Embrace the Change: A Day-Long Community Workshop on Perimenopause
Saturday Nov 2nd 10am-4pm Workshop, 4:30-5:30pm Optional Dance
The Rooted Center Studio, Moon Mountain Highway, Bingen
Cost: $46 (includes dance!)
Are you experiencing the early stages of menopause and seeking support and understanding? Maybe you just learned about perimenopause from a friend and want to learn more? Join us for a day-long community-building workshop dedicated to exploring perimenopause, designed to empower and educate you during this significant life transition.
This event is meant to START the conversation and allow for continued support. Time will be allocated at the end of the workshop for brainstorming what we need NEXT.
What you can expect:
Informative Sessions: Learn about the physical changes associated with perimenopause and tools to support the transition from experienced healthcare professionals.
A mental health perspective: How does this phase affect our identity? How can symptoms of perimenopause be confused with having anxiety or depression? Find out the difference so you can get the support you need.
Interactive Discussions: Engage in open and supportive conversations with other women experiencing similar changes in small break out circles.
Body based practices: This workshop includes intentional awareness of our bodies throughout the day together as well as an optional 1.5 hour 5Rhythms dance offering to end the day with Sara Mains at The Rooted Center Studio inside of Moon Mountain Highway. Find out more about 5Rhythms dance HERE.
This is a community building workshop!
I have kept this workshop LOW COST to encourage as many women to attend as possible. This workshop is so vital to all of us (including me!). Thank you to the speakers who are donating their time!
LIMITED SPOTS- keeping it to 30 people max for ample room.
We are looking for 2-3 people to make a SOUP for lunch! With this generous offer you will get to come for FREE :) Email me at kay@altoncc.org if you’re interested or click the button below.
General Schedule:
10am: START! Agenda, who is in the room, why are we here
11am: Q&A with Michelle Gerbi and Chardonnay Vance, MD
12:30-1pm: Small group discussions
1pm-1:45pm: Soup & salad lunch (provided)
2pm: Laurie VanCott: Tangible tools, how to support our physical bodies in this transition
3pm: Debrief/Now what do we need?
4pm: CLOSE! Anyone dancing walks 3 blocks to Moon Mountain Highway
4:30-5:30pm: 5Rhythms Dance**
**A small note on the dancing part…the basic rules are we don’t talk (but there may be laughter, sighs & exclamations) & it’s a free flow dance with a little instruction- however you move your body is great. It starts with a warm up, gets more up tempo and then cools down. I know this may be something new….you can decide day of if it’s something you want to do, but I promise it won’t be something you’ll regret experiencing- if only once ;) This type of movement REALLY helped me during my pregnancy/post birth so wanted to offer it up again in this next transitional phase. 🖤
Chardonnay Vance, MD
Dr Vance is a family practice physician who is passionate about promoting a whole-person and individualized approach to the practice of modern medicine, and, in particular, about serving women and their unique needs. She transitioned to leadership in Telemedicine after working as a midwife, research scientist, and full-spectrum family practice doc. She is currently seeing patients and serving as the Medical Director for Clinical Quality and Product at Circle Medical, a virtual-first primary care clinic based out of San Francisco and Montreal that is staffed by over 400 providers and serves more than 3500 patients a day. You can book an appointment with her at the following link.
Michelle Gerbi, DC
Dr. Gerbi is an experienced and compassionate health practitioner specializing in prenatal, postpartum and infant care. She understands firsthand the challenges that new mothers face and is dedicated to providing accessible and empowering care to all women. With a wealth of clinical expertise and a deep understanding of the spiritual and interpersonal aspects of healing, Michelle has developed a multidimensional approach to postpartum care and infant feeding issues.
Michelle has been a practitioner in the gorge community for 13 years. Her journey as a chiropractic physician has led her to explore new pathways to help patients, and she is now a certified prenatal and postpartum health coach, international board-certified lactation consultant, tummy time method educator, and perinatal mental health advocate.
Laurie VanCott, MSPT
Laurie began practicing yoga at the age of 15, and has been a yoga instructor and physical therapist for over 20 years.
She believes building awareness and knowledge of the body and mind can empower a person in their own healing process. This has led her to teach yoga and practice physical therapy in a way that focuses on the mind/body connection through traditional treatments combined with yoga.
Her teaching style is a blend of yoga influences grounded in a studied knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics. She loves the challenge of helping people find the ability to move within their bodies and build spirit and determination within their hearts.
She teaches a national continuing education course for healthcare professionals on Yoga and Meditation for Pelvic Health. Locally she practices physical therapy in Hood River, OR and is the clinical coordinator for the Mommy & Baby Wellness program and speaker for the Yoga and Meditation for the Persistent Pain Education program.
Sara Mains
12 years ago, Sara made the Columbia River Gorge her home. The Gorge is a dramatically beautiful landscape of rivers, desert, mountains, farms, wildflowers, and now a thriving 5Rhythms community - A community of individuals connected to themselves and each other through this soulful practice and the language of movement. People of all kinds need a place where it is safe to be real, where compassion and connection are valued, and where together we let the light and the dark shine equally, dancing all parts of being human. That is what's happening here.
Sara leads weekly classes and workshops, facilitates private events and one-on-one movement sessions in the Columbia River Gorge and beyond.
The Gorge is a destination for students and guest teachers, a home, one of the many, for Gabrielle Roth's 5Rhythms Movement Practice.