Some taboo topics will be front and centre next week during a health event for women.
Kim Vopni, a.k.a. “The Vagina Coach,” who teaches women how to strengthen their pelvic floor through her online programs and Port Moody studio — will be taking centre stage July 12, during MOKITA: Conversations for a Healthy Midlife which also features Jann Arden as the keynote speaker.
Vopni’s work with women either helps avoid incontinence or organ prolapse, regain pelvic strength lost through pregnancy, or to optimize women’s sexual and overall health.
The MOKITA event aims to foster open discussion around many subjects pertaining to women’s midlife health, including sleep, stress, sex and brain health.
“When it comes to health, there are so many topics women don’t talk about,” says Vopni, owner of Pelvienne Wellness. “We are working to change that!”
MOKITA is the brainchild of another Port Moody woman’s health advocate, Shirley Weir, who co-authored a best-selling book by the same name with Vopni and 12 others. She is the founder of Menopause Chicks, an online community that provides midlife peer support and health education. Mokita, a word from Papua New Guinea, means “the truth we all know, but rarely talk about.”
“I’m excited for our audience to hear from all our speakers, including Jann Arden’s story. Jann is the quintessential role model for women right now,” says Weir. “Whether you are navigating your own physical or mental health, caring for aging parents or even considering a relationship or career change, Jann’s deeply personal stories are sure to make you feel less alone and capable of getting through anything.”
“Midlife has an incredible way of forcing women to focus on what’s important,” says Weir. “For some women, that might come in small tweaks, and for others, it leads to a complete reinvention.”
No one knows reinvention better than Jann Arden, who speaks candidly about her personal experiences. Like all women, she juggles these real-life experiences with her career as a singer, songwriter, podcaster, tv host, author and most recently, comedic actress in an award-winning sitcom — a line she added to her resume at age 57.
Eight women’s health experts will join the MOKITA stage to crack open conversations on sleep, stress, sex and brain health:
• Dr. Lori Brotto, Psychologist & Author, Better Sex Through Mindfulness
• Dr. Sue Buchan, Family Physician
• Andrea Dobbs, Women’s Health Advocate & Cannabis Advocate
• Bob Mehr, Integrative Pharmacist
• Dr. Bal Pawa, Integrative Physician
• Lynn Posluns, Founder, Women’s Brain Health Initiative
• Kim Vopni, Vagina Coach
• Lorna Vanderhaeghe, Natural Health Expert
MOKITA: Conversations for a Healthy Midlife will take place at the Vancouver Playhouse on Friday, July 12 at 7 p.m. A percentage of the proceeds from ticket sales will be used to create a bursary-type fund for women who want to be proactive with their health but are challenged by resources. Tickets are available at MokitaWoman.com.
