Sunday Sanctuary: Tea & Gong

As she returns from maternity leave, we’re absolutely delighted to have Anna Lawton, of @bumps_births_babies back with us. An expert in all things perinatal, she is bringing both baby massage and weaning sessions to Moon in the near future – find out more via our bio. Over to Anna 👇 Having worked with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers for a long time, and managing a nursery setting; it was always clear to me how much these early years mattered. Watching how much they grow and change in the first few weeks and months, and understanding how important the attachments they have and the experiences they go through always fascinated me. However, until I had children myself, I had no idea of the huge transformational experience that pregnancy, birth, and parenthood itself can bring. The importance of ‘mothering the mother’, and holding new parents in as much love and support as we give new babies, suddenly became very clear to me. With the conflicting information and unnecessary stress and guilt out there, I knew I wanted to empower expecting and new parents to make sense of it all, and find their own confidence. I have done extensive training as a birth doula, an antenatal educator, a hypnobirthing teacher, a postnatal and breastfeeding counsellor, a first aid trainer, a baby massage instructor, a sleep coach and more! I enjoy the constant learning and growing, finding new ways to help and support parents. Taking strong evidence-based information into account, whilst helping people work out how that applies to their specific and individual circumstances, is an important feature of how I work. At Moon I run hypnobirthing courses, baby massage classes, weaning workshops, and child health courses (with a paediatrician). Getting to know other local parents, and having a hot cuppa and a biscuit is a key part of the sessions 😋 ❤️ I also support women 1-2-1 during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period, as well as running monthly coffee mornings in Muswell Hill. I feel hugely privileged to be part of people’s journey at this transformative time, and can’t wait to meet more of you this year ❤️ Find out more about Anna and her offerings via our bio.1 day ago

This event is happening next Saturday, organised by @ukwomensmarch Their statement resonates with many conversations had over the last few days, weeks, months and years. With the inauguration, on 20th January, of a 'leader of the free world', who is happy to "grab us by the pussy", and of whom a judge has said that allegations of rape were “substantially true" I'd say the timing is apt. Thought you might want to know about it.2 days ago

Join us this Monday for the Full Moon celebration with Grace Escolme, a Five Element Practitioner. Cancer the zodiac sign is related to the home you cultivate for yourself both inside and out. The depths of winter, the darkness and cold can be an inhospitable place of rest. In Chinese medicine winter is associated with the kidneys and bladder. These organs make us feel fear when we are out of balance. This celebration is about working through our fear and finding a safe place in ourselves that we can call home. Under this full moon we will… 🌕 Use yogic breath and movement to come out of fight or flight and back to our centre. 🌕 Open third eye and strengthen intuition, to help us make decisions with courage and clarity. 🌕 Supported and guided by herbal infusion associated with the ruling planet of this full moon. 🌕 Meditate on and explore how both light and dark support our body, mind and spirit, using the wisdom of the five elements in Chinese medicine. You will be held in this experience. This is a safe place for you to shine the torch into dark rooms which you might feel tentative to revisit. Here you are supported, loved, seen and heard by the community of women. Find out more and book via our bio. #Fullmoon #womenscircle #fullmooncelebration #cancermoon4 days ago

I’m delighted that we’re continuing our showcase residency with local artist @jencableart Earlier this week she installed Arboretum at Moon. Arboretum is knitted from copper and steel wire to create a protective haven for native trees. As a life member of the Woodland Trust, Jen is passionate about conserving our ancient woodland as well as biodiversity. Here in leafy North London, we’re lucky; we still have the ancient woodland of Highgate and Queen’s Wood to roam in. Centuries of undisturbed soils and accumulated decaying wood have created the perfect place for 71 species of birds, 7 species of bats, 180 species of moth, 12 species of butterfly and 80 species of spider. Not to mention innumerable fungi and invertebrates. There’s also a mapped Veteran Tree Trail across Hampstead Heath, to help you find and discover our local marvels - find the link in our bio. The natural world may be slumbering in the heart of winter, but stepping out can help us alleviate stress and boost our immune system. So, why not take a walk of discovery, search out our local arboreal offerings, the wealth of species that surround us and celebrate nature’s beauty. @heath_hands have several events and walks this January - well worth checking out their website to find out more. #localartists #ancientwoodland #hampsteadheath5 days ago