COURSE DATES

ONLINE: 7 - 8.30pm             TBC

IN-PERSON: 10am - 4pm   TBC

COURSE STRUCTURE:

8 x weekly Zoom sessions Tuesdays 7 - 8.30pm 

1 x In-person Day Retreat in Somerset 10 am - 4pm 

The course will be primarily online, with an all-day in-person event around the midway point of the course. 

Our community will be a group of up to ten women and the course tutors. 

ONLINE MEETINGS:

Each week, there will be a key host or a guest teacher who will share useful information and lead a group practice, and be available to ask any questions you may have. The practices will be yoga sessions, hypnotherapy and coaching, and meditation. 

There will be some discussion as a whole group, in small groups and in pairs. You won't be expected to speak in the whole group unless you want to, and you'll have plenty of time to discuss any issues you wish to either in smaller groups or one to one with one of the tutors. 

RETREAT DAY: 

We will gather together in-person for a day of rest, nourishment and deep relaxation. You will meet the tutors and enjoy a whole day of nutritious movement, delicous food for menopause balance, nutrition talks with Zillah and a sound healing with gongs and singing bowls. We will also be welcoming Erica Tijssen to this event - hypnotherapist and life coach. Erica will guide you through a hypnosis for self-acceptance and a life-coaching session. 

The retreat day is a chance to connect with your community and spend time with like-minded women. 

What you will learn 

To address energy levels, weight management, anxiety, brain fog, restful sleep and digestion, you’ll learn how to balance your hormones through some key pillars:

•  Identification of stressors with strategies and coping techniques to manage them

•  Blood sugar management strategies to get your key hormones working for you and not against you

• Learn what your appropriate protein intake is to give your body the tools it needs to leave you feeling energised

• Use specific and targeted foods to tap into your hormones at particular points in the day and month to support your hormone health

• Movement for pain management, healthy sleep, balanced energy and a calm nervous system

How to feel energised throughout the day:

• Banishing the afternoon slump or feelings that you can’t function without that first cup of coffee or shower

• Learn how to prioritise your sleep and put in place some strategies to get you sleeping through the night, leaving you feeling refreshed in the morning

•  Menopause Yoga, a complete body-mind practice which can ease symptoms, reduce pain and help you maintain muscle, brain and bone health from mid-life onwards

• The three types of necessary movement and how to incorporate them safely into your routine

•  Health concerns for the mid-life body and how to address them with achievable exercise goals

• Mindfulness techniques to manage difficult emotions and promote healthy rest and sleep

• Easy meditations to help balance the hormones we can affect

How to support your digestion for skin and hair health, through movement and nutrition: 

• Supporting your digestion means that what you eat is actually being absorbed and is useable by your body and is therefore important for all functions

•  Supporting digestion can have a profound effect on hormone health, skin and hair quality

Learn how to achieve a weight which is maintainable and appropriate for you, working with your hormones, and not against them:

• Ensure your meals and snacks are appropriately balanced

• A NO DIET approach to feeling your best embracing the notion that eating well doesn’t need to be boring or hard work

•  Banish the afternoon slump or feelings that you can’t function without that first cup of coffee or shower

• Learn how to prioritise your sleep and put in place some strategies to get you sleeping through the night, leaving you feeling refreshed in the morning

• Learn to eat and move for brain health, addressing difficulty concentrating, anxiety and fluctuating mood

• Improve mental clarity by using simple nutrition hacks to get key foods into your daily diet

• Befriend your body through body awareness and self-compassion, so you intuitively know what your body needs

• Guided meditation and gratitude practices to promote feelings of wellbeing

Course content:

Bi-weekly nutritional therapy and lifestyle coaching led by Zillah along with a recipe specific to the topic covered each session. 

Bi-weekly Menopause Yoga sessions led by Morven - yoga to minimise symptoms and keep muscle, brain, bone and digestion healthy through the changes. During the sessions Morven will share valuable information about what your changing body needs regarding movement and relaxation.

Bi-weekly Yoga Nidra sessions led by Morven. Yoga nidra is widely used by women in their menopause transition and anecdotal evidence states that it has helped women to sleep better and reduced hot flushes and night sweats. Deep relaxation has been shown to reduce stress hormone cortisol and promote feel-good oxytocin which has a positive effect on sex hormones and menopause symptoms.

Weekly guided meditation and gratitude practices to instil wellbeing at the core

Each session is designed to equip you with the knowledge, tools and tips you need to start tackling your troublesome symptoms.

Weekly troubleshooting and problem-solving as a group, which is vitally important to make habits which last the test of time. Together we will create goals and strategies, and support each other as we find out what works for us and what doesn't.

Week 1: INTRODUCTIONS, COURSE ORIENTATION

The menopause and how we can influence our journey through lifesyle choices. What exactly is happening to your body in the menopause transition and why self-care is no longer optional. 

How can we use nutrition to switch our cells from a state of stress to one of healing. 

How stimulants cause internal stress and what we can do about it.

The importance of hydration to combat the symptoms of menopause.

Why reducing stress and exercising is vital in midlife. What is menopause yoga? 

Short menopause yoga practice with Morven 

Week 2: MANAGING MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS THROUGH NUTRITION

How can we manage the symptoms we are experiencing now through diet?

We will look at how to balance our blood sugar and manage weight gain, support the liver,

ease aches and pains, boost our energy, improve the mental and emotional challenges we

face, reduce hot flushes, and finally sleep!

Week 3: MANAGING MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS THROUGH MOVEMENT AND MINDFULNESS

A look at how we can work movement and mindfulness into our busy lives in order to firstly tackle stress, and address other common symptoms of menopause. We'll do a Yoga for Menopause class (postures, breath work, relaxation, meditation) which focuses on stress reduction and finding the pleasure in movement. You will learn a meditation to cope with overwhelm, which you can do in your everyday life. 

Week 4: DAY RETREAT

We'll all come together for this day. A whole day of delicious, nutritious movement and food. Nutrition Q&A with Zillah, hypnotherapy and life-coaching with Erica. Yoga and sound bath with Morven. You'll receive a recipe to make and bring and we'll all share what we've made at lunchtime. 

Week 5: REDUCING HEALTH RISKS AFTER THE MENOPAUSE

How we can reduce the health risks we face after the menopause.

Menopause increases the risk of weight gain and diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and poor

bone health. We will explore the ways we can adjust our dietary habits now to give ourselves

the best chance of remaining strong, fit, and healthy following the menopause.

Week 6: YOGA FOR BRAIN AND BONE HEALTH 

Using resistance bands and weights for strength and resilience and why it's so important. Yoga for neuro-vitality - brain food to help cognitive ability as brian energy dips during menopause.  The science of relaxation and a guided deep relaxation and yoga nidra (yogic sleep) practice. Tips on using yoga practices to sleep well at night and boost energy in the day. 

Week 7: WHAT EXACTLY IS MENOPAUSE HEALTH ON A PLATE?

We’ll consider how to build a balanced plate and why this is so important. We’ll also discuss

whether we need to take supplements and which ones could be beneficial. Finally I’ll share

with you my top ten foods for menopause and why they are so special.

Each week I will share tasty recipes with you that incorporate the elements we cover in each

session.

Week 8: ALIGNING WITH PLEASURE, NOT WITH ACHIEVEMENT

It is more important than ever to seek out the pleasant in life. Redressing the balance away from the negativity bias. Learning self-compassion and self-acceptance as a life skill. HAES - Health At Every Size. 

Yoga practice led by Morven. 

Wrapping things up. How to maintain your health goals for life. 

What else is included?

• A group WhatsApp where you’ll encourage, motivate and learn together throughout the week and have access to Zillah and Morven for ongoing troubleshooting and support to keep you on track.

• Support videos with nuggets of useful info and short yoga "snacks" to keep you going

• Lifetime access to The Step Into Abundance video library so that you can continue your wellness journey beyond the course.

• Ongoing mentorship from Zillah and Morven even after the course has finished to encourage accountability, companionship and a sense of community as you continue your wellness journey at home.