Through a random mix of classic burlesque, mindfulness exercises, ice breakers and guided chat, Moon’s aim is get her group of ten women loving themselves, looking after themselves, and feeling comfortable in their own skin.
“On the registration form people fill out how confident they feel in themselves, in social situations and in their body image. It’s a mix of all three really in the group. One thing they all have though is they say, ‘this is exactly what I need’. They might have picked up on a body area they are uncomfortable with, they might be plagued by negative thoughts, or they might just want to meet new people, in a non-pressurised way,” says Moon.
Moon saw a need for the group when she looked at her own friends who experienced a lot of the same negative feelings. She thought that a mix of practical mindfulness, a celebration of people's bodies and a break away from all of the distractions of Instagram, Facebook and being constantly glued to phones would greatly help women to be comfortable in themselves.
Positive body image is something she says that the majority of women who participate in the course struggle to deal with. Moon says the pressure that people feel under to resemble the air brushed perfection we see in magazines and photographs everyday is a huge factor in this. Learning a classic burlesque routine however is a key way in which Moon encourages women to just embrace who they are and what they have.
“A few years ago I saw a burlesque show, women and men of all shapes and sizes, it was just a fun thing where they were like ‘check this out, this is my fabulous body’. And our routine, it’s really just about having the craic and the women support each other so much during it. We do the routine for half an hour each week, there’s no stripping, its classic burlesque. It’s a celebration of their bodies but with a bit of fun aswell and they perform for each other in groups.”
While feather boas are provided, the only other thing that’s encouraged is comfortable clothes and heels, as it helps with the women’s posture during the routine.
The other thing that Moon puts a focus on is women taking time for themselves, and fostering positive thoughts. “There are a number of things that apply to this, and it’s about applying mindfulness in a practical way. Not everybody can spare an hour each day for mindfulness but small things like putting your phone away when you’re waiting in a queue, not putting headphones in and using that a time to think and reflect, and not just waiting when you go sleep to think about it all when you have 40,000 thoughts running through your head can really help.”
The biggest thing however that Moon encourages is for women to stop comparing themselves to other people, and to recognise that everybody has something they’re not happy with or feel uncomfortable about, and to turn that into a positive.
“For me, a goddess is someone who appreciates and celebrates herself and her achievements, tries her best but goes easy on herself, but also does things with a bit of craic and a laugh”, says Moon. “I think it’s a mish mash of things but based on my last group of women it works because I think it’s really more so practical and a bit of craic, but, it’s looking at things that will affect every single woman in a practical and fun way. And it can’t hurt to give it a go anyway.”
It something that the women of Ireland certainly seem keen on with her next course in October already sold out. She is however running a one day course on September 27th with more to come in the new year.
For more information see @goddessclubdub on Twitter or email: dublingoddessclub@gmail.com
