Join the Journey
RED: Period Education for Girls
RED is a four-week journey to help girls Reclaim, Empower, and Deepen their relationship with the beauty and power of their menstrual cycles.
RED for Girls
You are worthy. You are powerful. Period.
The Details:
4 weeks, 2 hour gatherings
For girls 10-14 years old, or 15-17 years old
In person or virtual gatherings
Serving the greater Pasadena area including North East Los Angeless
$3600 for up to 6 participants
$600 per person, when 6 sign up
A few words about
RED Helps Girls to:
Reclaim their blood as a beautiful and healthy part of their embodied life.
Empower themselves to know their bodies’ wisdom and make choices that best serve their needs as cyclical beings.
Deepen their relationship to the cyclical rhythm of their periods, which will carry them through the next 30-40 years of their lives.
Who is this for?
RED IS DESIGNED FOR Both PRETEENS AND TEENS
Ideally, your group of young people would be roughly about the same grade/age so that we can tailor the content more pointedly to where they are developmentally. However, there is beauty in having mixed ages present as well.
Because the needs of young people vary at each developmental stage, we offer two pathways for RED.
Bloom:
Bloom is a RED Journey for girls ages 10-14 on the cusp of the onset of menstruation or who have just begun menstruating.
Root:
Root is a RED Journey for girls ages 15-17 who have been menstruating for some time and want to deepen their understanding of their cycle.
We recognize that not everyone who bleeds identifies as a girl/woman and not everyone who is a girl/woman bleeds.
All girls and young bleeders are welcome in this space. While we are committed to creating a safe and inclusive space for your children, we do not have specific training in navigating the special challenges that non-binary children may face around their cycles.
What the journey entails:
WEEK 1
Opening Circle
- Setting intentions and cultivating group culture (parents encouraged to join)
- Overview of the four phases of the cycle
WEEK 2
Winter Phase
- A deeper dive into the bleeding phase
- Learning the medicine of rest
- Tutorial of menstrual products
- Tea ceremony
- Making Bath Salt
WEEK 3
Spring and Summer Phases
- A deeper dive into the follicular and ovulatory phases
- Learning to say yes to joy
- Making Flower Crowns
- Q&A Time
WEEK 4
Autumn Phase and Closing Ceremony
- A deeper dive into the premenstrual phase
- Learning healthy boundaries
- Crafting an essential oil
- Closing ceremony (parents invited to join)
Our vision for RED:
What is included:
- 4 two-hour sessions with two highly-skilled facilitators who will tailor the time to the ages and needs of your children.
- An in-depth understanding of the 4 phases of the menstrual cycle including how to care for your body in each stage.
- Accessible instruction on female anatomy and hormones.
- Time for discussion, Q&A, reflection and embodied practice
- A tutorial on various menstrual product options.
- Weekly hands-on creative activities with all supplies included: flower crowns, bath salts, essential oils and a tea ceremony.
A RED interactive guidebook for each participant with content and reflection questions.
Weekly discussion cards for parents to gently and accessibly take the themes of the week into conversation with their child.
Opportunity for parent involvement in the opening and closing session to foster a sense of community, love, and support.
A closing ceremony to celebrate our journey together (this is the 4th and final gathering, which is 2.5 hours long)
How it works
Community based:
RED is designed to be hosted by you and the community that already surrounds your child. We recommend reaching out to other parents of your child’s closest friends, cousins, and neighbors. Surrounding your child with a community creates safety, empathy, and opportunity for support and celebration.
Parents split the cost and can share the duties of hosting. This community piece is key as it builds in a sense of support, safety and trust. In addition fosters the opportunity for this to be an ongoing conversation of learning and growth.
When and where?
You pick the dates and times that work for your schedule. We can either gather virtually or come to you. In person, we service people in the greater Pasadena and North East LA areas.
Time options include weekday evenings or weekends. There are 4 gatherings each of which is 2 hours, except the last one which is 2.5 hours long.
If a location for gathering is a problem, we know of a beautiful safe and secluded park where we can meet for daytime gatherings.
Parent involvement
At this age, tweens and teens benefit from a mix of parent support and their own independence. We cultivate a space that fosters both.
Parent involvement can be tailored to the needs and desires of your group. But typically it looks like this: parents are present with the group for the first part of the opening gathering, and the last half of the closing gathering.
Each week, we send home a “RED talk” discussion card that has some gentle and accessible prompts for you to carry on the conversation between gatherings.
OUtcomes
When your girls go through RED, they will:
- Understand the unique phases/ seasons of their cycle, why we menstruate, and the anatomy of the female body.
- Be held in a safe and nurturing environment where they can ask questions, get curious, and move towards a topic that is unfortunately still taboo in our society.
- Cultivate friendships and community with one another, and learn how to support each other in this collective experience.
- Understand the energy and needs of their body in each phase of their cycle.
- Recognize the beauty and benefits of the four phases of their period.
- Feel empowered to make decisions that are in alignment with their body’s needs so that they can feel good in every phase.
- Deepen their embodied wisdom, cultivate a relationship of honor and respect with their changing bodies, and gain confidence in the wisdom of their cyclical bodies.
- Learn to love their periods! WOW!
About your guides
Stephanie Jenkins has been a middle school teacher in the public schools for 20 years, and studied adolescent development and psychology in graduate school. She is a gifted educator and group facilitator, and has a passion for the wisdom of the body, a deep reverence for the earth, and a delight in the wonderful, wild and weird stage of human development that is the middle years. As a teen, her period seemed like a necessary evil. As a young adult, due to unexplained infertility, she saw it as a huge betrayal by her body. Now, through her own story of reclamation, Stephanie loves her period and wants others to love theirs too!
Rachel Mallasch is a cycle awareness coach and doula, and is currently pursuing an MFT degree to become a therapist. In 2020, after many years of struggling with disembodiment, anxiety, and period pain, Rachel stumbled upon cycle awareness and it has been part of her embodiment and spiritual practice ever since. She wants everyone to love their period as much as she does and hopes to integrate cycle awareness and the inner seasons into her therapy practice in the future. Currently, Rachel is an intake specialist at a surrogacy agency and advocates for women as they carry babies for other families.
Price
RED is offered at $3600 which includes up to 6 participants.
For each additional participant, there is a $100 charge. Up to 10 participants max. See price breakdown below for per person costs.
Total Cost | Price Per Person |
$3600 | $600 |
Total Cost | Price Per Person |
$3700 | $529 |
Total Cost | Price Per Person |
$3800 | $475 |
Total Cost | Price Per Person |
$3900 | $433 |
Total Cost | Price Per Person |
$4000 | $400 |
FAQ's
I have never heard of the “four seasons” within someone’s cycle, can you explain?
The four seasons of the cycle is one way of understanding the hormonal and physiological changes that happen over the course of one’s menstrual cycle. Likening these changes to the familiar seasons of the year is a helpful tool to understanding our bodies.
What is the role that parents play in this journey?
Parent involvement can be tailored to the needs and desires of your group. But typically it looks like this: parents are present with the group for the opening gathering and the last half of the closing gathering. Each week, we send home a “RED talk” discussion card that has some gentle and accessible prompts for you to carry on the conversation between gatherings.
Will you be talking about sex?
The purpose of this course is to educate and empower girls about their menstrual cycle. Menstruation is part of our sexuality, and we will help girls to understand their own anatomy and the role of ovulation in their cycle. We will not be covering other aspects of sex education.
What if my child is not bleeding yet?
This course is a helpful primer for children who have yet to start menstruation. Understanding what to expect empowers young people to enter into their bleed with more confidence, ease, and even excitement. RED is a roadmap into greater bodily awareness and acceptance. These skills can be implemented whether or not someone is actively menstruating.
What is the value of this kind of education?
We want to live in a world where girls and menstruating people LOVE their bodies and appreciate their menstrual cycle. We want girls and menstruating people to feel empowered and confident in the beauty of who they are as cyclical beings. Our community-rooted structure, gives your children the opportunity to cultivate deeper connection and learn how to support each other in this collective experience.
Is this appropriate for non-binary children?
We recognize that not everyone who bleeds identifies as a girl/woman and not everyone who is a girl/woman bleeds. All girls and young bleeders are welcome in this space. While we are committed to creating a safe and inclusive space for your children, we do not have specific training in helping non-binary children navigate the speical issues they may face around menstruation. Menstruation for a non-binary child can be difficult and complex given the strict gender norms of our society. Body-dysmorphia and cognitive dissonance are not uncommon with non-binary children. If your child is experiencing these symptoms, working with a professional therapist might be something to pursue.
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