Sun, 19 May 2019 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM EDT – by Roula Said and Kohenet Annie Matan

Om Laila is an intimate studio-sanctuary dedicated to awakening and deepening womb-consciousness through women’s circles, ceremony, bellydance, qigong and soul-attuning music.

By the womb, we refer to more than the physical organ. The womb is the fundamental energy centre. It is the seat of the soul and the heart of creation and creativity. It is where spirit becomes flesh. We all start out as females and we are all born of a womb. To bring this part of our inner architecture on line, whether we have a physical womb or not, is to experience a deeply comforting, peaceful and enlivening groundedness. It activates our crystal root to source and to our original blueprint. We also acknowledge that the womb is vulnerable territory and we will do our best to create a safe, brave and compassionate space.

The Red Tent is a truly multigenerational circle and community, offering a warm welcome to women from menarche (first mentruation) to menopause.

At Om Laila there are 2 versions of the Red Tent to choose from – New Moon and Full Moon. You are invited to attend either and both. They each have a slightly different focus and intention.

The focus of the New Moon Tent is on the cycling years. Our bodies recapitulate the great cycles of life and death every month and in this, there are mysteries upon mysteries to fathom. To tune to and reclaim our cyclical rhythms in a largely linear world is profoundly sanity-making and can often transform the physical pain and emotional dread of our menstrual time into a meeting of our power and intuitive wisdom.

The focus of the Full Moon Tent is on the years nearing and beyond Menopause. Women in middle age and beyond often feel invisible and undesirable in our youth obsessed culture. Women riding the wild waves of perimenopause can feel confused and overwhelmed. But in fact, this is the time to fully claim our Queendom! In the Full Moon Tent, time, space and light are given to support the challenges and honour the rich gifts of the autumnal years. Baby crones are nurtured to become wise women and grandmothers with sass and gravitas!

Both versions of the Red Tent are available no matter where you are in your journey and each will give you insight and nourishment. We each contain maiden, mother, wild woman, wise woman. Furthermore, younger women can receive profound insights and clarity from their more experienced sisters in the full moon tent, and can also contribute to creating a culture where our elders are seen, heard and honoured. And older women can revel in the sweet sunshine, intense fires and fertile waters of the new moon tent, receiving and blessing the younger generations.

What happens at the Red Tent?

6:00 Meet, greet and eat!
-Please bring something to share if you are moved
-Food from your culture of origin is super welcome! 
-Be sure to keep it easy on yourself if you need a break from feeding people!!

6:30 ish Ceremony
-Elements of the ceremony are cross-cultural and inclusive of all spiritual traditions.
-Each Red Tent is unique and the specifics vary but include personal sharing, singing and simple music-making (no experience required), movement, poetry, meditation, story, and wisdom teachings. 
-We welcome your contribution (please be mindful to keep it under 5 minutes).We will do our best to include it.
-And…Feel free to just come and receive.

8:30 ish Closing and Clean-up

The money part: We ask for a suggested donation of $30 hst included. This is a pay what you like event. Numbers are limited but we seek to turn no one away because of money.

Original artwork: The Black Madonna by Pamela Matthews

Register here.