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Tara Loader Wilkinson

At the age of 41, Maria Monllor began experiencing an array of alarming symptoms: raging mood swings, weight gain, bouts of insomnia and, to her partner’s dismay, a plummeting libido.
“Despite being fit and healthy, I didn’t feel myself. I was confused and depressed,” says the mother of three, who lives in Alicante, Spain.
After some research she realised she was experiencing perimenopause, a gradual decrease in oestrogen levels that can last more than a decade before menopause – the end of periods – actually occurs.
“I kept thinking at 41 I was far too young, I assumed it would happen when I was at least 50,” she says.

The realisation prompted Monllor, now 45, to make several tweaks to her life to improve her hormone stability.
First, she completely cut out alcohol.
“Before, I’d look forward to wine a couple of times a week, but it was giving me horrendous anxiety and I realised, this is not helping.”
For a long and healthy life, eat, sleep, feel and exercise the right way
It wasn’t easy, but Monllor says she weighed up the pros and cons. “When I stopped drinking, I lost weight and became emotionally more stable.”
She also “massively” reduced her sugar intake and overhauled her diet to include nutrient-dense foods rich in vitamins and minerals but without too much saturated fat, added sugars and sodium.
She walks, swims or jogs daily, and does resistance training two to three times a week.
Supplements are key: she swears by magnesium glycinate, omega 3 essential fatty acids, vitamin B12 and adaptogens – herbs, roots and other plant substances that help bodies manage stress and restore balance, such as ashwagandha, an Ayurvedic herb.

As the founder of a wellness supplements company, Enaiya, which she launched with her mother and daughter, Monllor is in a lucky position to be ahead of the curve when it comes to self-care.
“When my mother was going through menopause in her early 50s, there was very little dialogue. She was told to expect hot flushes and interrupted sleep and get on with it or take HRT [hormone replacement therapy].
“I’m so happy that my daughter will be even better equipped to deal with menopause than I was, when it comes to her time.”
Can HRT reduce dementia risk? 3 new studies say yes, upending 2002 reports
As part of Enaiya, Monllor is organising a three-night retreat in Spain in April 2024 aimed at women suffering perimenopause or post-menopausal symptoms who want to learn and feel part of a community in a relaxed setting.
The venue for this debut event is MasQi The Energy House, in the heart of the Sierra de Mariola National Park, in the province of Alicante. One of the features of the retreat is an organic macrobiotic diet: a high-fibre, high-complex-carbohydrate, low-fat eating plan that focuses on whole grains and vegetables.
Expert talks will be live-streamed, including from Dr Nicky Keay, an honorary lecturer in medicine at University College London and author of Health, Hormones and Human Potential: A Guide to Understanding Your Hormones to Optimise Your Health and Performance; Annalie Howling, a UK-based trauma specialist and coach; and Dr Bella Smith, aka The Digital GP, a UK-based women’s health specialist.


Monllor’s menopause retreat is one of the latest to cater to a generation of increasingly informed and empowered women who are no longer willing to just “get on with it”.
By 2025, the number of postmenopausal women is expected to top 1.1 billion globally, according to the North American Menopause Society.
The menopause market will be worth US$600 billion that year, the Global Wellness Summit forecasts. It stems from the recognition that one of the biggest biological transitions for half of the global population has largely been ignored by medicine to date, it says.
We empower our clients to tap into their own life experiences to sail through the stage with ease and acceptance
Geetika Sharma, wellness strategy director, Ananda in the Himalayas
Retreats are one way of giving menopausal women personalised attention and community support as they deal with physical and emotional challenges such as insomnia, depression, anxiety, weight gain, a lack of sex drive, brain fog, joint pain and more.
Women can share their knowledge and experience in a safe and nurturing space and indulge in treatments that aim to balance the body, mind and nervous system.
Ananda, a luxury spa resort in the Himalayas, began a menopause retreat programme in 2022. Its focus is on Ayurvedic practices and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to tackle hormonal fluctuations.

Its Rebalance programme features TCM therapies, such as cupping and acupuncture, says Geetika Sharma, the resort’s wellness strategy director. Its aim is to move stagnant energy – or chi – to give a menopausal woman immediate relief, she adds. Intensive detoxification is also part of the programme.
Rather than seeing a difficult transitional phase like menopause through the narrow lens of just chemical alterations in the endocrine system, the programme considers variations in a woman’s bioenergetic field, which is home to emotional traumas, disappointments, feelings of failure in relationships and a sense of loss, Sharma says.
“We empower our clients to tap into their own life experiences to sail through the stage with ease and acceptance.”

At Combe Grove Centre of Health and Wellbeing in Somerset, England, Dr Campbell Murdoch takes a metabolic-health approach to perimenopause and menopause.
Metabolic health is defined as having blood sugar, waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides all within a healthy range.
“There is a growing realisation that tending to our inner ‘engine of life’ can hold off, and potentially reverse, serious health conditions. It’s the ultimate longevity tool,” Murdoch says of his metabolic health focus.

Combe Grove combines medical assessment with therapies designed to address what it labels the five roots of metabolic health: nutrition, movement, sleep, mindset and environment.
Along with a low-carb, farm-to-fork menu, there are counselling, workshops, movement classes, acupuncture, shiatsu, emotional freedom technique (tapping) and other alternative healing sessions on offer.
Upcoming six-night retreats at the centre – called “Metabolic Health Retreats for Perimenopause, Menopause and Beyond” – are slated for January, March and July 2024. Participants can tap into a year’s online support afterwards, and can book follow-up three-night return retreats.


Menopause cannot be “cured” at a retreat, but guests can learn strategies to better manage and relieve the symptoms.
The power of community and conversation among women sharing their experiences at these retreats, along with trusted treatments, can ease the transition through this life phase.
4 more menopause retreat options
If you are considering a healthy getaway that combines a holiday with menopause-focused wellness therapy, here are four other retreats that consultancy The Global Retreat Company rates highly.
1. Les Marguerites – Alet Les Bains, France
Deeply nourishing five-day retreats educate on what to eat and how best to support oneself before, during and after menopause. Expect gentle therapy, tender coaching and nutritional advice in a relaxing environment. On select dates.
2. Kamalaya – Koh Samui, Thailand
The Asian Bliss programme helps women examine their emotional, physical, spiritual and hormonal health, through Ayurvedic and Asian wisdom and therapies. Helps to restore inner balance and bring physical and mental harmony. Year round.
3. Park Igls – Innsbruck, Austria
Get menopause fit during a well-being week of treatments, consultations, massages, talk therapy and take-home tools. On select dates.
4. Preidlhof – Naturno, Merano, Italy
“Glow and Flow” through menopause and shift the mindset with coaching and treatments. Mindfulness practices increase confidence in the body’s intelligence, while helping to focus on the present and reconnect with mind and body. Year-round.
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How menopause retreats help women alleviate symptoms and 7 around the world to consider

In the Himalayas, luxury spa resort Ananda’s menopause retreat uses Ayurvedic practices and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to correct imbalances and tackle hormonal fluctuations. It is one of a number of retreats for women - including those at perimenopause and post-menopausal stages - that aim to help alleviate their symptoms. Photo: Ananda

Maria Monllor (centre) with her mother and daughter, who together co-founded wellness supplements company Enaiya. Photo: Maria Monllor

Mollnor’s debut menopause retreat will be held at MasQi The Energy House, in the Sierra de Mariola National Park in Banyeres, Spain. Photo: MasQi The Energy House

Macrobiotic food at MasQi The Energy House. Photo: MasQi The Energy House

The meditation pod at MasQi The Energy House. Photo: MasQi The Energy House

Ananda’s menopause retreats aims to move stagnant energy – or chi – to give menopausal women immediate relief. Photo: Ananda

Geetika Sharma is wellness strategy director at Ananda in the Himalayas. Photo: Ananda

Combe Grove Centre of Health and Wellbeing offers massage therapy at its menopause retreat. Photo: Combe Grove Centre of Health and Wellbeing 

The Combe Grove Centre of Health and Wellbeing in Somerset, England. Photo: Combe Grove Centre of Health and Wellbeing

Combe Grove guests can get close to nature, such as by picking fresh produce from the garden. Photo: Combe Grove Centre of Health and Wellbeing 

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Illustration: Shutterstock

The vagus nerve is capable of complex parallel processing and controls many functions, says neurosurgeon Professor Kevin Tracey. Photo: Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research

The vagus nerve regulates key aspects of our physiology, says Daniel Ko, founder and CEO of Neuropix. Photo: Neuropix

The vagus nerve runs from the brain to the intestines, through many organs, and has a role in multiple bodily functions. Photo: Shutterstock

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A good attitude and a belief in the healing power of your body are important, says Thai Buddhist Siriluck, who has fought cancer for 16 years, but  accepts conventional treatment is vital, too. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

When fighting cancer, a good attitude and a belief in the healing power of your body are important, says Thai Buddhist Siriluck (above), but accepts conventional treatment is vital, too. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Siriluck in her garden in Sai Kung, Hong Kong. She has been battling cancer for 16 years. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Siriluck hiking with her dog Song in Hong Kong, in November 2023. Photo: Siriluck

Siriluck practising yoga at home. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Every day, Siriluck drinks a green juice made from leaves, herbs and spices from her garden. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

How to cope with depression from menopause transition – also known as perimenopause – plus expert insight on other symptoms and the help available for women

Kate Moreau struggled with the transition to menopause, also known as perimenopause, but says that talking about it to others in the same boat was one of the things that helped. Photo: Kate Moreau

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Dr Vicky Lee Yun-ting is a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology at Heal Medical in Hong Kong. Photo: Heal Medical

Katia Demekhina, a nutritional therapist and female hormone health specialist at Omni Vitality in Hong Kong. Photo: Omni Vitality

Moreau at a Pilates reformer class. Regular exercise has helped her better manage her depression. Photo: Kate Moreau

Regular exercise, like Secret Sunrise dancing, is now a part of Moreau’s life. Photo: Kate Moreau

Moreau and her 11-year-old daughter, Charlotte. Photo: Kate Moreau

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The transition into menopause can be a hard time for women, but the right diet can help to reduce symptoms. Katia Demekhina (pictured), a nutritional therapist and female hormone health specialist, reveals what to eat and what to avoid. Photo: Katia Demekhina

Eating good fat like that found in avocados, olive oil, flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts is critical for a smooth journey through perimenopause. Photo: Shutterstock

What women eat and drink during perimenopause can have a big impact on their overall health and the way they feel. Photo: Shutterstock

During the transition to menopause, it’s best to forgo alcohol, coffee and sugar – which can exacerbate mood swings and other symptoms. Photo: Shutterstock

Demekhina says that during perimenopause, women are at increased risk of symptoms like anxiety and depression. Photo: Katia Demekhina

Phytoestrogens are present in soybean products like tofu, tempeh and miso as well as in legumes and vegetables like broccoli and cabbage. Photo: Shutterstock

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Tailored menopause retreats provide personalised therapies and community support to help women find relief from their symptoms and balance mind and body
They cater to a generation of increasingly informed and empowered women who are no longer willing to just ‘get on with it’


Tailored menopause wellness retreats provide therapies and community support to help women – including those at perimenopause and post-menopausal stages – find relief from their symptoms.


How menopause retreats help women alleviate symptoms and 7 around the world to consider

Tailored menopause retreats provide personalised therapies and community support to help women find relief from their symptoms and balance mind and body They cater to a generation of increasingly informed and empowered women who are no longer willing to just ‘get on with it’

Tailored menopause retreats provide personalised therapies and community support to help women find relief from their symptoms and balance mind and body

They cater to a generation of increasingly informed and empowered women who are no longer willing to just ‘get on with it’