B L O S S O M
4 week program in Mohua beginning Autumn Equinox
BLOSSOM is a warm, nurturing, safe space for young girls (aged 9-12) to gather weekly to be educated, empowered and connected to their transition from young girl into blossoming young woman. Where they will learn the seasons of nature and how they will come to embody these seasons within their menstrual cycle. How they can take care of their physical and emotional wellbeing as they grow. The basic anatomy of their pelvis and the organs involved in healthy female maturation. How to lovingly remain connected to themselves, their friends, their family and their world as life begins to blossom.
Throughout the program they will be offered tools, uplifting experiences and stories that will open the doors to connecting to their expanding emotional capacity of new hormones in the body, how to tend to their growing female form with kindness and care, all while building trust with self, sisterhood and the female community in their life.
G O A L S
>> To educate and empower young girls with the proper holistic knowledge of their coming menstruation & changing bodies.
>> To create a safe, fun and supportive space for girls to express themselves & learn with those who are of a similar age and life experience.
>> To create strong female bonds with the girls, their mothers and the female community around them so that they feel they have a secure network to reach out to and be nurtured by as they mature.
>> To offer each girl a sense of safety & empowerment in knowing how to be with the changes of her body and her life.
>> To instil a sense of wonder, confidence and excitement in the changes that may be occurring and are still to come.
>> To nurture a growing community of women & young girls that will continue to blossom in their wisdom and female kinship.
WHY B L O S S O M ?
The female youth of the world are so incredibly important to everyones future.
Providing this space for young girls is one of the ways I wish to support the next generation. I wish I had had it. I know I would have experienced a much more graceful, enriching youth if I had. And after my years working with mothers, families and women of all walks, it has become clear to me that there is SO much women's wisdom that has been lost throughout the years of colonisation that we desperately need to bring back into our culture. The young girls of our community need access to spaces, experiences and information that will assist them in navigating this increasingly changing world. It is imperative that this begins with a fruitful and nurtured experience of blossoming into womanhood, into their own bodies so as to offer them a solid inner foundation to grow & navigate from. I believe it is of grave importance to the overall health of our next generation that we ensure that they are educated and empowered to be able to know themselves with a solid connection to the wisdom of their bodies through simple, enjoyable practices & experiences that will ensure a life rich with knowledge and understanding so they may confidently hold themselves in this world.
WHY AGE 9-!2?
Originally I began putting a program together for pre-teens as well as teens. Imagining I would be sharing space with girls who were nearly about to bleed and/or had just began their bleeding years. But, to my surprise, when I put the call out to see whom in the community had daughters and were interested in them receiving the warm space & support to begin connecting with their budding bodies I received various contact with mums whose girls were becoming pubescent as young as 8years old. Not yet bleeding, but experiencing body and hormonal changes. Statistically, girls are beginning their bleeding years much younger than some of us did, and way younger than our great grandmothers. So, we have to find a way to support these children in understanding what is unfolding for them in this day and age. It took me some time to grasp this reality of our sweet female youth coming into their young adulthood so early in their bodies these days. And so I have landed on a way in which to share this knowledge with them as a means of gently sending the waka down the river towards womanhood. In that I wish to give them some of the knowing as to why they are changing and what is to come. One, so when the big change comes with menstruation starting, she is not overwhelmed, that these soils have been enriched with excitement and a feeling joy to learn more about her time in her cyclical years. Two, to ensure that as their bodies change they are connected to their bodies and the needs of their bodies whilst having close friends and a community that is openly accessible and supportive to them as they continue to grow. I have heard from some Mothers that they feel their daughters are too young for this program, and I fully understand. I hope mothers and daughters respect that if they sense this to trust it AND I wish to encourage that if your daughter is beginning to show signs of transition to contact me and consider bringing her into this gentle & welcoming space of beginning her learnings.
If you have a daughter who is between the ages of 13-15yrs or well into her teens and you feel she could benefit from a program like this, please get in touch as I have programs coming for these age ranges as well.
CONTENT
The beginnings...
over 4 weeks the girls will journey through fun, experiential and knowledge filled group spaces through the elements & wheel of the year.
SPRING :: SUMMER :: AUTUMN :: WINTER
The girls will learn in a fun, safe & supportive environment :
>> anatomy of the pelvis & reproductive system
>> biology of budding hormones & the dance of new emotional experiences
>> coming of the gift of menstruation
>> boundaries, self love & how to care for your body
>> necessity of sisterhood & support
Everything that will be shared with the girls will be catered to their age range and offered in a fun and warmly held space. Meaning, they will not be seated in a typical ‘class’ environment. There will be movement, art, crafts and games. Each gathering will open with agreements for respecting one another and the shared space, including consent, choice, privacy and the gift of building bonds within the female community. There will always be space for the girls to share questions, curiosities and experiences within the topics and materials each week. The younger the group, the more movement, stories and play will be incorporated into giving them this knowledge.
Additionally, it is intended that the Mothers, or female caretakers of each girl will also be included in this Blossoming. Over the period that the girls will be involved in the program the women will come to their own gathering. To which they will receive the material & information that the girls will be given. This is to ensure that if the girls have questions outside of the group space and turn to their primary female support, that she too will be informed and able to lean into this shared wisdom. There will be a a gathering for which the Mothers will be invited to join the young girls where there will be space for sharing stories and experiences. This is to give the girls a deeper sense of community, safety, understanding and relatability with their mums as well as other women in their community.
FACILITATOR
Kassandra Angus is a Traditional Reproductive Therapist who has been working in the world of womens wisdom since her early 20's. Over the years working one on one with women to heal their bodies & come into a place of softness, self trust & empowerment she has expanded her work into holding group journeys & explorations for women to experience their own inner wisdom & land in a greater sense of self nourishment.
Presently situated in Mohua, Golden Bay she has been weaving offerings together for the younger female community so they may grow rooted in their own well of love and wisdom.
REGISTRATION & SPACE & COST
This program has space for up to 13 girls to be apart of this coming BLOSSOM journey.
It is intended to run on Sundays Beginning March 21st (Equinox) in Mohua
It is intended that each gathering will be between 90min - 2hr with the final gathering a space for shared kai following.
Current Schedule over the 4 weeks:
MOTHERS GATHERING :
Sunday, March 21st - 10am-1230/1pm
GIRLS FIRST GATHERING :
Sunday, March 21st - 4pm - 530/6pm
GIRLS SECOND GATHERING :
Sunday, March 28th - 4pm - 530pm
GIRLS THIRD GATHERING :
Sunday, April 4th - 4pm - 530pm
FINAL GATHERING :
Monday, April 12th
Girls : 430pm - 530pm
Mothers come to join 530pm - 630pm with shared kai following
please note that if you are viewing this program for Mohua the price will vary in different regions and communities & as the program expands