I tried to solve burnout and infertility like a business problem
My true story, and why I'm bringing moon circles back to Paris
In one year I took about 100 flights for my sales job, most of them day trips. I thought I was handling it.
That same year I had just got married at 35, moved to a new country, started a new job and was finishing the last year of my master's in marketing. Any one of these on its own would have been enough for a burnout.
I was alone, and it was hard to meet new people. Then came the cherry on the cake: infertility.
I'd always been told that if you work hard, you get what you want. Even when I had to work sooo hard, and maybe didn't get what I really deserved, that strategy had always worked.
So I did what I knew best. I treated my body like a project. I had apps tracking my cycle, I took my temperature every morning, I followed the right diet, took all the right supplements and went to every medical check-up. I had data, plans and deadlines, just like at work. If I did everything right, it would come. That was the deal.
But this time, no matter how hard we tried, no matter how much we did everything right, the baby didn't come. Month after month I lived between hope and disappointment. For the first time in my life, effort and discipline were useless, and I felt my own body was something I couldn't control or even understand.
That was the last drop, my burnout.
The door I had kept closed
I've always been a spiritual person, and there are spiritual traditions in my family too. I always knew this was part of me, but it was something I never wanted to practice or embody, because it scared me.
At that point in my life I touched the bottom of my darkness. And not by coincidence, I was living in Ireland.
My first circle
I searched online and found lots of women's circles and moon circles. At the time I didn't really know what they were. But I'm a very curious person and I had nothing to lose, so I signed up for my first circle in the Irish countryside.
It was the most magical event I've ever attended, and it changed my life in ways I can't fully describe.
It was a sacred space where women could really talk about their fears, their vulnerabilities and their history, without judgment, trusting they would be held by the other women in the circle.
The most powerful lesson for me was that every woman shared something that touched and resonated with me, even when her story was completely different from mine. Just by saying things out loud and truly SEEING each other, something opens up: the sense of belonging we all crave in our lives.
It also helped me realise that spirituality can be lived in many different ways.
foto courtesy of Avondale Retreat
Down the rabbit hole
From then on, I joined every circle and workshop I could find. Of course I went down the rabbit hole and started practicing and learning healing techniques.
The real game changer was moon circles, and understanding that we women are cyclical. Living in harmony with the moon cycles is so beautiful and so powerful. It helped me reconnect with my body and dance with the rhythm of life. I set intentions at the new moon, released at the full moon and started celebrating the seasons. All of this helped me unfold what was stored in my body, everything I had repressed for years.
Not into woo woo? That's okay
This is why I want more women to learn about it. And honestly, it works even if you're not into woo woo. Being truly seen and heard in a safe group calms the nervous system. Our bodies are wired for connection, and they relax when we feel we belong. Simply being in a circle of women, witnessing each other and saying clearly what we want for our lives and what we don't want any longer, is powerful enough on its own.
Why Paris
I still work in the corporate world today. But I no longer measure myself only by its rules.
My mission in bringing moon circles back, especially in a city like Paris, is to give a space to women who might be where I was a few years ago. I want them to find their sense of belonging, to be listened to, witnessed and held, and to learn how to live in harmony with life's natural cycles.
My body was never a business problem. It was a cycle I had stopped listening to.
Join me in the circle
My first moon circle in Paris, on Sunday 25 October under the Full Moon in Taurus, filled up faster than I expected, and I'm so grateful. It's now sold out, but the waiting list is open in case a spot frees up.
And the circle continues: the next one is on 25 November.
If something in my story resonated with you, maybe this is your circle. Subscribe to be the first to hear about the next ones.
This article was written entirely by me. I used AI only to help with structure and spelling.
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