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Page Title
An all-expense paid relaxing overnight weekend getaway for Black and Brown adolescent girls (ages 10-14) and their mothers or guardians (auntie, older sister, grandmother, etc.) to learn about menstrual health,
participate in wellness activities, and build sisterhood!
**Open to individuals living in the Greater Boston area**
**Limited space available**
About The Retreat
AN INTERGENERATIONAL WELLNESS RETREAT, PERIOD.
It is well known that cultural stigmas and lack of menstrual education can cause fear and shame for girls beginning their menstrual journey at menarche (occurrence of the first period). Furthermore, there are intergenerational households where parents and older relatives dealt with period stigma and experienced reproductive health conditions in silence. We understand how difficult it can be for parents/guardians to have conversations about reproductive health and support their daughter if they were never given the opportunity to understand & embrace their own menstrual flow. Through a two-generation (2Gen) approach, we are prioritizing the social and emotional well-being of parents and children so they can thrive.
We envision a world where talking about menstruation will no longer be taboo!
Love Your Menses’ Menstrual Wellness Retreat is a safe and healing space for girls and their mothers/guardians to rest, engage in meaningful dialogue about reproductive health, share period stories, build sisterhood, prioritize their wellness, and get access to the resources they need to
flow through life, unapologetically!
This retreat will feature:
Menstrual Health Workshops (Understanding and Embracing My Flow)
Spa and Wellness Activities
Local Attractions
Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Sister Circles
Youth and Adult Guest Speakers
& MUCH MORE!
** Registration is now closed. Please stay tuned for more information on our next retreat in Cape Cod.**
Recap
This summer, we had the pleasure of hosting 22 girls and women from the Greater Boston area at our first annual Menstrual Wellness Retreat in Cape Cod! This intergenerational weekend retreat featured workshops, sister circles, food, fun, and more, at no cost to participants!
Thank you to our amazing Love Your Menses team for planning an unforgettable experience for our girls and women.
Shout out to our amazing guest speakers and vendors:
@360girlsandwomen
@aspiring.t
@som.vibes.studio
@minime_clothing_boutique
@amplifypoccape
@taylaandre
@naesojj
@creativecontourbycarla
Dr Ebonie Woolcock
Body By Mari
@belongingbookscapecod
Thank you to our amazing funders, Boston Women's Fund and Black Girl Freedom Fund, for making this possible. And most importantly, thank you to the girls and women for trusting us to create this experience for you!
In The Media
Retreat Location
Join us for a relaxing weekend getaway in Cape Cod, Massachusetts!
The Cape is a destination steeped in history and alive with arts & culture. Here, you will find some of the most beautiful beaches in New England, the freshest seafood, and accommodations ready to help you rest and recharge. Just located 70 miles from Boston, this destination is about an hour's drive away!
At this retreat, you will be staying at an award-winning location and spa that features the warm, Colonial elegance of a small Cape Cod destination with all the amenities you would expect of a luxury, boutique resort. As a guest, you will experience a beautiful outdoor pool surrounded by lush gardens and a quaint Cape Cod garden gazebo, spa, top-rated dining facilities, cozy rooms, and hospitable service.
Outdoor Tranquility
Not only will you experience nature's glory as you stroll through the beautifully manicured garden, but you will also be able to relax in the refreshingly cool pool or warm up in the soothing heated whirlpool or by the fire pit. The grounds have a wide variety of botanical collections whose bright blossoms and sweet fragrances may even provide inspiration when you return home!
Cozy Feel
This location reflects the essence of true Colonial charm and casual elegance. Each luxurious guest room is comfortably appointed and individually decorated with elegant furnishings; many rooms feature hand-carved canopy and four-poster beds.
Fine Dining
This location is specifically designed to host large groups of people, placing it in the top 1% of restaurants in the country. You will be able to enjoy delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner cuisine. In the quest to provide fine dining that is healthy and environmentally balanced, a five-stage water filtration system is used for all water served.
Frequently Asked Questions
Special Guests
We are excited to welcome a group of amazing individuals and industry experts who will be leading wellness workshops on menstrual health, parenting, mental health, nutrition, physical activity, art, education, and life coaching. Please continue to check this page as we periodically update the guest speaker list.
Naesoj Ware
Community Youth Advocate, High School Senior, Mentor, Founder of Girls in Real Life Sanctuary,
Miss Massachusetts HBCU Teen
Naesoj Ware is an 18-year-old senior at the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science. She plans to attend Howard University in the fall majoring in Political Science on the Pre-Law track. Most notably, she was named the first Youth Liaison for Boston City Councilor At- Large Julia Mejia. She is a former Community Youth Advocate at Madison Park Development Corporation, Boston Student Advisory Council Representative, Associate Program Coordinator at the Center for Teen Empowerment, and Boston Community Action Team Member. Naesoj currently runs Girls In Real Life Sanctuary, a mentorship program she started for young women ages twelve to sixteen at the Perkins Community Center. She will also compete as Miss Massachusetts in the Miss HBCU Teen Pageant this spring.
Tayla Andrè
Mom, Author, Real Estate Agent, Radio Personality, Founder and Principal of Tayla Made Real Estate Easy
If you log on to SparkOnlineFM, YouTube, iTunes, or iHeartRadio, and listen to my show “Wake up with Tayla Andre.” you’ll quickly understand “Unorthodox Conversations Leading to Universal Consciousness” means Tayla is passionate about educating, motivating, and emancipating my listeners from fear of the unknown. Tayla Andre is a mom, author, real estate agent, and advocate. With over a decade of experience, she has interviewed some of society’s most sought out personalities, including New York Best-Selling Authors, Grammy Award-Winning Artists, international public figures, and all levels of political affluence. As the author of ‘Finally, Home’ her book equips the reader with the confidence to be engaged with the home buying process without feeling vulnerable or exploited. ‘Tayla Made Real Estate Easy’ is not just a catchy hashtag. It is her goal; goal to simplify one of the most challenging processes you will go through as an adult; a goal to educate you properly on credit and teach you the strategies to finding the home of your dreams. It is not just a good book or an easy read, it is the secret to a seamless home buying experience. Tayla is one of the founding parents of CPLAN, a student-centered, and parent-driven community. CPLAN seeks to transcend divisions: We hold district, charter, regional, and Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO) systems accountable to ensure equitable educational outcomes.
Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes
Registered & Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist
Women's Health Dietitian
Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist
NASM Women's Fitness Specialist Certified Personal Trainer
Founder of 360Girls&Women®LLC
Sue-Ellen is a co-author, health writer, speaker, recipe developer and has been featured in multiple media outlets. Her experience includes working with many age groups such as in pediatrics, women's health, wellness, bariatrics, weight management, and diabetes. She has training in the prenatal, pregnancy, and postpartum population from the worlds leading diabetes center - Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston Massachusetts, in addition, to other outpatient clinics, wellness centers, and hospitals across the U.S. She has several certifications and obtained her Masters of Science in Nutrition & Wellness, Summa Cum Laude, and Bachelors of Science in Food Science & Human Nutrition with a minor in Health Science Education. At the end of the day, she is first a wife and mother to her children and likes to be called “the organizer” of her home. She enjoys helping girls and women journey to complete wellness, spending quality time with her family, and cooking many dishes, especially her traditional Jamaican meals.
Monique Jacobs
Mental Health Advocate
Therapeutic Art Life Coach
Founder of SOM Vibes Studio, LLC
Monique Jacobs, founder of SOM Vibes Studio, LLC is a mental health advocate and activist pushing forward universal, diverse, equitable, and inclusion environments. She strives to provide a safe space for creative expression where she encourages individuals of all ages to bring out their artistic side to best channel their stress, nurture their emotional wellbeing, and build resilience.
Carla Balzano
Owner of Creative Contour by Carla.
Boston Makeup Artist
Based in Boston, MA, Creative Contour By Carla provides makeup services for weddings, special events, photo shoots, video shoots, personal makeup shopping, and makeup classes.
Owner Carla believes that each person deserves celebrity treatment while she helps you create your unique makeup look. She believes that wearing makeup should be a joyful experience.
Tara Vargas-Wallace
Founder and Executive Director of Amplify POC Cape Cod
Social Justice Advocate and Racial Justice Activist
Amplify POC Cape Cod is a racial justice initiative to help amplify the businesses owned by people of colour (POC) on Cape Cod. Amplify was founded by Tara Vargas-Wallace, after the murder of George Floyd. As a Puerto Rican woman who is married to a Black man and mother to three promising Black children and as a social justice activist in the community, this issue was personal to her. In the spring and summer of 2020, community members began reaching out to Tara to ask how they could support the Black community. A list of Black-owned businesses did not exist for the Cape region, and therefore, Tara created one as part of Amplify's first endeavour.
Toiell Washington
Social Entrepreneur
Co-Founder of Black Boston
Toiell Washington is a 24-year-old social entrepreneur from the City of Boston. As a young person, she worked at several nonprofits in the city doing violence prevention and social justice education work, where she found a love for community engagement. Her experience led her to build Black Boston, a community organization that centers the voices of young Black people from the city, and The Master’s Tools, a game company that helps people start conversations around social and political issues through card games. Toiell is committed to exploring and introducing topics around Diversity, Belonging, Equity and Inclusion in a non-traditional way. She believes It is important that we as a community are accommodating all different kinds of learning styles.
Partners
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