Questions?
I understand how imperative these teaching are, and I also understand the manner in which they are presented can make a huge impact. If I were sending my girl I would want to know who the teacher is, and their context for holding and sharing this information. Below I address some questions you may have, and if you have others after reading please reach out. I want to make sure that you understand and feel connected to my context, style, and language and that we are in alignment in what and how your girl is being taught.
How is puberty presented?
Puberty changes begin to happen before your girl starts her bleed. We talk about body shapes, developing breasts, widening hips, bodily smells/pheromones, and hormones. We explore how our vulvas grow from being a small and closed rose bud to a rose blossom with unique and beautiful petals. Also we discuss cervical fluid and that there are fertile and infertile windows within our cycle. We learn to receive our emotions as signposts to our well being and touch on social developments.
How is anatomy presented?
I go over complete internal and external reproductive organs, showing depictions that are detailed and informative. Your girls will see many variations of breasts, vulvas, and uterus’s. I talk about the clitoris as a sensitive little button that brings feelings of pleasure, but i don’t go into it any deeper than that.
I have multiple girls, can I send more than one?
Yes! I fully embrace a family experience and feel it is beautiful to go through a transformative experience like this as sisters. Your day to day lives are lived together and your experiences of womanhood will hopefully be shared, held, and celebrated in togetherness. As family members you will be encouraged to share the space and attention during our intimate ceremony and times together and to create a bond where trust in the shared unity is built.
What is your context for mentioning Spirit?
I believe life = Spirit. I don’t share any religious, dogmatic, or image related definitions of spirit/god/creator/energy. I do however share mythology of Goddesses from around the world. I also focus on the 5 Sacred Elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether/Spirit, as cornerstones of life. They are the elements that make up all living things, which too live within us. Each day we will highlight one as our theme which ties into our lessons of the body, self care, story, creative expression, and ritual. We will also honor the 4 directions and the energies they carry.
Can you explain the importance of the 5 Sacred Elements?
Every living thing is made up of the elements and life could not exist without each of them. Earth related to our dense human forms, the matter that makes up our bones, our tissues, the minerals in and around us, the Earth herself that houses all life. Water is the deliverer of all life, carries the nutrients, fuels the bonding, is our blood, sweat tears, it holds our babies and our memories. The waters of our mothers wombs are stored in our cerebral spinal fluid for our entire lives, informing us of our lineages and ancestry on a cellular level. Fire is the heat and warmth within and beyond us, igniting our passions, our transformations, and many of our emotions. it is how we digest and assimilate food, life, information and relationships. Air is the expansion and contraction that causes growth and introspection and air is connected to the mind. It is the very life we breathe and the energies of the winds and invisible waves that inform and connect us all. Ether, or spirit as an element, is our consciousness, subconsciousness and energy fields. It connects all timelines, and is not bound by space or definitions. Ether contains the mysteries and truths that we are humans are here to remember. Ether holds cosmic codes that are the blueprint for all life.
All are interdependent and integral to life on Earth.
My Daughter is under/over exposed, how would you handle this in a group setting?
In our world It is easy for over exposure to happen without us knowing or being able to prevent it. Some aren’t aware of what lurks in the shadows around us and lack supervision. Some are aware and seek to share in delayed permission in hopes to keep innocence a little longer. I will NOT share directly about sex, porn, boundary violations, non consensual experiences, etc, however I will focus on consent, strong boundaries, knowing our yes’s and no’s, treating our bodies as sacred and only sharing in safe places. Before sharing, I will let girls know going into certain discussions that what they know may not be known by all, they will be asked to bring questions and detailed conversations to me privately or to their trusted adults. I will also lightly touch on internet/phone safety and what to do if they come across anything that they know they shouldn’t be seeing/doing.
This being said at this age, most girls know about sex, so if you haven’t discussed this topic with them I would encourage you to consider that soon.
As a mom I don’t even know this stuff, what do I do, how do I connect with her on this?
I will be offering bits of information along the way for you mamas, I also plan to provide a more in depth sharing via a live and recorded zoom call within the the next few months. I hope to give you similar language and context for what I will be sharing with your girls so you can communicate comfortably together. If you have any questions feel free to reach out. I will also be sending out a resource guide to those enrolled with links to amazing spaces to learn more of this information yourself. Lastly, I hope to offer this kind of class to women/mamas one day in a deeper more integrated way. Stay tuned!
Do you touch on Gender Identity?
I do NOT directly bring up gender. I focus clearly and lovingly on the beauty of our female bodies, the power and magic that lies in the full acceptance of our cycles and who we came here to be. These bodies that house us are uniquely ours and it’s our personal journey to anchor deeper into not only who we want to be, but who we chose to come in as. If the topic is brought up I share that not everyone has the same journey, and that there is space in the world for everyone’s expression and life path to unfold for them. There are infinite paths to learning ourselves and navigating our lives. This being said, I always bring it back to honor, acceptance, embodiment, and care for the bodies we are in. I hold a non-judgemental view toward all.
What product options do you present?
My primary focus is to remain as natural as possible. I heavily emphasize organic and sustainable products. We go over disposable and reusable pads, period panties, menstrual cups, and though I do touch on organic tampons I share the risks involved and share my personal perspective, that the body wants to expel the blood, not have it sit against the tissues for hours. I state they are a good option for sports or swimming as uniforms and activities can be effected by pads, and cups feel a bit much for many teens to wrap their heads around. I ensure a non-judgemental view for all people and their choices here. If girls or women do choose to use tampons I stress the importance of organic/non-toxic options. At the end of camp I also will provide discount codes to many companies and makers of sustainable products for your use.
I feel very called to send my girl, but our finances are tight, do you offer any financial support?
I will not turn anyone away for lack of funds. I want this to be available to all who need it, so if you need a lower exchange please don’t hesitate to reach out. This being said, this is a passion of mine that I pour my heart and soul into, I’ve dedicated endlessly toward creating an offering I fully stand behind and vow to hold your girls with such gentleness, grace, love and compassion while doing my best to offer empowering information and tools they can carry forward forever. These gifts are invaluable and worth every penny that you can comfortable give. I will also be providing donation options for those who want to support the cause for any reason, and hopefully this translates to more sponsorship options. Money is powerful tool that we all need to wield to our highest benefit.
We can’t make this round, will you be offering anything in the future?
This is just the beginning. :) Stay tuned as I do have visions of what’s to come, throughout the year, not just in summer. I’m going to see this project through and am committed to bringing this vision into form as I’m shown. no timeline just yet, but you’ll know when I know. Just sign up for my newsletter to keep informed!