Gingko Ceremonies

30/07/2024

Can't believe it has been a year since moving back to Scotland. A few dips in lochs, a hillwalk or two and a spot of surgery just for good measure! Thanks Amy Gutteridge for the lovely picture and the lovely day!

Next month - looking forward to my first Glasgow-based Death Cafe in August: https://creatingconversations.uk/glasgow-demystifying-death/

12/04/2024

Having moved back north last Summer, I am excited to be hosting my first Death Cafe in Glasgow as part of the Good Life Good Death Good Grief Demystifying Death week:

Join Alberta to talk openly about death, dying and grief in a safe and confidential space at The Whiteinch Centre , G14 Glasgow.

22/04/2022

I love hosting Death Cafes - it is an amazing way to connect with people I wouldn't usually get the chance to meet. It also creates unexpected connections. Loving books as I do it was exciting to be contacted by Jessica Kingsley Publishers and asked to review one of their recent publications: Free Yourself from Death Anxiety by Rachel E Menzies and David Veale. Having avoided self-help books, I was a little unsure whether I was the right reader but I am glad I was presented with the opportunity to read it.
https://www.gingkoblossoms.co.uk/blog/free-yourself-from-death-anxiety-a-review

25/03/2022

Curious about Death Cafes? Bless Stories is such a lovely venue and makes for a very special experience.

Join Debbie & Alberta at Bless Stories in Stoke Newington to talk openly about death and dying in a safe and confidential space.

18/02/2022

On the back of our first Death Cafe in Stoke Newington this Tuesday just past, we are excited to be launching our first workshop. Please share this mail update with anyone you think might be interested. Church St Stoke Newington on a Thursday evening, taboo-busting and life-affirming chat...

We are excited to be partnering with Bless Stories to host our newly developed workshop  - Mortality Matters: making friends with death to live well. This workshop tackles the taboo of recognising our own mortality, provides a safe and confidential space to talk and share about our fears and concer...

07/02/2022

So excited to be hosting a Menopause Cafe with Debbie Young as part of this amazing weekend to celebrate International Women's Day.

Menopause Weekend For International Womens Day - March 5/6

Half the world's population or thereabouts will go through menopause at some point. This year, for International Womens Day, we are running a full weekend of different workshops, talks and discussion forums on the subject of Menopause, with an absolutely brilliant team of superwomen. Some of the workshops are free, most livestreamed, and you can either join a single workshop, more than one, or for the whole thing. There will also be the option to have all recordings sent out to be kept for future reference.

The weekend fee is £60 for as many workshops as you want, otherwise they are priced individually as below.

The schedule is as follows:

Saturday 5th March:

2.15 - 3.15pm: (Pelvic Health Pilates) - £20 in studio, £10 online

3.30 - 5.30pm: (Yoga Workshop) - £30 in studio, £20 online

6.00 - 7.00pm: Talks & Q&A - Nutrition, balancing hormones and managing bloody sugar with - £5 in person, free online

Sunday 6th March: 1.30-3.30pm: Menopause Cafe with Debbie and Alberta - Free

4.00 - 5.00pm: Talk & Q&A Menopause, Perimenopause & What we should all know about HRT with Lindsey Lester aka - £5 in person, free online

5.30 - 7.00pm: (Breathwork and sound meditation)- £30 in studio, £20 online

During these workshops and talks you can expect tol:

- explore how menopause can affect us emotionally, physically and mentally

- practise yoga poses to optimize the health and density of our bones

- learn how you can use the breath to cool the body

- gain an understanding of how yoga can support our energy and vitality along with regulating our hormonal system around this transition

- look at how breathwork can help relieve, reduce and maybe even get rid of some menopause symptoms, such as sleep issues-hot flushes-night sweats-brain fog

- understand how to strengthen your pelvic floor during this transition

- learn about balancing hormones, nutrition and HRT

Please see the link in our bio to find out more and book.

27/01/2022

Excited to be launching the North East London Death Cafe in Stoke Newington in February! Find out more and how to book:
https://www.gingkoblossoms.co.uk/events

23/01/2022

The need for rite and rituals in our life, as well as our death, grave sponsoring, urn shopping, relishing the ordinary and personal stories of loss and grief were only some of the areas that the North East London Death Cafe at the welcoming East of Eden touched on. A lovely group of people made a grey and cold January afternoon warm and life affirming. Thank you to all who joined Debbie and I.

Thank you Lah for the pictures!

21/01/2022

Thank you for providing such a lovely space!

THIS WEEKEND AT EAST OF EDEN
When I first got it into my head that I wanted to open a cafe at east of Eden, it was first and foremost to provide a community hub, a place that people could gather and connect, maybe after a class but maybe completely independently of the other studio offerings.
This weekend, we are hosting 2 community events at opposite ends of the spectrum of life and seeing all this connection and community, especially after the last few years, makes me so happy.
On Saturday, will be running a death cafe in the space, a not for profit event to talk about the end of life and making the most of the finite time we have on this earth.
Then on Sunday we have .happybaby ante natal group in for their monthly sessions.
For info and booking on both, please contact them directly.
Also on Saturday afternoon, we have a transformational breathing workshop in studio and online with . Understand your unique breathing pattern, and learn breathing techniques to help you access the fullness of your respiratory system to help you relax, sleep better and feel better in this finite life.
Booking for this workshop is via our workshops page, link in linktree and stories ⭐️
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17/01/2022

Everyone's death matters. 1,000 extra deaths a week at home since March 2020...the stats don't tell the individual stories of families coping with inconsistent support and information.

While the experiences of those dying from in hospitals and care homes have shaped our image of the pandemic, hundreds of thousands have died behind closed doors, at home, from illnesses that previously may have been treated elsewhere.

We know that people like you have stepped in. Friends, families and neighbours – the informal carers, cooks and counsellors of the pandemic. Doing what they can, even when they didn’t necessarily have the knowledge or support.

Their stories need to be heard, their experiences need to be understood. Their deaths matter too. We, along with , are calling for COVID-19 public inquiries across the UK to examine this issue, and more support for people who are dying in their own homes.

Stand with us ✊. Discover more https://loom.ly/_hN4Z6g

23/12/2021

Excited to be partnering with Bless Stories on Stoke Newington's Church St to host a couple of events in early 2022. Our first event is a Death Cafe on Thursday 13th January, 6.30-8.30pm (Covid permitting). You can book here - please note that £10 of the charge will be refunded with £5 paying for a non-alcoholic Bless cocktail. https://blessstories.com/collections/workshops/products/death-cafe-hosted-by-debbie-young-and-alberta-gutteridge

10/12/2021

The days are short, the weather is cold and wet and stormy... I was glad to be indoors for our most recent Death Cafe

Following a couple of in person, around a table Death Cafes, it felt a little odd to be back in the small boxes and slightly strange evening lighting of a zoom gathering. But the great thing about virtual gatherings is that they allow distance to shrink and we were delighted to welcome attendees fro...