November at The Nest
Here at The Nest Southwest we are getting pretty excited about our monthly planner! What do you think?

As well as our regular weekly pregnancy groups and yoga classes we are also hosting some exciting yoga workshops – one specifically for menstruation, and one specifically for menopause. So wherever you are on the spectrum of life – if you are a menstruator we’ve got something for you.
We are also launching our winter program of pregnancy, birth and parenting live webinar sessions. So, if you or someone you know is pregnant, come along and learn more as well as meeting other local people preparing for a positive birth experience in the interactive Q&A sessions.
Menstruation events
Sunday evenings 8-9pm on zoom is our weekly Yin Yoga to unwind session hosted by Chloe. A beautiful way to end a week and set intentions for the new one about to begin. Suitable for everyone, whether you are menstruating or not but we thought we’d put it up the top of this long list of yummy offerings!

Later in November Chloe is offering a menstruation specific yoga workshop. Whether you are trying to conceive or are interested in living more in harmony with your menstrual cycle, this yoga workshop is for you. We will explore each of the four stages of our cycle and discover how we may wish to adapt our yoga practice to suit each of the stages – enabling us to work with the fluctuations and changes our body goes through each month, rather than fighting against them. Discover why the exact same yoga practice can seem impossible some weeks, but easy others and learn more about yourself, your body and your unique cycle in this two-hour workshop. There will be time for questions and conversation, as well as guided meditation, breathwork, yang yoga, yin yoga and deep relaxation. It will be a time to tune in and embrace the wonders of the female cycle. Everyone is welcome. If you are not currently menstruating, you are able to use the same tools around the moon cycle. Beginners to yoga are also very welcome.
Menopause events
Yin Yoga to unwind on Sunday evening is also very nourishing is you are peri-menopausal or menopausal.
Exeter Menopause Café. Our monthly group on the first Friday is fully booked for November and bookings are now open for December. Due to it’s popularity, and by request we have decided to offer a Menopause Café in the evening on Friday 12th November! This is a launch event as we try out what it’s like to gather together in the evening with a glass of something or warm drink of choice in the beautiful surroundings of The Glorious Art House Café on Fore Street, Exeter. This is an open meeting for people of all genders to come and chat about all things perimenopause and menopause related. It is aimed at breaking down the taboo around menopause, increasing awareness of the impact of the menopause on those experiencing it, their family, friends and their colleagues, and reflecting on the ‘third stage of life’.
Essential ground rules:
*Non-judgemental – people might have different views to you and that’s ok.
*Respect – ourselves, each other and the space.
*Open hearted – trust that everyone is doing the best they can.
*You don’t have to share personal stories but you might need to be prepared to listen.
*Confidential – what’s shared in the café stays in the café (except your own stories that you’re free to do what you like with of course!).

This month we are also launching a special yoga workshop specifically for the menopause transition. Join Virginia for this 2 hour ONLINE session which will include time for information sharing and discussion as well as gentle (accessible for all) Yoga movement and breath work and deep relaxation.
Virginia is a former nurse and now a Yoga and Ayurveda therapist who is fully post menopausal and loving it!
Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond
Our wonderful welcoming weekly Nesters Pregnancy & Beyond group is a place for pregnant mums and birthing people to come together and chat about all things pregnancy, birth and early parenting. It’s hosted by Jodie and runs weekly, alternating between in-person at The Beacon Centre in Exeter, and on Zoom. Once you’ve had your baby we welcome you to continue to come to the group during your ‘fourth trimester’ which is up until around the 3 month mark postnatally. All ethnicities welcome. We are LBT+ friendly. and welcome non-binary parents along with pregnant mums. We chat, drink tea and eat cake! We also have various craft activities or short talks about subjects relevant to the group.
The group is supported by the Pregnancy Peer Supporter Network, a group of volunteers who have lived experience of birthing in the pandemic` and are trained to support birthing people. They are not medically trained, and cannot give advice nor tell you what to do but offer a listening ear and can help you explore your options to find the best choice for you.

Every Wednesday evening join us for a relaxing yoga session designed around you and your baby. This is hosted by Nancy, who is a physiotherapist and a yoga teacher with a specialist interest in women’s health. As a mother herself, Nancy has first had experience at understanding the changes a women goes through on their pregnancy journey. She will guide you through techniques on grounding and connecting with baby, breathing and visualisation, gentle movement, and deep relaxation. No yoga experience or specialist equipment is necessary , just bring yourself and bump (or baby) a blanket and plenty of pillows.
And of course, Yin Yoga to unwind on Sunday evening is also very nourishing is you are pregnant or with a baby.
This Autumn The Nest is launching it’s series of pregnancy, birth and early parenting webinars to provide access to quality information about the transition to parenthood. And we are kicking it off with a wellbeing Pregnancy Webinar will be facilitated by practitioners from Talkworks who are experienced in working with perinatal mental health and wellbeing.
We know that pregnancy and the transition into parenthood can be challenging. This webinar will give you strategies to help to promote and managing wellbeing in pregnancy and beyond, including; bonding with your bump, the importance of self-care, identifying and managing negative thoughts and worry, managing relationships, improving communication and thinking ahead to parenthood. We will also give an overview of how Talkworks may be able to support you further to promote wellbeing in pregnancy and beyond.
We welcome anyone who is pregnant, has recently given birth or supporting someone else who is.

Thanks to everyone who has been a part of building our little Nest community over the past two years, it has been an honour and a pleasure to work with you and share some of your stories. We look forward to meeting more people and being part of this exciting project as it grows to support women, girls and menstruators across Devon during the transitions of menstruation, pregnancy, birth and menopause.
Our vision is to live in a world where women and girls feel empowered and fulfilled at each stage of their life. We want to be part of creating a cohesive society where these rites of passage are honoured as gateways of personal development as well as biological milestones.
Our mission is to provide emotional & educational support, improving well-being & self-esteem to enable peer mentoring and increased wellbeing. We support women and girls through menstruation, pregnancy and childbirth, to post-menopause.
We believe in intersectional feminism by promoting gender justice and racial justice. We are anti-racist and pro-trans rights. We believe in equality for all women and girls everywhere.
We offer compassionate peer support, and providing a safe, nurturing environment to explore emotional & physical literacy as we traverse these gateways. There is no right or wrong way to go through these gateways, they are as individual as we are. But we don’t have to do it alone.
Read more about us, our mission and our events on the website: thenestsw.org