Online registration is up! Click here. If you prefer, you can call us at 978-371-0469, leave a message, and we will get back to you. Or you can print out the registration form, fill it in by hand, and mail it with a check to:

The Women’s Well Registrar
Box 1410
Concord, MA 01742

Always call a day or two ahead to confirm the status of a class. Information about snow cancellations, etc., is included in our recorded message at 978-371-0469. Circles with low enrollment may be cancelled unless you let us know you want to come!

GIRLZ DRUM CIRCLE - AGES 5-8
Bring your girlz ages 5-8 to a drum circle led by Laney Goodman. Laney will teach the rhythms of the drum and other rhythm instruments as the girlz learn to listen to their own voice of the drum, hear the heartbeat (or the "one"), and join their unique "voices" with the other girlz in harmony.
    All kinds of rhythm instruments will be used and each girl will learn on each instrument, as well as singing and using body movements/games to learn more about rhythm. With each circle the girlz will grow and learn to hear how ensemble playing is fun and exciting. Laney will also use chants and songs from the Mother Earth and the Divine Feminine to help the girlz learn about all our relations and the Divine Mother or Goddess in all of us. This drum circle will empower our girlz and give them the self-confidence and courage to stand up for what they believe in this world.
    Bring your daughters, granddaughters, nieces, sisters, or young friends ages 5-8 to this fun and empowering drum circle. Each girl will be accompanied by an adult at all times. The women will be invited to join the drumming circle at the end of each class; we will begin by letting the girlz learn to listen to their circle of girlz, while their guardians look on.
NOTE: If you have a girl younger than 5 who would like to participate, please contact Laney at 617-852-7401 to discuss whether this circle is right for her.
Pre-registration required or contact Laney before attending. Register online.
Maximum enrollment 10 girlz. Sign up early - this class fills up fast!
Laney Goodman
Sundays, 2:00-3:30 p.m., February 5, April 15
$25 early / $30 regular, per circle
(fee is for one girl with accompanying adult)

WOMEN'S DRUM LODGE: "Elemental" Rhythms Healing Circle
Join your sisters as we call in each direction of the Medicine Wheel with "elemental" rhythms that invoke Air-Fire-Water-Earth. We will use drumming, chants, sounding, and toning. Please bring singing bowls, chimes, shakers, rain sticks, wooden flutes, and/or any variety of drum. If weather permits we will be bringing the Mother Drum to aid us going deeper into the Mother Earth with the heartbeat.
    Our drum lodge is a teaching gathering for us all to share our wisdom as we navigate these times. These circles will teach us the power of deep listening and help take us deeper into our journey together in this ceremonial healing drum lodge ... as we heal ourselves and the Mother Earth. A-HO! Beginners welcome!
NOTE: Please contact Laney if you want her to save your space or if you need her to bring you a drum or rhythm instrument. There is a limited supply, so this is on a first come, first served basis. Laney can be reached at 617-852-7401 or email womenonair@aol.com.
Pre-registration is encouraged but not required. Register online.
Laney Goodman
Sunday evenings, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
January 8, February 5, March 11, April 15, May 6
$15 early / $20 regular, per circle

MOON CIRCLES
The Moon affects us all the time whether or not we are conscious of her influence. As mother of the water element here on Earth, the Moon governs all that flows, from tides to emotions to monthly cycles. She is a great teacher offering us wisdom about our bodies, feelings, instincts and intuition. Consciously engaging with the changing phases of the Moon helps us live in alignment and connection with nature. In these Moon Circles we will energetically and creatively connect with the moon through sound, vibration, astrology, astronomy, myth and meditation.
    New Moon Circle: The dark phase of the Moon is a time for going inwards, returning to our core, resting in our deepest selves and preparing for another cycle. From the darkness we emerge renewed, ready for the next phase of growth. The New Moon is a time for new beginnings, an opportunity each month to set the tone for the coming cycle and listen deeply for the themes being presented to us. It is an optimal time to set intentions, make wishes and ignite growth. From the New Moon we enter into the waxing phase where the energy that was initiated expands and grows.
    Full Moon Circle: The Moon and Sun are in intimate relationship. Throughout her cycle the Moon reflects varying amounts of the Sun's light, outwardly revealing and expressing more or less of herself at different phases. The time of the Full Moon is when she is fully illuminated by the light of the Sun. It is a time for celebrating this sacred union and all relationships that teach us about ourselves. The Full Moon is the time of greatest visibility. It is a time to shine, be seen, stand proud in who we are and express our most radiant selves. Themes that are initiated at the New Moon reach their peak at the Full Moon. From the Full Moon we enter into the waning phase, where we integrate and assimilate all that we have learned before beginning the next cycle.
Pre-registration required. Register online.
Melinda Franceschini and Janet Kessenich
New Moon Circle, Wednesday, February 22, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
$20 Early / $25 Regular
Full Moon Circle, Wednesday, March 7, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
$20 Early / $25 Regular

WOMEN'S SACRED DANCE JOURNEY
with Live Drumming by Laney Goodman
Let the Intuition of Our Bodies be our Guides.
Let our Bones, Muscles, and Breath be our Release.
Our bodies hold our deepest wisdom. Yet as women that wisdom can be silenced, stilled, or compromised. We hold in our stomachs, cross our legs, and "get smaller." We learn to put our needs and intuition on hold, and so separate ourselves from our most vital knowing.
    During this dance journey, we will invite the voices of our bodies to re-emerge. Using dance as our medium, we will "re-member" our Selves, and re-connect to the deep inner wisdom that flows through each of us. Whether it is the impulse to move a finger, or the drive to shake our bones, each woman's movement is honored as her own best guide for connecting to her most authentic and sacred Self.
    Come drive out shame, self-doubt and guilt. Fall in love with the magic of your movement. Fall in love with the mystery of your next gesture. Fall in love with the divine inspiration of your body. Fall in love with you.
    No dance experience necessary. Every body shape, size, and level of fitness welcome.
Pre-registration is appreciated but not required. This circle is offered as a gift. Those who are able to pass the gift along are invited to make a donation to the Women's well. Register online.
Janet Farnsworth
Sundays, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
February 26, March 25, April 29, May 13, June 3
Suggested donation: $10-20 per session

HEALING OASIS FOR HEALERS
Do you do healing work, therapy, massage, acupuncture, or any other holistic practice? Do you mindfully tend children, elders, others? Are you simply a really good friend to your friends in need? Spend a lunch hour in sacred space, meeting and sharing with others who tend bodies, minds, and souls. We cordially invite you to experience the deeply nourishing support of this monthly circle. Bring a bag lunch if you wish -- we'll supply tea. As a group, we will co-create the healing oasis that our wants and needs call forth.
This is an open circle - attend whenever you can. Pre-registration is appreciated, but not required. This circle is offered as a gift. A suggested donation is requested each session to help cover Women's Well costs. Register online.
Barbara Adler and Edith Griffin
Mondays, noon to 2:00 p.m.
February 27, March 26, April 23, May 21
Suggested donation: $10 per circle

GIRLZ CEREMONIAL DRUMMING - AGES 9-12
Bring your girlz ages 9-12 to a drum circle led by Laney Goodman. Laney will teach the rhythms of the drum and other rhythm instruments as the girlz learn to listen to their own voice of the drum, hear the heartbeat (or the "one"), and join their unique "voices" with the other girlz in harmony. She will also teach the Native American use of the sacred four directions and how we are all connected to the Circle of Life.
    All kinds of rhythm instruments will be used and each girl will learn on each instrument, as well as singing so they may find their voice. With each circle the girlz will grow and learn to hear how ensemble playing is fun and exciting. Laney will use chants and songs from the Mother Earth and the Divine Feminine to help the girlz learn about all our relations and the Divine Mother or Goddess in all of us. This drum circle will empower our girlz and give them the self-confidence and courage to stand up for what they believe in this world.
    Bring your daughters, granddaughters, nieces, sisters, or young friends ages 9-12 to this fun and empowering drum circle. Each girl will be accompanied by an adult at all times. The women will be invited to join the drumming circle at the end of each class; we will begin by letting the girlz learn to listen to their circle of girlz, while their guardians look on.
Pre-registration required, or contact Laney before attending: 617-852-7401 or by email womenonair@aol.com. Please, no walk-ins.
Maximum enrollment 10 girlz. Sign up early - this class fills up fast! Register online.
Laney Goodman
Fridays, 7:00-8:30 p.m., March 2, April 13
$25 early / $30 regular, per circle (fee is for one girl with accompanying adult)

THINK YOU'VE GOT A PROBLEM?
YOUR INNER WISDOM CAN TRANSFORM IT!
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." Albert Einstein
The heart of this workshop is learning a new way to be in life, beyond our familiar conditioning. For many of us, our conditioning has taught us to look at and treat the challenges in our lives as "problems" and therefore bad and unwanted - something to be fought with and gotten rid of. This separation of subject (my self) and object (problem) depletes our energy and causes pain and unnecessary suffering.
    One of the hallmarks of the feminine is relationship wisdom. This natural wisdom offers us a powerful way to work with whatever holds us back in life. In this workshop you will learn how to expand your capacity to be in relationship with your problems - beyond subject and object. You will notice the familiar feeling of struggle begin to lighten, as your creative energy and inner resources arise, allowing you to live your life with greater ease. This is a skill you can apply in any area of your life! So bring in your most puzzling problem, and learn how to embrace it and shift the energy around it, to experience less suffering and more precious life force.
Pre-registration required. Register online.
Diana Griffith
Sunday, March 4, OR Saturday, May 12
2:00-4:30 p.m.
$35 early / $45 regular

MONTHLY OPEN CIRCLE AT THE WELL
All women are welcome at our monthly Open Circle. This circle, which meets on the second Wednesday of each month, offers an opportunity to sit in sacred space together and gently attune to the time of year and to our inner selves. In circle, we share stories, inviting our true voices to speak and be heard. We make connections with each other, with our inmost thoughts and feelings, and with the seasonal cycles of the Earth.
This circle is offered as a gift, and no payment is required to participate. Those who would like to pass the gift along are invited to make a donation to the Women's Well. Pre-registration is appreciated but not required. Register online.
Women's Well faculty
Wednesdays, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
March 14, April 11, May 9, June 13
Donations welcome

SPRING EQUINOX CELEBRATION
The equinoxes and solstices, marking the Earth's annual journey around the sun, have been celebrated throughout the millennia. They offer opportunities to attune our energy to the natural rhythms of light and dark, expansion and contraction. In this seasonal celebration, we explore our connections to the flowing energy of the Earth. All women and girls are welcome.
This circle is offered as a gift, and no payment is required to participate. Those who are able to pass the gift along are invited to make a donation to the Women's Well. Pre-registration is appreciated, but not required. Register online.
Women's Well community
Tuesday, March 20, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Suggested donation: $10

SPECIAL EVENT: MOVIE NIGHT AT THE WOMEN'S WELL!
Documentary film dealing with the medicalization of female desire, followed by opportunity for comments and group discussion.
    Come see Liz Canner's thought-provoking documentary on the pharmaceutical industry and how many feel it capitalizes on women's insecurities about their sexual function by "discovering" and defining new diseases and then manufacturing the pills to fix them.
    The medicalization of female sexuality and the question of whether or not all the hype around so-called dysfunctions is driven by marketing and the profit motive is a controversial topic. Liz Canner takes it on and illustrates, through interviews with patients, pharmaceutical executives, and doctors, how direct-to-consumer advertising and marketing campaigns can impact the sexual lives of women in America today. Not surprisingly, the title of this award-winning film is "OrgasmInc" but there is nothing "inappropriate" or X-rated about it. Rather, it is a technically polished and tightly edited documentary film with delightful comedic touches and razor-sharp insights. You may laugh, cry, and/or fume over this timely subject - but you most certainly will not be bored.
    The film lasts 100 minutes. As with all Women's Well evenings, we will begin the evening by sitting in circle before watching the film. Afterwards, there will be a discussion group led by Dr. Anita Hoffer, a local sexuality educator and veteran faculty member of Harvard Medical School as well as retired executive of the pharmaceutical industry.
    Light refreshments will be provided.
This circle is offered as a gift, and no payment is required to participate. Those who would like to pass the gift along are invited to make a donation to the Women's Well.
PLEASE NOTE: Seating is limited, so sign up early! Pre-registration required. Register online.
Anita Hoffer
Sunday, March 25, 7:00 p.m.
Suggested donation: $10

TAKING TIME IN A WORLD THAT DOESN'T:
BREATH, PRESENCE, AND SLOWING DOWN
Author Christian McEwen writes of the "hurry sickness." Most of us are doing too much and doing it all too fast, and what we are short of is "time." Let's look at this "hurry disease" together. What draws us into it? What's gained? What's lost? What changes can we make? What gifts might come to our lives if we could slow down even a little and give our selves more time? We will explore this topic through circle dialogue, guided imagery and simple breathing practices. Each participant will have an opportunity to find a meaningful next step, appropriate to her own particular life.
Supportive Reading: World Enough & Time: On Creativity and Slowing Down, by Christian McEwen.
Pre-registration is encouraged but not required. Register online.
This circle is offered as a gift, and no payment is required to participate. Those who would like to pass the gift along are invited to make a donation to the Women's Well.
Anne Yeomans
Monday, April 9, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Suggested donation: $15-20

INTUITION AND INNER SENSES
Intuition is a capacity we are born with but few of us work with consciously. We are receiving information intuitively at every moment but are mostly unaware of the process. Becoming conscious of this information not only enriches our lives but also allows it to be used when making important decisions. This circle is for women interested in developing their inner senses and intuition, whether already on this path or beginning the journey.
    In this circle we will deepen presence and awareness while connecting with internal sources of intuitive intelligence. The sessions will include guided meditations for clearing, grounding, and cultivating an ideal working state, as well as interactive exercises for practicing the use of intuition. We will create a fun and pressure-free, supportive environment where inner resistances and obstacles can be gently released allowing for the free flow of intuition. Come with a playful spirit to share in this circle of discovery and adventure.
The sessions can be taken separately or as a series.
Pre-registration required. Register online.
Melinda Franceschini
Tuesday, March 27; Wednesday, April 25
7:00-9:30 p.m.
$25 early / $35 regular per session

ELEMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS
The secret to the forces that created you may seem hidden in science or masked by stardust, but this course opens the door to a practical way of discovering who you really are. Wouldn't you like to know the key to having more love and joy in your life? The idea is profoundly simple: You can deepen your relationships by awakening the basic wisdom and energy of the Chemical Elements and the inevitable way they connect into pairs, families, and groups.
    In this two-part experiential learning course, you'll make friends with the Chemical Elements and the relationships between them, and you'll discover how these relationships mirror the relationships in your own human life. In fact, the way Elements like hydrogen and oxygen come together to form water actually mirrors your own potential for intimacy and love.
    Between classes, there will be optional take-home exercises and one Q&A conference call, to help integrate the material into your life. The class format is fun, engaging, and easy-to-understand for everyone. No need to remember the periodic table from your high school science classes! No pop quizzes! Just amazing revelations that can help you understand yourself better. Participants come away with transformed elemental capacities for self-awareness, intimacy, and joy.
Pre-registration required. Maximum enrollment 10. Register online.
Diana Griffith
Two Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
April 14 and 28, OR May 5 and 19
$55 early / $65 regular

AUTHENTIC ARTMAKING THROUGH CREATIVE PLAY
Have you always felt that you were "wired" to create but have never found an outlet? We will get all five senses playing in three dimensions using simple materials. Within a safe, nonjudgmental atmosphere, we will engage and nourish our connection to art and spirit through play, writing, and conversation. Basic artmaking materials will be provided, along with a book that will inspire creativity.
    This workshop is for anyone, anywhere, in their journey toward finding their authentic self. For finding again the unfettered pleasure of time suspended, of total involvement in the moment, of wanting to always be able to find this space. So all are welcome, both "the practicing artist" and the aspirant alike. Be amazed by your latent creativity.
Workshop to be held at the instructor's peaceful, light-filled studio in Maynard, MA.
Pre-registration required. Register online.
Renu O'Connell
Three Sundays, April 15, 22, 29
12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m., in Maynard
$170 early / $190 regular for the series

CELEBRATING WOMEN'S SEXUALITY IN MID- & LATER LIFE:
A Workshop Series for Women
In this series, you will discover the secrets most women over 50 need to know to have a satisfying sex life; the surprising statistic about the number of older women who enjoy sex; unique and little-understood features of female anatomy and how this knowledge can enhance pleasure; and much more….
    A common misconception in our youth-obsessed culture is that as women age, they lose interest in or cannot enjoy intimate physical relationships, and are more or less sexually "dead." Women who have had little or no sex education may be inclined to believe this fiction. Cultural taboos on talking openly about sex, combined with lack of sex education, may have left them ignorant of the sexual behaviors of their peers as well as self-conscious and often even ashamed of their own sexual needs and concerns. Not only were they taught that "nice girls don't," they were also taught that "nice girls don't even talk about it."
    In these three evenings of informal conversation and learning for women who are approaching menopause or older, in a supportive and strictly confidential environment, we will explore the themes of sexuality and new opportunities for celebrating it as we age, as well as the many benefits of maintaining sexual health in mid- and later life.
    The first session will serve as a general introduction and will focus on the rich opportunities at this time in our lives for redefining what it means to be sexual as we age. We will touch on a range of topics and decide together what we wish to learn more about. We will then tailor the topics of the following two sessions to our needs and interests. 
    In the second and third sessions, educational materials will be provided and there will be time for Q&A. Each session will include open-ended conversation, but no one is expected to share personal information.
    Possible topics to explore might include: the importance of women's wisdom in reframing perceptions of sexuality in midlife and beyond; women's spiritual as well as physical needs for pleasure at this stage of life; menopause and related medical concerns; self-pleasure as a form of meditation; health benefits as well as risks of sexual activity for older women; and the anatomy of pleasure. Other topic suggestions are welcome.
NOTE: The first session can be taken separately "to test the waters."
Course may meet at an alternative location in Brookline, depending on the group's preference and convenience.
Pre-registration is required. Maximum enrollment: 8. Register online.
Anita P. Hoffer
Three evenings, 7:00-9:15 p.m.
Thursday, May 3
Two Wednesdays, May 16 and 30
$25 for the first session only (May 3) or $60 for the series of 3 sessions

Return to top • Give to the Well

You can get updates through our email newsletter.
Make sure our new newsletter email address – women_s_Well_Inc@mail.vresp.com – is on your "allowed" list of email addresses. If you think you’re on our list and haven’t received a newsletter recently, let us know at womenswellnews@gmail.com