Why Women Need Safe, Supportive Spaces to Rest, Heal and Be Heard
Many women today are carrying a constant mental, emotional and physical load. Between work, family, relationships and expectations, it’s common for women to feel tired, overwhelmed or disconnected — even when life appears “fine” on the surface.
In my work supporting women through gentle yoga, Reiki healing and women’s retreats, I often hear the same words: “I don’t quite feel like myself anymore.” This quiet exhaustion is not a personal failing — it is a natural response to prolonged stress and a lack of truly restorative support.
Based in Sonning Common, Oxfordshire, I support women from the local area — including Henley-on-Thames, Reading and across Berkshire — through safe, supportive wellbeing practices designed to help women rest, heal and reconnect with themselves.
Why Women Rarely Truly Rest
For many women, rest is fragmented. Even when there is time to stop, the nervous system remains on high alert. This ongoing state of stress can contribute to tension, disrupted sleep, anxiety, hormonal imbalance and emotional fatigue.
True rest happens when the body feels safe enough to soften. Without that sense of safety, the body stays in survival mode — making healing and restoration much harder.
The Importance of Safe and Supportive Healing Spaces for Women
Safe healing spaces are environments where women feel seen, heard and supported — without pressure to perform, push or achieve. In these spaces, women are invited to slow down, listen to their bodies and reconnect with themselves again.
When women feel safe, the nervous system begins to regulate. Breath deepens, muscles relax and the body can begin to restore itself naturally. This is where real healing starts.
A Simple Grounding Practice You Can Try Today
This short practice can help calm the nervous system and bring you back into the present moment.
3-Minute Grounding Practice for Stress Relief
Sit comfortably with both feet on the floor
Place one hand on your heart and one on your belly
Inhale gently through the nose for a count of four
Exhale slowly through the mouth for a count of six
Repeat for several breaths, allowing your shoulders to soften
This simple breathing exercise can support stress relief, emotional balance and nervous system regulation.
How Gentle Yoga Supports Women’s Wellbeing
Gentle, nervous-system-led yoga offers women a way to move, breathe and rest without force or strain. This approach is particularly supportive for stress relief, hormone balance and emotional wellbeing.
My Yoga classes for women, including special sessions for International Women’s Day, are created as safe, supportive spaces where women can reconnect with their bodies and leave feeling calmer, more balanced and restored.
These women’s yoga classes are open to women in Sonning Common, Henley-on-Thames, Reading and the surrounding Oxfordshire and Berkshire areas.
What Women Say About My Yoga Classes
**“Rebecca is a great teacher. She really gets to know her group — our limitations, aims and current state of wellbeing — and adapts the practice to meet our individual needs, while still gently encouraging us to reach our full potential.
I always leave her classes feeling in a better place than when I arrived — restored, recharged and ready to face a busy day with more ease and clarity. You should give her classes a go too.”**
— Pauline
Reiki Healing for Women
Reiki is a gentle yet powerful energy healing practice that supports deep relaxation, emotional release and energetic balance. Many women are drawn to Reiki during periods of stress, burnout, hormonal change or major life transition.
I offer both Reiki treatments and Reiki courses, giving women the opportunity to receive healing support or learn self-healing tools they can use throughout their lives.
What Women Experience Through Reiki Healing
“I had the most incredible Reiki session with Rebecca. I could feel the energy shifting — almost like a deep emotional release. The experience was spiritually uplifting and I left feeling calmer, more balanced and supported.”
— Alison W.
The Power of Women’s Yoga Retreats
Sometimes women need more than a weekly class or treatment. Yoga retreats offer time away from everyday responsibilities and the opportunity to rest deeply in a supportive, nurturing environment.
My Goddess Yoga Retreat in Spain is a small, women-only retreat designed to support deep rest, healing and reconnection through gentle yoga, Reiki, reflection and spaciousness. Retreats create a unique container where women can truly feel held, seen and supported.
Honouring Women Through International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is a reminder to honour not only what women do, but how women feel. Creating safe, supportive spaces for women’s wellbeing — through yoga, Reiki and retreat experiences — is one meaningful way to support long-term health and balance.
A Gentle Invitation
If you’re feeling tired, overwhelmed or quietly longing for deeper support and relaxation, know that you’re not the only one. Healing doesn’t require force — it begins with safety, gentleness and care.
You are warmly invited to explore:
About the Author
Rebecca Dobson is a women’s yoga teacher/therapist, Reiki Master Teacher/practitioner and retreat guide based in Sonning Common, Oxfordshire, and the founder of GetCalmer. She supports women from Henley-on-Thames, Reading and across Berkshire and Oxfordshire to rest, heal and to feel confident through gentle yoga, Reiki healing and women-only retreats in the UK and abroad.
Rebecca has over 20 years’ experience working with women and is passionate about creating safe, supportive spaces that honour women’s bodies, nervous systems and emotional wellbeing.
