About
My Approach
I hope to bring sensitivity, commitment and genuine engagement to my menstruality work. My guiding principles are connection to Nature and cyclical living. Menstruality found me in the mid 2000s and I’ve been swimming in this ocean since.
My work background is environmental, and my passion for Nature and wild places led me to live and work in Central Europe for ten years, managing sustainable development projects in the Carpathians mountains. These were mostly delivered through outreach and community engagement, then progressing to implementing policy processes for the international organisations. The work was fantastic but demanding and stressful, with lots of travel across countries and disturbed sleep etc. Things began to really show up in my menstrual cycle – severe physical pain, highs and lows of emotions and being very critical of myself. I had a 3 week menstrual cycle and for one week of that I was flat on my back – with physical pain and emotional distress.
I knew this wasn’t right or natural. Eventually I went looking for resources and advice to help me. I found herbal remedies, adjusted my nutrition, learned to move and rest in good ways. But most of what really helped was coming to understand my cycle, its rhythm, and making changes to how I handled stress and also engaging with my inner critical voice. Over time I learned to live in balance and harmony with my cycle and not against it. And that made all difference. In time I healed my cycle and it turns out if you follow all the menstruality trainings then you come out the other end a menstrual cycle coach and mentor.
I’ve gone through my own menopause transition now and even with my menstruality knowledge it presented challenges - it unmoored me and took me on quite a journey, again I had to learn what supports my physical, emotional and psychological well-being at this stage. But I’ve landed on the other shore now and I can bring back positive news, there is better country further on.
My training in this field
Red School - Menstruality Leadership Programme 2013-2014. Menopause Training 2014. Menstrual Medicine Circle Facilitation 2018. All in person and group residential. And participation in numerous Red School in-person workshops, over several years, to support and deepen my menstrual awareness and menstruality practice.
I led the first stage of Red School’s outreach for developing menstruality awareness for workplaces & organisations.
School Shamanic Womancraft - Four Season Journey 2020 and Earthwoman Programme. Also several rounds of the School’s in-person workshops for menstrual cycle, pregnancy & birth and menopause support.
Yoni Shakti - Well Woman Yoga Therapy Training 2019, in person and group residential and various workshops on menstrual cycle harmony, creativity & sexuality, and menopause support over the years since.
Work With Your Cycle – I developed this project with some arts & heritage organisations, in the South-West, where we used creativity, art and local heritage to produce a manual and seminars for supporting menstrual awareness in the workplace. Engaging art for social change. I’d love to create a similar project for art and menopause awareness, I’m very much open for collaboration with partners for this.
More on Menstruality & My Approach
Menstruality is the arc of female life process from puberty, through the menstrual cycle years, pregnancy and birth, if this is chosen, through the menopause transition and the post-menopausal life. Menstruality and this arc shapes and informs a woman’s health & well-being, skills & capabilities and perspective. I use the word ‘Menstruality’ here to refers to all menstrual cycle and menopause matters – the whole thing.
All the work here builds upon the great work developed by others in this field.
Jane Catherine Severn brought this concept into the world, and more of her insightful and wonderful work is available here: www.lunahouse.co.nz/about
Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo-Wurlitzer of Red School developed the framework of the ‘inner seasons’ of the cycle and developed their Menstruality concepts, we want to thank for them allowing us to use and share their marvellous and valuable work here: www.redschool.net
My approach is about promoting a positive menstrual culture and therefore recognising the values and perspectives that underpin that. I’m happy to work with and alongside anyone to create this as part of our everyday lives. I offer practical support to women, non-binary folk and people who menstruate or are going through their menopause transition. I support the broader conversation, that welcomes men and everyone’s lived experience, as we all learn about cyclical living.
Well-Being Information - any recommendation about nutrition, exercise, physical health and self-care are offered here as educational. You are encouraged to seek medical guidance, understand your own health conditions and are responsible for the way you manage your own health.
We all move through the world differently, I believe there is space for many experiences, feelings and support options. I offer my services from what I have learnt & experienced and my own perspective.
If you have questions about any of this, I am very much open to a conversation together.