For Heiter Society Advocates and Partners only (monthly fees start at GBP27).

We're going to host a “Heiter Coaching Session” following Preparing for the Second Spring: How to Navigate the Changes of Midlife by Putting Your Wellbeing First with Rachel Grant. The session is from 7.30pm UK | 8.30pm CET on Wednesday, 20th of May and lasts about an hour.

By adding this format to our workshop and session mix, we're hoping to support you even more in finding “Heiterkeit” (joy). 

For this “Heiter Coaching” session, we have invited Somatic Coach, Yoga Teacher and Menopause Guide Rachel Grant to guide us through rediscovering joy when going through hormonal changes.

More about Rachel:

Rachel supports women in midlife to navigate change with greater clarity and confidence. Her work helps women make sense of the physical, emotional and psychological shifts of this stage of life, while reconnecting with purpose and possibility for the years ahead. Rachel works internationally with clients one to one over Zoom, and also facilitates online Menopause Yoga classes and Women’s Wisdom Circles. She lives in Spain with her family.

Tickets: GBP25 || Instant access for Heiter Society members (monthly society fees start at £17)

Menopause is one of the most significant transitions most women experience in their lifetime, bringing profound changes to both our body and brain. This workshop offers a supportive introduction to how perimenopause and menopause can affect our health, and explores practical ways to protect and strengthen wellbeing through lifestyle medicine.

On Wednesday, 13th of May (10am UK | 11am CET), you will be invited to reflect on this stage of life not just as an ending, but as a gateway to what comes next. Together, we will look ahead to the next season and consider how you want it to feel, what truly matters now, and what small but meaningful changes you can make today to support your own Second Spring.

The session will be run by Rachel Grant. She is a Somatic Coach, Yoga Teacher and Menopause Guide who supports women in midlife to navigate change with greater clarity and confidence. Her work helps women make sense of the physical, emotional and psychological shifts of this stage of life, while reconnecting with purpose and possibility for the years ahead. Rachel works internationally with clients one to one over Zoom, and also facilitates online Menopause Yoga classes and Women’s Wisdom Circles. She lives in Spain with her family.

For Heiter Society members and paid Substack subscribers (from GBP17/month) .

In line with this month’s Fashion Revolution Week, we’re going to host a clothing mending class with eco-social designer Adele Buffa.

The workshop Ricamoriparo is an invitation to share our time using the art of embroidery as a tool for textile restoration and collective empowerment. While creating with our hands, we will explore the power of sewing, both for personal well-being and for ecological awareness.

Please bring along:

• a piece of fabric: this can be any scrap you like, but make sure it’s not stretch and not too thin. Great are materials with structure e.g. denim, old linen, an old table cloth

• an embroidery needle: the size depends on the thread and the textile you will use. Try to thread the needle and to pass from one site to the other of the fabric, if it passes through easily is the right match. If you need to buy the needle bring the fabric and thread of your choice along and ask for advice

• embroidery threads in your favourite colours (at least two different ones are recommended); suggested brand: Dansk Blomstergarn, or any cotton “perlé”, usually easier to handle in comparison to “mouliné” thread. However, if you already have one at home, we can work with that.

• optional: an embroidery hoop

• a garment or textile you are attached to (for sentimental reasons)

• a garment or textile you would like to repair

*Tips: ask your friend/your grandma/aunty/neighbour if they have embroidery material to lend you. Alternatively, check second-hand stores, maybe there are some sewing kit ready for you.

Open to all levels.

More about Adele Buffa:

Adele Buffa is an eco-social designer. Her research and practice focus on sewing as a subversive and participatory tool aimed at fostering ecological and social transformation across various contexts, from artistic to educational and community engagement. She facilitates sewing workshops with a focus on creative repair, upcycling, and fashion hacking. Through her research and artistic textile repair service, she explores and reinterprets ancestral techniques such as embroidery and darning.

In 2019, she co-founded the collective Nipple&Needle, through which she opened her first eco-social tailoring workshop in Turin. In 2022, together with Rocco Modugno and Andrea Righetto, she founded the collective Blauer Schnipsel to transform production waste from the traditional South Tyrolean apron into decorative elements through participatory actions, as documented in the book published by Franzlab, Blauer Schnipsel: Co-generating a Social Fabric.

Throughout her work, she has collaborated with various makerspaces, universities, schools, social cooperatives, cultural associations, textile companies, festivals, and organisations focused on social and environmental justice.

Since October 2025, together with visual artist Laura Pan, she has shared a studio at the Südtiroler Künstlerbund in Bolzano.

Free online event. Everyone is welcome.

As part of our shared pursuit of “heiter”, to live more joyfully, we have created the Heiter Society Book Club. There are many reasons why strangers may forge a connection, yet one universal thread weaving through all ages is the sharing of stories. While reading may often be a solitary pursuit, it possesses the remarkable ability to gather people together. Indeed, the act of reading as part of a group is a potent force for enriching our lives. We meet four times a year to read carefully curated, short, and not-too-recent, books that are around the theme of being present to the simple joys and pleasures of our daily lives. It is not essential to have read the book to attend if you don't mind spoilers. 

The next Heiter Society Book Club read has been chosen and it's Why Women Grow by Alice Vincent.

Why Women Grow offers a rich ground for discussions on the healing power of the earth, the cycles of female life, and the quiet, persistent resilience found in the act of gardening. It is a beautiful reminder that “blooming” is rarely a grand event, but a slow, intentional unfolding through the seasons.  A lush, soulful, and deeply heiter exploration of the soil that sustains us.

For this book club, we'd love to explore the idea of sharing books once we're done reading them. If you have a copy and are happy to read it and pass it along, let us know. Likewise, if you'd like to receive the book once someone else has finished, just get in touch!

We hope to see you there! Join the conversation Wednesday, 18th of March at 7.30pm UK | 8.30pm CET. The zoom link for the discussion will be shared closer to the time.

For Heiter Society members (from GBP17/month) or paid Substack subscribers.

Join us for this beginners friendly, online mat Pilates class with Kimberley. This online class aims to introduce you to the wonderful practice of Pilates regardless of ability. Pilates is a wonderful, scaleable bodyweight movement practice that focuses on core control, balance and stability. While improving strength and co-ordination. Perfect for complete beginners, or those who'd like to join us for a welcoming and open environment.

 If you have a mat please bring it along but it's definitely not required. Make sure you're wearing clothes you're comfortable moving in, some water, a blanket for lower back or knee support and a cushion or pillow as modifications will be provided throughout class. Looking forward to seeing you online then.

More about Kimberley (in her own words):

The mind body connection is what hooked me in. I have been teaching reformer pilates since 2023 and practicing since 2021. I find in class all the focus is on the control of the movements and all distractions disappear.

Whether you’re a beginner or a regular there is space for you in my class to discover your own pilates path. Layering is key so I will always offer up progressions and this allows you to find the power in the moves and you’ll witness your strength develop. 

My classes are rooted in the principles of pilates while still ensuring fun. 

I am also a level 2 reiki practitioner and currently (re)learning French.

For Heiter Society members and paid Substack subscribers only.

We’re going to meet on Wednesday, 11th of February 2026 at 7.30pm UK | 8.30pm CET for a photography workshop with renowned photographer Joanna Maclennan.

Overview:

1. Introduction to Joanna Maclennan

2. Tips & Intro into Product photography, photography for your website/social media

3. What makes a good photograph / some creative ideas

4. Tip and Tricks for camera and I-phone photography

5.What can we do with our photography?

This is only a one hour session which will be a condensed session but I hope you will come away with some pointers for your own photography whether for work or just pleasure. 

More about Joanna:

Joanna is a Provence-based photographer whose work captures the timeless beauty of French interiors, still life landscapes, and objects with rich textures and shadows. Her photography has been featured in renowned publications like The World of Interiors, Cabana and House & Garden. She is also the author of two books, The Foraged Home and Living Wild, which explore sustainable living and creative design.

www.joannamaclennan.com

Instagram: @joannamaclennanphotography

Substack : joannamaclennan.substack.com  ' A photographer's life in Provence'

For Heiter Society members only.

We're going to host our first “Heiter Coaching Session” in 2026!

By introducing this new format to our workshop and session mix, we're hoping to support you even more in finding “Heiterkeit” (joy). 

For this “Heiter Coaching” session, we have invited Occupational Therapist and heiter In-House Therapist Josephine Dolan-Dufourd to guide us through rediscovering joy in everyday life.

More about Josephine:

Josephine Dolan-Dufourd is a sensory-informed Occupational Therapist and the In-house Therapist for heiter. Based with her family near Pézenas in the South of France, she blends 25 years of clinical experience with a focus on wellbeing and the art of meaningful "doing."  Josephine hosts the heiter community meditation classes, the book club and occasional workshops, helping individuals align their daily lives with a sense of purpose, meaning, value and authentic joy - all things heiter. 

For Heiter Society members (from GBP27/month) and paid Substack subscribers (from GBP7/month) only.

Sewing Seeds/Intention in Action: A Heiter Vision for the Year Ahead

This isn’t your typical "aspirational" vision board session. As an Occupational Therapist, Josephine Dolan-Dufourd believes our vision should reflect our reality—our values, our community, and the small, daily rhythms that actually bring us joy.

On the 14th of January (from 7.30pm UK| 8.30pm CET), we’ll spend an intentional hour together doing the following:

• The Diary Review: Looking back through your 2025 dates to celebrate the "small but mighty" wins (and letting go of the baggage we don’t need to carry into the new year).

• The Occupational Therapy Pivot: Moving beyond pretty pictures to identify the activities that give your life meaning, value, and purpose.

• The Creation: A hands-on, tactile moment to map out a year of authentic heiter.

What to bring:

1. Your 2025 diary or calendar.

2. A board, card, piece of paper

3. Scissors, glue, and a few "bits and bobs"—magazine clippings, old tickets, or even a scrap of fabric that feels like home.

4. Pens and pencils

Let’s reflect, find our focus, and settle into 2026 with joyful intention. We can’t wait to see you there.

For Heiter Society members only.

Join our In-house Heiter Therapist Josephine Dolan-Dufourd for another mindful compassion based meditation. The session is part of Josephine's current meditation series on the embracing the imperfect life. This series draws inspiration from the best selling book by Oliver Burkeman Meditations for Mortals - Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts.  

The class takes place Friday, 9th of January, at 8am UK | 9am CET (on zoom). It will be recorded and shared with all members, so please don't worry if you cannot join live.

A few instructions (→ please read prior to the session):

• You are welcome to use a chair, cushions or lie down for the meditation

• Make sure there's enough space for an exercise mat on the floor and enough space to move your arms around for some stretches

• Bring props for comfort and warmth such as blankets and cushions

• A journal to reflect on your experience

• For extra goodness bring along a warm drink in a flask or a glass of water for the tea meditation

For Heiter Society members only.

Save the date. More details will be shared soon.

For Heiter Society members only.

Join our In-house Heiter Therapist Josephine Dolan-Dufourd for another mindful compassion based meditation. The session is part of Josephine's current meditation series on the embracing the imperfect life. This series draws inspiration from the best selling book by Oliver Burkeman Meditations for Mortals - Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts.  

The class takes place tomorrow Friday, 12th of December, at 8am UK | 9am CET (on zoom). It will be recorded and shared with all members, so please don't worry if you cannot join live.

A few instructions (→ please read prior to the session):

• You are welcome to use a chair, cushions or lie down for the meditation

• Make sure there's enough space for an exercise mat on the floor and enough space to move your arms around for some stretches

• Bring props for comfort and warmth such as blankets and cushions

• A journal to reflect on your experience

• For extra goodness bring along a warm drink in a flask or a glass of water for the tea meditation

Free online event. Everyone is welcome.

As part of our shared pursuit of “heiter”, to live more joyfully, we have created the Heiter Society Bookclub. There are many reasons why strangers may forge a connection, yet one universal thread weaving through all ages is the sharing of stories. While reading may often be a solitary pursuit, it possesses the remarkable ability to gather people together. Indeed, the act of reading as part of a group is a potent force for enriching our lives. We meet four times a year to read carefully curated, short, and not-too-recent, books that are around the theme of being present to the simple joys and pleasures of our daily lives. It is not essential to have read the book to attend if you don't mind spoilers. 

The next Heiter Society Bookclub read has been chosen and it's I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. A charming, witty, and deeply atmospheric narrative, told from the perspective of a young woman coming of age, provides a rich ground for discussions on family, class, and the complexities of love.

 For this book club, we'd love to explore the idea of sharing books once we're done reading them. If you have a copy and are happy to read it and pass it along, let us know. Likewise, if you'd like to receive the book once someone else has finished, just get in touch!

We hope to see you there! Join the conversation 19th of November at 7.30pm UK | 8.30pm CET. The zoom link for the discussion is below and we'll share it again closer to the time.

If November feels too far away and you're looking to cultivate a little heiter you'll find a moment of calm and lots of inspiration in the latest Heiter E-Zine HERE. 

For Heiter Society members only.

Join our In-house Heiter Therapist Josephine Dolan-Dufourd for another mindful compassion based meditation. The session is part of Josephine's current meditation series on the embracing the imperfect life. This series draws inspiration from the best selling book by Oliver Burkeman Meditations for Mortals - Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts.  

The class takes place tomorrow Friday, 14th of November, at 8am UK | 9am CET (on zoom). It will be recorded and shared with all members, so please don't worry if you cannot join live.

A few instructions (→ please read prior to the session):

• You are welcome to use a chair, cushions or lie down for the meditation

• Make sure there's enough space for an exercise mat on the floor and enough space to move your arms around for some stretches

• Bring props for comfort and warmth such as blankets and cushions

• A journal to reflect on your experience

• For extra goodness bring along a warm drink in a flask or a glass of water for the tea meditation

For Heiter Society members (from GBP27/month) and paid Substack members (from GBP7/month) only.

Join Java Bere for a dip into her workshop ‘Tell the Story of Your Home.’ Together we will look at how the spaces we inhabit shift with the seasons, what we all need from our spaces in Autumn and Winter, and how we can reflect this, through practical tasks, creative play and styling prompts.

What to bring along:

• A notebook and pen.

• Something sensory that reminds you of happy childhood memories of Autumn/Winter. It can be anything: a blanket, a candle, a twig from the garden, a basket, a tin of soup! It doesn’t need to be aesthetically pleasing, it’s more about what the subject evokes in you.

More about Java:

Java Bere is a writer, artist, table and home stylist. Together with her partner Jon, their two boys, and a cat called Nutmeg, she lives in a gorgeous Hebden Bridge (West Yorkshire) family home that is full of character and filled with stories. The stories told through that home represent and are inspired by their life together but also Java’s upbringing: She grew up between London, Scotland, France, and Spain, finally ending up in Manchester for fifteen years, where she worked as an actress and later as a theatre agent. All those glorious places shaped her as a person as well as her current work and aesthetic.

For Heiter Society members only.

Join us for an accountability hour during which you will get time to do something you genuinely enjoy. No matter if it’s reading, drawing, painting, collaging, journaling, wreath making, yoga or knitting, it is up to you how you use the session. There will also be the opportunity to connect and chat with the other members.

For Heiter Society members only.

Join our In-house Heiter Therapist Josephine Dolan-Dufourd for another mindful compassion based meditation. The session is part of Josephine's current meditation series on the embracing the imperfect life. This series draws inspiration from the best selling book by Oliver Burkeman Meditations for Mortals - Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts.  

The class takes place tomorrow Friday, 10th of October, at 8am UK | 9am CET (on zoom). It will be recorded and shared with all members, so please don't worry if you cannot join live.

A few instructions (→ please read prior to the session):

• You are welcome to use a chair, cushions or lie down for the meditation

• Make sure there's enough space for an exercise mat on the floor and enough space to move your arms around for some stretches

• Bring props for comfort and warmth such as blankets and cushions

• A journal to reflect on your experience

• For extra goodness bring along a warm drink in a flask or a glass of water for the tea meditation

For Heiter Society members (from GBP27/month) or paid Substack subscribers (from GBP7/month) only.

In line with heiter’s current theme of “Homecoming”, we will use this creative writing session to celebrate the places that shape our sense of belonging through words and storytelling. We’re going to meet on the 8th of October 2025 at 7.30pm UK time | 8.30pm CET.

Guided by a mix of fiction and non-fiction prompts, we’ll write about what it means to return to places that feel like home — corners in the homes we live in, a city, country, or even imaginary places that we create in our minds.

Please bring along a couple of photos of places that feel like home to you, wherever they are in the world, as we’ll use them as inspiration for some of the prompts.

More about Veronica:
Veronica Ferrari is a freelance writer, publishing consultant and social media analyst based in Paris. She also writes More Than Just Views, a Substack newsletter and creative corner for culturally curious wanderers filled with travel stories and musings on creativity, art, books and life abroad.

For Heiter Society members only.

This event is one for the books here at The Heiter Society: we're going to host our first ever “Heiter Coaching Session”!

By introducing this new format to our workshop and session mix, we're hoping to support you even more in finding “Heiterkeit” (joy). 

For the premier of “Heiter Coaching”, we have invited Self-Belief Coach and Positive Psychology Practitioner Anna Dunleavy to guide us through rediscovering joy in everyday life – and why it matters now more than ever. She will help us explore meaningful, practical ways to connect with joy, every single day. 

More about Anna Dunleavy:

Anna is a self-belief coach and positive psychology practitioner working with small business owners and creatives to unlock clarity, build confidence, and make progress on meaningful goals. To find out more about Anna and how she can support you, connect with her here:

IG: instagram.com/anna_dunleavy

Website: www.annadunleavy.com

For Heiter Society members (from GBP27/month) and paid Substack subscribers (from GBP7/month) only.

Join us for a 45-60min session with Yoga and Life Coach Kat Amey. She will show us how to slow down, nourish the body and rest the mind. Bring blocks and a bolster if you have them otherwise a pillow is perfect.

More about Kat:

Kat Amey is a Life Coach who helps people ditch conventional ideas of success and create a life that feels uniquely purposeful. Through understanding their values, she helps her clients figure out what success really means to them and then take steps to make it happen. 

Alongside her work as a Life Coach, Kat has been a qualified Yoga Teacher since 2020 and currently teaches online. She also hosts Wellbeing Workshops and Women's Wellness Retreats in the UK. To find out more about Kat and how she can support you, connect with her here:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/kat_amey/

Website: https://www.kathrynamey.com

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thewellnesshub.101