SARA TAUTUKU ORME
SARA TAUTUKU ORME
Stories
Esther, Whakatane
What I felt was this…When I hit 50, I had this thought…‘It's all downhill now," so because it's all downhill, I may as well make the most of it and step outside of my comfort zone and step out of things I thought I would never, ever, do.
Yeah, it's these thoughts that inspired me to step outside my square and my box and wear togs and sometimes a bikini. I’ve never done that before. Always covered up with long shorts and tops. And now… I pose for photos, smile with my crooked teeth, bare my body, and just own all the experiences I’ve had right up until now.
One of my downfalls is that I am my worst critic. I am not very confident in myself. It's coming now, though. I’m gonna keep working on that.
Nicky, Murewai
I feel quite strong about coming into my 50s. I mean, my thighs aren't perfect, but I feel good. I feel strong. Throughout life, physically, I’ve been able to eat what I want. This has definitely changed since going through menopause. I now just have to go with the flow and understand my body is changing and to accept and love it, which I do.
I am coming to a place where I am just more comfortable in life with friends and family and liking myself more. This is very simplistic, but this is how I feel. While I do yoga, I hear the words’ just love yourself’ and I am starting to get into that mentality more…Just forgiving myself.
Physically, I feel better now in my 50s than ever before. I’m the fittest I have ever been in my life. My yoga practice is really advanced, and I’m more accomplished than I have ever been. Consequently, I feel really, really, healthy. My body has been really prepared to go into this age.
Emotionally though, my 50s have been tough. Especially going through menopause. I experienced things I hadn’t experienced before, such as anxiety, which was a completely alien experience to me”.