Membership Benefits
Community
A private community of perimenopausal, menopausal and post-menopausal women for you to connect and share your stories, challenges and wisdom with; to talk and listen to; and be heard by - as often as you like. There are many opportunities each month to spend time in the company of your fellow Middle Years Monday Members - through our weekly Cuppas and Co-working sessions, our fortnightly Book Group, our monthly Workshops and our annual MYM 100-Day Project. I really cannot wait to welcome you in.
“Thank you everyone for your kindness and wisdom. I’m so grateful to you all for holding me.”
“Thank you for all the things you do, Pip. I know that it’s a lot of hard work but it’s quite incredible. I’m thinking about this year drawing to a close and about all the amazing women that I’ve met (virtually) because of joining Middle Years Monday. It’s been everything that I thought it would be.”
“I am so grateful for the connections I have made with the women I have met here. This magical little space has attracted a special sort of woman. I look forward to the opportunity to continue practising vulnerability, courage, connection, introspection and some honest belly laughing together. Thank you!”
Support + Expertise
An intimate space for all of your middle years wonderings. Through Middle Years Monday you have access to an incredible collective of women. There is so much wisdom, support and expertise here - both from your fellow Members and from the brilliant regular and guest experts who help me hold this space. Together we provide a welcoming place to join in with existing conversations and to start new ones; to bring your thoughts and reflections, your questions and your comments. See ‘Who We Are & What We Do’ below for bios and further information.
“During this few months of taking input from MYM I have realised more things about myself and my wellbeing than all the last years together! Thank you so much Pip!”
“You have envisioned a lovely table for women of the world to gather around and I’m so grateful to have a seat here. It is just the safe space I need to practice new thinking and stretch out of my cages so I can live into my wildness! (If you haven’t already put together that I’m enjoying reading Untamed, I am tremendously!)”
“In Feb this year (a lifetime ago!!) I was beginning to think I was losing my marbles. The last few months have taught me so much. This community has really opened my eyes that the ‘second half of life’ is just the beginning of new adventures. It’s like the lights have come back on.”
Monthly Workshops
In addition to our regular weekly, fortnightly and monthly events, each month there are one or two live workshops, talks, interviews or wellbeing events led by guest experts. These take place on Zoom and you can join us live or catch up with the recordings later.
The start time of these events is usually 5pm, 7pm or 8pm UK time (BST or GMT). Attendance numbers vary from around 8-20 Members. These sessions address the full experience of what it is to be a woman in our middle years - with the overarching aim of bringing an increased sense of ease, insight and fulfilment to this life stage.
There is more information about these below (see ‘MYM Members-only Library’) and in the Guest Contributors part of the ‘Who We Are & What We Do’ section further below.
“I loved the opportunity to centre myself during yet another unexpected transition in my life. This workshop could not have come at a more important time for me to stay grounded and in one piece. Thank you.”
“Joining MYM has been a really valuable experience. You provide us with such exceptional content. In only a few weeks I’ve learned so much and I can’t wait for the next session.”
“Thank you so much. What an enlightening evening! Great fun, really inspiring and lovely company.”
Weekly ‘Cuppas’
These weekly gatherings bring an opportunity to connect with me and your fellow Members around the world via a Zoom video call (the pic below is a screenshot from one of our early get-togethers back in 2020). My heart feels like it swells in size during these gatherings. They are kind; stimulating; warm; serious; silly and all sorts of lovely. Sometimes the energy is high and sometimes tiredness is more present. Grumpiness, anger, joy, silliness, gentleness, tears, guffawing with laughter - it's all allowed! Each time we come together I am struck by how special it is to be listened to - and that our Members listen to each other really, really beautifully.
At these gatherings we have Members joining us from around the world. We start off with a sharing round when everyone has the chance to respond to a gentle prompt offered by me and then we spend the second part of the Cuppa enjoying freeform conversation - during which we may pick up on some of the threads from the sharing round, or we may venture into entirely unrelated topics. Every Cuppa is different in tone, intensity, mood, pace - driven by whoever is there that week and how they are doing. We talk about anything and everything and Members have shared their experiences of bee-keeping, friendship, loneliness, ageing and dying parents, creativity, relationship endings, parenthood, grief, new starts - and much more.
It's hard to put into words what makes these get-togethers so special. It's something about having a space to show up exactly as we are that day and to be seen and heard by a community of warm, interested and insightful middle years women.
Straight, gay and bi; single and married; mothers and childfree; employed and freelance; working or not; at the beginning of our middle years journeys or a good number of years past menopause - we are a rich and vibrant group. Everyone who comes to these sessions has their camera on, but there's no pressure to talk if you're in the mood just to be quietly in company. It feels through these get-togethers that we are plugging into something ancient, elemental, primordial. A group of middle years women gathering around the fire to share tears, laughter and stories of their week. A chance to be seen and heard. Whether feeling anxious, celebratory, frustrated, sad or joyful. It's all welcomed.
There's no obligation to come every week - just join us whenever the mood takes you. Come as you are and enjoy being wrapped in a warm embrace.
@ Middle Years Monday
“Thank you for such a lovely cuppa last night - those sort of conversations are what I joined MYM for. The sort of chats that meander through topics you had no idea you were going to talk about. Conversation that leads from one interesting thing to another with different people pitching in their experiences and supportive opinions without judgment or agenda. How refreshing. I have always believed in the power of women collectively and I’m so delighted I am part of this collective of women.”
“My heart is still full from that session. Thanks ladies for bringing thoughtfulness and joy into my world. Thank you Pip for creating this space. I treasure it.”
“A gentle place of community and connection. A place to be myself without filtering out the bits I fear will make others uncomfortable. Here among these women from all over the globe drawn together by our season in life I’ve found a seat at the table. Maybe there’s always been a chair for me, but I haven’t felt comfortable taking up space in it before now. This gentle virtual community has been welcoming and nurturing, inspiring and inviting, and filled with opportunities to stretch and grow and practice being myself. One of the things I’ve grown to love more each week is our virtual cuppa, where members can drop in; some just waking up, others in their pyjamas and some in the middle of the day. We laugh, we listen, we take our turn talking if we choose, we are seen and celebrated and welcomed as we are; however that finds us in the moment, real and raw, silly or serious, practical and pertinent. We cycle through it all. Joining this community has become my daily dose of calm helping me navigate the way in these uncertain times.”
Weekly Co-Working
@ Middle Years Monday
I adore these Monday morning co-working sessions. To the extent that I now actually feel excitement about my admin Mondays - that really is quite an outcome!
Monday mornings are a time when I focus on some of the behind-the-scenes work that keeps the MYM show on the road. And I LOVE doing this in the company of MYM Members whilst they too focus on whatever is at the top of their priority list - whether that be work or play. We are usually a group of between 6-12 or so Members joining us from the UK and Europe - and sometimes Australasia too. Coming together in this way for some gentle accountability and companionship is really special.
Most, but not all, of the women who choose to join us for these sessions are self-employed and they come from a broad array of sectors. Amongst the Members who often come along to these sessions (at the time of writing) are a ceramicist, an artist, a jewellery maker, a psychiatrist, and women employed in a range of roles in the public, private and charity sectors (I told you we are a broad mix!).
You might use the time to tackle some of the work or life tasks which you generally find most tricky to focus on - and are inclined to procrastinate about. You'll be amazed at how much it helps having a community of gorgeous MYM women for company. Or you might pick a project or piece of work that really benefits from having plenty of time and space for a deep dive. You might even use the session to do something altogether more playful - we have had Members use the space for activities such as meditation, journaling and weekly tarot draws!
I can't think of a more rewarding way to start the week than in the company of a circle of middle years women from around the world, whilst we all get things done - together.
The structure of these coworking sessions is:
Check-in: we share a few words with each other about what we're going to be focusing on
Cameras on and microphones off: we spend the morning focusing, whilst enjoying each other's warm and quiet company
Check-out: we share a few words about how the morning went for us
Farewell until next time
Please note:
There is no obligation to stay for the whole morning - but I love it when you do!
This is not a weekly obligation. You can come along to these Focus and Connect Co-working sessions whenever you like.
“I also just wanted to say how much I LOVED the co-working session yesterday and am so pleased it’s been extended to start at 8am. I completed something I have been stalling on for 6 months! I’ve already switched a work appointment next Monday morning and am ringfencing Monday mornings from now on! Thanks Pip for your amazing work building the community and organising the rich and varied events.”
Fortnightly Book Group
@ Middle Years Monday
Our lovely book group brings some of the most warm, tender, thought-provoking and soulful conversations I have the honour of being a part of. It is truly special to have the opportunity of connecting with each other through these rich and deep conversations about our lives and perspectives that these book discussions organically prompt.
We read non-fiction written by women and we take things slowly and manageably, generally discussing just one new chapter each time we meet. We have read and discussed Women Who Run with the Wolves, Atlas of the Heart, If Women Rose Rooted, The Body Is Not An Apology, Platonic, Rage Becomes Her, Braiding Sweetgrass, Rest Is Resistance, What It Takes to Heal - and at the time of writing we are soon to begin The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer
I don't have much to compare our book group with as my previous experience of book groups is limited. But the feedback I receive from Members is that it's the best they've ever been to!
One of the things that makes it special is the way we take it at such a wonderfully slow pace. This means that reading the book never feels pressured or stressful, we have the chance to enjoy a deep dive into our experience of each chapter - and this relaxed exploration brings with it a really lovely opportunity to get to know and trust each other.
This is not a 'literary' book group - and by that I mean that we spend very little time analysing the writing style of the author. Our discussions revolve instead around what each chapter illuminates for each of us; about ourselves and our lives.
Our Book Group meets every other Tuesday at 7pm GMT/BST, we are a small group of around 6-12 (or sometimes less), and these sessions usually last for around 90 minutes.
Whenever you become a MYM Member you will be very welcome to join the Book Group, regardless of how far through a book we are at that time - and I am so excited about opening up this lovely experience to you.
“Reading ‘Women Who Run with the Wolves’ in this community and hearing how many of my stories are shared has been one of the greatest gifts of MYM.”
Monthly Themed Cuppas
@ Middle Years Monday
These monthly opportunities to come together in this way are magic. It is so interesting, stimulating and connecting to hear from different women about their wisdom, experiences and challenges.
A MYM Member once spoke of this community as "A room full of courageous women willing to learn and be curious." And I love creating opportunities for these courageous women to come together so that we can all learn and be curious with each other.
So, once a month, we have a Cuppa with a pre-arranged theme. Examples of some of the topics we’ve discussed so far are Friendship, Co-dependency and Living Authentically.
So, if you like the idea of listening to others - or sharing your own thoughts, experiences and challenges - then you will love these monthly gatherings.
“I’ve just stepped off of this evening’s Cuppa and feel even more delighted to have joined your incredible community. Such lovely women and such a wonderful, worthwhile conversation. Thank you!”
“It’s beautiful how you’ve created such a safe space for women to be open about their struggles, thoughts, hopes and desires. What a powerful purpose, Pip and what a privilege for all of us to bear witness to - and be part of - it. Thank you.”
Collective Exploration
@ Middle Years Monday
A lovely aspect of Membership which has evolved organically is that when it becomes clear there is a common area of interest amongst us, I respond to that by organising some collective exploration. This is a spontaneous and fluid aspect of MYM, rather than something that happens with a fixed frequency - and the number of Members who choose to take part varies each time.
Examples of past collective projects are Julia Cameron’s 12-week programme as laid out in her book The Artist’s Way and the reflective programme contained within Layla F Saad’s book Me and White Supremacy.
In 2022, for the first time, me and a group of Members took part in the MYM 100-Day Project, where we each did our own personal activity for 100 days (or as close to 100 days as we could manage!). Art Therapist and Trauma-informed Coach Conny Weyrich is a MYM Member and, thanks to her, Members benefitted from brilliant input and support in helping them choose the focus of their project.
We ran the MYM 100-Day Project again in 2023 and 2024 and we are running it in 2025 - again with support from Conny. And unless it becomes apparent that an alternative annual project would be of greater interest to MYM Members, my intention is for us to run this again in future years.
There is absolutely no pressure to participate in these things - or indeed to see them through to the end. But it’s perfect for those of us who welcome some gentle accountability and the opportunity for self-exploration alongside a supportive group of women.
“Thank you so much for this - it was lovely and juicy for me! Something (simple) is starting to emerge and I came in with no real idea of what I wanted to do beyond wanting to do something.”
Members-only Video & Audio Library
When you become a Member you get access to the rich library of over 100 recordings of the live sessions that have taken place since we launched in January 2020. This archive has the potential to change your life. A new Member expressed this perfectly when she told me that she’d gained more from watching just one replay in our library than she had from many, many hours of personal therapy.
Integration
Every year, we have several weeks during which there are no live events. This is a lovely opportunity for Members to slow down; to dive deeper into one (or more) of the topics we’ve focused on in MYM and which have particularly captured their imagination; to integrate some of the learning they have experienced in the previous months; or simply to dip into the treasure chest that is the Members’ Library and to catch up with recordings of some of the delicious sessions they’ve missed. Our breaks are usually spread throughout the year, with around a fortnight off every season. However this year (2025) we are combining our Spring and Summer breaks, which means that there will be no live events between mid-June and mid-July.