Beatha Coaching

Slow Writing Club launches, and new members calendar for Jan-Mar 2025

Dear friends…

And here we are, just a few weeks away from the end of the year and a real rest. Over on Substack recently I have been thinking about the effect that seasons, weather, and time have on my writing and on my capacity. Even in my third autumn outside academia I am still noticing a sense of winding down as we look toward midwinter and the Christmas break. I am ready, in a way I rarely am during spring and summer, to stop for a while. 2024 has been a remarkable year for Beatha Coaching – I might do another proper newsletter on that topic around Hogmanay – and I have loved the many opportunities to be more creative, more authentic, and more present for my clients and friends. But there is no question I could now use a couple of weeks not making, thinking, or teaching, just being. I’m sure you feel the same way.

But Christmas is not always the most restful of times, and as well as a year of growth and advancement 2024 has also been nearly twelve months of terrible world news, images of death, failures of the global political system, a general decline in women’s rights, and of course major upsets in the university sector. Sorry to bring the mood down, but I want to make sure that those of us struggling to feel the Christmas vibes also have a space to grieve and be acknowledged. This month’s community workshop is open to non-members and is all about understanding both our need for rest, and why we might find it difficult. Over an hour and a quarter (or so…) next Wednesday lunchtime we will cover: our capacity and why rest matters; the role of the nervous system; how to recognise and respond to emotional triggers around family; and the very real effects of vicarious trauma. I hope you can join us. Just pop over to my buymeacoffee page, donate a few coffees, and put ‘Rest workshop’ in the message. I’ll email you the zoom link.

Write with me this Thursday!

The Slow Writers club launches this Thursday, and the first live session is FREE. Join us 7-9pm for a gentle restorative space to reconnect to your writing and find support from other like-minded writers. Each session will follow the same format: log on at 7pm for writing prompts around a theme followed by discussion and group coaching; then after a break we’ll be back at 8.10pm for co-writing our own projects, concluding just before 9pm with a quick check-in about plans for the month ahead. I’ll post a follow-on prompt on the theme two weeks later to keep you connected. Our theme this month is: SUSTAINABLE.

Slow Writers happens over on Substack – subscribe there now to get the zoom link for Thursday. You will be prompted to upgrade to paid next month if you want to keep coming to the live sessions – it costs just £10 a month, and if you ever miss the session the first half (7-8pm) will be recorded so you can watch it back and do the prompts at home. You can also email me topics to discuss in the coaching anonymously if you prefer not to appear on the recording. Free subscribers still receive updates and the mid-month writing prompt.

Beatha Coaching Community

As we look toward 2025 you may feel like you need more support than an occasional newsletter. If you self-identify as a woman who writes, in academia or beyond, you would be very welcome in the coaching community. This lovely group of supportive, encouraging women is committed to sharing space for listening, coaching, creating, and learning more about ourselves and how to be agents of change in workplaces that don’t prioritise wellness. It is honestly the best thing I do and the space I pour most of my time and intention into. Membership renews monthly (you can cancel anytime) and has three price bands to ensure it remains affordable. If you have any questions do reply to this email and I’d love to chat, or visit the community page on my website for more information.

Each quarter I launch a new calendar of events, including a monthly workshop, monthly group coaching, and a weekly writing hour, plus special bonus events. Here is your first look at the Winter 2025 calendar! I’m especially excited about our January min-writing retreat, and a collaboration with Rebekah Ballagh from Journey to Wellness coming in March. Members can access all the events as part of their monthly membership, but some are also drop-in events for non-members (check the calendar for details).

And speaking of Rebekah Ballagh, if you want to learn more about your nervous system, and how to build a personalised toolkit of resources to help you feel calmer and more in control every day, Becks is offering a FREE 90 minute workshop this Saturday at 8.30pm GMT (Sunday 9.30am NZDT) called The Burger Routine. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND registering, even if you can’t make it you will receive access to a recording to watch later. Becks has 14 years experience as a counsellor and nervous system regulation coach, and this workshop will be incredibly helpful for anyone who struggles with those horrid tired but wired feelings we all know so well. Head over to her website now to register, you won’t regret it.

And lastly…

Despite the sudden cold snap Monty and I have been getting out to the woods most days to enjoy stunning frosty mornings and the transforming scenery. No more red squirrels in sight! But the dark skies have made up for that, we’re spotted Mars, Venus and Mercury all really clear over our house, along with that gorgeous last blood moon of the year. In somatic yoga I’ve been working with clients around a theme of ‘making space’ using lovely myofascial techniques like working with a ball to release fascial tension, and breathwork to expand and open up our lungs. I’m posting winter themed classes on YouTube all this month to help you get through December, a mix of stretching crunchy tired bodies and getting some energy going through spicy flows. I’ll link to this week’s ten minute practice for a tight jaw and neck below – something we all need for sure!

Have a great rest of December folks, I’ll be back in touch before January with that review of the year. Do hit reply and let me know how you are going, I’d love to hear your news too.

Francesca x