Vivid Vancouver Island circles are facilitated by Vivid Menopause co-founder Bronwyn Simons.

To inquire about Vivid Menopause Circles, contact Bronwyn here.

What is a Vivid Menopause Circle?

These are intimate local gatherings, eight weeks of weekly evenings, designed to support sustain and nurture you through menopause, or to continue to live vividly post-menopause. They are open to women of all ages and stages; pre- and peri-menopausal women, young women who have experienced medical menopause or early menopause, women going through surgical menopause and “natural” menopause, as well as post-menopausal women who wish to re-assess their experience and celebrate. The heroic menopausal journey belongs to all of us. And your story belongs in our circles.

Who runs the menopause circles?

Each of our Mentors has trained directly with Bronwyn, is intimately familiar with the Menopause Journey to Wholeness, and has had additional training in leadership skills, mentoring, and the circle way. We are proud of our Mentors, each are accomplished in their own diverse fields, and each have a great deal to offer the menopause community. We have also noticed that Vivid women have a certain something – a brightness, a vibrancy, a juiciness and kind tenderness that we love.

Vivid Vancouver Island circles are facilitated by Vivid Menopause co-founder Bronwyn Simons.

What happens in the Menopause Circles?

Menopause is a powerful initiation into wisdom. At this profound time in your life, you deserve to be celebrated. You deserve the time, ease, spaciousness, tools, resources, support, knowledge, and companionship that you need to navigate this challenging and beautiful mid-life journey.

In a Vivid Menopause Eight Week Circle we will explore the physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of menopause. You will learn strategies for self-care and dealing with physical changes, you’ll gain a deeper understanding about what’s happening in your body, and you’ll also explore the deeper meaning, the gifts, and the awakening that comes with menopause. Our intention is to offer you refreshment for body mind and spirit at this time when you may be feeling depleted and alone. We also want to offer you practical strategies for coping with what life brings us at this time.

In the Vivid Menopause Eight Week Circle you will celebrate this beautiful passage in your life in the company of other women on the path. Each week you will explore one of our Eight Steps on this Sacred Journey to Wholeness. Each week you will LEARN, REFLECT and CREATE. There will be circle time, space and encouragement for self-inquiry through journaling prompts, and personal challenges creative projects to keep you inspired and in the flow.

Here is how our Sacred Journey will unfold:

Week 1: Hearing the Call

For many of us as we reach our late 40’s and 50’s what we have relied upon for so long is taken away from us. This transformation is not easy …. we are undergoing an initiatory process. We are birthing a new self as elders and wise women. In Week 1 we explore the passage of menopause – the heroine’s journey – her descent, her sacrifices and her rise. You will explore your inner experience of menopause through…

listening deep to the body’s messages * the story of the descent and ascent of the goddess – the heroic menopausal journey * body image and self-love * sacred self-care through movement * redefining beauty * loving yourself through bodily changes * connecting to the wisdom of the body * telling our body stories and history

Week 2: Going to the Well

If our culture supported and honoured menopause we would not reach menopause in a state of exhaustion and physical depletion. We don’t need a quick fix – we need to be able to tap into a deep source of nourishment. In this week you will create a new approach to menopausal wellness through…

understanding the sacred language of hormones * nurturing health at menopause * exploring herbal wisdom * trying mindfulness practice * linking the physical, emotional, and energetic realms * refilling your well * learning daily self-care practices * creating your menopause wellness plan * learning self nurturing and body honouring practices

Week 3: Crossing the River

As we go through Menopause we can experience deep grief for anything in our lives that we could have birthed – but didn’t. Navigating this experience is essential for healthy menopause. We must plunge in and go through these strong currents to reach another shore, where our new life awaits us. In this week you will…

let go of the old and embrace the new * write the “fairy tale” of your life and explore your TRUE happy ever after * make peace with your younger self * experience self forgiveness * the art of ending things with grace * tell the stories of our womanly transformations (menarche, sex, birth, menopause) * create a ritual of release

Week 4: Claiming the Crown

What if midlife women could be seen as beautiful, powerful, sexy, self-asserting, wise women? This is where we become the models for a NEW MENOPAUSE ~ this is where the revolution starts! In this week you will…

discover where you lost your power * identify where you are overgiving * claim your sovereignty * claim your space * put yourself first * feel excited about exercising your power in the world * experience sacred ceremony to claim your crown

Week 5: Companions on the Journey

As we enter menopause our relationships begin to shift, we are changing and growing into our power and this can be difficult for those around us. In this week you will:

explore new roles in relationships * define your needs – with your partner, your parents, your children, your friends and yourself  * create your personal relationship mandala * create a powerful vision of yourself as a wise woman * claim your power as an elder * learn energy skills for happy boundaries

Week 6: Tantric Transformation

A woman who is completely at home in her body, who knows her path to pleasure and is comfortable with her desires is a force to be reckoned with. Our sexuality is changing. Menopause can be a time of expansion rather than diminishment of our sexual energy – it can be a time to redefine what it means to be a sexual woman in this world. In this week you will…

claim your sensuality and pleasure * listen to the voice of your desire * understand the tantra of menopause * love your body and love your desires * come home to yourself and accept your body * learn about menopause and Kundalini * reclaim your erotic nature * reclaim pleasure in every area of your life * claim your sexuality as your own * getting familiar with your needs *  learn about saying yes and saying no * cherish your and dreams and talents * nurture your beauty

Week 7: Joining the Dance

At midlife, we begin to connect with the world in a whole new way. As we grow beyond the sphere of focused nurturing of family and career, we gain greater perspective and wider connections to both community and cosmos. This week you will…

rediscover lunar cycles the wise woman way * connect with nature * understand our body’s new rhythms * learn about wise woman traditions * explore and understand the seasons of life * learn about our plant allies  and the planets as cosmic guides * make a moon mandala to harness the power of the moon in our daily lives * connect to your spirituality and intuition

week 8: ENTERING THE WISDOM YEARS  – YOUR WISE WOMAN CELEBRATION!

This week we step into our new Wise Woman role and honour and celebrate one another in an exquisite mutually created ceremony. Menopause is an initiation into Wisdom – it is an entrance into a new state of being and a new role within our community In this week you will…

claim your status as an elder and wise woman  * create a new tradition – become a model for menopause and aging * honour your journey with your own menopause celebration and ceremony

When and Where

Our next Live Vivid Menopause Circle is Tuesday evenings, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, March 15 – April 26, 2016, on Denman Island. This circle is being offered at an extra low introductory island rate of $140. Register and pay in full, or choose two equal payments of $75.

Register now and pay in full:

Register now and pay $75, then an additional $75 in three weeks:

You will be contacted with full information within 24 hours of making your payment.

For other payment options, contact Bronwyn.

vivid praise from past participants:

The Vivid Menopause Circle went WAY beyond my expectations. Bronwyn led us through each step with beauty and grace. The assignments were at times challenging, but were also balanced out with art and self-care. The group of women that participated were some of the most beautiful and raw souls that I have ever encountered in one place. I never expected to feel such a strong bond of sisterhood and support. This course has changed not only how I view menopause, but my overall outlook on living as well. This course helped me break out and claim power I didn’t know that I had. ~Rosanna Der

What I loved most about the Vivid Menopause Journey was the connection, support, sharing of stories, and feeling excited about a new way to approach menopause. I benefited in so many ways from the  Journey: in learning about the importance of sleep, nourishment on many levels, self-acceptance at this time, new ideas for managing symptoms and even better ways to think/feel about them. I felt supported in my personal life. The other women were so brave, beautiful, raw, real. ~Lee Robin

I Love, Love, Loved the Course! It was a coming home for me as I was guided gently in connecting with myself as an elder woman. The wonderful language used in the course around menopause was positive, empowering, hopeful, insightful, spiritual and freeing. The creative focus in its experiential processes really opened opportunities to explore deeply the true essence of being a menopausal woman. Importantly, the online support was an integral part of the process for me. The feedback from the other wise women gave insightful gifts of understanding that moved me into new places of being in my menopausal understanding. At times it was difficult to explore deeply the aspects of the changing body, soul and spirit of my aging self and the other women gently held me on my journey. The benefits are many here are a few:

1. Falling in love with the aging self.
2. Deeper understanding of the physical changing and how to support those changes.
3. Spiritual awakening of an aging self.
4. A wonderful supportive community of AMAZING women.
5. The opportunity to use the work with other women as a mentor and change how menopause is viewed in contemporary culture.
6. Learning the importance and practicalities of using rituals in the menopausal process.

It was a fantastic opportunity!!! I am grateful to have been part of and continue to be part of a new way of being menopausal, an elder and therefore a wisewoman. Love, love, loved the course! ~Peta Greenough

Stepping into Vivid Menopause took me into the depths of processing and understanding my path up to this point and beyond. I descended and ascended back into myself through encouragement from the course work. I am empowered to create and share the wisdom to support other women. Every woman stepping into their wise women part of their life should embrace taking the course, to be held supported and encouraged to be the amazing person that they are. Bronwyn Simons and Annagrace Kaye were there for me every step of the way. ~Kelley Ingols

The Vivid Menopause Journey called me from the moment I first saw the website, and it did not disappoint. This was a program that I felt I was destined to take. Bronwyn gently and courageously guided me and the other participants into connecting with our past and our new sacred journey as Wise Women. Through this course I met other beautiful soul sisters from all over the world, who all offered wonderful support and encouragement. I also elected to complete the Leadership Course and am honoured to now offer Bronwyn’s and Annagrace’s Vivid Menopause work in Australia. This is the New Menopause – an empowering and sacred journey and I would strongly encourage you to journey with us. ~Kim Gillespie

I took the Vivid Menopause Online Journey and went to a Live Retreat in Santa Barbara. What I loved about each was the format and the development of the content as each week or day went by. Bronwyn has a real gift! Her knowledge of the menopause years issues and conditions is deep. Her rapport with each participant is very personal so everyone feels comfortable sharing. My personal experience was fantastic. I loved the women and felt we all had some story to share that helped everyone else in the group cope with issues. We learned from each other! At the end we all felt better than when we started the program/retreat. It felt good to hone deep into our being and find solutions to situations. Thank you Bronwyn! ~Dolores Kent

The Vivid Menopause Program was a wonderful life changing experience for me. Bronwyn is a gifted facilitator and she skilfully led us step by step through the program in a very real and authentic way. The connections which I made with women from various countries was invaluable. Together we dropped down into the deep and murky waters and tides of our menopause stories, emerging empowered and renewed with great mutual support and encouragement. I have learned so much about myself and the life-giving juicy aspects of menopause and midlife . ~Fiona Hughes