Hot flashes, night sweats, and a low sex drive are all signs of a major hormonal change. But while our modern culture has accepted menopause as a kind of “drying up” of our hormones and fertility, that doesn’t have to be the case, says Robin Saraswati Markus, a Chinese medicine practitioner and yoga teacher. “Our ovaries can be nourished and replenished, creating a functional fertility that is about more than having a monthly cycle,” she saysMarkus, who holds a master’s degree in traditional Chinese medicine and a doctorate in Oriental medicine and acupuncture, is the founder of the Nourishing Life Center for Health in Asheville, North Carolina, where she specializes in women’s health and fertility. From her point of view, fertility includes giving birth to a child, but it can also mean giving birth—at any point in life—to an idea, a movement, or a dream.The unpleasant side effects of menopause are exacerbated by the pace and stressors of modern life, which can trigger a chronic “fight or flight” response, taxing the adrenal glands and pulling blood away from our digestive and reproductive systems. “As …