Know Grow Flow
The Workshop
Group Menstrual Mentoring
An Introduction to Menstrual Cycle Awareness
My intention is to give you the tools, techniques and information you need to get started with your practice or deepen into your existing one.
Menstrual Cycle Awareness is the simple yet profound practice of coming to know, accept and cooperate with your cycle for mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
It is an invitation to reclaim the parts of ourselves and our cycles that have been rejected by us and our culture so that we might become whole and integrated.
To realise we are not 'mental' but elemental can bolster self-confidence and provide a powerful sense of inner knowing and inner strength.
Knowledge is power and self-understanding leads to self-acceptance.
Menstrual Cycle Awareness invites us to step into harmony with our bodies and nature and in doing so we are gifted entry to a not-so-secret club where the entry fee is self-acceptance and it feels like a homecoming.
.jpg)
As soon as I saw the Know Grow Flow course by Carly I was instantly called to do it - barely knowing anything about Menstrual Cycle Awareness. During the course Carly guided us through incredible information and topics that all of us should be taught from a young age - it’s mind-blowing! She carried us through with such grace, light and care, creating a space of acceptance and laughter. I have been equipped with the tools to build and create my own practice where my body, emotions and womb can finally start to feel loved, heard and understood and no longer scrutinised and judged by the critic I have created. It’s such a relief to have learnt that there’s no perfect practice, no expectations and it can be really simple to incorporate into your daily life - I felt a lot of pressure lifted. Thank you for sharing your vulnerability alongside us and helping us explore and dig deeper into our Femininity.
~ Steph
The Approach
The workshop is a blend of experiential, informative and interactive.
An intimate and bespoke day of tea, chat, relaxation and learning
We will explore practices, information, resources and discussion to build an understanding of our cycles so that we might begin to live more in sync.
My workshops always include a yoga nidra to allow space for interaction and relaxation and a sharing circle so that I can tailor the content to the needs and requirements of the group.
In the delivery of this workshop, I lean into my Well Woman Yoga Therapy training, my study of the cycle and my experience as a women's circle facilitator to hold a space for you that is nourishing, supportive, empowering and informative.
1. Know
Get to know what is happening in your body by learning about the menstrual cycle and charting your own.
2. Grow
Grow to understand, accept and cooperate with your shifting and changing hormones, moods, energy levels, behaviours and tendencies throughout the cycle.
3. Flow
Learn to flow with your unique experience of the menstrual cycle, discover how to harness and support yourself through each phase, and uncover the wild and cyclical life of your dreams.
Menstrual Cycle Awareness has allowed me to finally understand my body and it's rhythms. It has improved not only my physical health but also my mental and emotional health and the way that I see and interact with the world. Carly's mentoring offered me the opportunity to explore this practice in a safe and fully supportive environment. She brings in a playful and nurturing exploration, tailoring the sessions and the practices offered to each individual, meaning that you really get the most out of the sessions, offering insights you had never realised before. I always leave a session full of enthusiasm with new ideas and tasks to work through to deepen my Menstrual Cycle Awareness practice. This was the best investment I have made in myself and will continue to reap the benefits for the rest of my life. ~ Laura
What to Expect
-
An opening circle and sharing space (always optional)
-
Informative and interactive content
-
Practices to integrate the information into your own experience
- Journaling explorations and reflections
-
A lunch break (bring your own lunch)
-
An opportunity to ask questions and connect with others
-
A guided yoga nidra practice to close our day allowing integration and relaxation
-
An intimate and bespoke day of tea, chat, relaxation and learning
You will also receive
-
A follow-up email including a free PDF copy of my book Know Grow Flow
-
My 'Starting Charting Pack' including downloadable Menstrual Cycle Awareness chart
What you will learn and explore
-
Menarche stories and how our first experiences of our cycles shape our current relationship with it
-
Why menstrual cycle awareness is important and what it is
-
The biology and psychology of the cycle
-
The four phases of the cycle and how they impact us mentally, emotionally and physically
-
Discover your powers and vulnerabilities in each phase and how to harness them
-
Explore the barriers to cyclical living
-
Explore how and what you might chart
-
Charting fertility signs for health and wellbeing
-
Learn about how our environments impact our cycles and how we can minimise that impact
-
The seasons of the cycle
-
The power of PMS and how PMS is a symptom of the rejection of the feminine
-
Creating your own menstrual blueprint for a sustainable and cyclical life
Working with Carly has awoken what I can only describe as a small revolution inside of me! By supporting and guiding me through various ways and means of charting my cycle, allowing me to find those that suit me and my life, Carly has offered a loving and intuitive space to get to know my own unique rhythm and flows. She not only brings her exceptional warmth, honesty and openness but has the most incredible ability to hold space, all whilst bringing an absolute wealth of knowledge in MCA. In just a few short months I have seen the immense power that lies within understanding my cycle on such a deeper level. Being supported on this journey feels like I have uncovered and observed more in a short space of time, than I ever would have achieved without Carly guiding the way. ~ Suzy
The Exchange
Earlybird £45
Full price £50
Included in Wilder Woman tier Wild Woman Club membership
Big discounts for Flow tier members
1 free BIPOC or LGBTQIA+ space (email to apply)
FAQs, my story & credentials below or if you're all in book below!
Next workshop
I didn't quite realise how eye opening and life changing the four week course would be. I went in a complete novice about my cycle and came out feeling awakened and so much more in control. Carly is an incredible teacher/explainer and I was engaged from start to finish. Would do it again I felt I got so much out of it. ~ Erin
My Story
My grandma gave me my first journal at the age of 11, the same age I got my first period. At the time it seemed like a coincidence, but now I’m not so sure. Either way, 11-year-old me began marking the first day of her period with a star, and always made note of her mood each day.
Little did I know that these simple and innocent mood notes would form the basis of the menstrual cycle awareness techniques that I use now. They were documenting invaluable information about my early cycles and menstrual experience. An absolute treasure trove for me now as a data loving adult.
My introduction to menstrual life wasn’t marked with any magic and I was shut down every time I tried to ask questions. How difficult it must have been for my parents, and those of their generation, to answer enquiries like this, with such little education on the subject. I started experiencing panic attacks, suffering incredible pain and wild mood swings. The only suggestion from my doctors and friends? Go on the pill. Something I knew in my gut I didn't want to do.
The pain became so bad in my late 20s that twice I had to pull over while driving. Retching, wailing and moaning with pains so extreme that I genuinely considered they might kill me. I know that sounds extreme, but if you've experienced this before, you'll know what I mean. On top of the physical symptoms, I was also experiencing mood swings so severe that I was regularly lashing out and feeling suicidal during my premenstrual phase. Life didn't seem worth living, yet hormonal contraception didn't feel like the solution for me. I felt deep in my bones that this pain was a message, I just needed to learn how to hear it.
I finally heard it 18 years after my first period and so began the journey of trying to respond. I was on a Well Woman Yoga Therapy Training course with Uma Dinsmore-Tuli. I slowed down. Began to truly listen to my body and honour my emotions. I learned about the power of the menstrual cycle and was taught how to support each phase of my cycle. As a consequence of this work, I had my first ever pain free period during that training.
Once I heard what my body was trying to tell me, I couldn’t unhear it. It transformed the way I live and work and bleed. I’d been given a gift. One of freedom from suffering and the solution had been so simple; learning to understand, accept and cooperate with my body, rather than ignoring, rejecting and overriding it.
This gift has become my biggest passion and my life's work.
Training and Credentials
I am a certified Well Woman Yoga Therapy, Pregnancy Yoga, Yoga Nidra & Restorative Yoga Teacher and have a deep understanding and lived experience of the biological, psychological & spiritual impacts of the menstrual cycle.
I am a Fertility Awareness Method practitioner & currently training to become a Registered BSY Holistic Fertility Therapist.
Certification
-
200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at Whitespace Yoga Studio ~ March 2015-June 2016
-
Introduction to Yoga Nidra and iRest with Restful Being ~ October 2016
-
Teaching Vinyasa Flow with Dawn Wright at Whitespace Yoga Studio ~ January 2017
-
Well Woman Yoga Therapy Course with Uma Dinsmore-Tuli ~ November 2017
-
Total Yoga Nidra Immersion with Nirlipta Tuli ~ January 2018
-
Healing Early Developmental Trauma Through the Body with Ralf Marzen ~ October 2019
-
Restorative Yoga Teacher Training 50 Hours with Deborah Berryman at Whitespace Yoga Studio ~ December 2019
-
Pregnancy Yoga Teacher Training at Whitespace Yoga Studio with Dawn Wright ~ October 2020
-
Professional BSY Holistic Fertility Therapy Diploma ~ 2021 pending
Mentoring & Study
-
Mentoring and workshops with my mentor and guide Naseem Khakoo
-
Wild Power Course with Red School and TreeSisters ~ February - April 2018, Online
-
Menstrual Cycle Awareness practice since 2012, cycle tracking since 1999, Menstrual Cycle Awareness Mentoring since 2018
A Note on Certification...
As fellow Menstrual Cycle Awareness advocate, Vickie Williams, once said. 'I'm a woman, that's my training' and I wholeheartedly agree. I also live and breathe this work each and every day of my life. My menstrual cycle is the foundation from which the rest of my life grows and flows. I have facilitated women's circles since 2016, regular Well Woman Yoga classes since 2017 and have seen many women 1-1 over the years in my Menstrual Mentoring sessions which over time has exposed me to the goldmine of many different experiences of menstruation and the menstrual cycle.
As I mentioned in my about section, some of the best teachers, healers, facilitators and musicians I've ever met are the ones that are self-taught. I believe wholeheartedly in trusting a person and their innate skills and passions over a certificate, particularly because often the people with a lot of innate skill and passion don't have the resources to train as training is expensive! I have a vision that some day we'll be able to pass yoga on through mentorship for free like the old days and sack off all this officialdom.
FAQs
The overarching answer to most questions is that if you feel the call to do this work then you are welcome here but let me delve into a few of the most common questions I get asked...
Can I track my cycle on hormonal contraception?
Hormonal contraception means that you don't have periods (the bleeding is a withdrawal bleed from the drugs) so you won't be able to track your period as such, but there's still a great depth of work that can be done. As far as I'm concerned, tracking and charting are great mental health tools and a menstrual cycle is just one blueprint to follow.
Side point: There are lots of incredibly valid reasons for needing and/or wanting hormonal contraception, so please know that there will never be any judgement from me. This will never exclude you from the work I offer.
Can I practice Menstrual Cycle Awareness without a cycle?
There are many reasons why a person might not have a visible monthly cycle, including (but not limited to) being born without a womb, having had a hysterectomy, menopause, early menopause, lactational amenorrhea, hypothalamic amenorrhea, eating disorders, hormonal contraception, being a trans woman, and some health issues. However, there are many ways to explore cyclicity beyond just Menstrual Cycle Awareness. As with hormonal contraception you won't be tracking your period, but tracking and charting your moods, energy levels, behaviours, tendencies and physical changes can be a very grounding practice, providing insight into your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. If you're not working with a cycle I often suggest tracking alongside the phases of the moon.
Cyclical living is not just the remit of people with periods; with or without a visible monthly cycle, living in tune with your rhythms and the rhythms of nature can be so supportive.
Can I do this work post-menopause?
This workbook does not specifically cover menopause, so it might not be right for you if this is your focus. This work can retrospectively shed light on a life of periods as well as deepening your connection to the lunar, seasonal, and greater life cycles. When looking at seasonal associations, perimenopause is often linked to autumn and menopause to winter. It may be that you find the information related to these phases relevant.
Can I Chart my Cycle if it is Irregular?
There are many reasons why a person might have irregular cycles, such as PCOS, perimenopause, stress, travel, or an underlying health issue. If your cycle is irregular, know that often there is a larger cycle within that. Years of talking about periods has shown me that anecdotally lots of people experience a change in cycle length around seasons change. Strange but seemingly true.
Perhaps one of the most beneficial elements of charting and tracking, for those with irregular cycles, is the ability to predict your period. As you begin to learn the signs of ovulation, this can be achieved fairly accurately, as the premenstrual phase is generally considered to be the most consistent. The unpredictability of an irregular cycle requires even closer, more attentive inner listening. Sometimes this very act of attention, acceptance and cooperation, can help to iron out the very issues that made it irregular to begin with.
I don't have a good relationship with my period, I don't know if this is going to work for me?
I hear you, I feel you. I didn't get into this work because my period was a sunny breeze. I got into this work because my period caused me to suffer so badly that at times it felt too much to bear.
I wondered if I could handle 10 days of every 3 weeks as a completely non-functional human being. However, with better understanding, I now view my period as an incredibly valuable health feedback loop. You don't have to love your period but some tolerance, understanding and acceptance goes a long way. If you're feeling the call to understand yours more intimately, I'd say you're in the right place.
What people say
As soon as I saw the Know Grow Flow course by Carly I was instantly called to do it - barely knowing anything about Menstrual Cycle Awareness. During the 4 weeks Carly guided us through incredible information and topics that all of us should be taught from a young age - it’s mind blowing! She carried us through with such grace, light and care, creating a space of acceptance and laughter. I have been equipped with the tools to build and create my own practice where my body, emotions and womb can finally start to feel loved, heard and understood and no longer scrutinised and judged by the critic I have created. It’s such a relief to have learnt that there’s no perfect practice, no expectations and it can be really simple to incorporate into your daily life - I felt a lot of pressure lifted. Thank you for sharing your vulnerability alongside us and helping us explore and dig deeper into our Femininity.
— Steph