Our 2nd Monthly Women’s Group was held on the 12th March 2024, just following International Women’s Day. The theme of International Women’s Day this year was ‘Inspiring Inclusion’, so this is the topic we chose to lead the discussion of the meeting.
As this was only our second meeting, and there was many new members, we began the group by getting to know each other better. It was lovely to see the familiar faces but also to meet some new like-minded women in Limerick. We decided to use an activity to describe ourselves in a way that is authentic and fun. We each described ourselves as an animal, a place, a food and a type of weather. This allowed us to learn a bit about each other and what makes us all unique.
We learned a lot about how to inspire inclusivity in our communities this month, from creating more awareness of our own biases to learning more inclusive language. Each of us brought our own experiences to this conversation and because of this, we had a broad variety of perspectives on how to be more accepting of each others differences.
After this inspiring discussion, we each pulled a self-care card from a deck at random that one of the members brought with her, and read them aloud. Each card had a self-care practice or idea on it. We found the cards to be very resonant for each individual and they created wonderful springboards for discussion on how to take better care of ourselves. Two examples of the self-care practices included ‘Be kind to yourself’ and ‘Solo date’ (pictured above).
We were delighted to have Tracey and Jenny from the Body Tree joining us this month to provide auricular acupuncture (ear acupuncture) to the members of the group that were comfortable taking part. Tracey led an amazing full-body meditation session while the needles were in, which lasted about thirty-five minutes.
The Body Tree Community Clinic is a community hub based around the learning of a holistic approach to wellness and the delivery of natural therapies. They are a highly inclusive clinic, which was very clear to us throughout the Women’s Group meeting. Tracey and Jenny offered great insights to our discussions and were a very welcome part of the group. They offer their therapies at a reduced rate, and immerse their clinics in places where education and self care may not be too high on the agenda, due to finances, family or just the lack of inclination toward holistic or self-care practices. We would like to extend our warm thanks to Tracey and Jenny for joining our Women’s Group this month, and offering their therapies for free. The acupuncture and meditation session meant that our members left the meeting feeling very relaxed, and could continue their day in a more mindful state.
If you’d like to join a group of supportive women to share your experiences, connect with others and create a sense of community, this group may be for you!
LMHA’s Women’s Group aims to create a safe and inclusive environment that encourages open conversation and compassion for yourself and others.
It is taking place on the second Tuesday of each month from 11am-12:30pm, upstairs in the city library. We would love to see you there.