First Rite of Menarche - Opening The Dialog

As girls approach the journey of becoming women there are natural progressions of rites of passage that support them along the way.  Parents, guardians and teachers we are the guides that can help girls prepare for this journey. Through having an open and honest dialog with girls during the years before they start puberty can prepare girls for the many changes to come. 

“By the time a girl first hears the calling of the outer world and begins to respond with her own inner beat of ebbing and flowing, her parents have probably prepared her for the basics of what will happen to her body as she moves through puberty. But often parents neglect to prepare their daughters for the emotional roller coaster caused by the surges of hormones. This emotional rollercoaster is a lot like riding waves. Holding on to a surfboard seems okay as long as the waves are not very high. The journey through menarche has frequent tidal waves.

This is why it is so important for guardians and parents of a young girl to make sure that she has all the safety belts, life rafts and other tools during this first rite, before she sets out on her journey.” Kristi Meisenbach Boylan in The Seven Sacred Rites of Menarche

This first rite of menarche is the series of initial talks between the girl and her parents or guardians. Discussions on our amazing bodies with structural layout of the names of female reproductive organs and a general discussion on hormones and the effects they can have on emotions and moods.

Once parents are sure that their daughters have a basic understanding of the anatomy of her body, introducing the concept of ebbing and flowing and the natural cycles that we share with nature can be a great way to continue the discussion. 

This is a time in a girl's life where she can benefit greatly learning that her emotions and her body's cycles are natural and normal. The more that we can normalize this dialog and not make our bodies, cycles and hormones a taboo subject will strongly empower girls to embrace the many changes to come. 

Holistic Well-Being - A Guide to Wellness

The Rose Tent understands and honors the wellness needs to raise healthy girls in our community. Through Holistic Well-Being we incorporate these four needs in each session to provide a healthy environment. We strive for a future where girls are thriving and healthy in all aspects of their lives.

Physical Well-Being- Through the foundation of the physical well-being, we honor our physical body's needs and wisdom.  We guide girls to tune into their bodies through vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch, balance, breathing and intuition. Respecting their own bodies as well as the body sovereignty of others. In the Rose Tent, girls are encouraged to protect and care for their bodies. We model ways to embrace the cycles of being a woman as she moves through puberty and begins menstruating. Through yoga, meditation and nature connection activities we honor the Mother Earth for all the gifts of life.

Emotional Well-Being- The Rose Tent is a place where girls can explore their feelings. We believe emotions are allies that share important information with us. We provide a toolbox for girls to work with when their emotions feel "too big" or overwhelming.  We create a safe place where girls can be uniquely who they are and know they are completely supported. We discuss the rollercoaster of changes they are experiencing and encourage them that their feelings are healthy and okay.

Social Well-Being- An inclusive culture is a foundation in the Rose Tent. We demonstrate how to consider the feelings and needs of others, while still caring for themselves. Through activities and exercises, girls practice finding their voice, being kind and assertive and learning to define healthy boundaries. We model healthy listening, inclusion and standing up for others. Through these practices, girls are experiencing a collective sisterhood of connection and belonging.

Spiritual Well-Being- In the Rose Tent, we honor all spiritual beliefs. We provide girls with the tools to deepen their own spiritual beliefs through experiences and connecting their self with nature. All backgrounds and beliefs are welcome.

Holistic Well-Being  is used in planning  each session to ensure that we are creating a healthy space for girls to thrive as they journey into womanhood.

Guiding Through Wise Woman Ways

Wise Women by Jess Kovach

In the Rose Tent we are inspired to guide from a tradition of Wise Woman Ways.  

Guiding from the heart of Wise Woman Ways allows us to:

• Respect, observe and learn from nature

• Trust our intuition and body wisdom 

• Honor all life in the interdependent web of our planet

• Build personal relationships with our plant, animal and Earth element allies 

• Celebrate and value all stages of being a woman from maiden to crone

For thousands of years, people lived in nature and developed a strong communication with everything around them. By being immersed in natural environments our sense of touch, smell, hearing, taste and sight are amplified. The more that we use our five senses to perceive our surroundings, animals, plants and each other, the stronger our intuition becomes.

What is intuition?

According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary: 

Intuition:

1. A quick and ready insight
2. a: Immediate apprehension or cognition b:  Knowledge or conviction gained by intuition c:  The power or faculty of attaining to direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational thought and inference

Intuition is the knowing; the “gut feeling” that we feel and often have a difficult time explaining it rationally to others. We perceive information through our skin, nose, mouth eyes and ears. Through our senses our nervous system responds viscerally and this is the feeling in our stomach. Intuition is activated when our entire body becomes the communicating instrument of many forms of information.

In the Rose Tent, we guide by connecting girls with nature and learning to trust the wisdom of our bodies to deepen our intuition. The more we can connect with nature the greater understanding we will have about our bodies, emotions and this incredible life we are living.