The Cortisol Trap: How I Balanced Stress and Hormones During Perimenopause

There was a time when I thought I had stress figured out. After all, I’ve spent decades guiding women through healing at Goddess Retreats, teaching yoga, meditation, and the art of slowing down.

My life was a dream—sunrise meditations in Bali, deep conversations with soulful women, and the privilege of watching countless guests experience transformation. I believed I had mastered the balance between ambition and peace.

But then, somewhere in my late forties, my body began whispering a different story.

At first, it was subtle: a bit more tension in my shoulders, nights where sleep felt just out of reach, and an occasional, inexplicable feeling of urgency—like I was running a race with no finish line. I brushed it off. I was just busy, right?

Then, the weight settled in—literally and metaphorically. My body wasn’t responding the way it used to. A layer of softness around my midsection refused to budge, no matter how clean I ate or how much I moved.

My mind, once so sharp and intuitive, felt clouded. And then came the exhaustion, a bone-deep tiredness that no amount of green juice, adaptogens, or Bali sunshine could fix.

I had spent my life teaching women to listen to their bodies. Now, mine was asking me to pay attention.

The Unseen Burden of Cortisol

The truth is, I had been ignoring cortisol.

Cortisol, the so-called stress hormone, is designed to protect us. It helps us respond to danger, keeping us alert and ready. But when it stays elevated—when life becomes one long emergency—it starts working against us. It disrupts sleep, increases inflammation, and holds onto fat, especially around the belly. And in perimenopause, when estrogen declines, cortisol has even more room to wreak havoc.

For all my wisdom, I had been living in a state of chronic stress—partly because I loved my work so much. It’s a hidden paradox of doing what you love: passion can turn into pressure if you don’t create space to breathe.

Reclaiming Balance: My Cortisol Reset

The solution wasn’t about doing more—it was about doing less, but with deeper intention.

• Yin Yoga Became My Medicine
  I had always loved Vinyasa—the fluidity, the energy, the power. But what my nervous system craved was stillness. Yin Yoga became my sanctuary. Holding poses for minutes at a time, allowing gravity to do the work, and surrendering into deep fascia release—it was a revelation. Each class felt like a message to my body: You are safe. You don’t need to fight.
  
• Breath Became My Anchor
  I had taught Pranayama (breathwork) for years, but now, it became non-negotiable. Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) soothed my overactive nervous system, and deep belly breathing signaled to my body that it could switch out of fight-or-flight mode. I could feel my cortisol levels dropping with every exhale.
  
• I Stopped Treating Rest Like a Luxury
  The old me would push through exhaustion, convincing myself that I’d rest later. Now, I protect my sleep like it’s my most precious resource—because it is. I committed to a regular bedtime, dimming the lights at night, turning off screens, and prioritizing deep, uninterrupted sleep.
  
• I Laughed More, Played More, Let Go More
  Something magical happens when women come together—not to work, not to hustle, but simply to be. At Goddess Retreats, I had created that space for others—but I had forgotten to fully enjoy it myself. I started prioritizing joy again: dancing under the moon, sharing stories with women over dinner, and embracing the healing power of deep belly laughter.
  
• I Reconnected with Nature—Daily
  Instead of rushing from task to task, I started treating nature like a sacred appointment. Walking barefoot in the garden. Watching the waves in the morning before checking emails. Sitting in the rice fields and just… being. Nature recalibrates us if we let it.
  
  
  

The Power of Doing Less, but with More Presence

With love & balance,
Chelsea