Vrouwen in Bad / Women in Bath
Female Economy
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5 times of 3 delicious hours
Museum ’t Kromhout Amsterdam
WOMEN IN BATH is a safe space where women rekindle their feminine fire. In a series of five sessions, a group of 40 women undergo a transformative theatrical journey, while lying in transparent bathtubs, guided by theatre performers: Adelheid Roosen, Anna Drijver, Nazmiye Oral, Naomi van der Linden and directed by ‘the empress of theatrical fantasy’ Ola Mafaalani.
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Ola Mafaalani is known for introducing the binge-watch theatre concept in the Netherlands. In 2016 she directed the 10-hour long theatre performance Borgen. In 2022 she introduced another new concept: WOMEN IN BATH, a theatrical coaching concept advocating women empowerment.
WOMEN IN BATH arose when Ola Mafaalani experienced that she had lost a part of her femininity after years of working in a leadership role. She had emancipated her masculine side, became a better ‘man’, but suppressed her feminine qualities. She decided to take a two-year break to fully explore her feminine energy through different workshops, courses, and reading. She slowly came back to her own feminine ground. After her experience, she wondered whether more women felt the same and when she asked, she always received the same answer. With the belief that the whole patriarchal system would benefit from female leaders who are in touch with their feminine qualities, Ola decided that every woman on earth deserves this journey and started to develop WOMEN IN BATH.
In WOMEN IN BATH a fixed group of 40 women, including 4 cast-members, undergo a series of five theatrical ‘coaching’-sessions. In the 3-hour long evenings, the participating women embrace different themes that tap into their feminine energy. Each episode is accompanied by special guests, such as: Maya Fridmann (cellist), Zaire Krieger (poet), Ranier Amiel (pussy painter), and Leendert Vooijce (performance artist). The five sessions are a mix of theatrical scenes, music, poetry, assignments for personal growth, and conversations where women get to connect, reflect and recharge. All of this happens in and around a platform consisting of 40 transparent bathtubs, with a specially designed water and lighting system.
Not to forget, director Ola Mafaalani completes all her theatrical experiences with exquisite food. This time she does this by working together with culinary artist Maureen de Jong, founder and owner of ‘T Klein kook bedrijf. Maureen is a food and performance artist specializing in inter-culinary exchange, personal food heritage and how both can be a means to relate, connect and build a community.
WOMEN IN BATH themes
The WOMEN IN BATH series is divided into five themes: Pleasure, Erotica, Inner bitch, Pussy and Desire. For each theme we have assigned an ‘owner’. Each actor owns one theme, except for the episode ‘pleasure’, which is owned by all actors collectively.
In the creation of WOMEN IN BATH we used our internationally well-known and critically acclaimed autobiographical/adoption method. An acting method that has been developed by Dutch actor, theatre-maker and director Adelheid Roosen. The idea behind this method is that the actors we work with conduct radical autobiographical research on the subject they own.
The autobiographical/adoption method is an intimate form of theatre making where the actor’s personal experiences with a certain theme, becomes the starting point for the theatrical storyline. With this theatre-making approach in mind, the actors transform into ‘experience experts’ that can fully guide the WOMEN IN BATH participants through this transformational journey.
To furthermore internalize the theme of the episodes, the participating women take home a notebook with the so-called ‘hotlist to do’: journaling-exercises and assignment participating women get to explore these themes also in daily life. At the beginning of every episode, there is space for your reflections on the ‘hotlist to do’.
PLEASURE
No matter what
The first step into the bathtub with 40 strangers could be a big one. That is why meeting and getting to know the women collective is an important element in the first episode. We eat, we speak, we undress, and we answer personal questions. Together we discover how we are “holding the space”. We unlearn to punish ourselves. We learn to fill ourselves with ourselves.
We take it slow, but at the same time, we investigate how we can use ‘pleasure’ in every situation, even when the world is on fire. Pleasure or joy is an important source of feminine energy. Yet, we often limit ourselves when experiencing this. We call ourselves to order when self-judgement and demands cloud our thoughts. When we laugh loudly but then remember our teeth are crooked. When we fall in love with a dress but are unsure it matches our age. Or when we question our ability and possible impact, when being confronted with women’s misery around the world. Teaching ourselves not to limit the joy and pleasure we experience brings forward an indispensable force.
Finding joy when the shit hits the fan isn’t a selfish act. Is it hard? Absolutely! Stay connected to your source and the joy will follow. I promise you.
A laughing woman can be a dangerous woman for some. She cannot be bribed with power, you cannot wave love in her face. She will choose the ‘yes’ within herself. And fills herself with herself.
Nazmiye
EROTICA
I, Erotica, am the wide expanse of our fantasy that allows us to tolerate the limitations of the every day without losing life. Creativity is where erotica lives. Erotica protects the energy source
we need to survive and thrive.”
Anna as Erotica
The erotic is the antidote to death. (Esther Perel once said)
Anna as Erotica, the daughter of Aphrodite, seduces us to explore the range of our true erotica. This is not the erotica we know in a sexual way. Erotica is life energy, where our creativity starts. The reason we get out of bed every morning and the flow that guides us through the day.
The patriarchy created an image of female Erotica. An image surrounded by danger, guilt and shame. An image that we’ve inhaled and uphold, but that is not actually our own. We reclaim our Erotica as the life-giving energy it is. We learn to say “yes” and “no” and try out different archetypes – such as the Marilyn Monroe, the devoted housewife, the kill bill-warrior – to find out which archetype suits us and which absolutely does not. How does it feel to fully welcome the erotic energy without judgement?
INNERBITCH
kill with love
Every woman has a shadow side. An anger that we sometimes wish did not exist. But it is there, and when acknowledged and brought to the light, it can be a powerful source of energy. Guided by cellist Maya Fridmann we answer the question: What brings out my darkest rage? What steps do I go through until I am able to kill? What is clean anger, and how has it been suppressed from generation to generation? Adelheid’s autobiographical example guides the women to find their own inner bitch. For Adelheid, she starts with her mother; ‘a dictator with no mercy’. How can a child, and later a woman, transform the roots of such cruelty into an anger that will eventually benefit the world? With the poetry of Zaire Krieger who is writing about her exclusion as a black woman.
“Inner bitch… like everything has 2 sides. The light where her full power of wisdom expresses itself, where she knows it, and the dark where she is deformed. We’re going to go into an area within ourselves today, into that dark energy. An energy that is alive and powerful. Which requires you to enter the dark area to bring that energy into your benefit and bring it to light.”
Adelheid
PUSSY
Is your intuition
In this episode, you experience an ongoing holy ritual. We witness a live pussy painting session of Ranier Amiel. We dive into the history of the pussy; decisive and combative. How do we ensure that she has the right to exist, that we dare to let her be part of our history and education. And especially, how can we let her be the voice of our own intuition.
Through childhood memories, Nazmiye reflects on her own relationship with her life’s source. Her mother’s Turkish rituals, her abuse on her 14th, and the fear of looking at her (the pussy).
“Your pussy talks to you, even if she’s been quiet for years. Even if you think you don’t have or haven’t had a connection. Even if she may not be with you anymore. Think of a question, a decision you are making. That can be something big or small. A life question. She will know the answer”
Nazmiye
WISHES
Your destiny talks to you through your wishes and desires.
Women in Bath is coming to an end. We are getting ready to go back out into the world. Naomi shares the story of her biggest wish and her biggest loss: having a “rainbow child”. She encourages us to dive deep and find our destination through formulating our wishes.
We speak them out loud. We manifest it in the world. When you take a step toward towards your desire, the entire universe conspires to help you on your way.
Performer Leendert Vooijce reflects on exclusion. On Masculine and Feminine. How it flows through everyone’s body. How we always frame. How everyone deserves a seat at the table. We open the door from our protected women-space to the rest of the world. Now it is time for the participants to carry out what they’ve learnt.
daffodils, lilies, magnolias, petunias, carnations, Tulips, Flowers are intersex.
Put yourself with your feet in the water with the bouquet that you place on your kitchen table every weekend. Diversity is a natural phenomenon.
Leendert
Performance dates in the Netherlands
Dates: February 22 – March 25, 2023 and more to come
Duration: 3 hours per session
Price: €1550 for 5 private sessions
Including food and drinks
Choice of: Wednesday series, Thursday series or Saturday series.
Location: ‘t Kromhout Museum, Amsterdam
PRESS
“Female Economy; the best theatre company of 2022. That gives its audiences pioneering and innovative projects (such as now with Women in Bath) with measurable impact, without making artistic concessions.” | Theaterkrant
“A magical and truly life changing experience! For both my personal and my working life. Remember; one woman healed means all women healed | Lisette (participant)”
“When I think back to the Women in Bath sessions, I automatically straighten my back” | Herien Wensink, Volkskrant Magazine (magazine to an established Dutch newspaper)
https://www.human.nl/speel~VPWON_1340791~hoe-ongelijk-is-nederland-brainwash-special~.html
https://open.spotify.com/episode/75aDuDDPgwHwpyteITNME6?si=1ca1ba2d272944ec&nd=1
https://i2c43wz7p4g.typeform.com/to/fcPSuSYb?typeform-source=register.femaleeconomy.nl
https://femaleeconomy.nl/nieuws/vrouwen-in-bad-in-het-parool/
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/nl/women-of-the-year/g41896649/winnaressen-women-of-the-year-2022/
https://www.npostart.nl/het-uur-van-de-wolf/05-05-2016/VPWON_1257918
Idea
Ola Mafaalani
Actress
Anna Drijver
Actress
Nazmiye Oral
Actress
Naomi van der Linden
Actress
Adelheid Roosen
Guest viusal artist
Ranier Amiel
Cello
Maya Friedman
Guest artist and poet
Leendert Vooijce
Poet
Radna Fabias
Poet
Zaïre Krieger
Costumes
Cocky Huijkelom
Set design
André Joosten
Food design
Maureen de Jong
Dramaturg
Dirkje Houtman, Lauren Rissik
Texts
Melissa Knollenburg, Ko van den Bosch, all actresses and guest poets, world literature of great women
Baths
Jeffrey Kranen
Light and Sound
Eva Donker, Esther Bernart
Producer
Marieke van Dam
Assistant
Anne Heinz, Catoo Lustig,
The journalist Herien Wensink was invited bij Ola as one of the participants in the first WOMEN IN BATH series. She is a journalist and reporter for the largest Dutch newspaper Volkskrant. She wrote an article about her experiences with WOMEN IN BATH and the different sessions.
REPORT Herien Wensink, Volkskrant
From lip-syncing vulvas to pussy painting: welcome to ‘Women in Bath’
Women in Bath is a theatrical coaching concept cum self-care retreat cum pajama party for women. Editor Herien Wensink is somewhat skeptical, yet curious. Does she have that elusive ‘feminine energy’? She takes the wondrous course, including bathing sessions, bonding assignments and perplexing questions. Herien Wensink19 November 2022, 05:00 I find myself in a translucent, base-lit bathtub. Around me, 39 other women are enjoying a soak in a warm bath of their own. Actresses Anna Drijver, Nazmiye Oral, Adelheid Roosen and Naomi van der Linden meander past the baths, while comedian Nina de la Parra lip syncs John Lennon’s song Imagine with her vulva at eye height. Please, feel free to take another shot at that sentence, because I get that it’s a lot to process. That’s right: Imagine, lip syncing, vulva. After a short skit in which she strips down amidst a tirade levelled at the patriarchy, De la Parra has her vulva mime: I hope someday you’ll join us/ And the wo-o-o-orld will be as one. Welcome to Women in Bath, a five-part theatrical female empowerment course. And this is just the first session. At this point, little do I know that I will witness the live creation of a real pussy painting, with full-frontal modeling just four weeks later. And much more. For now, first things first. Femininity oppressed So what’s behind Women in Bath, the theatrical coaching concept developed by director and cultural entrepreneur Ola Mafaalani? Hailing from Syria, Mafaalani masterminded award-winning theater productions and served as the artistic director of a theater company for eight years. In an interview in the Volkskrant last year, she revealed that leadership had left her feeling hollowed out, relying mainly on the “masculine part” of her character: the competitive, goal-oriented and business-minded side, while her feminine side – ‘fun, playfulness, surprise, creativity!’ – was pushed aside. In the same interview, Mafaalani claims: ‘That part was taken away from me. And now I want it back.’ She is aware of the somewhat artificial nature of this male-female dichotomy, but also knows perfectly well that there are plenty of hardworking women like her who adapted to the more ‘masculine’ labour market during their careers and suppressed a part of themselves in the process. Mafaalani attended dozens of workshops on women’s leadership and combined her learnings with her love for theatre to produce a theatrical, sensory coaching concept cum self-care retreat for and by women. Her nieces and aunts in Syria inspired her, as did the country’s ways of celebrating femininity and the natural physical intimacy between women, which is wholly unlike anything we have in the Netherlands. The hammam, segregated bathhouses in which men and women meet are a great example, as they are places where women become familiar with each other’s bodies in a non-sexual way. The baths are vehicles for relaxation, surrender and self-care, Mafaalani explains. This can all help reignite the latent feminine energy within the female professionals taking the course. For Mafaalani, a warm bath is like a warm embrace. After the bath, we dance to ‘It’s raining men’ wearing red lace kimonos.Image by Alaïa Fonk Not a man in sight While I was interviewing Mafaalani about her plans, an idea began to form: joining in the course myself – both as a reporter and a participant. Because while I was skeptical, I couldn’t deny that I was also curious. What is that elusive ‘feminine energy’? Do I have it? Did I lose it? My husband, Eric, chuckled as I told him about my plans. ‘So you’re taking a bath with Adelheid Roosen?!’ Yes and no. Each of the five evenings focuses on one theme through scenes, workshops, performances, poetry and personal assignments. The five themes are Pleasure, Erotica, Inner Bitch, The Pussy and Desire, all of which come with their own layout, decoration, music, food and drinks. And every three-hour evening invariably culminates in the promised one-hour bathing session. It does all comes with a hefty price tag: € _1,550 for five sessions. It’s an intimidating outlay, although one may add that corporate leadership courses can cost three times as much. And the costs are justified, Mafaalani argues, if you consider the massive cast and crew – including guest actors – the food and drinks and all the personal attention. “Five nights at the opera – with dinner of course – cost about the same, and you spend the whole night in a chair instead of in a bath.” A common question, especially from men: Are you all in the same bath? The answer: No. Are men really persona non grata? What do you think? All the participants are women, as are the coaches and performers, the technicians, chefs, musicians, production assistants and support staff: there are only women here, almost sixty of them, and all come in different shapes, sizes, colours and ages. What’s more: there’s not a man in sight. I come to realise that, unless you’re in a sorority or play a team sport, it’s not a situation you find yourself in all that often. As a matter of fact, it’s the first time for me. Session 1, 24 February 2022 Theme: Pleasure The large, lofty space of former shipyard Museum ‘t Kromhout in Amsterdam is divided into five “living rooms”, decked out with a plush collection of cloths, rugs and cushions that surround the main stage. Forty transparent baths stand there, waiting. Each of the four actresses, plus Mafaalani herself, accompanies a group of eight women to one of the living rooms. A scent of lemongrass wafts from the fragrance diffusers, while Arabic jazz emanates from the speakers. As we take a seat on cushions and sheepskins, silver trays with food arrive. My group is one of doctors, lawyers and businesswomen, women from the world of academia and science – some of whom had their employer pay for the course. They chose to take part because they wanted to get out of their comfort zone, meet like-minded people or enhance their self-knowledge in a physical, sensory, emotional, decidedly non-rational way. Modest bathing suit While we have dinner, Mafaalani explains that this is a place for experimentation, warns us that ‘the death of the experiment is judgement’ and kindly asks us to withhold judgement during the course. Don’t judge, excellent idea. Who knows, I might be able to relax before long. Next, she guides us to a makeshift changing room one by one. Now although I’m by no means a prude, the prospect of appearing semi-naked in front of a group of total strangers in the middle of winter is not particularly inviting. Besides, I’m at work. Fortunately, I have Mafaalani to distract me from my self-loathing strip-down with funny questions: “When was the last time you got the giggles?” (Can’t actually remember). “Who can you always count on to have some fun?” (Eric). And: “Do you still flirt with life?” In the changing room, I marvel at my chalky legs. Other women are wearing cute, colourful bikinis. Will this modest bathing suit liberate my feminine energy? Fearful of emerging from my cubicle, I am comforted by the sight of a thick, fluffy bathrobe that will swallow my pasty appearance whole. Like big teddy bears, the women leave the safety of their cubicles one by one. We are complete strangers, yet we quickly confide in each other, sharing all our doubts and insecurities, our perfectionism and fear of failure. Mafaalani melts away any lingering resistance with her melodiously booming laugh. She hands out flowers, which we clumsily wear in our hair. Flashback to slumber parties “Today we are going to talk about pleasure,” Naomi van der Linden announces, “because pleasure is a source of energy.” We discuss occasions on which we ‘put a lid on pleasure’ ourselves: moments at which you catch yourself having a great time and bring yourself crashing down to earth with a judgement or demand. I share how much I loved a lively argument back in the day but tend to hold myself back for fear that it will lead to a fight. One of the participants admits she is always ashamed of her teeth whenever she has a fit of laughter, with several other women in the group responding with understanding nods. The atmosphere takes me back to the slumber parties we had when we were young, with the playful games and whispered secrets of young girls. Are we actually huddling closer together or am I just imagining it? Then Naomi van der Linden begins to sing – Reach for Tomorrow – as she slowly undresses. She steps into the water, and we all follow. We shed our robes with surprising ease and glide into the warm water. Nazmiye Oral hands out herbal sachets. I stretch, wiggle my toes, sink a little deeper. Around me, 39 women are bathing with the same blissful smile; it’s almost as if we’re high. This synchronous, collective enjoyment has a wondrous effect, transforming us into a single organism; a large, relaxed body with eighty arms and legs. Making it the perfect time for Nina de la Parra to perform her act, lip-syncing vulva and all. All feelings of discomfort or weirdness have vanished: we’re all women here, we all have a vulva, and we all know Imagine. Plus, this story will kill at parties. After the bathing session, the evening ends with a fierce water pistol fight. After a hesitant start, we commit and hunt each other relentlessly, with forty women cheering loudly, whooping and screaming as they aim for each others’ faces. Our hair soaking wet, cheeks blackened with mascara, we chortle and gasp for breath, laughing so hard it hurts. (How long has it been since I felt this way!?) Afterwards, I feel like I’ve run a marathon, followed shortly by the complete relaxation that only a 4-week holiday can produce. As I cycle home, the winter cold nips my ears, but I’m as happy as can be. Session 2, 3 March Theme: Erotica After the first session, we’re given homework to do: ‘find joy in tedious activities’. So from now on, I always put on the soundtrack of Disney’s Encanto when loading the dishwasher. and only for a brief second do I allow myself to wonder: is this horrible? What would the neighbours say? Making the tedious fun: check. I’ve stopped putting a lid on pleasure. My mood improves significantly that week. My breathing is calmer, I stand more upright, I sleep better. And on Thursday, I get to bathe again. What was dread at first has now become eager anticipation. That being said, this week’s theme – Erotica – worries me (I hope there won’t be any role-play…). Eric goes from skeptical to interested. Role-play it is. The actresses welcome us in fiery red lace lingerie, but Anna Drijver – wearing patent leather thigh-high boots – quickly teaches us that Erotica is not (only) about sex. “Erotica is vim, it’s the energy that prompts you to get out and explore, the energy that sets you alight.” To explore what “turns participants on”, we’re going to be practicing some archetypal behaviours. Drijver lists them: the Sacred Slut, the Dominatrix, the Marilyn, the Kill Bill Warrior, the Queen, the Boss Bitch and the Devotional Wife. Perhaps, I consider, we should also practice the U.S. President, the Jet Fighter Pilot, the Cave Man and the Football Hooligan. Beyond sensuality Isn’t this emphasis on the physical and sensual aspects of femininity a limitation? Isn’t one of the interesting developments of our time the more flexible approach to what is ‘masculine’ and what is ‘feminine’? This rather restricted view of femininity strikes me as a step backwards. Mafaalani disagrees: this is not a step back, it’s a fun new dance move to try out. Femininity goes beyond sensuality, she affirms, but – in her experience – successful women in the Netherlands learnt to be anything BUT sensual, which is a shame, because it can be a lot of fun. Now perhaps you discover that belly dancing and wearing flowers in your hair is nothing for you. Sacred Slut? Um… nope? Totally fine. But you might also find that a new archetype puts a spring in your step. You could find your voice or have more fun encounters (m/f/x). Then again, even if the archetypes seem nothing more than hilarious, who would ever say no to a big old laugh? So I give it a shot. And it’s actually not all so bad. While the bathing women are served all kinds of titillating morsels, the actresses indulge in the dreaded role-play. Naomi van der Linden plays Marilyn. She flutters back and forth playing this giggling, naive and coquettish character, and to my surprise, it is infectious. I find myself giggling in her wake. Okay. I cautiously try to pitch up my voice, but quickly retreat. Would Boss Bitch be more up my alley? I resolve to give her a go at home. Next, we do a partner exercise, practicing giving each other looks. We’re asked to alternate between ‘I want you in my bed NOW’, ‘I want to connect with your soul’ and ‘I want to light up the world with my love for you’. They’re hardly everyday looks, but they sure feel good. My neighbour and I instantly fell a little in love with each other. The absence of men seems to remove a certain pressure, perhaps because the internalised male gaze is finally under the cosh. I’m less critical of myself and stop comparing myself to everyone around me. The diversity of the group, which consists of so many different women from multiple generations, helps, as does the fact that everybody has long let slip the gown of shame. One participant has a particularly apt way of putting it: ‘Collective trust is contagious’. After the bath, we dance to ‘It’s raining men’ wearing red lace kimonos. An older woman gives in to the moment with reckless, ecstatic abandon, her full hips sway with the beat, her impressive breasts heave and a colourful flower perches in her gray locks. She’s enjoying herself and she’s sexy. I realise I’ve never seen anything like it before. Session 3, 10 March Theme: Inner Bitch On the evening dedicated to our “dark energy”, the coronavirus stopped me in my tracks. As homework, I’m told to make my way to a lingerie shop. Eric’s interest turns into enthusiasm. Session 4: 17 March Theme: The Pussy I’m not comfortable with this theme and haven’t been from the start. When I arrive, Anna Drijver cleans my hands with a herbal, spicy substance. We briefly hold hands. She looks at me seriously and asks: “Are you saying yes to this experience?” Oh, god, no. I nod and say yes. We eat vulva-like floral butter with braided bread and are invited to reflect on our “pussy” as a “character”. I am reminded of Nina de la Parra and the cheerful list of euphemisms she rattled off during the first session. ‘Vulva’ sounds like a woman’s magazine that I’d never buy. Beaver? Snatch? Box? Flower? Slit? Fanny? Gash? Lady parts? Puss? Pum-pum? Punani? Pussy?? Isn’t pussy just another word for kitten? Anyway, the pussy. We’re asked a series of confusing questions. What kind of fabric does she like, what scents does she enjoy? (Should I know these things?) And what kind of music does she prefer? (Hmm, Marvin Gaye?) We’re supposed to visualise a temple for our vulva, imagine what she’s wearing, and come up with a vehicle. The atmosphere is serene and solemn, but in my head, I’m watching a cheerful, cheeky animated film about a plump animated vulva with arms and legs wrapped in a golden cape riding a horse (Pixar, where’s my movie deal?). It’s followed by another partner exercise. In groups of two, we take turns answering questions. The first is: “When did you first meet your Pussy?” It’s an easy one for me. I was 11, 12, and came across a page on sexuality in a teen magazine. My neighbour, on the other hand, reveals that she was 37 and had already given birth to three children. Next question: “What is your Pussy telling you now?” Deafening silence. Apparently, she’s a silent movie. Or do I just need a wee? Adelheid Roosen, Naomi van der Linden, Anna Drijver and Nazmiye Oral.Image by Alaïa Fonk Pussy painting The next, unforgettable part of the programme sees one member of the group immortalised by pussy painter Ranier Amiel (f). With her legs wide apart, half-dressed in a robe, she straddles an alter of sorts, with Amiel directly in front of her, while the rest of the group throngs around her at a suitable distance. No one laughs. Contrary to expectations, the scene is neither uncomfortable nor weird. We’re all silent and watch. As it happens, the woman is a gorgeous painter’s model, a dream muse, which imparts an art-historical sheen to the scene. While the muse sits back blushing, Amiel goes all out with gold leaf, glitter, fuchsia, green and blue, producing a brightly coloured bolt of lightning. Later on, Joyce, the model, tells me that she didn’t feel embarrassed in the company of the other women, but was encouraged and felt accepted. “I’d have been more uncomfortable if it were just me at home.” She proudly left the result, a 1×1.5m pussy portrait, on her wall for months. Today’s homework is a masturbation manual given by Nazmiye Oral, which – she promises us – will give us the best orgasm we’ve ever had. (Naomi van der Linden sings Fly me to the moon). Keywords: taking your time, lots of stroking and circling, making smaller and smaller movements as you go along. For the full manual, you’ll have to sign up for the next course yourself. I can, however, clearly conclude that Women in Bath will have a positive effect on your sex life. Session 5, 24 March Theme: Desire (final) This time, we are greeted outside, by Naomi van der Linden delivering a passionate rendition of Lover man in a bright yellow dress. While the first session took place in the depths of winter, spring is now cautiously taking over, setting the scene perfectly for this final session about hope and growth. ‘I long to try something I never had’. In this final session, we send our “destination desire” out into the world, answering important questions: What is your greatest desire? What were you made to do? We bathe for the last time and Mafaalani explains how this first edition of Women in Bath saw her own personal destination desire come true. With this course, she wants nothing less than to change the world. “Masculine society is bankrupt. Our feminine energy is urgently needed in these dark, hard times of ubiquitous threats and fears.” The pajama party is over The final evening ends with one more group dance to I’m every woman and Who run the world? Girls! We’ve come to the inevitable end of what has been a marvellous course. The pajama party is over. We exchange phone numbers, we create WhatsApp groups. Will we stay in touch? And will we notice any lasting changes? It’s now been seven months and I still listen to Encanto when cleaning the kitchen. Beyond that, it is difficult to say how much Women in Bath changed me. Some women in my group went in an entirely new direction: one left a toxic relationship, while another quit an unsatisfying job. But am I flirting with life to the fullest? Have I become more courageous? I can’t quite tell, but I do know that I took another, exciting course after the bathing sessions. And I’m taking driving lessons, which had always scared me. I’m considering getting back into singing, and perhaps taking dance classes. When I reflect on the sessions, I stand a little taller. And when a little girl spontaneously handed me a rose during a walk in the park the other day, I proudly wore it in my hair.
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