‘How might your life have been different if there had been a place for you….a place of women, where you were received and affirmed? A place where other women, perhaps somewhat older, had been affirmed before you, each in her time, affirmed, as she struggled to become more truly herself’ Judith Duerk
Suzanne Arnold and Kerry Kwiatkowska have conceived this course over the last 6 years, as they have found that the focus of the new-found pubic awareness of Menopause is around the physical symptoms and medicalisation of Menopause……and there is so much more to explore. Menopause and Peri- menopause, the years leading up to it, can be a powerful time of reckoning, of sifting through the life lived so far and rejecting that which no longer serves us, consciously choosing who we will become. Instead of focusing on pain, Menopause can be an time of empowerment and re-awakening, a time of connection deeper than anything felt so far. It is a conscious choice to be made for yourself – what will you choose?
Suzanne says: ‘I am Post–menopausal and during my own menopause became increasingly aware that something more was happening to me than just a number of physical symptoms. I felt a deepening of my own spirituality, could connect with myself more deeply on a spiritual level. This realisation has informed my journey since then and is an integral part of all the work I now offer.’
Kerry says: ‘I am in the late stages of Peri–menopause, with each cycle being different to the last. As an advocate and devotee of Menstrual Cycle Awareness, my life has been crafted around my regular men- strual cycle for most of my adult years; it has been an anchor. Now that this is shifting radically, I am adapting and changing my self–care routines; reviewing what is and is no longer working and finding more spaciousness in life as I fully embrace my Wild Woman years and welcome in the Wise Crone to come….’
Beyond the Physical is an offering of our combined wealth of personal experience as well as all of the pro- fessional knowledge, research and expertise that we have accumulated over a vast number of years! This 6 part course is an opportunity to explore the menopause and all that it may mean for you beyond the physical symptoms.
We will provide a safe space to encourage you to take the time to reflect on the different stages of your life, through the Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual as they relate to the Menopause and to acknowledge this threshold as an important place of change and transformation. We will reflect on the important milestones such as Menarche (First Bleed), Birthing (children as well as creativity) and stepping into our midlife and elder years as Wild Woman and Wise Woman (Wise Crone) through the exploration and connection to our Inner Archetypes of the Divine Feminine.
In each session, we will encourage and guide you to connect with these different parts of yourself with the aid of crafting, song, reflection, journalling, questions, discussion, guided meditation, ritual and more. We will have a nourishing, shared lunch to sustain us. In sessions 1-4 each woman will receive a mini Womb Blessing from Kerry, tailored towards the Archetype we will be working with. Kerry is a qualified, Level 3 Moon Mother, trained by renowned author and teacher Miranda Gray. A Womb Blessing is suitable for women with or without a physical womb as it works with the Feminine Energy Centre. It is a wonderful way to awaken repressed or dormant aspects of the archetypes within, helping to clear old patterns and blocks of our own as well as those that we carry of our ancestors so that we can enjoy a life more ground- ed and empowered, with a deeper awareness of our own Feminine sacredness.
Below is a brief description of each individual session.
We will share some circle practices that we will use in our time together over the weeks to come, to ensure that this is a safe space to hold all of our stories.
In a mixture of smaller and larger groups, we will all introduce ourselves and share our experience of our menstrual cycle so far, and where we are in our Perimenopausal journey. You will be introduced to some practices to help you through this course and to sustain you through your Menopausal journey and beyond.
Here we will celebrate the Maiden energies of Spring, we will engage with our playfulness and innocence, our focus and direction and meet your inner Maiden energies of renewal and motivation. We will be exploring how your experience of Menarche (first bleed) has informed your attitudes and beliefs of yourself as a woman in a society that does not honour these important milestones in a Woman’s life.
Were you prepared for your first bleed? Did you know what was happening or were you filled with fear?
Was your first bleed a joyful celebration or was it treated as something dirty and shameful, to be hidden and not discussed?
In this session we will be focusing on your experience in relation to these questions and more.
The Womb Blessing (Feminine Energy Awakening will bring balance to your Inner Maiden. If our inner Maiden energy is low, we can feel unmotivated, shy and lacking in confidence; if too dominant, we can be ego-driven, lack empathy and take on too much.
In this third gathering, we will celebrate the Mother energies of Summer, engaging with our compassion, abundance, expression and openness and meet your inner Mother energies of love and connection. We will be exploring how your experience of nurturing and being mothered has affected how you give and receive love to yourself and others; as well as how it has impacted on your confidence in your creative abilities.
Did you feel nurtured by your Mother as a child? Have you felt you need to act a certain way to be Loved? Do you love and nurture yourself and make time for self-care?
What has been your experience of birthing your creativity into the world?
In this session we will explore your attitudes around Love and begin to work towards opening the heart and the womb energy centre as a powerhouse of creativity.
The Womb Blessing (Feminine Energy Awakening will bring balance to your Inner Mother. If our Mother energy is low, we can feel closed and uncaring; if too dominant, we can over-nurture, smother and become drained and resentful.
We will invite and encourage you to celebrate the Wild Woman energies of Autumn, we will engage with our truth, sensuality and freedom and meet your inner Wild Woman energies of transformation and flow. At this transformational threshold, we will be exploring how your current or recently past experience of Peri-menopause is shifting your perspectives and understanding of Self.
Who are you – do you recognise yourself anymore? Are you wondering why are you so full of rage? Do you feel you are on a emotional rollercoaster, unable to regulate you thoughts, feelings and emotions? Are you living your life authentically or are you dancing to someone else’s tune?
How do you feel about yourself as a sensual, sexual woman? Is your libido changing?
This session will help you to identify and peel away the layers of convention, acceptability and cultural expectations that you currently live your life by, in order to find the essence of the woman you are becoming.
The Womb Blessing (Feminine Energy Awakening will bring balance to your Inner Wild Woman. If our Wild Woman energy is low, we can feel resigned and restricted; if too dominant, we can be too angry and insensitive to the feelings of others.
Our last meeting of the 4 Divine Feminine Archetypes celebrates the Wise Woman (Crone) energies of Winter, we will engage with our peace, grounding and acceptance and meet our inner Wise Woman energies of Stillness and Reflection. As we journey towards potentially the most liberating, fulfilling and powerful time of our life, we will explore how we can embrace our aging with a positive attitude in order to experience elder years that are rich beyond measure.
How do you feel about getting older and aging?
Are you approaching your older years consciously, with grace and curiosity?
How does the woman in the mirror make you feel – can you see your magnificent soul beneath your changing face? Are you able to BE more and DO less? Do you have a spiritual practise? What do you need?
We will reflect on how we can use what we have learned so far on our life’s path as we journey into our Wise Woman years.
The Womb Blessing (Feminine Energy Awakening will bring balance to your Inner Wise Woman. If our Wise Crone energy is low, we can feel disconnected and heady; if too dominant, we can feel heavy and unmotivated.
We will be bringing in all of the themes of playfulness, creativity, curiosity and conscious awareness to honour and celebrate all that we have learned about ourselves over this course, so that we can prepare to love ourselves more and step fully into the power of our Wise Crone years.
In ceremony we will have an opportunity to release all that we have uncovered and in the space that subsequently opens, to sow the seeds of our intentions for our evolving self in midlife and beyond.
By practising self love everyday, from the inside out, we learn to see beyond the wrinkles and our aging bodies and discover who we are now after a life lived in service to others.
‘Aging is inevitable but getting old is entirely optional’ – Lisa Levine
Payment for
Beyond the Physical
Course Investment is offered at 3 levels, because we want to make it as accessible as possible for all women. Please choose the one that genuinely reflects your circumstances:
Concession (unwaged/low waged) – £50 per session, £300 for the whole course Standard (waged) – £60 per session, £360 for the whole course
Pay by Heart (financially abundant) – £70 per session, £420 for the whole course
Option 1: Deposit and Balance – Pay a £100 non-refundable deposit* by July 12th – this will secure your place on the course. The balance of your appropriate level should be paid by 12th August.
Option 2: Whole Balance – Pay the whole course in advance, by July 12th, at the appropriate level. £100 of this is your non-refundable deposit*.
Option 3: Monthly Payment Plan –
Payment 1 – June 12th – £50/£60/£70 P1 + P2 cover £100 non-refundable deposit* and
* IMPORTANT INFO, PLEASE READ – ANY PAYMENTS MADE WILL BE CONSIDERED ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS: This course requires commitment to yourself and to the circle of sisters you will be working with; to maintain a circle of safety and trust, numbers are limited.
Full payment is expected for the entire course (including the monthly payment option).
If you decide not to join us before the course begins, you may be issued a refund on the amount you have paid, less £100 non-refundable deposit, if notification of your intention is sent to
Kerry Kwiatkowska and Suzanne Arnold before 12th August.
If you decide not to join us after 13th August and before the course begins, refunds minus the £100 deposit, will be dependant on your space being reallocated and will not be considered or issued until full payment has been made by your replacement.
Refunds will not be given if you decide to leave the course once it has begun, except in the case that we have to cancel the course, as your place cannot be reallocated partway through.
Payments to be made via standing order to Paypal or Bank Transfer – full details will be shared on your acceptance to the course.
Investment per 5 hour session: (course price in brackets)
Concession – £50 (£300)
Standard – £60 (£360)
Pay by Heart – £70 (£420)
Payment plan is available – please ask for details.
Booking and Further info
Please email:
Suzanne: suzanne@suzannearnold.co.uk or
Kerry: kerrykholistictherapies@gmail.com
Biography
Suzanne and Kerry have many years experience between them of holding Women’s Circles and Sacred Spaces.
Suzanne is a post menopausal Wise Women, storyteller and weaver of magic and a holder of sacred space and ceremony, with almost 40 years experience of working with women. She has been described as warm, wise and witty with a gentle and intuitive energy and knowing.
Suzanne Arnold
Kerry is navigating her way through her own peri-menopausal transition; an Holistic Therapist and holder of Women’s Circles and Courses, with over 24 years experience in holding grassroots community events and activities and 18 years as a therapist and holding Women’s Circles. Kerry creates safe and sacred spaces for individuals to grow and thrive, encouraging a rooted and experiential knowledge of our cyclic natures; weaving and crafting together cycles of menstruality, moon, earthbound seasons and our own life cycles, as a pathway to an empowered and loving life.
https://www.facebook.com/kk.crystalrainbow
Kerry Kwiatkowska
