Welcome to The Gathering.
A space for women in perimenopause to be in community together.
Why I decided to set up an event for women in peri menopause?
Because nobody warns us it can feel like this.
Perimenopause can be a lonely time of life. And nothing that most of us were expecting.
I was pretty much knocked off my feet by it. I ended up in burnout and after a lot of research and therapy, I worked out that the drop and change in my hormones was a significant part of what happened, along with everything else I was carrying.
And there is often a lot to carry at this stage of life. Young children. Family. Ageing parents. Busy jobs. A lot of us are at management level in our careers by now, we have worked hard to get there and then our hormones start shifting and suddenly maybe we can't manage it all in the way we used to.
And yet so little of this is talked about openly. Most of us have just been expected to get on with it, quietly, without making a fuss.
It can then start to feel very lonely. Maybe your friends all seem to be managing fine. Maybe you don't even have the language for what's happening yet. That's because we are all affected differently and no day is the same when hormones are in such fluctuation, especially from your late thirties right through your late forties.
For me, what I found invaluable amongst many other things was a movement practice that created a sense of freedom in my body and mind. Moving in a way that actually felt good to me. Not punishing. Not pushing through. Just moving for myself.
After studying Traditional Chinese Medicine, I came to understand the body differently. In TCM, the emotions we experience and the things we carry don't just live in our minds, they live in the body too. Emotions are energy. And at this stage of life, when emotions can be especially heightened, its good to move that energy.
Through Shake the Dust, somatic movement and Qi Gong we create the conditions for energy to move freely through the body. And as you become more attuned to your body through this kind of intuitive, embodied movement, you may start to notice what it needs more of in everyday life.
We also need rest. So much more rest at this stage of life than most of us are allowing ourselves. In the second half of every Gathering we spend real, quality time in guided rest so you can truly drop into the body.
I want us to be in community with this time of life. I don't want any woman to feel alone. Community is everything.
I don't pretend to have all the answers. Far from it. But I can hold a space for us to come together to move intuitively, to rest deeply, and to do it in community.
CONNECTION IS MEDICINE
// WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER //
CONNECTION IS MEDICINE // WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER //
An afternoon of movement & rest that supports your body.
A chance to chat in community
We begin by sitting together and just talking. How are you experiencing this time of life? What are you carrying?
There's no agenda here and no set topics, the conversation is shaped by whoever is in the room that day. I come to this circle from my own experience of perimenopause, not as an expert in it. I'm not here to offer solutions or promote a particular way forward, every woman's experience is different and every journey is her own.
What I can offer is an open, honest space where you can speak freely or simply sit and listen. No pressure either way.
Sometimes just knowing you're not alone in it is enough.
Shake The Dust —Somatic dance
‘ When we move, everything moves. Movement is what we are, not something we do.’
Shake the Dust is more than a workout, it's an embodied practice of body, heart and mind. And yes, it is a proper workout. Expect to sweat.
Guided by an epic playlist, we move together through waves of shaking, dancing, intuitive flow and intentional rest, drawing on elements of yoga, Qi Gong, Pilates and bodyweight work. Nothing is as you expect it to be. This is not a gym class and it is not a dance class. It is somewhere in between.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, when we move our bodies we move our energy. And at this stage of life, when emotions can be especially heightened, its good to move that energy through.
There is no judgment here. No right way to do it. No performance. You move however feels right for your body on that day and that is exactly enough. Just you, the music, and permission to show up exactly as you are.
Also, the playlist is everything. If you've ever lost yourself on a dancefloor, you'll feel right at home.
Expect to sweat, shake, cry, probably laugh. This is a practice for all of us.
Yin Yoga and Nidra
The second half of the afternoon is yours to slow down and truly rest.
Most of us at this stage of life are carrying an exhaustion that a good night's sleep doesn't always fix. We are running on empty in ways we don't always have words for.
This is where we make space for something different.
Gentle, long-held Yin poses fully supported with props invite the body to soften and release at its own pace. This is not stretching for the sake of it. It is an invitation to stop.
We close with a guided Yoga Nidra which is a deeply restorative rest practice that takes you to the edges of sleep. A chance to truly drop in and let everything settle.
All of it rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine principles and offered specifically with this stage of life in mind.
This is for women who are seeking community and connection to themselves whether you move daily or rarely. All bodies are welcome…
You belong here if any of this sounds familiar
You're in perimenopause and nobody warned you it would feel like this.
You're managing on the outside but running on empty
You move daily or barely at all, all bodies and starting points are welcome.
You're sceptical of wellness spaces but something in you knows you need this.
You want to be around women who are honest about how hard this is and how powerful it can be.
You've been meaning to do something for yourself for years
You want community, real, honest, no-performance community.
Connect with a community of like minded women, all navigating their own journey through peri menopause and into menopause.
This is your space as much as mine.
The Gathering is not a fixed programme. It is a living, evolving community and the women who come help shape what it becomes.
Over time I want to bring in other wellness practitioners to hold space alongside me, so you get to experience different approaches, different practices, different perspectives. Not because one size doesn't fit all but because finding what works for your body is the whole point.
Every woman who walks through the door brings something with her. And every Gathering will reflect that.
This is just the beginning.
WOMEN REGULATE THROUGH COMMUNITY
// COMMUNITY IS THE PRACTICE //
WOMEN REGULATE THROUGH COMMUNITY // COMMUNITY IS THE PRACTICE //
The Gathering Manifesto
We believe that perimenopause is not a problem to be solved, it is a transition to be supported.
There is no one size fits all. Every woman's experience is different and every woman deserves to find what works to support her own body.
We believe that your body is not your enemy.
We believe that rest is productive, that stillness is strength, and that slowing down is not giving up.
We believe that moving your body in a way that feels good to you is one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself.
We believe that when we move our bodies, we move our energy and that changes everything.
We believe that community is essential. Women regulate and restore in the company of other women. We are not meant to do this alone.
We believe that you are not broken. You are in the middle of a significant life change and you deserve to be in community with others.
The Gathering
Sunday, May 10th, 2026 at 14:00pm GMT
£38
In person 3 hour workshop at The Yoga Rooms, Chorlton, Manchester.
An afternoon of energising movement, restorative rest and honest conversation for women in perimenopause.
Let's come together to move, and rest because right now, we need both.
We'll make space to acknowledge the changes in body and mind that come with perimenopause and use movement as a tool to connect to our wisdom, and spend time in real rest.
What to expect:
A chance to chat in community
An informal, open space to talk about how you're experiencing this time of life. There's no agenda and no set topics, the conversation is shaped by whoever is in the room. I come to this as someone navigating perimenopause myself, not as an expert in it. No pressure to share, you can speak freely or simply listen.
Either is welcome.
Shake the Dust
Guided by an epic playlist, this is more than a workout. it's an embodied practice of body, heart and mind. Each session invites you to shake off what no longer serves and we do that together, as a group of women navigating this time of life.
We move together through waves of shaking, jumping, dancing, intuitive flow and intentional rest, drawing on elements of yoga, Pilates, somatics, Qi Gong and bodyweight work. Nothing is as you expect it to be. This is not a gym class and it is not a dance class. It is somewhere in between.
There is no judgment here. No right way to do it. No performance. You move however feels right for your body on that day and that is exactly enough. Just you, the music, and permission to show up exactly as you are. This is a practice for all of us.
Yin & Restorative Rest
Many of us have forgotten how to rest, or feel we don't deserve to. This final part of the afternoon is a guided descent into deep, supported stillness. Yin postures held gently over time, followed by guided rest. At this stage of life, rest isn't a luxury or a reward for effort. It's medicine.
Why come
-To move in a way that works with your body at this stage of life.
-To experience both effort and recovery, strengthen, energise, then truly rest.
-To connect with a community of like-minded women, all navigating their own journey through peri and into menopause.
