My Perimenopause Diaries: Bonding with Bobinsana
This summer, I pressed pause on my life to embark on a dieta with Bobinsana. The Amazon’s shrubby tree whose roots run seven times deeper than its tallest stem. Days were spent in silence, solitude and drinking ritual tea, I discovered faster sleep, a calmer nervous system, and a profound lesson, that true sensuality blooms in stillness.
Dear Diary,
It’s time we talk about my experience with Bobinsana! The shrubby tree that grows along the Amazon River.
Lovingly referred to in the jungle as “she, the mermaid”, Bobinsana has been on my radar for years, however it wasn’t until this summer that I committed to a dieta (the spanish word for diet), the traditional and immersive study of a plant.
There are so many plants to diet: from sage and lavender, to chamomile and passionflower, to stronger allies like tobacco or other Amazonian species. In the jungle, a dieta involves strict guidelines on food, behaviour, relationships, and environment. You eat and drink only certain things, avoid spices, salt, and sugar, spend your time in solitude, and drinking the plant’s infusion several times a day, followed by meditation. All these rules have a purpose.
Even though living in the city allows more flexibility (this is called a “soft dieta”), the core remains the same.
I adore dietas! So much so that I’ve lost count of how many I’ve done. When it came to Bobinsana, I wondered: why had I never heard of her benefits for supporting perimenopause? This felt like pure gold!
Undertaking a dieta is never easy. For me, it means pausing on life. The first few days were the toughest, especially because of the food restrictions. It took a couple of days before I started bonding with her (I know it sounds as if I’m speaking about a person, but this is plant consciousness at work!). That’s when her magic began to unfold.
After almost three weeks of study, I closed the dieta this past weekend in the most traditional indigenous way: attending a sacred plant ceremony with Ayahuasca. (This is a whole other topic!)
Some of the physical benefits I noticed from working with bobinsana are:
- Falling asleep faster and sleeping through the night
- Improved digestive comfort
- A much calmer nervous system
My top three useful insights to support my perimenopause journey are:
- Pushing through life and forcing it doesn’t work in many occasions.
- Embodied sensuality arises from stillness, not from shallow practices.
- Sovereignty and flexibility go hand in hand when one is deeply grounded; like Bobinsana, whose roots are seven times deeper than the tallest stem, allowing her to sway with the river’s current while remaining deeply anchored in the earth.
There is more to unpack… for now, I’d like to express my gratitude to Bobinsana for reminding me to trust the wisdom of my body, enhancing my intuition, and reminding me how medicinal giggles can be amongst other things!
This is it for now… it’s time to start integrating the wisdom of the past 3 weeks, but before, it’s time for a little siesta. 🙂
Until next time….
Lara
PS: my gratitude goes to Ramanja @ramanjaqueen for holding such a beautiful, nurturing and powerful container during our Bobinsana dieta.
Not intended as medical advice, speak with a GP before making dietary changes
Coach Lara Khalaf
The Portal of She | Evolving Feminine Leadership
“She remembered who she was, and the game changed.” This Lalah Delia quote captures the essence of my work. After over two decades in leadership roles across corporate, private, and public sectors, I stepped away to found The Portal of She Consulting, a space devoted to supporting women in organisations through leadership and executive coaching (with a focus on women navigating perimenopause), corporate training, and empowerment circles. I’m also a mystic; my path with traditional plant practices and herbalism has deepened my connection to the feminine and to life’s great mystery. Currently moving through the wild and wise portal of perimenopause, I’m honoured to be a contributing author to Menopause: Wise Women Don’t Whisper. Beyond work, I’m nourished by nature, poetry, cacao, Mother Mary, and the love of my furry family. I’m based between the UK and Spain. May my words awaken something beautiful within you. May you remember. With love.
