We are delighted to announce our brand new offering…

SEPTEMBER 2021 - MARCH 2022

To those who hold space for others & have a deep longing to be held. 

To those who yearn for a depth of connection like no other, who yearn to be fully seen & heard. 

To those who yearn to touch the very essence of what it means to be human, who wish to live more fully from the heart. 

Come, come gather with us.

This 6 month journey of transformation and growth will hold you in community, hold you in possibility, hold you in the truth of wherever you are going and wherever you have been. 

If you spend your life holding space for others.

If you long for a tender container which can hold you in a gentle, transformative space.

If you are craving the kind of deep community that only comes with being part of a space where you relax into being your true self, read on.

Journey of The Heart will give you the lived experience, tools and confidence to take the feeling of rejuvenation, connection and serenity you experience in our Circles into your daily life, so that in work, in your family and in your play, you have access to a life-changing sense of calm and connectedness. 

You are in the right place if…

• You are open hearted & soulful but feel exhausted, disconnected & in need of rejuvenation. 

• You are a kind, giving being who spends their life holding space for others and know that what you need most right now is a space to be held yourself. 

• You love the feeling you get after a yoga class, or meditation, but find it hard to stay connected throughout your day, and want to learn to tap into that calm, connected feeling anywhere, any time.

• You have tried every type of self development going, and perhaps even work in the healing arts, but have never found the ‘answer’- you still regularly feel depleted, stressed & disconnected. 

• You feel you ‘should’ be living a calm, connected life by now, given all the work you have put in….

• You are not afraid to go deep and do inner work: you know that the path to finding new levels of aliveness and inner certainty is full of ups and downs.

• You want to tap into your wild, powerful, feminine and intuitive power. 

• You want to cultivate the confidence that comes with having a group that sees your essence, accepts it and celebrates it. 

• You want to emerge into 2022 feeling calm, confident, connected and ready to live life from that place.

WE INVITE YOU TO IMAGINE

How would life feel if you...

• Had the tools to tap into deep calm, confidence and intuition in your work, personal life and play, without needing to take yourself off to meditate. 

• Had a community of women who have seen you as you really are, accepted you and allowed you to meet your true self.

• Had a deep connection to the wisdom of your ancestors and a clear vision of the future you want to create. 

• Had an increased capacity to navigate the highs and lows of life & be with it ALL.

• Could tune into the wisdom of your heart in any moment, from giving a presentation at work, to staying heart-centred when your children are triggering you, so you can act from a centred, connected place. 

our unique approach…

So many programmes sell unattainable promises and do not acknowledge the complexity of what it is to be human. That do not acknowledge that we cannot ‘love and light’ our way through life & that sell ideas of perfection that are at odds with the reality of the human experience.

Journey of the Heart takes an approach that is radically different. We do not make false promises. We do not invite you into a vision of your life which is at odds with the reality of your daily experience. 

Instead, we acknowledge that being human is complicated, complex and invite you to learn to dance with the deepest and most challenging complexities. We create space for the full spectrum of emotion, from anger & hurt, to elation and celebration. We invite you to enter a space where you can explore the polarities of your emotions, not only seeking pleasure, creative fulfilment and living into the highest vision of yourself, but also allow you to be with the pain, the conflict, the challenges life throws at you. And underpinning that work, we give you tools for life that allow you to be able to emotionally self regulate in any moment, so you can better cope with life’s challenges and enjoy its highs more fully.

Journey of the Heart offers radically simple but hugely potent framework for transforming your relationship to your inner landscape and external circumstances. 

My Story; how Circles have changed my life...

by Gemma Brady, Founder of Sister Stories and your guide on this journey

The very first time I attended a women’s Circle I could barely open my mouth to speak, and when I did, I was completely paralysed by nerves. But much more than that, I was emotionally and physically depleted, with a sense that life was heavy, exhausting and just “too much.” 

Through stepping into the transformative space of Circle , where there is no pressure to do, or be anything, I have seen life transform in front of my eyes. I have spoken on stages, led workshops for 500 people, gained a much clearer sense of who and why I am… But beyond these external markers of success, something much deeper has shifted.

I no longer expect life to be perfect, I no longer seek to ‘fix’ & control everything & I have a much deeper capacity to be with all the complexities of life. To sit in a position of curiosity, of possibility with a matured capacity to hold space for the difficult things in my life, as well as chasing the wonderful highs. 

When I started holding Circle s in 2017, I did so because I had an inkling that others might benefit from this kind of experience. Four years later & having sat with hundreds of women I am convinced: 

This work changes lives. 

Each time I hold a group space like the one I am offering to you now, I am dazzled by the transformation that occurs in a container that is so simple. 

We come together, we Circle , we share, we reflect. 

And during that process of bringing ourselves, our curiosity and our commitment, something extraordinary happens. 

It defies words, almost.

Those who are drawn to this space don’t quite know what is calling them to it, but once they enter it, a deep knowing emerges. They feel why the yearning was there. 

There are layers within each of us to be unpeeled that can only occur in the safety of a group where trusted bonds are being formed and a path is being walked together. This is about forging authentic bonds and allowing our individual experience to emerge from and contribute to the support of collective experience. It is about allowing the silent connections we weave to hold us in unexpected ways. 

These Circles for me have become a gateway to greater courage, compassion, friendship and inner transformation. When the moment comes to step into this experience, there is a sense of having found something one didn’t even know was lost. If this invitation ignites something within, I encourage you to listen.

After years of holding and attending Circles, I felt much more sure of who I was & could connect to a version of myself that was powerful, whole, full of magic and possibility. But when I found myself in a stressful or challenging situation in my work or personal life, I would often disconnect from that power. I was introduced to Heartmath, a transformative tool I am delighted to offer you as part of this programme.

For the first time, we are combining the power of women’s Circles with life-changing HeartMath Inner Balance technology which allows you to harness the power of your physical heart as a tool that allows the magic of Circle  to ripple out into your every day life; it will give you the ability to tap into a feeling of calm, connection and confidence within seconds, a life-changing skill that adds a new depth and richness to the teachings you will receive.

Let this journey take your hand...

As the reflective space of Autumn beckons and we prepare to cross the threshold from another extraordinary year into one of new, uncertain beginnings, we invite you to undertake a powerful journey of mind, body, soul and heart.

You will be held in an intimate, nourishing and transformative container from September to March, giving you the community, stability and space that you are yearning for. With trust and devotion, we will gather twice monthly, each time we meet, dropping down a layer into deeper connection with ourselves and the group, forming relationships and bonds that will continue far beyond our time together. 

This space is precious and rare. 

This is not a group coaching programme; the transformation goes deeper than that. In this space, we connect more deeply to ourselves as individuals but much more than that, we become connected to the collective, to the ways in which community can nourish us and in turn, how we can be enriched and enlivened by supporting others.

For the very first time, the rich inner work we will be doing will be supported by HeartMath technology, a powerful practice for life that builds resilience and allows you to shift your emotional landscape from depletion and stress to joy and ease. 

This evidence-based tool is used by organisations from NASA to Nuffield Health and in our experience, it allows you to take the feeling of emotional and physical regulation one experiences in Circle into your daily life. As part of our programme, you will receive an Inner Balance Sensor and training on how to integrate its transformative power into your daily life. 

You’ll also receive your own personal Inner Balance biofeedback sensor & training with Gemma on how to use it (worth £500) to keep, which you can use whenever and wherever you wish, with training on how to use the sensor and support in building and maintaining a regular practice so you can move from depletion to renewal.

This is an extraordinarily powerful tool that allows us to transfer some of the magic, the connection and the coherence we feel in Circle  to our everyday lives.

Journey of the Heart: All the Key Details

Stories lie in our bodies, our bones and our hearts: our programme will guide you through exploring the different facets of you, allowing you to emerge renewed.

We will gather for 14 guided Circles online, taking place every two weeks. Our journey will conclude with an in person retreat day in a beautiful forest in Surrey, UK where will will gather around a fire, as the ancient ones did, closing our journey with deep ritual. 

The dates of our gatherings are:

• Thursday 23rd September- 8pm(UK Time)

• Sunday 3rd October- 10am

• Sunday 17th October- 7:45pm

• Sunday 31st October- 7:45pm 

• Sunday 14th November- 7:45pm

• Sunday 28th November- 7:45pm 

• Sunday 12th December- 7:45pm

• Sunday 9th January- 7:45pm 

• Sunday 23rd January- 7:45pm

• Sunday 6th February- 7:45pm

• Sunday 20th February- 7:45pm 

• Sunday 6th March- 7:45pm

• Sunday 20th March- 10am-5pm Retreat day in Kent (UK)

The gatherings last between 90 mins and 2 hours. 

Each group has different rhythms, different needs and although this journey has a robust framework, we also listen carefully to the needs of the group and ensure that your needs are tended to, leaving space for fluidity. 

The transformation of this journey does not end at 6 months: its power lives on, creating ripple effects in your life long after the final Circle has closed.

Each time a group of this kind has formed with Sister Stories, it has been extraordinary, magical and none of us have wanted it to end. Messages of gratitude for that cherished time spent in extended Circle practice have landed at Sister Stories months and even years after the courageous decision to join this journey was undertaken.

The connections formed between the groups have thrived, so each woman has a place to return to where she knows she will be seen, heard and held.

In the group, you will be truly known.

Your real self will be known, cherished and held in the highest esteem, so that you will emerge changed.

This is not only a journey of the metaphorical heart, but the physical heart too… 

The new 6 month format of this journey is designed to allow more intimacy, depth and spaciousness, underpinned by the scientific benefits of the Heartmath practice.

If you feel the call to join us, please listen. You can book a call with Gemma to explore that yearning. We do not believe in selling the journey to you, we hold a space for you to feel into what you need now & whether the journey is for you.

THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY YOU WILL BE GUIDED THROUGH OUR KEY PILLARS OF TRANSFORMATION

Pillar 1: THE HEROINE’S JOURNEY: Unlocking the Power of Your Story

• Through connecting to our physical hearts we can share a new depth of truth 

• Learning to use radical vulnerability as a tool for deeper connection & confidence 

• Learning powerful listening: how to be a more generous listener

• Sharing our stories and listening to others connects us to something fundamentally human- we emerge re-energised and inspired 

Pillar 2: How to Self Regulate: Befriending Your Emotions (using HeartMath Technology)

• Training in the core Heartmath techniques to connect to your heart

• Training in how to use biofeedback (using the Inner Balance Sensor included with this programme) as a tool for self regulation 

• How to connect to your heart as a means of calming, centring & regulating my system in any moment. 

• Achieving calm & connection within a matter of seconds using these powerful tools. 

Pillar 3: Ancestral Storytelling: Weaving our Stories of Belonging 

• Guidance on exploring your own ancestral line

• Powerful storytelling ceremonies to harness the power of ancestral connection 

• Illuminating shared experience which deepens our capacity to embrace the diversity of this world & challenge our subconscious judgements about others 

• Standing on the shoulders of ancestors: what is my legacy? How can I create the kind of future I would be proud of?

  
  

  Pillar 4: Harnessing the Power of my Voice

  
  

• Powerful voice workshop with professional actor Amelia Donkor 

• Midwife your emergent voice, as you meet new aspects of yourself, no matter how many years you have walked this earth, there are always new depths to discover, and we support you in that.  

• Using our voices together: the power of the collective to bring about change 

• Tools to work with the power of your voice, that can ripple out into your work & personal life 

  
  Pillar 5: The Sacred Medicine of working with challenging emotions & asking powerful questions 

• Working together to ask difficult, necessary & life-changing questions with gentle compassion. 

• Embodied practices to alchemise anger, fear and other powerful emotions into feelings that we are comfortable with & help us live more fully into who we really are

• Developing radical honesty about what you are being called to do with your life 

• Powerful journaling prompts & mediations to integrate your Circle  experience 

Pillar 6: Ceremonies of Celebration 

• Being witnessed and celebrated by the group like never before: the group will see in you things you don’t see in yourself 

• The life-changing experience of being witnessed and celebrated in your wholeness 

• Radical reconnection to your own life force as a tool to help you on the next phase of your journey 

• Reflections on your progress over the transformative 6-month journey you have been in. 

As well as your Circle journey, you have access to these nurturing bonuses

MEET YOUR MENTORS

GEMMA BRADY

Hello, I’m Gemma Brady & I’m the Founder of Sister Stories, a global movement of women’s Circle s which facilitate spaces for brave sharing, deep connection and the healing power of storytelling. 

All my work is centred around this core belief: stories are healing, transformational and when we connect to the ancient act of ritualising storytelling, doing so will fundamentally change us.

I have spent 13 years making award-winning documentary films for television from the BBC to Channel 4 and am a trained Narrative Therapist and a Certified HeartMath Coach. 

I have taught over 200 women to facilitate their own women’s Circle s and run a long-term mentorship community for Circle  facilitators. 

Sister Stories started as an experiment in my living room and has grown to an international movement, allowing  me to hold hundreds of Circle s across the world and to train over 50 women as Sister Stories facilitators from the UK to the Philippines. It has, without a doubt, been one of the richest, most rewarding journeys of my life and for those who step into the Circle , I offer a gentle yet transformational experience that moves mountains within the soul.

Each time I hold this group its potency grows; and for this journey, I am delighted to introduce my co-facilitator, Amelia Donkor, Sister Stories Facilitator, story weaver, esteemed actor and so much more. Her presence in Circle  is unparalleled and she will hold a powerful space for each an every woman who walks over the threshold into this Circle . She has magic to weave that will be a precious balm to your soul….

Amelia donkor

I am an actor, writer, facilitator, yogi… woman. I am a woman. I am a woman of many things, made up of many stories and am passionate about creating space for all of our tales to be told…

Graduating from LAMDA in 2007, my career has spanned working in the theatre, television & voiceover, as well as corporate role play and public speaking workshops. Whether it be treading the boards with the Royal Shakespeare company, writing for the BBC or facilitating at a Fortune 500, my work is increasingly infused by play, creativity and their myriad potentiality.   Circle to me is sacred. Circle is an excavator. Together we dig and ‘within these deep places, each one of us holds an incredible reserve of creativity and power, of unexamined and unrecorded emotion and feeling.’ Audre Lorde invites us to uncover the magic within, that which we already hold in the depth of our bones, and I echo this call for us to collaborate in Circle  and reveal our radiance.

SPECIAL GUEST TEACHER: CARLY MOUNTAIN

Carly Mountain is a teacher of embodied spirituality, a poetry medicine carrier and psychotherapist. She holds sacred spaces for women to remember and reconnect to themselves and the mystery. She is a custodian of the Inanna-Ereshkigal myth of the Goddesses Descent to the underworld.

Carly is not an academic mythologist, she came to know the heroines journey intimately through her own descent. “It was like lighting the corridors of a map I was navigating but could not see. The heroines journey is not just an ancient story, it is alive in us, here and now, and has the power to consecrate the most challenging experiences of our lives. Time and again I see parched women drink from it’s nectar and begin to thrive”. Carly draws on twenty years of embodied practice, training and space holding and has a trauma informed approach.

THE BENEFITS

There is a mysterious power in being ‘held’ in a women’s group of this kind. Women who have undertaken the journey have described:

• Increased confidence

• A deeper connection to self

• An ability to make bold, aligned decisions

• Deeper relationship to self and others

• Stronger boundaries

• A renewed sense of hope and creativity

• A feeling of true belonging

Many of these women felt drawn to this space, yet were nervous about joining or concerned about investing in a longer journey as opposed to a one off circle but somehow, knew they must. It has taken them to places within themselves that they haven’t explored before, leaving them feeling lighter and stronger.

Life changing decisions have been made, bold steps of action have been taken.

And yet, this is not a coaching programme.

It is gentler than that, is facilitated from a different place and will leave you with a sense of having been fundamentally changed for the better.

We do not write these words lightly. We write them having seen first hand the transformation the space can create.

THIS JOURNEY INCLUDES….

• 6 months of fortnightly Circles, Workshops & Ceremonies

• In Person Forest retreat day

• Virtual Community Support 

• HeartMath Inner Balance Sensor & Training  (worth £500) 

• Fortnightly Meditations 

• Fortnightly Journaling Prompts 

THE INVESTMENT

For the women who attended previous journeys, the investment of time, energy and financial resource into the gatherings has paid dividends far beyond the journey itself- the bonds formed in such a safe, nourishing container are to be treasured and nurtured for years to come.

We understand that payment plans often make it easier to say yes to a journey like this, and we have options for Pay in Full or spreading the cost over 6 or 9 months. We believe in offering ethical payment plans, where you are not penalised for spreading the cost, but these options do cover the small administrative cost associated with this option.

There are limited places and these journeys usually sell out within days; if you feel the calling to join us please do get in touch. We issue places on a first come first served basis in the interests of fairness.

choose from payment in full or a choice of 2 monthly payment plans

PAY IN FULL

£1460 + VAT

£1750

9 MONTH PAYMENT PLAN

9 monthly instalments of £180 + VAT

£216 x 9 

6 MONTH PAYMENT PLAN

6 monthly instalments of £250 + VAT

£300 x 6

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I won’t be able to make the calls live… Will that be an issue?

This is an experience with community and connection at its very core. We ask that if you choose to step into this journey, you attend the calls live, wherever possible. We extend grace & understanding when someone is not able to make a call, but it is worth noting that calls are not recorded. We have found through experience that people share more deeply when a call is not being recorded and that the experience of the group as a whole is enriched. 

How large will the group be? 

The Circle  will be intimate, the group will be no larger than 16, allowing for deep connections to be formed and everyone to come to know one another deeply in the 6 month period.

I am really interested in joining, but it’s not the right time. When will you be running the next one?

This is likely to be the only time we are running this journey until Spring or Summer 2022. 

My current financial situation prevents me from enrolling, are there payment plans available?

There are payment plans available to assist with spreading the cost of this experience- if you would like to request a longer payment plan, please email support@sisterstories.co & we can consider this on a case by case basis.

Accessibility has always and continues to be an important value of Sister Stories & we have reserved some bursary places are available at a reduced fee for those in genuine financial need. Please contact Gemma directly (support@sisterstories.co) for more information on this & to apply. Preference is given to WOC and members of the LGBTQ+ community, but if this does not apply to you, please do not be dissuaded from putting yourself forward. If you consider yourself financially abundant & would like to contribute to the bursary fund to allow more places to be offered, please email support@sisterstories.co

I’ve never done anything like this- I’m nervous! 

We hear you! Sister Stories was founded by a nervous sharer, who wanted to create a space in which all voices could be heard, not only the loud ones. This journey will invite you to test out using your voice more than perhaps you naturally would gravitate towards, and that is part of its power. But you will never be pressured to share if you don’t feel comfortable. Your sovereign choice is the most important thing. We invite you to enter the process with a curious heart and the willingness to test the edges of your boundaries; its how growth happens.  

Do I have to tell stories? 

You absolutely do not have to tell a story. ‘Stories’ in this context mean sharing aloud as a means of better understanding yourself and the world you inhabit. The words shared at events sometimes take the shape of stories, sometimes are simply a feeling or reflection we want to share. Please don’t feel you can’t come if the idea of storytelling feels daunting- ‘stories’ is simply shorthand for coming together to share whatever words arise in the moment.

Do you need to be based in the UK to take part?

You don’t need to be in the UK- we have had people join our group journeys globally, from Europe to the Philippines. We are holding an in person retreat day as part of this offering in March 2022 & would love you to be there.

Will there be people like me there?

Honestly? We don’t know! Each Circle  is unique and this depends entirely on who walks through the door. Experience tells us that Sister Stories attracts a diverse group of women ranging from ages 18 to 70 who are open hearted, inclusive and and ready to connect. We know that the quality of our experience in circles is enriched by diversity. We welcome anyone who identifies as female.

THE INVESTMENT- choose from payment in full or a choice of 2 monthly payment plans

PAY IN FULL

£1460 + VAT

£1750

6 MONTH PAYMENT PLAN

6 monthly installments of £250 + VAT

£300 x 6

9 MONTH PAYMENT PLAN

9 monthly installments of £180 + VAT

£216 x 9