mother zen pop-up (now with a permanent residence in ramsbottom!)
Every Tuesday in August Tori from Mother Zen ran a pop-up Tipi event with workshops and classes aimed at mums for mums. Each week had different activities and focus. On offer was yoga, crafting, sound baths, self care, breathwork, workouts, acupressure, reflexology, sling and feeding support plus stay and plays! I was thrilled to be asked to do some mama and baby mini shoots and I captured some of the action at the same time.
The atmosphere was so welcoming, clearly a safe space for mums to meet and chat about their challenges as well as prioritising some self care.
A couple of months later and Tori has made a home for this much needed concept. Mother Zen is a beautiful space in the heart of Ramsbottom, describing itself as a 'holistic family cafe making a difference'. I took my 3 year old June along during her half term and was blown away by how quickly Tori put together such a fantastic thought-out space. There's loads for the little ones to do; play kitchens, dressing up, balancing, puzzles, books and more. The entrance fee includes a snack and a drink for the kids (there are also 2 community days per week where sessions are funded by The National Lottery) There's loads on offer from the cafe - great coffee, delicious cakes (I can recommend the raspberry and white chocolate blondie) and great little touches like brew shelves so hot drinks can be off the tables and away from little hands. I got chatting to a mum with a daughter of a similar age and discovered we had a shared passion for facilitating arts in the community and I was able to pass on some info for potential work for her. These connections are the heart of the venture with the aim of uniting women and easing isolation. There's lots on offer from regular yoga classes and BYOBB (bring your own baby) date night where you and your partner can share charcuterie, bring your own booze if you like and have some time to yourselves where your baby can play or sleep. Tori is also constantly planning one off sessions too - like Halloween pumpkin painting she had on offer that week.
Although focused on uniting the local community, I can definitely see it being a destination space. It was half an hour drive for us with June singing all the way (songs about dark tunnels and different coloured cars!) and having a cheeky nap on the way back. We didn't have much time as we had other things to do that afternoon but Ramsbottom has a lot to offer so a trip to Mother Zen could be combined with other fun bits like a pub lunch, charity shop trawl and it's also on a stop on the East Lancashire Railway!
