Blog posts about living in, understanding, and finding the best of mavenhood.
The Blog
At 42, I have more flexibility, balance in my mind, and tools to navigate life’s great challenges than I did in previous decades of life. All of this is greatly attributed to my yoga practice.
Yoga has been weaving in and out of my life for more than a couple of decades, starting in college at the University of Arizona. The first class I attended felt earthy, out of my comfort zone, and didn’t speak to me at all! In my 20s, I found Bikram yoga, which was a great workout, but it felt a bit like a cult with its structure and rules (which was later validated when all sorts of issues about Bikram came to light).
In my 30s, after tragically losing my brother, I found myself in a hot vinyasa class. I was miserable, overworking myself, and lost in grief. I didn’t know how to turn off my phone out of fear of missing a work call. This 75-minute class was my first experience learning how to fully disconnect from my work, life, and commit to myself.
Another thing that developed during these 75 minutes was my acceptance and comfort in my body. It was extremely hot in there, and I needed to wear minimal clothing for comfort. I grew up in the era of extremely thin supermodels, had a career in fashion, and was always self-conscious about my weight after years of swim sports, a love of food, and bulking up as a result. The yoga environment taught me how to disconnect from the surface and go within. I fell in love with it and never looked back.
Fast forward to 2020. The world shut down due to the pandemic, and after several months of homeschooling my ex’s kids, preparing countless meals, cleaning, and drafting business recovery plans, I found myself in a Zoom yoga class. My teacher, who I had been following for several years and learned so much from, mentioned yoga teacher training. Yoga had saved me from losing it years earlier, and I couldn’t sign up fast enough for the teacher training!
Teacher training was the best gift I could have given myself. I literally learned how to heal myself both physically and mentally.
By trade, I am a fashion stylist in the fields of advertising and entertainment marketing. This means that I am walking miles per day for work, either on set or shopping and sourcing products for shoots. My job requires me to lift very heavy equipment, work long hours, and my body suffers from it. By the age of 27, my back was going out monthly, and there were days I was crawling on the floor trying to get to some ibuprofen so I could get back on my feet and to work.
I felt too young for such extreme pain and feared what that meant for my body in the future. Rarely does this happen to me these days, and I’m now 42! Thanks to my yoga practice, I am stronger, more flexible, and leaner than ever before. This summer, I had a six-pack for the first time in my life.
Yoga works on both the body and mind from the inside out. It is a beautiful balance of breathwork, moving meditation, strength, and flexibility. Learning yoga is like learning how to build the vehicle that you ride on your life’s journey. It teaches you the building blocks that guide you to go within and learn the intricacies of your mind and body so you can steer your ship in the best way possible.
Through my yoga practice and teacher training, I have been able to dive into the Ayurvedic sciences and how they weave through diet, seasonal changes, and the effects on the body. I am writing this at the start of fall. Several of my friends have thrown their backs out, one daughter’s shoulder is broken, and my neck was out of alignment in the last couple of weeks. In Ayurveda, this is the Vata season, which is dry, airy, and not very grounded.
To balance this out, it helps to eat and drink warm fluids, do hot yoga practices, use saunas, and add warmth to the body. After adding some extra yoga to my busy schedule, calming my nervous system with heating pads, tea, and mindfulness, my neck is 90% better, my posture is upright again, and I’m on the mend. Ten years ago, I would have been in pain for days, if not weeks!
I could go on and on about my lessons in yoga for a lifetime because I see myself exploring yoga throughout my life. I know it will continue to evolve because there are so many layers to the practice, and the more I dive into the process of learning the sciences of yoga, the more I uncover about myself. That’s a wonderful gift to give myself! As our teachers say at the end of class, “I am grateful for those who came before me to share this practice,” and I am always happy to share my experiences and gains from yoga with others, as it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
Mavenhood is a unique life stage for those who are child-free, childless, or not focused on raising children. It’s a chapter defined by the freedom to choose what you’re moving toward. Like motherhood, mavenhood is a journey where we all strive to do well, with the added empowerment of making all of our own choices. At Mavenhood Society, we celebrate this chapter and support those pursuing mavenhood with intention, clarity, and community.
Somewhere after forty and into your sixties, the way the world sees you starts to shift. You may have been called a crone, old maid, boomer, solo ager, perimenopausal, menopausal, or older adult. Choose to embrace being the fabulous, incredible, awe-inspiring person you are, and live fully in your mavenhood era. Take this time to define success, fulfillment, and connection in ways that feel right to you, beyond the traditional structure of motherhood.
For some, this was always the plan. For others, it is a new beginning. Either way, this life stage is real, rich, and worthy of attention. Mavens build lives shaped around who they are now and what they want next. If you’re looking for a space to learn about and explore this life stage, Mavenhood Society offers ideas, inspiration, and a sense of belonging.
Mavenhood isn’t the pursuit of a second-best life or a consolation prize for reaching midlife. It asks for soul-searching honesty, patience, and the freedom to imagine something new. If you’re waiting for permission to claim this chapter, name and own your priorities, live with intention, and release old scripts, consider finding this post your green light. You already have everything you need to begin.
First and foremost, being the best kind of maven means claiming your time, attention, body, and resources as your own. It means asking yourself what matters now, not what once mattered to others. And it means stepping fully into the richness of life without looking back.
Here are ten areas where that journey can take shape.
1. Identity Beyond Roles
You are not only a daughter, a sibling, a friend, or a professional; you are all of these and more. You are a whole person. Living without children allows space to reexamine who you really are when no one is demanding your energy. Strip away obligations and explore the parts of yourself that may have been dormant. Are you an artist? A scientist? A builder? A teacher? You get to decide.
Write your own definition. Say it out loud. Let it evolve. Let this become the center of your life, not a footnote.
2. Emotional Agency
Owning your story includes the right to feel everything that comes with it. Pride. Relief. Anger. Sadness. Peace. Resentment. Joy. You do not have to apologize for your feelings. Nor do you have to justify your choices.
Make space to feel it all. Sit in silence. Take walks. Go to therapy. Talk with people who respect your path. You are not broken, lacking, or selfish. You are whole.
3. Community on Your Terms
The child-free, childless, and empty-nester community is growing but is often still invisible. Building connections with others who share your life experience can be a game changer.
Start by finding one or two people who get it. Reach out. Have coffee. Laugh. Share stories. Mavenhood does not require a crowd, but it thrives on meaningful connection. That’s what Mavenhood Society is here for. Please bookmark our site and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date.
4. Redefining Care
You can be deeply nurturing without ever having children, as well as after raising them. That innate energy can shift towards younger relatives, friends, pets, students, or people in need. It can also be applied to the arts, environmentalism, or activism. You get to decide who or what you want to sustain.
Care, when chosen freely, becomes an act of purpose. It moves from obligation to devotion. Making that shift can feel liberating and intentional.
5. Pursuit of Learning
Stay curious. Learn a language. Pick up a trade. Study a new field. Your brain deserves exercise and delight. Sign up for courses that feed your interests. Read books outside your usual categories. Go to lectures or try hands-on workshops.
You are never too old to start something new. Exploration is always an option. You have a license to continue or begin again as you choose.
6. Creative Expression
Child-free and childless lives are full of stories; give yours room to breathe. Whether through writing, painting, music, design, cooking, or some other medium, creativity creates meaning. These projects are a way to process your life, connect to others, and leave a mark.
Try experimenting, even if you don’t typically consider yourself creative. Take a photo every day. Try a dance class. Rearrange your space. Make something out of nothing. You don’t need to be an expert to enjoy the experience. Let yourself create for the joy of it.
7. Home as a Reflection of You
Let your home reflect the way you actually live. Whether you live alone or with a partner, design your space around your routines and comforts. Consider how to best use your space to suit your lifestyle, e.g. carve out a space for reading, set up an area to write or move your body, bring in soothing lighting, or choose artwork that inspires you.
You are allowed to live without a guest room for when the kids or your cousins visit. Use every room. Take up space. Make it yours.
8. Financial Autonomy
Without the financial responsibilities of childrearing, you may have different options. While that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re wealthy, it might mean more flexibility. Use it with intention. Create a budget that aligns with your goals, not someone else’s milestones.
Your financial priorities might include travel, wellness, continued learning, giving, or planning for retirement. Whatever matters most to you, let your spending and saving reflect those values.
9. Health and Vitality
Your health is something to protect and enjoy. Build routines that support your body and mind. That could be a regular walk, strength training, meal planning, therapy, meditation, or all of the above.
Prioritize appointments. Try new recipes. Learn what works for your hormones, sleep, and energy. Your body is not a machine to serve others; it is your home.
10. Your Legacy, Your Way
You do not have to pass on your values through children. You can achieve this through mentorship, advocacy, writing, art, or setting an example. Think about how and what you want to be remembered for. How do you want to show up in the world?
Here, mavenhood becomes legacy. Legacy is shaped by how you live today and how you use your power to prepare for tomorrow. It shows up in your presence, your priorities, and the way you influence those around you.
Your Life, Your Terms
Mavens do not ask for permission to exist outside of childbearing or childrearing years. In your mavenhood era, shift to a mindset that invites you to live more fully and listen more closely to what you need and want. Recognize that your time and voice matter now more than ever.
You are not waiting for the next phase. You are embracing every moment that has brought you to this one. What you do next is entirely up to you.
If this path speaks to you, you are not alone. Mavenhood Society was created to offer a home for child-free, childless, and empty nesters like you. This is your space, your season, and your mavenhood. Savor it.
