as I always say when people comment on my smiling wrinkles, “no Botox,” the wrinkles still work 😊

2. My Story & Heritage — The Viking Body

I grew up in Norway before the digital world arrived — an outdoor girl with wind in my hair and dogs at my heels. I hiked, backpacked, sailed, and skied through winters that taught me resilience long before I understood the word. I was also born with mild cerebral palsy in my legs, so strength and adaptation were part of my life from the beginning.

My body was never a project; it was simply the vessel that carried me through forests, mountains, and everyday magic.

In Norway, we have a natural relationship with the body. Nudist swimming at community pools. Beaches with designated areas for naturists. Toddlers running naked through sprinklers.

Women breastfeeding at restaurants — not hidden away in a bathroom stall. The body is normal, functional, human. It changes, and we accept that.

The goal was never to look eighteen forever.

The goal was to;

• stay healthy,

• capable,

• and content for as long as life allowed.

But midlife brings surprises. One day you look in the mirror and see shifts you didn’t expect. Some of us face illness. Some face surgeries. Some face grief. The body changes, and sometimes those changes feel like a betrayal.

This is where women need each other.

One of my dear friends had a double mastectomy at a young age. She chose not to get implants. Instead, she had a beautiful tree tattooed across her chest — not to hide, but to honor who she had become. She showed me what courage looks like when the body writes a new chapter.

Change is hard. But with support, change becomes power.

Being a modern Viking woman means I’ve lived through many transformations — physical, emotional, spiritual. I’ve learned to focus on what I can do instead of mourning what I can’t. That shift alone opens doors.

And I could never have done it alone.

Viking women have always supported each other — through shared work, shared homes, shared grief, shared strength. Their power wasn’t solitary; it was collective. Mutual support was the backbone of Viking society.

It still is.

The modern Viking woman rises because other women rise with her.

We steady each other.

We witness each other.

We remind each other

that the lived body — in all its changes — is worthy of honor, not shame.

3. Midlife Insight — How Identity Holds the Body Together

Midlife brings changes — real ones. But instead of treating them as problems, we treat them as signals.

• Hormonal shifts that change energy and mood

• Libido that becomes more emotional, less performative

• Desire that slows down but deepens

• Confidence that increases even when estrogen decreases

• A sense of identity that becomes stronger than appearance

Humor helps us name the truth:

“To be old and wise, you must first be young and stupid.”

• Midlife desire becomes intentional.

• It becomes connected.

• It becomes yours.

Identity becomes the structure that holds the body together — not youth, not perfection, not performance.

4. Social Belonging — Women on a Journey Together

We heal in community.

In my women’s group, I’ve witnessed the full spectrum of midlife truth:

• laughter about the surprises no one warned us about

• grief for the bodies, roles, and dreams we’ve lost

• pride in what we’ve survived

• rituals that make us feel less alone

Belonging is not a luxury — it’s a biological need.

When women gather, something ancient wakes up. We remember we were never meant to navigate midlife alone.

Nothing illustrates this better than my women’s group’s annual autumn trip to the lake

We met in January 2001 — a circle of women who didn’t yet know how much we would come to rely on one another.

Every fall, we packed up the car and drove to Lake Michigan for a weekend together. The water was always cold enough to make you gasp, but we swam anyway — laughing, shrieking, daring each other deeper into the waves. It became our ritual: cold water, shared courage, and the reminder that we were still alive and capable of joy.

And then came the moment — the one we repeated every single year.

Standing there in the cold lake, we took off our bras, swung them over our heads, and sang at the top of our lungs:

“We are Women on a Journey!”

• Cold water.

• Bare chests.

• Wild laughter echoing across the shoreline.

• And somehow, we never got arrested.

• It wasn’t rebellion.

• It was belonging.

A declaration that our bodies — lived, changed, scarred, strong — were not something to hide.

A reminder that joy is medicine, and that women who support each other become braver than they ever expected.

Those weekends taught me midlife isn’t meant to be navigated alone.

We rise because other women rise with us.

5. Herbs, Oils & Rituals — Scandinavian Simplicity

In midlife, the body asks for gentler support — nourishment instead of pressure, grounding instead of performance. Herbal teas have long been part of women’s wellness, carrying a quiet wisdom: simple, accessible, and best enjoyed alone or together.

Below are teas traditionally valued for women’s health and community well‑being.

Each supports vitality, balance, and emotional steadiness — exactly what midlife women need most.

Red Raspberry Leaf — The Woman’s Herb

Often called the women’s herb, red raspberry leaf supports reproductive health at every stage of life. It tones the uterus, eases menstrual discomfort, and offers gentle nourishment during hormonal shifts. A steady, rooted, ancient kind of strength.

Hibiscus — Brightness & Heart Health

Rich in antioxidants, hibiscus supports heart health and circulation. It brightens the skin, lifts the mood, and brings a sense of vibrancy — a reminder that midlife is not fading, but deepening.

Chamomile — Calm & Nervous System Softening

Chamomile contains apigenin, a compound that helps reduce anxiety and improve sleep. Perfect for women’s circles, retreats, or quiet evenings when the body needs to exhale. Chamomile teaches us that rest is not weakness — it’s wisdom.

Dandelion — Detoxification & Digestion

Dandelion supports liver function, digestion, and gentle detoxification. It encourages mindful self‑care and healthy habits, especially when shared in community. A tea that says: Let go. Release. Begin again.

Community Wellness Tip

These teas can be part of women’s health programs, wellness retreats, or shared tea ceremonies. Brewing them together fosters connection, knowledge‑sharing, and a sense of community support — the kind of belonging that strengthens women from the inside out.

A Ritual for Women on a Journey — Sitting Together & Thanking the Body

• This ritual is simple, powerful, and deeply Nordic in spirit.

• Sit together in a circle.

• Each woman holds her warm cup of tea.

• Place one hand on your belly.

• Feel the warmth of your own body — the lived body, the changing body, the loyal body.

Say quietly, or aloud if you wish: “Thank you for carrying me.”

Let the group sit in silence for a moment. Let the gratitude settle. Let the body feel seen.

This ritual is not about perfection. It’s about recognition — honoring the body that has walked every chapter of your life, and doing it together, as women on a journey.

6. Reflection — A Gentle Pause

Midlife is a lived experience, not a theory.

Your body, your energy, your identity — they all carry stories that deserve to be heard.

Here are a few grounding questions for this week:

• What parts of your body have carried you through the hardest chapters?

• What parts have you criticized that actually protected you?

• What does your body want from you now — rest, strength, softness, connection?

And if you want a deeper look at where you are in your midlife journey, you can take the Midlife Burnout Audit.It’s not a test. It’s a mirror — a gentle way to understand your current load, your energy patterns, and what kind of support your lived body is asking for.

Many women tell me that the Audit helps them see their midlife experience with more clarity and less self‑judgment.

It’s simply another way to listen to yourself.

7. Closing — A Note for the Journey

The lived body is not something to fix.

It’s something to honor.

This week, we begin the journey of coming home to ourselves — one grounded, humorous, modern Viking woman step at a time.

Love to you all,

Sissel the Modern Viking Woman

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September Month’s Special Offers: Take Your Next Step

• One-on-One Zoom Coaching ($55/session): Each month, I open 3 coaching spots for women who want personalized, laser‑focused support. This month’s rate is reduced. Only 3 openings available.

• The Passion Kit ($29): A self‑paced toolkit with workbooks, exercises, Action Sheets, and frameworks to help you build steady momentum — at your own rhythm.

Click here to get started. Or send me an email - Email: NorwegianHW@protonmail.com

• JOIN the Facebook Group: “We are Women on a Journey”, our closed Facebook group. It’s new, supportive, and ready for women who want to be part of forming it.

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For the Curious Mind

Evidence‑Based Midlife Resources.

• NIH – Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) Federal research on menopause, midlife health, hormones, and aging. https://orwh.od.nih.gov (orwh.od.nih.gov in Bing)

• SWAN Study (Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation) The largest long‑term scientific study of women’s midlife and menopause. https://www.swanstudy.org

• North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Clinical guidelines, scientific position statements, and menopause research. https://www.menopause.org

• Mayo Clinic – Women’s Health: Evidence‑based articles and clinical research on midlife changes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/womens-health (mayoclinic.org in Bing)

• Cleveland Clinic – Women’s Health Institute Research‑supported information on menopause, hormones, and midlife symptoms. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/womens-health (my.clevelandclinic.org in Bing)

Disclosure: This blog shares personal reflections, midlife practices, and wellness rituals based on my own experience and research. It is not medical advice, therapy, or a substitute for professional care. Always listen to your body and consult a qualified professional if you have health concerns. Some posts may include links to my free or paid resources; you are never obligated to use them.