Menopause and Mind

10/07/2023

Menopause and Mind – help us get funding and shape our work!

We need some information about your menopause journey and what would help you. This will help us with this and future funding applications and make sure the projects we are delivering are really making a difference where they matter most.

It would be a huge help if you could please take the time to fill in this survey: survey: https://forms.gle/mmxUsqkbZZaHsHha6

We are taking a short break over the next few weeks but our Moulding the Menopause clay workshop is running on 20 July if you are free to attend, and we’re just in the process of booking in some future events so make sure you follow us on eventbrite! https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/menopause-and-mind-60181017753

All the best,

Heather

14/05/2023

Come and join us for an workshop painting the menopause on Thursday 18 May at 18:30, no experience needed, express yourself in a fund, friendly and inclusive environment, all are welcome! Booking on our Eventbrite! bit.ly/meno-events

08/05/2023

This week is our Menopause Care Cafe at the Ledward Centre - free to attend, all welcome!

Discuss issues around menopause and mental well-being in a warm and welcoming environment with Menopause and Mind!

08/05/2023

... so a while ago one of our founders was kind invited to speak on Menopause Mindset by Sally Garozzo, it's now up on Apple Podcasts if anyone is interested in listening. Some show notes below from Sally summarising the show! ❤

***Menopause Mindset Podcast - The Power of Art and Collective Care***
Self care not working? Maybe you need collective care.
When I first heard the term 'collective care' it dawned on me, maybe that's why self care often falls short, because it doesn't quite reach the part of the nervous system that is often disregulated in menopause.
Let me explain. The ventral vagal branch of the parasympathetic nervous system (the part that's responsible for our sense of safety and belonging) can only be healed when we are in safe communion with others. When we feel lost, alone and unheard, which we often do at menopause, no amount of SELF care is going to fix that.
My guest today, Heather McKnight is a utopian scholar, an activist and a community worker with a special interested in menopause and in our conversation we talk about:
🧠 What Utopianism has got to do with menopause.
🧠 Why community healing is perhaps MORE important than self healing when it comes to menopause.
🧠 The good thing that collective care can actually lead to (that we don't always think of).
🧠 The thing that we are not told BEFORE menopause that might help so many women during it.
🧠 The powerful community practice that can help with navigating the feelings attached to your own personal menopausal experience.
🧠 The one thing that holds people back from participating in helpful alternative practices for menopause (no it's not their mindset!).
🧠 The serious mental illness where oestrogen has a greater positive effect than drugs (no it's not depression or anxiety).
🧠 What 'catching ants' can do for our mental health.
🧠 The challenges we face in trying to be inclusive around the menopause conversation.
🧠 How this particular type of thinking can help us feel so much better about what we're going through (hint: it has nothing to do with positive thinking).
🧠 Heather's new DIFFERENT chosen word for menopause.
So if you're ready to get a much broader perspective on the menopause, this episode is for you.
Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../the-power.../id1506366775...

20/04/2023

Come and join us for an inclusive space of fun, friendship and creativity that will allow you time out to process, reflect and transform! Join us for a Moulding the Menopause Clat Workshop!
https://bit.ly/menoclay
Menopause and Mind focus on raising awareness of the impact of menopause on mental health, and provide support for people experiencing menopause-related mental health struggles. Our focus is on well-being, transformation and connection. We explore creative approaches to mental well-being and practices of collective care. In this workshop, we will work with collage to explore share, and connect with others about our feelings around menopause and the climacteric. Our spaces are intergenerational so if you are menopause-curious or not sure if you have started peri-menopause yet you are still welcome to join us, to learn and share.
The clay work session is run by experienced facilitators: expressive artist Kirsty Lumm and Coach and Menopause Wellbeing Practitioner Heather McKnight.
What is expressive clay-work, and how can it help with mental well-being?
Clay originates from the earth, and can help us anchor very powerful emotions. Clay work involves body expression through the physical work with clay, and mental processes. It allows the integration of emotions, memories, and feelings from different levels of consciousness. Clay leaves an imprint and feelings move through hands into clay making the invisible visible.
If you are feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by life challenges, the use of clay as an expressive form can provide a safe place for releasing stored-up thoughts and emotions and unlearning old, destructive or unproductive habits at this transformative time. Clay is in our control, in a world that can seem out of control, allowing us to reshape grief, trauma and memories and work through anxiety and fear.
https://bit.ly/menoclay

03/04/2023

Menopause and Mind – Events for April/May

We are running inclusive and fun events Come and join us for an inclusive space of fun, friendship and creativity that will allow you time out to process, reflect and transform! The Care Cafes are free/pay what you can and the menopause arts workshops are on a sliding scale of £15 - £25. View the full listing of all our events on Eventbrite.

Our spaces are intergenerational, so if you want to know more, or are not sure if you have started peri-menopause yet, or just want to reflect on your experiences post-menopause you are still welcome to join us, to learn and share.

Menopause Care Café, Online event, Wednesday, 19 April 2023 at 18:30 BST

Confidence Building - Finding yourself again, Online event, Thursday, 20 April 2023 at 10:30 BST

Menopause Care Café, The Ledward Centre, Wednesday, 3 May 2023 at 10:00 BST

Moulding the Menopause Clay Workshop, Cornerstone Community Centre, Thursday, 4 May 2023 at 18:30 BST

Menopause Care Café, The Ledward Centre, Friday, 12 May 2023 at 16:00 BST

Painting the Menopause - Expressive Painting Workshop, Cornerstone Community Centre, Thursday, 18 May 2023 at 18:30 BST

Menopause and Mind focus on raising awareness of the impact of menopause on mental health, and provide support for anyone experiencing menopause-related mental health struggles. Our focus is on inclusion, well-being, transformation and connection.

27/03/2023

We are shortly going to launch a Menopause and Mind blog - we are looking for creative, personal or research based contributions - more info at this link!

Menopause and Mind invite would like to invite posts for our blog relating to menopause and mental health, creativity, and arts. We welcome creative responses to menopause, such as paintings, drawi…

26/03/2023

Here are some of the fantastic creations from our first ever Menopause and Mind "cutting the crap" collage workshop. A huge thanks to everyone who came and shared their stories. We will soon have a blog post sharing some of our experiences and helpful suggestions about coping with mental health struggles during menopause ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🏳️‍⚧️ ✊🏻 ✊🏼 ✊🏽 ✊🏾 ✊🏿

26/03/2023

We held a "cutting the crap" intuitive collage workshop!

26/03/2023

Menopause and Mind will focus on raising awareness of the impact of menopause on mental health, and providing support for people experiencing menopause-related mental health struggles. Our focus is on well-being, transformation and connection, and intergenerational sharing. We explore creative approaches to mental well-being and practices of collective care, and look at the language around menopause, looking at the climacteric as an important term in realising a new, inclusive and transformative and positive approach to menopause.

We will be running online classes in confidence building and in-person classes and events in the Brighton and Hove area. We are planning to formally constitute as a community organisation or community interest company so we can apply for funding to make our events free to all. We are looking for spaces to run our care cafes, and would like to work in partnership with organisations to ensure these reach a broad and diverse group of people. Please get in touch if you would like to get involved!

26/03/2023

NEWS!!!! As of the 15 March 2023 we have formally constituted as a community organisation and will be applying for funding to make all of our events free of charge! We are currently meeting with community organisations that we are looking to work in partnership on diverse menopause issues. We are meeting with Food Matters about supporting people in the criminal justice system on menopause matters and Mother’s Uncovered about meaningful support and information for parents during menopause, and Brighton Women’s Centre (supporting self-identifying women) about how we can work with their menopause network. We are hoping to hold some of our Care Cafes and we are looking for diverse venues for these to engage with the wider menopausal community in Brighton and Hove. If you are interested in working with us please do get in touch! climacteric@magneticideals.org

26/03/2023

We recognise that the mainstream narrative of menopause does not include everyone and discriminates and excludes many marginalised voices, including (not exhaustively) LGBTQIA+, trans voices, minority ethnic voices and neuro and physical diverse groups. We also recognise the negative impact that adverse childhood experiences have during menopause and that menopause happens at many ages, and impacts on those experiencing POI (Premature Ovarian Insufficiency) and surgical menopause can be particularly challenging. There is a lack of information of the impact of other conditions such as endometriosis on menopause due to lack of high quality research. Menopause and Mind embrace menodiversity and welcomes any person experiencing menopausal symptoms from any background. We are open to feedback and to improve our sessions, and to ensuring that we are using inclusive language and approaches. We support the aims of the Menopause Inclusion Collective

Menopause Inclusion Collective is a collaboration of menopause activists, advocates, experts by experience, researchers, individuals and professionals with interest in advancing equality, equity, diversity and inclusion in the menopause movement. Vision Our Vision is that menopause information, educ...