Herbal Womb Wisdom: Recent Episodes
Kay'aleya Hunnybee
Curious about herbal and holistic approaches to womb wellness (i.e. periods, infections, libido, pleasure, pain, PMS, hormones, body confidence, fertility, PCOS, cycle irregularity, etc)? No matter what phase of life you are in, or what you've been told is - or isn't - possible, if it's related to your wombspace, it's covered here. Clinical herbalist and integrative health educator Kay'aleya Hunnybee will guide you through a range of topics by combining traditional wisdom, embodied practice, and modern science. With her years of experience as an herbalist and history as a student midwife, doula and massage therapist, she brings a broadly integrative perspective. Expect inspiration, stories, research, some interviews, plenty of plant talk, occasional humor, a whole lot of being real, and a compassionate heart. You'll leave every episode with actionable steps to enhance your menstrual, sexual and hormonal health and enrich your life.
Every culture has some relationship with bees, some stories, mythology, even deep reverence. There are goddess traditions centered around bees. Ancient Egypt considered bees to be keepers of the liminal space between life and death.
In these ways, honeybees could be considered healers in their own right. We so often center humans when we think of "healers" but what if we include other-than-human beings too?
Today's guest, herbalist + beekeeper Allie Armstrong, speaks to bees as the original acupuncturists, and she even has some stories to share on how she's seen evidence of this in her own life.
She also shares about medicinal hive products - from bee pollen to propolis to honey to royal jelly - and some on the ethics and sustainability of these products alongside the medicinal benefits.
And beyond these practical realms, she also sees the bees as wisdom teachers, and shares some of the insights, and the energetic medicine she's received from them too.
This is such a rich conversation, I hope you enjoy it.
Resources:
- Free guided womb connection meditation and clearing
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Allie's website and offerings
- Episode 82: Late summer medicine making
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
I think we forget sometimes that heart and cardiovascular disease is actually the leading cause of death for women and folks with wombs. Like, for real.
And the thing about it is, there are some very simple things we can do that make a huge difference, and it's been shown that only between 3-12% of us are even doing those. Not to mention adding our herbal allies in.
In this weeks episode I cover the heart as an organ of the summer season from a TCM lens, simple ways you can make a huge impact on your heart health, and some beautiful medicinal plants we can call on truly as tonic herbs over time to prevent and even remedy cardiovascular conditions (on a physical and emotional/spirit level).
You may be surprised by which herbs I chose.
Resources:
- Free guide: Womb connection meditation
- Today's shownotes: Sensitive ecology of your heart
- Episode 50: Adaptogens & your hormonal health
- Episode 56: Womb & heart connection?
- Episode 233: Traversing the wild terrain of grief
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
It's common for us to orient more to the parts of ourselves we love, feel proud of, or see as lighter or brighter.
But what about the parts that are messier, less easy-to-love, more challenging? We ALL have them, btw.
Most of us hide those parts where we can, we've learned how to move through the world without outwardly expressing them a lot of the time, unless something comes up that triggers them.
Often this kind of trigger happens in intimate relationships but it can happen anywhere.
In today's episode, Dani Granaroli speaks to the profound transformation she's experienced since incorporating shadow work practices largely inspired by Carolyn Elliot's work with existential kink.
We explore her personal journey, and some ideas of what shadow work even is, some insights on a different way of viewing "healthy" relationships and why radical acceptance is key to all of this - including potentially your own healing path.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Grab links to Dani's work
- Free guided womb connection meditation and clearing
- Book: Existential Kink by Carolyn Elliot
- Episode 197: Somatic practices for healing childhood wounds with Kristen Stake
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
A couple months ago my childhood bestie told me she was hosting a period party for her daughter, and I knew immediately I wanted to reach out to the facilitators to have them on the podcast.
Turns out, these two are the real deal.
Erica Evans and Darcie Black are both Fertility Awareness Educators that work in the reproductive health field in different niches. Together, they host these "Body Talk" period parties for children 8-12 years old.
They are actual parties, with gift bags and balloons and decorations, and they also teach all kinds of practical topics like vulva anatomy, "red and white flow," menstrual product options and so much more.
My vision is for more and more of these "period parties" to exist, so I am honored and excited to have these ladies on the podcast to plant the seeds of possibility for all of us.
Maybe you'll start a period party in your community, too?
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Grab links to Erica + Darcies offerings
- Free guide: Track Your Cycle Naturally with FAM
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Summer is often characterized by buoyancy, expansion, joy, creativity, vitality.
But there are times in our lives when we are feeling this life-giving energy of warmth around us and simultaneously navigating a deep season of grief.
This is what I speak to in today's episode. Some ways we might caretake our tender hearts in the peak of summertime, herbal allies for the journey, and more.
Resources:
- Info & registration for July 14th class: Herbal Healing after Pregnancy Loss
- Free guide: 10 key herbs for your hormonal health
- Today's shownotes: Traversing the wild terrain of grief
- Episode 65: Grief & pleasure postpartum & beyond with Stacey Ramsower
- Episode 112: How to tend grief with the earth w India Elyn
- Episode 135: Re-enlivening a wailing culture w Siobhan Asgharzadeh
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
One of the core pillars hormonal health - the dynamic healthy dance of our hormones - is a resilient nervous system.
I don't love using the word regulated, because that sounds like we're trying to neutralize or dampen our nervous system response, when what we really want is to grow our capacity to feel all the things fully, and complete the waves.
So what can we do yo cool and calm our frazzled, anxious, agitated systems? Herbs can be amazing allies for this, really it's one of the places they shine.
In today's episode, I share about motherwort as a relaxing, antispasmodic, cooling nervine; milky oats as a deep restorative nervous system tonic; and schisandra as an incredible ally for stress resilience as well as nourishing our qi and retaining fluids in the body.
Hopefully these glimpses feel supportive in this summer season that tends towards heat, intensity, drive and excess activity. A time when we would do well to incorporate some cooling and calming herbal allies alongside.
Resources:
- Free 10 key herbs for hormonal health (incl. 5 herbal pillars of hormonal health) guide
- Today's shownotes: Herbal allies to cool + calm the nervous system
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 32: Herbal spotlight on motherwort
- Episode 40: Herbal spotlight on schisandra
- Episode 68: Herbal spotlight on milky oats
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
It can be so common to feel the quickening of summertime and forget to slow down to truly savor the season.
Sometimes it feels almost impossible to find the quiet in all the expansive blossoming energy.
But if we don't slow down to pause, we miss the opportunity to more fully receive the gifts of the season. And we may end up more imbalanced during the peak and late summertime. Too hot, too dry, too fiery, too much.
So what are some ways to slow down and savor this season? That's exactly the question that this medley episode answers from three different lenses.
First I share about ways to deepen connection to the rhythms of your womb, and specifically this episode snippet covers the arousal process & a little on your womb rhythms during your fertility years.
Next, Ruth Hull explores three different homeopathic remedies for hot flashes and night sweats (which can certainly be exacerbated in peak summer), and how to be very specific in your choice of which one is right for you.
And finally, I share a little about herbal allies for for cooling down the summer heat in your body.
I hope you find this episode to be a gift in this potent window of summer solstice.
Resources:
- Free guide to Gardening for Your Hormonal Health
- Today's shownotes: 3 simple ways to savor peak summer season
- Episode 28: Rhythms of your womb
- Episode 33: Homeopathy, hot flashes & the menopausal transition
- Episode 74: Cool the summer heat in your body the herbal way
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
So often we think of essential oils as the primary form of distillation from aromatic plants. But there is another form of water-based extraction through distillation that is commonly overlooked, and that's hydrosols.
Hydrosols are aromatic waters that capture both volatile oils and the water from the steaming process.According to today's guest Emma Prescher, they really are a bridge between the energetic signature of the plant (the plant "beingness") and the physical characteristics within the volatile oils.
She speaks to the immense transformational accident that required her to slow down after longtime survival mode and how astrology and herbalism were key parts of her healing journey and ultimately what brought her back to life in a way.
We also explore the sensual nature of hydrosols, how they impact your nervous system, the different aromatic profiles of the same plant at different times in the growing season, how tobacco flowers came to be her first hydrosol and so much more.
Resources:
- Free guided womb connection meditation and clearing
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Emma's offerings, hydrosols etc
- Episode 83: What is astro-herbalism with Andrea Webb
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Click here to send me a quick message :)
(audio fixed! sorry y'all) The Ayurvedic concept of "ojas" can feel elusive, especially because it's a unique perspective on something that we might refer to as our deep inner well of resilience or the nourishment we can call upon when we are in a time of stress or strain.
There's no real physical component we can point to from a western anatomy lens.
But it's an essential literal substance in the Ayurvedic paradigm that is required for recovery from "karmic crunch" times and also for things like healthy menstrual cycles, fertility, gentler perimenopause and even longevity.
Ayurvedic practitioner Adena Rose Bright speaks to both her clinical and embodied personal experience identifying low Ojas and replenishing this "inner well" through simple practices that are accessible to all of us.
We also chat about the often overlooked significance of bodywork in integrative health practices and so much more.
Resources:
- Shownotes: Get links to Adena Rose's free course, apprenticeship etc
- Free Womb Connection & Clearing meditation
- Episode 97: Understanding & pacifying Vata dosha w Kristen Timchak
- Episode 182: Deeply replenishing postpartum care w Coco Genevieve
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Traditional intact cultures, and systems like Ayurveda and TCM, all include not only physical and emotional healing but also speak to how the energetic layers of our beings impact our healing, too.
Whether it's tuning into the medicine of the wheel of the year like Summer Solstice (the expansive, invigorating sunlight) or the harmonious dance of Yin and Yang or the subtle energies from the Vedic lens of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, every system holds its own wisdom.
What matters most is how these subtle energies truly impact us, what we notice, what we feel affinity towards and what works for each of us as unique individuals.
The dance of light and dark, contraction and expansion, the underworld and above world, are part of the necessary path to healing. Without one we cannot have the other.
I explore all of this in depth and share some reflective prompts and share some examples of herbs and foods that can help you cultivate some of the subtle energies as well.
This was a total riffing episode, so I hope it offers some little gems for at least one of you since it just sort of flowed through!
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Subtle energies on your path to radiant wellbeing
- Free guide to Gardening for Your Hormonal Health
- Episode 172: What is vibrational medicine? Flower essences & mantra
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Iron deficiency is incredibly common, and even more common during pregnancy where there is some level of physiologic anemia with all that blood dilution but it can definitely become too much.
But what is really happening? Today's guest, Samantha Chandler, speaks to what minerals are doing in our bodies, and why she sees copper as a key ally to support our overall mineral balance, including iron available in our blood, and why.
She also speaks to how menstruation may be a part of female-bodied longevity, what deficiencies might be happening when progesterone is low, and what estrogen dominance may be telling us.
The truth is, without basic nutrients - minerals included - we cannot actually produce healthy hormones or tissues, so minerals are often a missing piece in any hormonal or menstrual health picture. And we literally need iron in our blood to transport oxygen, which cells require to to produce energy (aka vital force).
So, this topic is more important than it may seem at first glance.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Samantha's offerings
- Episode 22: Stinging nettles herbal spotlight
- Episode 36: Blood building herbs
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
When cycle alchemist, Tere Marie Martini, first proposed speaking to the 4 P's (plants, planets, pussy & personal agency), I was already ALL IN.
By themselves, each of these topics is compelling, but when we combine them to explore how they can support us to become "whole ass human beings" it gets even more interesting.
What brings each of these seemingly divergent topics together is their cyclical nature. I would also say in general, the way they help us both learn about and become more fully ourselves.
Bridging the worlds of cyclical living, herbalism, astrology and self-awareness and growth together really isn't that far fetched, and is likely something many of us are already practicing in some way.
Tere speaks to how she sees these weaving together, and drops some gorgeous wisdom gleaned from her own womb stories and life journey that have helped her surrender to the will of life, alongside powerfully creating transformational events and spaces.
We talk all about this and more. I really loved this conversation, and hope you find some inspiration in it too!
Resources:
- Free guided womb connection meditation and clearing
- Today's shownotes: Get links to all of Tere's offerings!
- Episode 83: What is astroherbalism? w Andrea Webb
- Episode 197: Somatic practices for healing childhood wounds w Kristen Stake
- Episode 216: How does the moon affect your hormones?
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Fascia is an extraordinary substance in our bodies that supports both structural integrity and fluidity. And it is a web that weaves throughout our entire form.
It has more nerve endings than our skin, responds to our hormones, tenses and relaxes, hydrates and dehydrates and can be a root of chronic pain and/or stuck energy.
It lines all of our organs and muscles and bones! And our endopelvic fascia (the fascia in our pelvis) has direct relationships all the way up to the ribcage.
Our breathing, belly and feet all have clear connections to what Julie Hammond calls the Pelvic Diaphragm (instead of the pelvic bowl).
And even our throat and jaw can have fascial impact on tension or relaxation of the muscles or tissues in our pelvis.
I talk about all of this and more (you'll hear my excitement) on this week's episode.
Resources:
- Free: Gardening guide for menstrual health
- Book: The Pelvic Diaphragm by Julie Hammond
- Episode 22: Stinging nettles love
- Episode 77: Myofascial release for pelvic bowl and chest/breasts with Lindsay Courcelle
- Episode 160: How to nourish fascia with Lisa Masé
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
The sacred windows of our lives, whether postpartum or perimenopause or menarche or any significant transition, are portals of extra sensitivity.
In some ways, they are a gift in that we can almost recreate ourselves from the ground up, renewing, and discovering a new version of ourselves.
In other ways, they are tender, even vulnerable, times that require extra care and deep nourishment to replenish and rebuild from what is often more Vata dominant (from the Ayurvedic lens).
But what can that nourishment look like? And how can relationship to the earth, seasonal cycle and local food play a role?
This week's guest, "nurturer" Ashley Winkelspecht, bring all of this together in her work and practices where she tends and nourishes both postpartum mamas as well as her rural community in the form of meal prep (and growing and sourcing local food).
She also layers on additional practices to enhance the prana, vitality and healing potential of the nourishment she brings.
Listen in to hear all about it.
Resources:
- Free guided womb connection meditation and clearing
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Ashley's offerings
- Episode 49: Sacred windows of our lives with Ashlee Sakaishi Wilkin
- Episode 139: Cultivate resilience in Vata season w Molly McConnell
- Episode 156: Universal Mother principles w Christine Eck
- Episode 182: Deeply replenishing postpartum care with Coco Genevieve
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
In these wild times, so many of us are seeking meaningful ways to engage with our emotions in generative, life-giving ways.
As women and female-bodied folks, we have commonly been socialized to dampen our intensity, our ferocity, our tenacity.
To sit in patriarchal spaces that center the power of a leader on a pedestal versus the power of the circle itself.
But what can a different way look and feel like?
In today's rich conversation with qi gong and martial arts teacher Jaye Marolla, we dig into these questions.
She shares about the practice she calls yin warriorship, what that means and can look like in a martial arts training space or in the world, and how needed it is.
And she also shares all about
- the practice of leading and teaching emergently
- how she crafts containers that are not "safe" but supported
- how intimacy and eroticism are woven into this work
- why she doesn't ascribe the the idea that trauma is the issue in our tissues (and what she sees this phenomena as instead)
- ways to explore your personal "yes" and "no"
- and more!
There is SO MUCH depth and wisdom here. I hope you love it.
Resources:
- Free guided womb connection meditation and clearing
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Jaye's work!
- Episode 140: Mugwort herbal spotlight & my initiation into plant medicine
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
I had a conversation with a friend recently, and the topic of presence came up. Not from the lens of meditation so much as from the lens of what's helping us move through the wild terrain of life these days.
We talked about how easy it is to get drawn into the past - distractions, addictions, spirals of longing, attachment to old stories, replaying what's already happened - or the future - worry, fear, anxiety, concern, responsibilities to come etc.
And how easy it is to go entire days, weeks even, without true embodied presence.
How often are we really, truly, present... in our bodies, in a moment?
Isn't it interesting though, how time can bend? When we are falling in love, or meditating, or maybe even trying hard to get words on to paper, it can feel like 5 minutes is forever. But most often, it's all moving so swiftly, we barely catch a glimpse of what's happening.
Distractions and stimulation is EVERYWHERE, and more so now than ever before.
But the truth is, healing and the possibility of new healthier pathways, ones that include conscious choice of something generative versus destructive, of a world we believe in even, is all only possible when we release the past and the future and cultivate more relationship with the present.
And not just the present moment mentally, but even more powerfully bringing our awareness into our bodies for somatic experience of embodied presence.
I riff on this and share a guided practice to embodied presence in this week's episode. It feels like needed medicine for so many of us right now.
Resources:
- Free: Womb connection & clearing meditation
- Today's shownotes: The healing practice (& power) of embodied presence
- Episode 77: Myofascial release for pelvic bowl and chest/breasts with Lindsay Courcelle
- Episode 219: What are spring tonics?
- Episode 220: The ancestral medicine of reciprocal relationship w Kendra Hoffman
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
From the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) lens, the first 40 days postpartum are a key time to deeply tend the body, mind and spirit after birth.
According to today's guest, Madeline Ishmael, this time is characterized by a need to replenish both the blood and qi -- and while there are a number of ways to do this, she focuses largely on deeply nourishing foods in her practice.
She blends her western medical background as a public health professional and registered nurse with her training in both functional medicine and TCM to offer a truly integrative approach to this tender time.
This conversation is deep and rich and embodied. She tells her own story of how it was the process of weaning her first child that alerted her to the lack of actual postpartum care in the more conventional medical environment, where she was essentially dismissed rather than listened to.
These stories are so common. And unfortunately we still don't have enough people offering the level of truly restorative care in this foundational time that can have an impact on the coming decades in our lives.
Maddy shares about what to focus on food-wise so you'll definitely receive some practical wisdom from this conversation, but she also shares about the deeper reasons this is all needed. And how her newest offering - postpartum meal delivery - emerged almost alongside her most recent babe, during the early postpartum window itself.
We speak to all of this and so much more. I'm excited to share this conversation with you!
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Grab links to Maddy's IG and email!
- Free guided womb connection meditation and clearing
- Episode 25: Immediate pp care the herbal way w Liz Philbrick
- Episode 148: 5 key herbs for every mama's apothecary w Mel Mutterspaugh
- Episode 152: The power of "two-eyed seeing" w Amy Eldredge
- Episode 182: Deeply replenishing pp care the Ayurvedic way w Coco Genevieve
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
So many of us feel deep grief, overwhelm and even lost in the midst of the ecological and upheaval we are facing collectively. It's not easy to know what to do, where to turn, what actions are meaningful and worth our time.
The truth is our nervous systems are not made for the level of constant stimulation and overflowing awareness that we are being exposed to. We need to honor our capacity, and yet it is so hard to look away.
So what can we do? What can help the earth around us, our communities, ourselves?
We chat all about this - from an ecological lens Kendra Hoffman calls EarthCare - on today's episode.
She's developed a framework including 4 core principles and practices that align with the directions and the seasons, and are really accessible to help begin or deepen your reciprocal relationship with the earth and other beings around you.
We chat about traditional ancestral lifeways and how returning to the roots of our roots is needed in these times, and how you can explore this no matter whether you live in a city, the suburbs or a more rural place.
There's so much embodied earth wisdom in this one, I'm excited for you to hear it.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Grab links to all Kendra's offerings + resources
- Free visualization: Womb Connection & Clearing meditation
- Song by Mo Washburn on YouTube
- Episode 41: Nature connection as stress relief (science & more) with Efan Hsieh
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
It's officially Springtime here in the northern hemisphere, which means so many of our plant friends are returning!
Some of those wild weeds might be exactly the herbs that can help you as we transition from deep winter into the heat of summer.
But the term "spring tonic" can be confusing and vague, like what does that even mean?
And how can we effectively incorporate them into our lives -- which actions are most important and what herbs are good options?
I cover all of this and more in this week's episode.
Resources:
- Free: Dandelion Recipe collection
- Today's shownotes: What are Spring Tonics?
- Episode 26: Premenstrual breast or chest tenderness
- Episode 62: Embodying Spring with seasonal wisdom
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Postpartum is an immense time of transition that includes not only having a new baby, but also navigating a massive hormonal cliff, recovery after birth, body changes, erratic sleep schedules, identity change and so much more.
So where does pleasure, sexuality, sensuality and eroticism come in?
And how do we enter into that space with attunement, tenderness, self-awareness and... perhaps most importantly embodied consent?
Most mamas and birthing parents are given the go-ahead to engage in sex again at 6 or 8 weeks by their provider, but many are not ready - at all (let's normalize this).
Just because your tissues are healed enough to safely engage in sexual intercourse does NOT mean you have to start doing it again. There are SO MANY WAYS to experience pleasure and orgasm and sex that do not have to involve intercourse.
And listening to your body, your mind, your spirit is paramount. What you want and what you like might be entirely different from before.
Sexological bodyworker and sex educator Gal Mar-Qz shares all about these topics and much more on today's episode.
We also explore some practices you can bring into your body, your partnership or even your parenting life that may be very helpful as you re-discover who you are now as you blend the identities of mother and erotic being.
I hope this conversation feels like a gift for you!
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Grab links to Gal's offerings
- Free visualization: Guided Womb Connection & Clearing meditation
- Betty Martin's Wheel of Consent
- Episode 185: Enhanced orgasms w Susan Bratton
- Episode 190: Awakening erotic aliveness w Usha Rose
- Episode 192: Pleasure as medicine w Dr Emily Wilson
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
What if relieving menstrual pain or releasing stuck emotions in our wombspace could be fun, engaging, and... include twerking? It can!
To be honest, I've tried twerking in the past and maybe it's because I've compared myself to others but I just figured I was bad at it, and it wasn't for me.
Today's guest, Twerk Temple teacher Abigail Morrissey, laid it all out in a way that actually felt approachable for me.
I didn't know that there are 5 separate movements that can be included in twerking, and some of them are easier or more natural for some of us.
She also guided some really simple steps to get started, and encouraged just 2 minutes a day of the "booty pop" which is like, so possible for most of us.
But before we got into twerking, we talked about her healing journey which I think will be very relatable and inspiring to listen to.
From being a hospital nurse to experiencing an injury that catalyzed her to re-assess her life to getting off hormonal birth control to cycle synching and becoming more integrative in her approaches...
And then a huge life upheaval which led to her finding twerking and experiencing near total relief of her menstrual pain symptoms...
And her deep trust in the unfolding of her life.
There is so much here. I'm excited to share this conversation with you!
Resources:
- Free recipes: Dandelion Recipe Collection
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Abigails offerings + playlist
- Episode 82: Herbal vinegars, oxymels & shrubs
- Episode 209: Sacred rage w Andrea Thompson
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Wait, what? The moon affects your hormones? Well, kinda. It can at least.
In this week's episode I share both about how this works from a physiologic lens (yes there is actual reasons this can happen), but also how our bodies - so full of water - are obviously also impacted by the moon.
Is the tides of the ocean can be pulled, why wouldn't the waters of our bodies as well? We are not separate from these cycles, and the more we attune to them, the more we can embrace the absolute magic that exists -- even in times that are as profoundly disturbing as the ones we are in.
I also share about the qualities of the moon, and how that can relate to herbs from a bit of an astrological herbalism lens. This is not how I typically practice, but it's an area of interest for me, and one of the many ways we can understand energetics of plants.
I also speak a bit to how the qualities of the moon reflect some of the qualities of this transitional time that is entering into Kapha season. And some herbal allies that may be supportive for you to counteract some of the allergies, congestion, dullness, heaviness or stagnation you might be experiencing as we gradually shift from Winter into Spring.
Resources:
- Free guide: Gardening for Your Menstrual Health
- Today's shownotes: Moon, hormones, lunar plants, Kapha season
- Episode 83: What is astro-herbalism? (and mugwort)
- Episode 140: The medicine & magic of mugwort
- Episode 184: Ancestral lineage healing and womb lineage healing
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
So often when we hear the word "intimacy," we think of sexual connection or relationships.
It's so common to limit our sensual, emotional or physical closeness to our primary partnerships because that's really what we're socialized to believe is appropriate.
But what if... there's more a spectrum around intimacy?
And how could exploring this "platonic intimacy," as today's guest Nala Sudo calls it, actually be a healing force in our lives, especially in relation to other women?
And how can something like ritual rope help us with deep healing around sisterhood, trauma, or other deep-seated patterns in our lives?
Today's episode is an incredibly rich conversation exploring all of these topics and so much more.
I loved hearing Nala's depth of embodied practice and wisdom, and hope you do too!
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Grab the link to Nala's work
- Free practice: Guided Womb Connection & Clearing
- Episode 190: Awakening erotic aliveness with Usha Rose
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
I'm sure every single one of us have experienced a craving for chocolate either during our premenstrual days or when we're bleeding.
Our bodies crave chocolate with an innate knowing at different times of our cycle, really. Mine does at least!
But today's guest, founder of Emerging Wisdom Cacao Samantha Veitch, shares a much deeper story on the ways cacao can support us through each phase of our cycle.
And instead of just speaking to dark chocolate, she brings forward embodied wisdom around the more ritual and ceremonial nature of the cacao plant itself.
Her experience with cacao began in Guatemala, where cacao holds a lineage of indigenous story and practice.
And what's so interesting is that at exactly the same time cacao came into her, so did her awareness of the power of cyclical living.
She shares her meandering organic journey of weaving drinking cacao and cyclical living together, becoming more and more deeply infused in both practices over time, and then learning ways to incorporate cacao into cyclical living practice to enhance each phase of the menstrual cycle.
It's a really fun and beautiful way to interact with our cycles.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Grab links to Samantha's cacao blends + offerings
- Book: 4 seasons in 4 weeks by Suzanne Mathis McQueen
- Book: The Fourth Trimester by Kimberly Ann Johnson
- Closing tomorrow Feb 22nd: Natural Contraception the Herbal Way 2026
- Episode 156: The Universal Mother Principles with Christine Eck
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Last week I read some quotes from Dr Rosales Mesa.
She said,
"The prophecy of a new ancient world isn't something we wait for. It's something we EMBODY TOGETHER... Your ancestors prayed for you to awaken the wisdom in your blood and bones. You were not born for colonial submission... Despair keeps us in the colonial story. Hope is ancestral."
And my goodness, they resonated. I really feel the truth in how the colonial story (of which essentially all of us except maybe the billionaires and world leaders are impacted by) causes us to retract our own embodied power and sovereignty.
It's easy to feel small, and lose hope, when we are bombarded by deeply disturbing conditions and information. So what then can we do?
It's not easy to find that inner fortitude, but we can't just give up.
If you're reading this, my guess is that you are likely a person of the earth with a deep connection or interest in the generative potential within the womb.
So, perhaps today's episode will offer a welcome invitation to reflect and connect on ways to deepen your relationship with your own ancestral resilience and hope.
This ancestral resilience is inside all of us. Every single one.
It's in our blood. And our bones.
I hope this one supports you.
Resources:
- Join Natural Contraception the Herbal Way! (reg closes 2/22)
- Episode 15: What is a plant ally? and how to find yours
- Episode 184: Ancestral lineage healing and womb lineage healing
- Episode 190: Awakening erotic aliveness and ecosensuality
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Not sure I've ever gotten so vulnerable on a podcast to date.
First of all, we are essentially celebrating FOUR YEARS of this podcast this week. Weekly episodes. A true labor of love.
Secondly, I have a very vulnerable ask I share within the first 7ish minutes. If you'd be open to listening to that and perhaps sharing my work, this episode, the video, or the Natural Contraception program with someone you know will love it and tell them why you're thinking of them or how my work has supported or impacted you, please please do.
It would mean more than you can know to me to feel supported.
I really believe we are weaving a mycelial web of support and because I am not a master marketer, not do I have a budget for ads, every mention or share is impactful for me. Especially if you can think of someone this program would be perfect for. Thank you so much for considering that.
And finally, holy mama, I recorded this on video and posted it! Go watch it if you'd like to. You can see my mannerisms, attic office and library, and the book, pelvis, and screen share I do. Otherwise just listen, of course.
On today's episode, you'll hear my thoughts on feeling rooted into rhythm with the support of the plants as I share about the model of Natural Contraception that I've found most effective over the course of my 18 years cycle tracking and working with herbs alongside. And why I feel strongly that FAM is not enough.
It's a deep and challenging time in the world. I know we're all feeling it. It's immense and we're finding our way. If Natural Contraception the Herbal Way resonates for you, please come join me, officially open today.
Learn all about it by listening. Or head to the info page to learn more.
Resources:
- Watch the video: Rooted in Rhythm and Earth: The Spiral Path to Effective Natural Contraception
- Learn more and sign up for Natural Contraception the Herbal Way 2026
- Episode 24: Nuanced thoughts on herbal approaches to repro sovereignty
- Episode 140: The medicine and magic of mugwort
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
I read a post this morning from someone in Slovenia who said we are "underreacting" here in the United States. In some cases, this may be true.
But I also see a lot of people highly reacting to the immense onslaught of too much-ness that we're navigating right now.
And in that reacting, it could be actively doing things, but it may also look like reactively numbing or shutting down completely.
Because let's be honest, too much-ness is often... overwhelming. Maybe we're not underreacting, maybe we're overwhelmed.
And if so, that makes a LOT of sense.
Can we normalize not feeling regulated right now? Like, how can we expect ourselves to be okay, really?
But -- simultaneously, somehow, miraculously, nature continues. The sun shines, the moon returns. The earth is always here for us.
That said, overwhelm is real, and exploring tools to help us understand our own personal relationship to it is what this week's guest, Sherene Cauley, brings.
She researched overwhelm, and then created this beautiful image that she calls the Talisman against overwhelm.
Such a creative way to bring interactive practice that encourages self-reflection into our daily lives.
If you're in the murky muck right now and want to explore a creative path to deeper self-awareness and navigating overwhelm, this conversation is perfect for you.
Resources:
- Grab a spot on the Natural Contraception waitlist (opens feb 8th 2026)
- Today's shownotes: Check out the Talisman of Overwhelm image + Sherene's links
- Episode 197: Somatic practices for healing childhood wounds using IFS with Kristen Stake
- Episode 209: Sacred Rage with Andrea Thompson
- Episode 210: How to build capacity and resilience
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Many of us are feeling the wobbliness of the world right now. It's not easy to know what to say, how to engage with our daily lives, or really what's going to happen.
And while that can feel destabilizing (obvs), it can also be a really good time to consider our own personal resilience -- to honor that, listen within, and build towards greater capacity. This is not the same for every person.
So how can you explore this for yourself? And what practices and herbs could be supportive to help you build capacity in stressful times?
That's what I explore in this week's episode.
Tune in to hear about how stress can mess with your hormones, one way to map your current stress response landscape (inspired by Deb Dana), and some practices and herbs that might be able to support you to prevent burnout and instead build your reserves and capacity for a longer term resilience.
Honestly, herbs and practices like this don't change the systems, structures, relationships, etc that are underlying and causing chronic issues.
But these practices CAN help you listen to your own body and build foundations of personalized wellbeing amidst these topsy turvy times.
Resources:
- Track Your Cycle Free Guide
- Waitlist for Natural Contraception the Herbal Way
- Today's shownotes: Foundations for building capacity
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 68: Herbal spotlight on Milky Oats
- Episode 171: Somatic Experiencing for healing trauma w Emma Schurink
- Book: Anchored by Deb Dana
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
How do you relate to the fierce intensity that is rage? So many of us are socialized to dim this part of ourselves, to tuck it inside, that it is NOT welcome in the world.
For women and female-bodied folks, it is common to be labeled "hormonal" or "hysterical." And what does that typically mean? Anger, irritation, rage...
This is so deeply embedded in our cultural ways of knowing that the word "hysterical" actually comes from the root word "hyster-" which connotes womb/uterus.
Hysteria was a common diagnosis in the 19th century that referred to irritability, impulsiveness, tendency to "cause trouble" among other things. This idea that those qualities of energy are something to literally diagnose says a lot about how poorly embraced they were.
So, where is it then that we are allowed to express this innate part of ourselves? Perhaps in our homes or intimate relationships, maybe in certain forms of work, but almost nowhere in a publicly accepted way.
Today's guest, bodyworker and ritual facilitator Andrea Thompson shares about her journey to embracing her own Sacred Rage and how she came to facilitate spaces for others to express their rage, too.
She also speaks about her own personal fertility and perimenopause journey which is profoundly interwoven with her work around rage and ritual.
This conversation is overflowing with embodied wisdom and inspiration. I hope you love it!
Resources:
- Grab a spot on the Natural Contraception (Feb 2026) waitlist
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Andrea's offerings
- Episode 184: Ancestral womb lineage healing w Jillian Twisla
- Episode 135: How grief can help us feel alive w Siobhan Asgharzadeh
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
How can the wheel of the year support your inherent wellbeing?
Not just seasonal connection, but actually feeling into the qualities the season offers and intentionally working with some of that energy to enhance your life...
Today's conversation with Corinna Wood explores this topic as she describes the Wise Woman's Needs Wheel she developed at a time in her life when she was walking through immense transformation.
One of the things I found especially interesting was the timing of this, where she was deeply reflecting and growing out of her repeated relationship patterns during her perimenopausal years too.
And just hearing how much she grew and a whole new world opened up to her in this time, there is something so hopeful in that.
Even after decades of herbalism and wise woman seasonal lifestyle, this exploration of her inner landscape was a deeper healing than she'd been able to access before.
She shares her story, a bit on her personal history and how both the Needs Wheel and becoming aware of her underlying beliefs landed her in a solid healthy relationship dynamic for the first time in her life.
So much in here, I'm excited for you to hear it!
Resources:
- Download your copy of Corinna's Wise Woman's Needs Wheel
- Check out Corinna's free workshop Jan 18, 2026: 8 Seasons of the Wise Woman Path
- Explore Corinna's yearlong mentorship: The Wise Woman Path
- Learn more on her website: Corinna Wood
- Today's shownotes: Wise Woman Needs Wheel with Corinna Wood
- Episode 158: Midwinter herbalism - getting creative with broths and teas
- Free guided visualization: Womb Embodiment and Clearing Meditation
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
What if your cycle was a storyteller? An oracle? A guide to help you more deeply understand what your body is telling you?
This is exactly what your cycle is, whether you're in your peal fertility years, have irregular cycles, hormonal imbalances, are perimenopausal or beyond.
And while for some people, hormonal birth control is an important ally, for others they were put on the pill to "regulate" their hormonal imbalance before they really got a chance to understand what else might be underlying the imbalance.
In today's medley episode, you'll hear a little about hormonal birth control and its effect on the body from Gabrielle Jansen.
Then I share about the origins of the phrase "your cycle is a vital sign" and more on how you can begin paying attention to what your cycle is telling you.
And finally I introduce the importance of getting curious about your irregular cycle if that's something happening for you. While it can be very normal to have irregular cycles in your early post-menarche years and perimenopausal years, no matter when you're experiencing them it can be helpful to pay extra attention to get a sense of what else they might be telling you, too.
Whatever signs and symptoms you may be experiencing, this episode is a little glimpse into your cycle as an oracle, and each of the full episodes are a deeper dive into these topics, which I recommend listening to if any of these topics piques your interest.
Resources:
- Free live class, Jan 13th 2pm eastern (recording avail): What's Your Menstrual Cycle Telling You?
- Free guide: Track Your Cycle using FAM - get started
- Today's show notes: Your cycle is an oracle
- Episode 23: Your body on birth control w Gabrielle Jansen
- Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign
- Episode 66: What is your irregular cycle telling you?
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
What is arousal and how is it related to your vagus nerve, past trauma or feeling unsafe, your stress levels, or even your body just being built differently?
In today's medley episode we explore all of these concepts.
In this liminal time out of time that is "holiday season" there is often an overstimulation happening, but also an invitation to slow down.
I heard recently that this time of the year is when a large percentage of babies are conceived and I wonder how much that relates to this reflective inner quieting that allows the rest of life to sort of fall away and couples to feel more connected, and perhaps a little more in their pleasure bodies, than in other times of the year.
Maybe we can get a little curious about what contributes to this? How does taking time off of work, rest and reflection, the invitation to celebrate and feel hopeful impact our nervous systems and our capacity for pleasure?
Just some meandering questions for you to ponder with me if you'd like.
But if you want to get a little nerdy with me - learn about the vagus nerve, the organ that is your cervix and what pleasure potential lies there, and som reflective perspectives from occupational therapist Laura Rowan on what might be getting in the way of or enhancing your pleasure, this episode is perfect for you.
Resources:
- Free classsss Jan 13th! Sign up: What is your cycle telling you??
- Today's shownotes: Nervous system impact on arousal, orgasm + pleasure
- Episode 64: How the vagus nerve impacts arousal & pelvic organs
- Episode 87: From pain to pleasure w Laura Rowan
- Episode 98: Reclaim your cervix!
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
What can it look like, even in the fullness of the holiday season, to orient to restorative practices for deep wintertime wellbeing?
What if we treated this time as the transitional rite of passage that it is along the sun's path of rebirth into the new wheel of the year?
In this week's medley episode, you'll hear about practices from Ayurvedic, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western herbalism paradigms so you can consider what approach appeals most to you.
First, Ashlee Sakaishi Wilkin shares about the concept of rites of passage and how to tend the sacred window of this time (which can certainly be applied seasonally to deep winter as well which is Vata season).
Then I share about herbal bitters and how they can support both your digestion and your mood, a perfect compliment to this time of year -- holiday season foods and stressors.
And finally Jade Alicandro shares about the deep mineral nourishment of replenishing broths as food as medicine, and some key herbs you may want to include.
It's not about doing everything, but choosing perhaps one small thing you can do to align with the power of the winter solstice season as we cultivate the foundations for the incoming wheel of the year and return of the light!
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Restorative practices for deep winter wellbeing
- Free guide: 10 key herbs for hormonal health
- Episode 44: Bitters and hormonal balance
- Episode 45: Embodying winter w Jade Alicandro
- Episode 49: How to create a sacred window w Ashlee Sakaishi Wilkin
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
So many of us live with some form of chronic or acute pain. We get used to it, we look for ways to relieve it, we may find some things that work - temporarily or long term.
Sometimes that's movement practices, sometimes it's bodywork, sometimes it's structural adjustments, etc.
But more often than not, we're not actually looking to the root of the pain.
And unfortunately if it's connective tissue or bone-based, it can often be exacerbated in transitional times like postpartum or perimenopause / post-menopause.
After many years of offering Structural Integration style bodywork, Mia Esquivel found that for both her own post-menopausal body and for her clients, she wasn't seeing the relief she knew could be possible.
So she started seeking solutions outside of her bodywork box and came upon something called "Applied Neurology" and it has been a GAME CHANGER for herself and her clients.
Listen in to hear all about it (and a little on her perimenopause and post-menopause story - hint: you might never guess that foot pain could be related to hormonal shifts!).
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Mia's offerings
- Free guide: 10 Key Herbs for Your Hormonal Health
- Episode 110: Healing chronic pelvic pain w Julia Dyer
- Episode 169: From a year of debilitating endo pain to feeling well w Mary Lauren Fraser
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
It is a total MYTH that nursing is birth control, so if you've heard that I'm sorry to say, you're out of luck. It is true that for some people, lactation may deter ovulation for many months or years. But it is NOT true for everyone, unfortunately.
This is why there are so many unexpected pregnancies that come soon after a previous one. And honestly, unless you are planning on that, it can be pretty shocking and a lot to navigate a new pregnancy with a nursing babe and still healing postpartum.
One of the most confusing times to track our cycles, especially if we're practicing FAM for contraception, is postpartum.
A few weeks ago, I received a question about this on Instagram, so I figured, why not answer it here so everyone can benefit.
So many folks would prefer to prevent pregnancy in this time if possible.
But between the sleep disturbances, stress, depletion, body healing, and hormones adjusting of the postpartum time, cycles can be WONKY.
And you won't bleed before you ovulate, so you can't rely on that to tell if you're fertile either...
So what CAN you do? What's important to consider? What's reliable and what's not?
I go into all my thoughts on this, pretty Q+A free-flow style today. I hope it feels like a helpful resource for you, now or in the future when you need it.
Resouces:
- Get on the waitlist for a special offer: Natural Contraception Winter 2026 waitlist
- Grab the free guide: Track Your Cycle using FAM
- Today's shownotes: Cycle tracking postpartum?
- Episode 90: 5 effective non hormonal birth control options
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
How does living in deep relationship to the seasons and cycles of nature impact your sense of belonging on the earth?
Today's guest, co-founder of Moon Seeds planner - Erica Ela Bartoli, spent some formative years traveling and living in intimate connection with the elements, first in a yurt and later as she traveled around Africa, with the sky often as her ceiling.
During these "rewilding" years, she began to more deeply connect with the lunar cycles (new and full moons), the seasons, and her own body.
Eventually, she began leading moon circles, and from there found her way to co-creating this planner which got her more in touch with tracking her menstrual cycle and realizing how aligned cyclical living was with her lifestyle of seasonal living.
Her story is hers to tell and in this conversation, you'll hear how life-changing synching to her cycle has been, and why she's chosen to continue living in a yurt with her children in the forests of Oregon.
We also talk about the history and practice of holding red tent spaces in large gatherings or in communities, what they entail, why they're important and so much more!
Resources:
- Sign up for the waitlist for winter 2026 Natural Contraception the Herbal Way program!
- Free Track Your Cycle Naturally (FAM) guide
- Episode 42: Reclaim your menstruation with rest, ritual & replenishment
- Check out the planner! Moonseeds.love (discount code: wombwisdom)
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Click here to send me a quick message :)
So much of life these days seems to be polarized. As if the world is black and white, right and wrong. And this is no different in the birth world.
As social media reach has taken hold, I've been watching the rise of polarity especially in the "free birth" community. Honestly, I had friends freebirthing before Instagram existed, but I also trained in homebirth midwifery for 5 years.
So my frame has always been pretty nuanced.
I've witnessed empowered hands-off births at home, more hands-on home birth midwifery styles, birth center births with nurse midwives, empowered hospital births and even the cascade of interventions happen in hospitals.
Over the years of my midwifery training and birth work (this was 10-15 years ago), I became curious about more hands-off styles in home settings. My favorite births I witnessed were the ones where the midwives left (I was a doula) and/or sat in the corner knitting or reading for hours.
And this is exactly the kind of story Leah shares in this week's episode. Except even more surprising in some ways. Her birth was truly self-directed, and the midwives seemed to be holding the container of safety, offering options and reminders and cervical checks when she asked for them, but always deferring back to her direction.
There is so much in this story that I hope plants seeds of possibility of nuance in the spectrum of what's possible in birth.
And she also shares about the practice of postpartum yoni steaming, and how that was a key to her personal pelvic floor healing after her severe tear which required surgery. So you'll hear about that, too!
Resources:
- Sign up for the waitlist for Natural Contraception the Herbal Way program!
- Free Track Your Cycle Naturally (FAM) guide
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Leah's steaming + birthwork offerings
- Episode 25: Immediate postpartum care the herbal way w Liz Philbrick
- Harvard study -- reduced inflammation through kinder self-talk
- couldn't find the study but found these:
- Mindfulness + positive health outcomes - Harvard professor Ellen Langer + Harvard Health
- Emodiversity + Biomarkers of Inflammation
- couldn't find the study but found these:
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Holy mama! This week is monumental and I want to honor it with you because this podcast would be nothing without the community of thousands of listeners who have tuned in over time. THANK YOU.
Today marks episode 200!!
So I decided to craft a simple episode highlighting the power of celebration -- to embody the practice of celebrating (including 2 of my biggest celebrations from this podcast journey) and invite you to join me in this podcast party too.
A lot of times we associate the buoyancy of summer with joy and celebration.
But ancestral traditions across cultures also come together in the darkest nights of the year to find and bring the light into the darkness, often together, often in celebration.
So, while this time of the year has a very different quality than bright summer days, it is an entirely appropriate time to tune into quiet reflection and receptivity AS you are also finding the guiding light and celebration.
So please join me in celebrating Herbal Womb Wisdom's 200th episode!! In whatever ways feel great for you.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: The medicine of celebration
- Join the waitlist: Natural Contraception, The Herbal Way
- Episode 19: Pelvic liberation and softening w Chaya Leia Aronson
- Episode 61: Pelvic wisdom - healing trauma w Dr Emily Wilson
- Episode 77: Myofascial release for pelvis + chest w Lindsay Courcelle
- Episode 119: Clearing womb trauma w Dr Sarah Wylie
- Episode 141: Uterine unwinding w Dr Kathryn Kloos
- Episode 192: Pleasure as medicine w Dr Emily Wilson
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
What does it mean to connect with your inner wild woman (or wild womb)?
And how can you more fully embody this innate creative, sensual, generative, wisdom-keeping part of yourself in ways that feel inspiring and unique to you?
It can be easy to look online at social media accounts painting with menstrual blood or embodying some fierce quality of themselves with animal hides and think... "that's what the wild woman looks like"...
But really, as wild woman photographer Vanessa Wingerath shares, it's not about looking outside of us for what others wild womb expressions are, but tuning into the unique ways YOUR being expresses that archetype that matters.
If you're curious to hear about Vanessa's journey to her "wild woman era" and how you can begin to engage with these parts of yourself too - through photography, circles, retreats etc - as well as HOW transformational this kind of practice can be, this week's episode is perfect for you.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Grab links to any of Vanessa's offerings
- Free Womb connection and Clearing Guided Practice (22 mins)
- Episode 65: Grief & pleasure postpartum & beyond w Stacey Ramsower
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Navigating the whirls and twirls of perimenopause can feel like a wild ride.
But amidst all of this transitional terrain, what if there was also a potential for immense power?
There is! And this is a lot of what we explore in this week's episode.
Business mentor and life coach Olivia Bowen shares about everything from how her births supported her spiritual growth to how her surprising entry into perimenopause catapulted her into prioritizing what really mattered and letting go of what didn't.
Her perimenopausal clients have affirmed the power inherent in this time too.
She also shares about the map she's created of the chakras of business (which could easily be translated to creative projects of any kind) which reflects a comprehensive view of all the foundational elements of any successful endeavor.
It's such a cool lens to look through, and I hope you enjoy learning about it too.
A beautiful exploration in this time of thin veils.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Grab links to Olivia's resources + offerings
- Start tracking your menstrual cycle to learn about what your cycle is telling you: Track Your Cycle Naturally
- Sign up for the waitlist for Natural Contraception the Herbal Way program!
- Episode 37: Easing into menopause
- Episode 188: Perimenopause the Ayurvedic way
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
So many of us are walking around with the beliefs we created in childhood running the show.
And almost always, we are unconscious of it. Largely because we have other parts of ourselves protecting us from feeling or becoming aware of the hurt parts of ourselves.
These "parts" protect us, or try to, and in a way cause us to act and react to everything from social interactions to work to relationships to sexual connections to how-we-treat-our-own-selves.
So, what can we do to heal some of these deep core wounds (whether they came from obvious trauma or from less-visible places in our lives)?
And how can we use embodied practices to help us do that?
This is what Kristen Stake and I talk about on this week's episode.
Not only is she a licensed professional counselor trained deeply in Internal Family Systems (aka "parts work"). She is also a mover, and somatic practices have been a huge part of her life and healing path.
So she has developed her own style of bridging the world of "parts work" and somatic practices like authentic movement into an embodied form of "Moving With Our Parts."
If you're new to IFS, or seasoned in the work, this episode is a great foundation on what it is, how it can help you become a better version of yourself, and how to bring some of those "parts" into your body and move with them to help them be accepted, expressed, and maybe even let their hold go a little bit, too.
I hope this conversation offers you some glimpses into what's possible for you.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Kristen's offerings + the books she mentioned
- Grab the free Womb Connection & Clearing guided practice
- Sign up for the waitlist for Natural Contraception the Herbal Way program!
- Episode 121: Healing heartbreak with IFS with Sara Avant Stover
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Let's be honest that most of us are poorly informed about all the non-hormonal birth control options we have.
Our providers basically tell us we should either choose something they have on offer (whether that's IUD's or hormonal contraception of one kind or another), and dismiss the efficacy of the myriad non-hormonal birth control options we have access to outside of the medical system.
IUD's are incredibly commonplace, and while they work for many, they also have risks and side-effects that are often overlooked.
Our bodies are our own, and my biggest wish is for you to make the choice that's right for your body in whatever season of life you're in.
But if you are curious about non-hormonal birth control options, this episode is a great place to start.
I've been practicing a combination of Fertility Awareness Method, withdrawal, occasional condom use and occasional herbal allies for my contraception practice for nearly two decades.
This is not some short-lived thing. This is long term, deeply embodied confidence I have in these forms of contraception working effectively - especially when combined.
It's empowering to know what's possible, which is why I wanted to do an entire episode on withdrawal, really detailing what it is, how to make it more effective, when in your cycle you may want to try it if you're newer to it or more experienced, and how edging can play a role as well.
I hope it offers you some grounded information you can use as you explore what feels true and right for you!
Resources:
- Get started tracking your cycle: Track Your Cycle (FAM) guide
- Sign up for the waitlist here: Natural Contraception winter 2025/2026 waitlist
- Today's shownotes: Is withdrawal effective?
- Episode 90: Effective Non-hormonal birth control options
- Episode 146: 5 benefits of practicing natural contraception
- Episode 186: When contraception fails!
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Nearly all of us have experienced some kind of menstrual, sexual, pregnancy loss or release, birth, postpartum, womb or other pelvic trauma.
And most of us just sort of... live with it. Or we find pathways to healing.
Today's guest, Catherine Simone Gray, speaks to her personal journey of reclaiming her pleasure, growing into her power, and healing through her painful (and transformational) postpartum journey...
which she wrote all about in her recently published book, "Proud Flesh: A memoir of motherhood, intimate violence and reclaiming pleasure."
This conversation is rich, beautiful and inspiring. Catherine has an exquisite way with words, and I'm SO excited to share it with you!
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get Catherine's books and links!
- Sign up for the waitlist for my Natural Contraception program
- Free guided Womb Embodiment & Clearing Practice
- Episode 65: Grief & pleasure postpartum w Stacey Ramsower
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Wait, what? Astrology can give you insights into your reproductive, sexual or menstrual health?
I know it might sound a bit wild, but astrology has actually been revered for not only divination but also for understanding tendencies towards physical, mental, emotional and spiritual weaknesses and strengths for hundreds (perhaps thousands?) of years!
And our charts can actually give us useful information about everything from our fertility (including optimal timing), libido, menstrual pain, perimenopausal symptoms to anticipate and so much more.
My guest this week, Nurse Practitioner and Jyotish practitioner Jessica Lusignan, breaks down the basics of this and gives an amazing foundation.
Whether you're entirely new to Vedic astrology or seasoned in it, I hope this episode offers some helpful new ideas for you to explore.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Jessica's classes, readings, consultations
- Grab the free Womb Connection & Clearing guided practice
- Sign up for the priority waitlist for Natural Contraception the Herbal Way
- Episode 83: What is astroherbalism?
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Support the show
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
The transition into autumn is always a bit of a shock to the body.
Shifting from expansive heat to cool and dry weather, the leaves falling, the plants going dormant, shifting their vital force down into their roots, the turning inwards.
So how can you tend your body, mind and whole being in this time?
And especially with all the instability -- of Vata season and our collective global experience right now -- what are some of the ways to nurture yourself and trust the process?
We dive into all of this and more in this week's episode.
Resources:
- Get started tracking your cycle: Track Your Cycle (FAM) guide
- Sign up for the Fall 2025 priority list here: Natural Contraception Fall 2025 waitlist
- Today's shownotes: How to tend + trust your body in Autumn
- Episode 88: How to ease into Autumn
- Episode 92: How to trust your body in times of uncertainty
- Episode 139: How to cultivate resilience this Autumn through Ayurveda
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
What if pleasure was not just something that feels good, relaxes us, helps us feel connected to something greater but ALSO had potential to be therapeutic - like physiologically?
Wait, whatttt?
So much of our clinical training - whether in the medical or alternative health fields - tells us to stay away from pleasure when working with people.
And in a way that makes sense.
We need to create some containers for safety, consent, comfort, maintaining modesty etc.
But the idea that pleasure is almost entirely taboo in the world of healthcare is also a shame.
Because we are WHOLE beings, and our pleasure (whether sexual, sensual or just generally feeling good) is a core part of who we are.
According to today's guest Dr Emily Wilson, arousal, orgasms and even particular pleasure zones can be medicinal -- like, actually have a healing impact on things like prolapse or ovarian cysts.
I am so excited to share this conversation with you!
Resources:
- Free guide: Get started tracking your cycle with FAM
- Get on the priority list for the Natural Contraception Fall 2025 program!
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Emily's upcoming retreat & offerings
- Episode 61: Pelvic wisdom & trauma healing w Dr Emily Wilson
- Episode 190: Awakening erotic aliveness with ecosensuality
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Have you ever woken up from a dream and wondered, "what was THAT about?"
Maybe this happens to you all the time, or maybe you barely remember your dreams. Either way, we all dream.
And learning to work with our dreams from a more intentional or even therapeutic lens can be incredibly supportive in navigating complex mental or emotional states or even past or recurrent trauma in our lives.
Our dreams may have more to share with us than we perceive.
Today's guest, dreamwork and Somatic Experiencing practitioner Julie MacAdam is passionate about the world of dreams and what's possible when we begin to pay attention.
I invited her to the podcast after I attended an experiential dreamwork practice she and her partner guided. It was a powerful journey that helped me to see the beauty in something that felt quite disturbing when I woke up from my dream.
In a way, it was a healing experience. And it helped me to gain insight into he power of incorporating dreamwork into the therapeutic environment, especially when we're moving through hard things - but really even in everyday life.
So many of us have past or current traumas, recurrent stress, or are navigating relational or collective complexities.
So why not begin to explore what our dreams might be offering us?
In this meandering conversation, Julie shares her embodied experience and also a whole lot of direction around ways you can begin finding gems in your dreams, as soon as tonight. :)
Resources:
- Get started tracking your cycle: Track Your Cycle (FAM) guide
- Sign up for: Natural Contraception Fall 2025 waitlist
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Julie's offerings
- Episode 140: Mugwort herbal spotlight
- Episode 171: Somatic experiencing with Emma Schurink
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
What does it mean to be "erotically alive"?
And how can connecting with the earth and your senses enhance that experience?
Today's episode is a beautiful conversation with sex and relationship coach Usha Rose all about how to incorporate your relationship to plants, elements, seasons, the earth and more into your sensuality and sexuality practice.
We talk what ecosensuality is, how that differs from ecosexuality, and ways to embody these practices whether you're outside or inside.
We also explore the concept of sex magic and how it actually works -- as well as the best ways to work with it and why it's not essential to be at climax or orgasm to effectively use it.
You can even engage this practice while dancing or exercising or even just being aroused ecosensually in nature!
She says "I am not ever wasting this erotic energy because it’s powerful fuel that can be directed towards healing of the planet, so at the least I’m sending a prayer with my orgasm" -- and I'm hoping this conversation inspires more of us to do this too!
We are powerful creators, especially when we're in altered states.
So let's spread this potential for our pleasure to bring forward a world we wish to see to those of us who deeply feel, care, and wish for a world filled with integrity, compassion, and earth connection.
We need it in these times, more than ever.
Resources:
- Free guide: Get started tracking your cycle with FAM
- Get on the priority list for the Natural Contraception program!
- Today's shownotes: Grab Usha's self please rituals (coupon code: podcast)
- Episode 37: Jade eggs & the practice of pleasure w Usha Rose
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
What herbs can help bring your bleed on? This is a question I've been asked in so many ways over the years.
Honestly probably one of the most common. And we ALL deserve access to this information. Especially in these... turbulent times.
I'm not talking abortifacients, I'm talking when you are still in your luteal phase and would be expecting your menstruation in days or weeks.
THIS is the most effective time to be working with herbs. And today's episode is a medley speaking to three key herbs to consider working with for this reason.
While these snippets are not purely focused on contraception, they all speak to how these herbs work on multiple systems and in more than one way.
Herbs are dynamic, and often have a handful or even dozens of relevant actions. Which is why matching plants to people is a practice. It's not just "this herb for that thing" but how and when and why and who.
If you're curious to learn a little more about mugwort, wild carrot or motherwort, this episode is perfect for you.
Resources:
- Get started tracking your cycle: Track Your Cycle (FAM) guide
- Sign up for the Fall 2025 priority list here: Natural Contraception Fall 2025 waitlist
- Episode 7: Wild carrot with Mischa Schuler
- Episode 32: Motherwort love
- Episode 140: Mugwort herbal spotlight
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
How does Ayurveda view the perimenopausal transition?
And what are some of the tools and strategies that might be helpful to incorporate in this time to both reduce and prevent the common symptoms that show up in this time?
According to today's guest, Ayurvedic Health Counselor Kristen Timchak, the perimenopausal transition is often characterized by qualities of Vata dosha.
Irregular cycles, drying skin, tissue fragility, brain fog, anxiety, mood swings, are all potentially signs of Vata imbalance.
In this conversation, we explore a variety of approaches to tend our bodies and minds in this time from the lens of Ayurveda and somatic embodiment practices, too!
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Kristen's offerings
- Free guide: Get started tracking your cycle with FAM
- Get on the priority list for the Natural Contraception program!
- Episode 37: Easing into menopause with Dana Lavoie
- Episode 70: Is it perimenopause or....
- Episode 97: Nourish yr nervous system w Ayurveda w Kristen Timchak
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
What if it's not your hormones? What if your hormones are actually alerting you to something deeper going on?
Because, they essentially always are.
Today's guest, Rapid Transformational Therapy practitioner Natalie Ryan Hebert, speaks to the drop in estrogen in the luteal phase as a time when deeper truths (including core stories, trauma wounds, childhood imprints) may show up more prominently.
Without that soothing watery blanket of estrogen the "rocks" are revealed.
It's in those "rocks" that the potential for deep and lasting healing may be waiting.
Listen in to hear all about it.
Resources:
- Get started tracking your cycle: Track Your Cycle (FAM) guide
- Sign up for the Fall 2025 waitlist here: Natural Contraception Fall 2025 waitlist
- Today's shownotes: Get Natalie's links here
- Episode 47: Functional medicine for PMDD w Jes
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
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Wait? So contraception can fail?
I'm sure we've all heard the stories of folks using some form of contraception and still ending up pregnant, or maybe this has been you!
It was a little uncanny to hear that my last two guests on the podcast BOTH had the experience of becoming pregnant while using contraception in their early years of sexual activity.
So I thought it would be a great topic to cover at the foundational level.
What does it mean for contraception methods to fail? How does that happen? And what should you be aware of to enhance your pregnancy prevention practice?
In today's episode, I explore:
- the proper use of condoms
- how to effectively practice withdrawal
- some basics on working with cervical caps, diaphragms, spermicide, Phexxi
- how your pelvic floor muscles may play a role here
- why PIV sex during menstruation is NOT reliable birth control
and more!
Resources:
- Get started tracking your cycle: Track Your Cycle (FAM) guide
- Sign up for the Fall 2025 waitlist here: Natural Contraception Fall 2025 waitlist
- Today's shownotes: When contraception fails!
- Episode 90: Effective Non-hormonal birth control options
- Episode 146: 5 benefits of practicing natural contraception
- Episode 185: Enhanced orgasms + the path to lifelong pleasure
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
So many of us are taught to feel shame around our sexuality, orgasms, pleasure.
What happens when we shake a little of that shame and modesty off and start to explore what's really possible?
The truth is, there is SO MUCH MORE than most of us have any idea about.
Today's guest, intimacy expert Susan Bratton, is a 64 year old woman who says she's juicier than she's ever been, and her pleasure potential just continues to expand!
We're taught we're going to dry up, shrivel up and our libido is going to wither away as we get older. As if we've gotta get it all out and live up our 30's and 40's while we can.
But that's not truuuuuue! It's all wrong.
Pleasure is a continuum and getting to know YOUR unique body, your erectile tissue, what YOU like, and how to enhance your full-body, full-being pleasure sensations as you continue to grow and change is a lifelong path.
Susan shares all about her marriage where all she had was dutiful sex (where she had never had an orgasm w intercourse) until she was 42, and her marriage was a mess.
Over the past 20+ years she's devoted her life to to passionate lovemaking for own self, and teaches how you can do that too.
We talk basics on orgasmic meditation, tools, lubes, and even how certain probiotic strains can support your oxytocin levels.
This is a pretty packed interview, a good foundation if you're interested in enhancing pleasure anytime from TTC through menopausal years.
Susan brings it! In a big way.
Resources:
- Free Womb Connection + Clearing guided visualization
- Interested in Natural Contraception? Sign up for the Fall 2025 VIP list here
- Today's shownotes: Grab all the links to Susan's offerings, free course etc!
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
It's a bit of a trendy topic these days, especially in healing-centered communities, to speak about generational or even ancestral lineage healing.
But what does that even mean? And how can you begin to engage with it?
And how does this relate to what you may be holding in your wombspace - physically, energetically or otherwise.
While some people may have a very healthy relationship with our ancestral lines, many of us have lost connection to the practices that help to keep those lineages tended and well.
This is where the work of ancestral lineage healing comes in.
Today's guest, Jillian Twisla, is a practitioner of ancestral lineage healing through the work of Daniel Foor, and they share all about:
-
the foundations of this ancestral lineage healing work
-
what is possible in shifting generational patterns when engaging this work
-
how it can support smoothing out and tending your womb lineage specifically
-
the potential in reclaiming womb connection for all of us
and really so much more.
This is such a beautiful, wisdom-rich conversation. Jillian is such an eloquent speaker and if you've ever had any curiosity about ancestral healing in any capacity, this is a wonderful foundation to get started from.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get Jillian's links and other resources!
- Free Womb Connection + Clearing guided visualization
- Episode 89: A return to wholeness through the womb w Robin Rose Bennett
- Episode 175: The poison plant path? w Megan Desrosiers
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
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Recently, I've been noticing this concept of "emergent process" coming up.
Between all of us navigating the collective unknowns, relationship shifts and changes, personal upheavals, and whatever else is happening -
there is also somehow a theme I've been hearing of needing to let go and trust.
And it's in this vein that the "emergent process" shows up.
It's all about allowing your body's inner wisdom to guide you, whether though physical signs and symptoms, somatic awareness, or deeper intuitive listening.
But what exactly is it and how does this relate to your cycles, hormones or wombspace?
Listen to find out.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: What is an "emergent process"?
- Free Track Your Cycle (FAM) guide
- Episode 28: Rhythms of your womb
- Episode 171: Healing embodied trauma w Somatic Experiencing
- Episode 174: Slowing down to body time
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
So many focus on preparing for birth during pregnancy, as if the birth itself is the biggest event. And as someone who studied midwifery and attended births for 5 years, I can say confidently that it IS important to prepare for the birth.
But it is arguably even MORE important to prepare for the initial weeks and months postpartum. And not just with meal trains and herbal remedies, but also - from the Ayurvedic lens - with deep replenishing postpartum care.
Nourishing, warming, grounding, holding the mama or birthing parent.
The body changes immensely after the babe is born. Just think, that entire baby and the placenta have been released from the womb. The womb involutes, contracting over the course of time to pre-pregnancy size. There is so much SPACE in the body, the organs are shifting, the body is adjusting.
This is where Ayurveda comes in.
Today's guest, Ayurvedic postpartum care provider Coco Genevieve (AyurMama) has devoted her life to tending and nourishing mothers and birthing parents during the first 6 weeks postpartum, also referred to as the Sacred Window in Ayurveda.
And she shares all about this time, the body changes, the qualities and energetics of both what's happening and what's needed to tend the imbalances, and some of her favorite key practices - namely, food!
She even shares one of her favorite recipes at the end.
It's a whole paradigm of postpartum care that's ancestral wisdom from the Ayurvedic lens, and it's broken down for you in today's interview.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to all of Coco's offerings!
- Episode 49: How to create a sacred window for menopause, menarche + beyond with Ashlee Sakaishi Wilkin
- Episode 152: The power of two eyed seeing w Amy Eldredge
- Episode 156: The Universal Mother Principles w Christine Eck
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
We spend so many of our cycling years trying NOT to get pregnant - whether that's on hormonal contraception, non-hormonal IUD's, using barrier methods or with Fertility Awareness Method.
So, when we finally decide that we want to try to conceive, we just assume it will be easy -- particularly if we're younger, healthy and have no obvious conditions that would get in the way of pregnancy.
But more and more we're seeing fertility challenges. And unfortunately, it's something that many people feel embarrassment or shame around so it's not widely talked about (except in TTC communities).
I've talked to a friend and a client recently who are both currently TTC. One is 27, overall healthy and has an uncomplicated picture (but doesn't have much fertile cervical fluid and her cycles are longer than optimal). The other is 40 and has a current partner whose sperm count and motility is sub-optimal.
Everyone has a different story, and while there's no guarantee, there is so much that is possible to support optimizing fertility.
But where do you get good information to determine what actually works and what doesn't? How does stress actually impact fertility? What are the MOST important nutritional considerations to encourage egg and sperm health?
Liane Moccia, author of The Herbal Fertility Handbook, shares about all this and more on today's episode.
She experienced her own fertility journey while TTC which ended up in failed IVF cycles and eventually, after some nutritional and lifestyle tweaking, a successful cycle and her now 17 year old twin daughters!
And now she's written a book blending her embodied experience, years of fertility-focused clinical practice and current research to offer insights into what works and what doesn't to support fertility holistically.
Whether you're interested in getting pregnant someday, just curious about how to support your hormones overall or exploring assisted fertility, this conversation is perfect for you!
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Liane's book and website
- Free - Start tracking your cycle with FAM guide
- Episode 35: A fertility story: from endo to pregnancy with Sarah Shapiro
- Episode 80: Cultivating receptivity
- Interested in Natural Contraception? Sign up for the Fall 2025 VIP list here
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
It's so easy to overlook the power of pleasure, especially in challenging times.
But it is SUCH an essential part of how we can bring our best selves to the world.
When we feel better, we are better able to weather the ever-changing terrain of our lives, and we have more capacity to share our gifts, too.
In today's medley episode, I combine three episode snippets to support your pathways to pleasure:
1) the importance and practice of cultivating receptivity, and some ideas on how to encourage this in your life
2) Laura Rowan (an occupational therapist) shares about how linked the brain, nervous system, pelvic pain and pleasure are
3) how milky oats can support libido, pleasure and overall hormonal health
It's the final in this medley series from the past few weeks, honoring the solstice, and I hope it brings you some insights and tools to help you embody your pleasure in this season of buoyancy and radiance (amidst all the uncertainties in the world).
Resources:
- Grab the free guide: Track your cycle with FAM (and symptom tracking)
- Today's shownotes: Pathways to pleasure
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 64: Vagus nerve and arousal
- Episode 68: Herbal spotlight on milky oats
- Episode 80: Cultivating receptivity
- Episode 87: From pelvic pain to sexual pleasure w Laura Rowan
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
We're all navigating so much right now. Collectively, relationally, personally.
This week's episode explores three different frames for understanding and tending your nervous system when it's stretched, strained, burnt out or plain dysregulated.
In addition to the collective unrest so many of us are feeling, this week I learned about the loss of John Gallagher (founder of Learning Herbs).
What has struck me most about the loss (aside from honoring his immense legacy in modern herbalism) was that he was struggling. With insomnia, anxiety, and depression.
And that the current political climate, including the potential for immense ecological loss, was part of what may have tipped his mental health struggles over the edge.
It's just so big, all of it. And so many of us are feeling it.
And whatever we're struggling with - collectively, relationally, personally - we're all navigating something right now.
I want to acknowledge that, rather than gloss over it, and offer some resources and tools that may perhaps be useful for you in these tumultuous times.
We all have to find our way, and we don't have to do it alone.
Which reminds me of Alexandra Blakely's song:
"you do not carry this all alone
no you do not carry this all alone
this is way too big for you
to carry this on your own
so, you do not carry this all alone"
It's not a song, or an herb, or a practice that will heal us. It's a collective practice that is ongoing.
But if you're interested in some powerful ways to tend your nervous system in these times, listen to the wisdom from Efan Hsieh, Kristen Timchak and myself in this week's medley episode for some inspiration.
dedicating this episode to the memory of John Gallagher
Resources:
- Grab the free guide: Track your cycle with FAM (and symptom tracking)
- Today's shownotes: 3 paths to nervous system tending in tumultuous times
- Episode 41: How nature connection can calm burnout w Efan Hsieh
- Episode 50: Adaptogens + hormonal health
Episode 97: Nourish your nervous system with Ayurveda w Kristen Timchak
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
It's summer solstice time!
And for some reason, when I think of the buoyancy and fullness of the sun -- the expansive expressiveness, the creative life force energy -- I also think of our breasts / chest.
This voluptuous tissue we often either fear, sexualize, or think of as nourishment for our babies. But this part of our bodies is a center of compassion and heart connection, and something we can honor rather than judge.
In today's episode, I share a medley of previous episodes including:
1) basics on fibrocystic breasts and how to begin addressing them naturally
2) some wisdom on myofascial release and healing potential with Lindsay Courcelle
3) a glimpse of herbal and natural therapies for milk production, engorgement and sore nipples in the immediate postpartum with Liz Philbrick
Resources:
- Grab the free guide: Track your cycle with FAM (and symptom tracking)
- Today's shownotes: Healthy breasts & chest!
- Episode 25: Immediate postpartum care the herbal way w Liz Philbrick
- Episode 26: Premenstrual breast / chest tenderness
- Episode 77: Myofascial care for breast, chest + pelvic bowl w Lindsay Courcelle
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Got cramps? The truth is there is not just one answer to how to relieve menstrual cramps, and my guess is that if you've got cramps you've realized this yourself.
It took me years to understand that there are many different KINDS of menstrual cramps, and they all come from different imbalances in the body and the pelvis.
Today I explore a question I received from a listener about how to stretch or support your ligaments that hold the uterus in place.
But before I dive into that, I share what I consider to be foundational ways to observe your menstrual cramps to become a detective of your own body and consider what qualities of your cramps and other symptoms might be telling you.
Then I share about my first step with almost everyone, and a little glimpse into how herbs might be allies - and why many herbs won't work, too.
And finally, I give a little insight into some of the hands on (and possibly hands in) ways you can both assess and tend to your tissues in the palace of your pelvis.
Resources:
- Grab the free guide: Track your cycle with FAM (and symptom tracking)
- Today's shownotes: Holistic & embodied approach to menstrual cramps
- Episode 19: The importance of softening the pelvis w Chaya Leia Aronson
- Episode 32: Herbal spotlight on motherwort
- Episode 176: Integrative approach to fibroids
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
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I get asked a lot about herbal approaches to fibroid care, and there is actually a lot that's possible!
But I also haven't personally been through the journey myself, so I'm excited to bring Kate Douglas, founder and curator of Earth Body, onto the podcast to share about her own embodied experience over the past couple years.
She shares about how she even knew she had fibroids in the first place (hint: cycle tracking was a KEY to her awareness), and the very integrative approach she's explored to both reduce the size of (and totally clear one of) her fibroids.
Her path has incorporated everything from nutrition to lifestyle to bodywork to pelvic steaming and more.
Even if you don't have fibroids, or don't think you do, everything Kate shares is also foundational for hormonal wellness overall, and especially useful for any estrogen-dominant conditions, too.
I hope you enjoy Kate's inspiring story.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Check out Kate's offerings and fibroid health class
- Grab the recording of my Uterine Tonics class at Earth Body
- Free guide: Track your cycle with FAM (get started now)
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
As herbalists or herb-curious folks, we're taught to avoid poisonous plants -- and with good reason! They aren't plants to mess with. They can literally kill you.
But... what if there were ways to work with these plants safely? There are!
And today's guest, Megan Desrosiers, speaks all about it.
As you might imagine, this is NOT physical plant medicine. This is more energetic, spirit level plant medicine.
But according to Megan, it can be profoundly supportive and even transformational working with the energetic imprints of specific poisonous plants.
They can support "underworld journeys" facing the things many of us tuck away, and help us to release old patterns and even enhance ancestral lineage healing.
There's so much here, and we speak about plants like datura, foxglove, lily-of-the-valley, poison ivy and more.
Whether or not this path calls to you, I hope this episode offers a glimpse into one way of exploring some of the shadow parts that can be keys to our greater healing journeys... and perhaps inspires you to go connect with a plant today (or soon), too.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Megan's offerings and art
- Episode 15: What's a plant ally? And how to find yours
- Episode 171: What is vibrational medicine? with Brooke Sullivan
- Join the Natural Contraception (Fall 2025) waitlist here!
- Grab my FREE Fertility Awareness Cycle tracking guide
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
How can slowing down to "body time" support your healing process?
There is a HUGE difference between the speed of your mind/emotions and your body. The mind moves quickly, and the emotions, while not as fast, are still far faster than the body itself.
So... what happens when you slow down to the rhythm of your body, your cycles, your womb, your tissues?
THIS is where healing happens.
When we move too quickly, we're forcing things. We can miss opportunities to receive the healing that's available for us.
And of course, this makes sense. We live in a world that is constantly requesting for us to be faster, do more, produce efficiently.
But the truth is, when we slow down, we can tune in, we can listen, we can hear our inner wisdom, we can receive nourishment and care and connection.
In today's episode, I share about a few different examples of body time.
Then I lead a 20 minute guided embodiment meditation to help you connect with your own personal wombspace time. Slow, present, connected.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: The healing practice of slowing down to "body time"
- Free womb connection + clearing guided meditation
- Episode 28: Rhythms of your womb
- Episode 61: Healing trauma + womb tending with Dr Emily Wilson
- Episode 141: Uterine Unwinding with Dr Kathryn Kloos
- Episode 151: The anatomy of arousal with Juliana Rose Goldstone
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
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Have you ever wondered if there was a connection between your menstrual cycle, hormones and ADHD or other symptoms?
I know personally I've seen a lot more inattentiveness myself during the few days leading up to my bleed. You?
But today's guest, Adele Wimsett of Harmonise You, specializes in the link between ADHD/neurodiversity and hormones, particularly in the perimenopausal years.
And she did a small clinical trial with some of her clients, tracking their hormones alongside their traits.
While she didn't find clear patterns, she did see some evidence of the importance of progesterone in easing back some of the symptoms.
We also talk about some of the other research that's been done over the past several years showing links between ADHD and things like PMDD, postpartum depression, histamine sensitivity and menstrual cycles.
It's a quick interview PACKED with gems from Adele's clinical practice and research.
I hope it provides some insights on how cycle/hormone tracking can be a missing key to unlocking some of what's behind various mind, mood and physical symptoms!
Listen to learn:
- how ADHD and various hormonal conditions may be linked
- some of the research on estrogen and ADHD traits through the cycle
- what Adele found in her own clinical research
- why she thinks progesterone is foundational in the perimenopausal years
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Adele's work and research
- Grab my FREE Fertility Awareness Cycle tracking guide
- Episode 47: Differentiating PMS + PMDD w Jes
- Episode 143: What is FAM? And what it can tell you about your hormones
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
What comes up when you hear the term "vibrational medicine"? Does it feel appealing or repelling?
I know how easy it can be to dismiss more subtle therapies, especially because so many of us are oriented to our tangible, physical senses.
But then again, I bet you've experienced energy of place, people or experiences before. The inner knowing, or feeling, that something feels good or feels off.
The subtle qualities present when hanging out with particular plants (or people).
And what about music, song, sound healing, gentle breathwork, meditation, etc?
The truth is... vibration is E V E R Y T H I N G.
So when we think about chanting mantras, it makes sense that the words themselves matter, as does the energy we cultivate while chanting.
And then there are flower essences, which are the energetic imprint of flowers captured in water on a sunny day.
These subtle practices, according to today's guest Brooke Sullivan, are potent remedies to help transform and heal our emotions and our minds.
Personally I have had particularly significant results from working with mantras before, several times. So I wanted Brooke to come and speak to them, and also to flower essences, for these wobbly times we're in.
She shares some pretty incredible stories, and drops so much wisdom throughout our conversation. I hope you love it!
Listen to learn:
- what vibrational medicine is
- how ancestral traditions always incorporated vibrational medicine
- what a mantra is, and some potent examples and stories about them
- what a flower essence is
- four flower essences that may be supportive for you in these times!
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Check out Brooke's offerings, flower essence course, etc
- Episode 118: How can cyclical living inform your yoga practice? with Rebecca Rankin
- Episode 163: How to find a path to power in wobbly times w Maitreya Wolf
- Join the Natural Contraception (Summer 2025) waitlist here!
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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Navigating our past trauma experiences (and the recurrent stressors in our modern lives) can feel intimidating... especially if we don't have tools or methods to guide us.
Most of us didn't grow up in emotionally mature families with healthy models of what it can look like to complete waves of nervous system arousal and relaxation.
Really, very few of us have that imprinting.
But when we turn to nature and witness how animals experience what we could easily name as possibly "traumatic" events (eg one of the herd gets eaten or having to run for life to survive an attack), we also see the return to calm after the storm.
According to today's guest, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner Emma Schurink, most humans don't relax and release in this way after a jarring event (whether it's a conflict with a partner or recurrent abuse or just chronic stressors).
Instead we tend to adopt less-than-healthy patterns that help us cope, yes, but don't help us feel deeply well and resilient.
Somatic Experiencing is a trauma healing modality based on the idea that cultivating embodied awareness and incorporating practices like titration, pendulation, orienting, sensation tracking and more can help us to be less reactive, and ultimately create healthier patterns and resilience in our lives.
All of our bodies, including our wombspaces, hold story. And whether those stories are from this lifetime or even intergenerational, finding supportive modalities like S.E. to guide us through them in healthier ways can be helpful.
Listen to learn:
- what trauma is and how it's held in the body
- why traumatic events can have different effects in different people
- what Somatic Experiencing is
- the foundational pillars of Somatic Experiencing
- a little guided practice of titration, pendulation and orienting
- how all of this impacts culture / society overall (or could!)
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Check out Emma's links and offerings!
- Episode 163: How to find a path to power in wobbly times w Maitreya Wolf
- Join the Natural Contraception (Summer 2025) waitlist here!
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
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DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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Springtime is finally here in the northlands and I wanted to offer an episode along the theme of celebrating springtime both in our menstrual cycles and in the wheel of the year.
So, today you'll hear first about some keys to encouraging a healthy follicular phase, and how tending this springtime in your menstrual cycle has impact on the whole cycle and even future cycles, too.
And then you'll get a little glimpse into a guided 10-day Ayurvedic Spring Cleanse that Kimberly Kubicke is offering that starts this Friday, April 25th!
We talk about the energetics of Springtime, and some of the most important considerations when doing a cleanse this time of year, and also how her particular program is going to work if you're interested in joining.
I hope this exploration into how to tend springtime inside and out!
Listen to learn:
- what the follicular phase is (what's happening during it)
- why it's considered springtime in the menstrual cycle
- 5 keys to encouraging a healthier follicular phase and regular cycles
- what the energetics of Spring are according to Ayurveda
- the importance of cleansing in the Spring and Fall
- essential components of a cleanse
- what Kimberly's guided 10 day cleanse looks like
Resources:
- Check out and join Kimberly's 10 day guided Ayurvedic cleanse here*
- Today's shownotes: Springtime in our cycles and bodies
- Episode 69: Cyclical archetypes with Em Dewey
- Episode 73: Cyclical Movement w Tara Lynn Steele
- Episode 78: Your cycle superpowers
-
Grab your free guide: Track your cycle with FAM
-
Affiliate links!
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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Have you ever wondered what the experience of endometriosis like?
Maybe felt curious about whether your own symptoms might actually be something more than common menstrual cramps?
While endo is characterized by sometimes debilitating pain -- which is a common reason treatment is sought, the amount of endometriosis tissue present in the body does NOT correspond to the amount of pain felt.
It's less about the endometrial tissue being outside of the uterus, and more about the subjective experience of the person experiencing it.
For today's guest, Mary Lauren Fraser, her endo journey likely began throughout her twenties, but she didn't realize anything was abnormal until she had debilitating pain that did not go away, which seems to have been catalyzed by an inflammatory response in her body post-Covid infection and booster shot.
It changed everything for her.
Listen to her whole story and a lot of details on the embodied experience and research she's gathered throughout her journey in this week's episode.
Resources:
- Interested in a Spring Cleanse? Sign up for this 10 day guided Ayurvedic clease w Kimberly Kubicke
- Today's shownotes: Get Endo links + Mary's links here
- Episode 35: From endo to pregnancy with Sarah Shapiro
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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Over the course of the past couple hundred years, we've been progressively losing our intact communities. Instead of extended family and village style lives, most of us in the western industrialized world exist in nuclear family structures.
Some of that independence has been welcome; but there is also a tremendous loss of community care and support.
There is perhaps nowhere this loss is more palpable than in the childbearing years.
Which is what Shakila Marando has felt compelled to address with her doula care collective, Doulas by the Bay.
She started with a personal practice as a doula but the demand for her services surpassed her capacity, so she began expanding, and over time has now built up her community care model to 60 doulas and counting.
And they're expanding from the San Francisco Bay Area down to Southern California now, always recruiting new doulas and offering more education and support for families in those communities.
I also loved hearing about her passion for perinatal mood support, and the role doulas can play in the rollercoaster of emotions that shows up postpartum.
Listen to learn:
- Shakila's personal journey from becoming a new mother to becoming a doula
- the origin story of Doulas by the Bay
- a little on how this kind of doula community care model works
- what a doula is and is not
- how doulas can play a role in perinatal mood support
- what to consider when choosing a doula
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get Shakila's links!
- Episode 25: Immediate postpartum care the herbal way w Liz Philbrick
- Episode 85: Acupressure for childbearing years with Sarah Tewhey
- Episode 136: The Herbal Doula with Marie White
- Episode 166: Your postpartum body w Courtney Naliboff + Dr Ruth Macy
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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It's officially springtime in the northern hemisphere, so you may be wondering what you can do to support yourself in this transitional time.
Honestly, were all facing so much collective instability right now, even if you aren't usually one to do a "spring cleanse" you may be feeling a little more interest in finding ways to simplify and release some of the accumulation from the past few months.
Physically, mentally or emotionally.
In this week's episode we return to the rich wisdom of three previously released episodes oriented to traditional seasonal wisdom:
First, I share about the qualities of this spring season, what to look out for, different movement practices and some foods to consider incorporating (or omitting).
Next, we hear from longtime herbalist Kelley Riviere about her favorite ways to work with the body's natural detoxification processes using lymphatic herbs and other seasonally abundant plants.
And finally, I end with a glimpse into some ways you might consider working with these plants - whether in vinegars, food preparations, or as medicines.
You'll get quick glimpses into the importance of warming, pungent tastes at this time, alongside bitters. Herbs mentioned include dandelion, burdock, cleavers, chickweed, nettles, yellow dock, violet and more!
Listen to learn:
- what the energetics of spring season are
- how to intentionally counterbalance the qualities of the season
- simple ways to cleanse and detox in springtime
- Kelley's favorite herbs to incorporate into springtime detox protocols
- why I don't recommend more intensive cleanses for most of us
Resources:
- Grab the recording of the Uterine Tonics class if you missed it - sign up here
- Episode 8: Exploring cycles of the earth in our bodies
- Episode 62: Embodying spring
- Episode 113: Herbs + practices for gentle detox w Kelley Riviere
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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If you've experienced pregnancy, you're postpartum.
Yep, even if it was decades ago, and especially if you made it to 28+ weeks when your body started really shifting and changing, your connective tissue relaxed, and your blood volume expanded, and your organs were miraculously displaced to accommodate for a babe!
And that has impact, both short and long term.
While our bodies know how to recover and heal, there can be lasting symptoms that are often not talked about -- everything from incontinence (peeing when you laugh or sneeze), painful sex, prolapse, to challenges getting back into your fitness routines.
In addition to many other things we don't talk about.
In this week's episode, Courtney Naliboff and Dr. Ruth Macy share embodied insights and practical tips for navigating everything from the first six weeks to decades beyond giving birth.
Which is what they write all about in their co-authored book, "Your Postpartum Body: The Complete Guide to Healing After Pregnancy."
Whether you're postpartum (no matter how long ago) or just have pelvic floor challenges, this conversation and book may be helpful for you.
Listen to learn:
- why these two decided to co-author this book + why it's needed
- some of Courtney's unanswered questions from her own postpartum
- the difference stages of postpartum recovery
- why they see postpartum as a lifelong process
- practical tips for integrative healing in the months and years postpartum
- how the feet are intrinsically connected to the pelvic floor!
- why your breathing matters to your pelvic floor health
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to the book and more
- Free guide: 10 key herbs for your hormonal health
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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How can cultivating a relationship with the elements - air, water, fire, earth, ether - help you connect more deeply with your embodied experience?
And what are some pathways to support this practice?
In today's episode, lead steward of Dancing Freedom and ritualist Phoenix Onesong Marolda shares about her personal path to a more liberated life through connecting with the elements.
From her decades of dance practice that led her to be passed the reins of the international dance facilitator training that is Dancing Freedom to her journeys to Peru exploring transformational growth with plant medicine, she shares about how simple it can all be at the core.
Probably many of us can relate to being socialized into worlds where we orient to more, better, bigger, faster. I mean, look at the world we live in right now! Constantly orienting to expansion and development.
But when we peel back the layers, as Phoenix has been doing more recently while diving deeply into traditional lineage wisdom teachings from Huachuma (San Pedro cactus), simplicity is what matters.
Small life-giving acts. Tending to the generative force, to our ancestors and future generations, to the earth.
So, how can you more fully embody the elements in your own life? Tune in to find out.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: The healing power of embodying elements
- Episode 8: Cycles in our bodies - spring wild weeds edition
- Episode 27: Sex, relationships & psychedelics w Juliana Rose Goldstone
- Episode 122: Entheogens, meditation & pelvic pain w Alison Avalon
- Episode 62: Embodying spring with herbal allies
- Episode 113: Herbs for gentle spring detox w Kelley Riviere
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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The most common questions I get as an herbalist are "what herb is good for [insert imbalance or condition here]?"
Like, "what's good for reflux", or "what's good for constipation" or "what's good for menstrual cramps?"
While absolutely there are herbs that can help symptomatically alleviate challenges, we don't orient enough to supporting and nourishing whole systems or tissues of the body so that they function more optimally.
What if we could reduce or prevent symptoms rather than wait until they're showing up to address them?
Cue "tonic herbs."
While some of these herbs can be worked with strategically to reduce symptoms, many of them are more gentle, nourishing herbs that build resilience of tissues or a system (eg uterine tonics, cardiovascular tonics, nervine tonics) over the course of time.
Gradually, at a deeper, but often more subtle level. Which of course can require some patience, but is a traditional way of working with plants medicinally.
These plants are often incorporated into foods, teas, or long term formulas.
Whether overall restorative tonics for longevity or resilience, or tonic herbs for specific body systems, they are key herbs to know.
Listen to learn:
- what a tonic herb is (2 definitions) and what it is not
- the difference between acute symptom relief and tonic actions
- when and why to consider working with restorative tonic herbs
- the differences and overlaps between categories of tonic herbs
- a few examples of restorative tonic herbs, cardiovascular tonics, nervine tonics and uterine tonics
Resources:
- Sign up for the Uterine Tonics class - 3/12 at 7pm eastern - register here
- Today's shownotes: Tonic herbs for replenishment + resilience
- Episode 44: Bitters and hormonal balance
- Episode 50: Adaptogens and hormonal health
- Episode 68: Milky oats herbal spotlight
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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What if these precarious times are not just destabilizing but instead an opportunity to find your unique gifts and power?
I've known today's guest, soul mentor and wisdom teacher Maitreya Wolf, for a long time now... and I've seen her growing through what she speaks to as a 18 year long soul initiation process.
A time that has challenged and tried her in ways that have asked for her full presence and transformation.
But the thing is, we all face challenges and massive upheavals in our lives.
So what makes something an "initiatory process" that can lead us to our power versus an experience that passes without transformation?
According to Maitreya, there are a few keys to this, and a huge part is in how we perceive what's happening to us.
And what's almost equally as important is bringing in the beauty, creativity, and celebration -- life giving acts -- in the midst of the upheaval.
Her lens weaves together more expansive quantum realities with the physical, practical, mundane world and lives we live day to day.
And I just think her words, her wisdom, is true medicine for these times...
...especially if you're curious to find pathways to your own rooted power as we traverse the shakiness we're navigating collectively right now.
Listen to learn:
- a glimpse into Maitreya's mythopoetic lens on how she got where she is now
- how these times can be perceived as an "initiatory process"
- what it means to find and connect with your personal power
- practical ideas to feel your strength in uncertain times
- why creativity in all forms is needed in times of upheaval
- how earth connection plays a role in feeling your rooted power
Resources:
- Sign up for my upcoming Uterine Tonics class (3/12) here
- Today's shownotes: Get the links to Maitreya's offerings here
- Here's a quick link to her website: soulpowermentoring.com
- Episode 92: How to trust your body (+ cycle) in times of uncertainty
- Episode 161: 3 simples ways to caretake your nervous system in upheaval
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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Can mold impact your health? And if so, what does that look like in your body and mind? Does it exacerbate symptoms of other conditions like autoimmunity? What about hormonal imbalances?
The reality is that most of us are exposed to mold regularly in our lives, but some people can end up with truly debilitating symptoms while others have none at all.
What is that about?
In today's episode, naturopathic doctor Dr Tara Pollock and I chat all about this.
We cover how to know if mold might be a factor in your health story, lifestyle and behavior changes that make the most difference when navigating mold, and some of the specific treatments she works with when she has patients with suspected mycotoxin exposure.
Mycotoxicity is often not the root of symptoms, but an exacerbating factor that makes everything worse.
Our bodies only have so much they can take at any given time.
When other chronic conditions (eg recurrent viruses, tick borne infections, or autoimmune conditions, even the perimenopausal transition) are present, mold exposure can be too much to handle.
If you're curious about ways to reduce mold in your living spaces, mitigate the effects, or support your body's healing process after exposure from a naturopathic lens, this episode is perfect for you.
It's a topic that most of us don't know enough about (myself included).
Listen to learn:
- what mycotoxicity and mold illness is (and why it matters)
- common symptoms to look for when mold is suspected
- lab tests that may be helpful to detect mold exposure
- ways to mitigate the impact of mold exposure in your daily life
- eye elements of the process of healing after mold exposure
Resources:
- Sign up for my upcoming Uterine Tonics class (3/12) here
- Today's shownotes: Get links to resources Dr Tara Pollock mentioned
- Episode 44: Bitters and hormonal health
- Episode 159: How does leaky gut impact your hormonal / overall health?
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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We all go through periods of upheaval in our lives at some point, often individually or on a smaller community level.
Right now, many of us are feeling the immensity of upheaval on a collective level.
Even if you're feeling some ground, there's a real uncertainty about what happens next.
When we're faced with this combination of both acute and chronic stress, it can take a toll on many systems of the body - including our hormones.
So, what can we do? What strategies are available that are simple and effective - both in the moment of acute stress and long term over the course of time to enhance stress resilience?
There are countless ways to caretake our nervous systems.
In today's episode, I share about three categories - breathwork, food choices and herbs - to support the tending of your nerves.
And well, I offer a fourth bonus category at the end, too.
The truth is that a multi-layered approach is going to be far more effective at cultivating resilience and more ease. But it doesn't have to be hard.
These practices are all accessible, and you can choose what you feel most drawn to. Start there. Let it be easy.
Listen to learn:
- the difference between acute and chronic stress
- the most important thing to consider when stressors get overwhelming
- a couple of breathwork practices to calm the stress response
- some foods that can help ground and relax you
- when to consider adaptogens vs nervines
- some examples of relaxing and sedative nervines
- a simple self-oiling practice to enhance relaxation
Resources:
- Sign up for the upcoming Herbal Uterine Tonics class! March 12th
- Today's shownotes: See hand positions for alternate nostril breathing etc
- Episode 19: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 32: Motherwort herbal spotlight
- Episode 44: Bitters + hormonal balance
- Episode 50: Adaptogens + hormonal health
- Episode 97: Nourish your nervous system with Ayurveda
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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Fascia connects every structure in our bodies. While commonly just thought of as a layer of connective tissue, fascia has a sentience unto itself.
It's more than just collagen, elastin and the gel-like ground substance it's made of... it holds memory too (whether physical, emotional, or otherwise).
Today's guest, nutritionist-herbalist-author Lisa Masé has been diving deeply into world of fascia over the past year.
In our conversation, Lisa shares about what fascia is and how it can shift between different states (more fluid, like seaweed in the ocean) or more tense (dry, cracky, almost like dried seaweed).
And she also shares all about how we can sense the fascia in our own bodies, as well as ways we can nourish the fluid state of fascia through our food and herbs.
It's a rich exploration into this fascinating connective tissue that is basically a web throughout our bodies.
Our bodies are so much more than what we can see and even study from a physical, material level -- they carry such wisdom we can learn from.
Fascia is one way we can tune in.
Listen to learn:
- what fascia is and where it lies in your body
- how to begin to sense fascia in your own body
- what you can eat to nourish the fluidity of your facia
- herbal allies for encouraging softness in your fascia
- an guided practice you can do to experience your fascia
Resources:
- Sign up for my upcoming Herbal Uterine Tonics class at Earth Body School (Mar 12th, recording available)
- Today's shownotes: Grab links to all of Lisa's offerings here!
- Episode 21: How disordered eating affects menstrual cycles with Lisa Masé
- Episode 58: Gut health and your hormones
- Episode 77: Myofascial release for breast, chest & pelvic bowl
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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What do you think of when you hear the term "leaky gut"?
It's such a common reference, and often people even have a sense that it may be at the root of their digestive challenges (or at least a part of them).
But how many of us actually know what it means - and how impactful it is on our whole health (including hormonal health!), not just gastrointestinal issues?
In this week's episode, functional dietitian and nutritionist Nour Zibdeh demystifies this condition, including sharing about the physiology of the gut lining and what's really going on, and what is actually able to pass through when the intestinal cells become more permeable.
She also speaks to how to know you might be experiencing it, and what some of the causes are (think, almost everything in modern life).
It's really an illuminating conversation that spans current scientific research and clinical practice - to bring you practical information that can help you consider whether your gut health might be something to tend to and if so, some initial steps you can take to begin supporting yourself.
Listen to learn:
- what leaky gut is - from a cellular level to a symptom level
- what's actually passing through the GI walls
- how to tell if you might be experiencing leaky gut
- some of the common causes of intestinal permeability
- lab tests that can help determine whether you might have it
- how to begin tending your GI tract if you suspect it
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Grab links to Nour's work, courses + Youtube
- Episode 44: Bitters and hormonal health
- Episode 58: Gut health and your hormones
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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Midwinter can feel like such a draggy time characterized by cold days, lots of time inside, and often low mood and lack of inspiration - especially for people of the earth who love being outside with the plants!
What are some ways you can bring the herbs into your winter routine?
What if it can be simple?
In this episode, I share how to incorporate herbs into teas, broths and tinctures -- both from a very simple intuitive, creative lens and also a more intentional, structured lens.
It's easy to forget about how many herbs you may have access to already, some of which may even be in your spice cabinet already.
If you're curious about some possible ways to practice herbalism in the winter, and start simple formulation for yourself and your family, this episode is perfect for you.
Listen to learn:
- the keys to effective formulation
- how to simply add herbs into your winter routine
- some restorative tonic herbs to add to your broths
- ideas about getting to know herbs you already have access to
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Midwinter herbalism - teas, broths, tinctures
- Sign up for the Natural Contraception waitlist
- Sacred Window Podcast (interview w me): Lost Art of Restorative Tonics
- Episode 12: The simple + sacred practice of making teas
- Episode 22: Stinging nettles herbal spotlight
- Episode 82: How to make oxymels, vinegars + shrubs
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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TW: addiction, sexual trauma, pelvic pain
I've been reading Gabor Maté recently, and learning about the undeniable link between trauma and addiction, and feeling just how much that plays out in our world.
According to today's guest - yoga therapist Rosemary Holbrook - addiction is often more of a symptom of past trauma.
Her story of how she went from addiction (and sexual trauma which led to chronically painful intercourse the medical model had nothing to offer for) to being pain-free, and experiencing pleasure and a healthy relationship is illuminating.
Honestly, I think it's important to speak to these topics here because they are so common in our communities, and often hidden and NOT talked about.
Without sharing any of the details, we dive into the flow of events for Rose, and how yoga, Jyotish astrology and Ayurveda were keys along her healing journey.
She also speaks to to the transformational experience of being a pelvic floor PT and how she learned to melt away the tension "down there" so she no longer experiences pain, and instead can experience pleasurable sex.
More than anything, she speaks to the importance of learning to be more fully in her body, feel her emotions and cultivate healthy self- and relationship patterns.
Far beyond just yoga asanas, It's been a whole life, truly integrative path for her.
If you're on a pelvic pain, addiction or trauma healing journey, this episode is made for you.
Listen to learn:
- how sexual trauma can be overlooked "on paper"
- Rose's story from addiction to recovery through yoga
- how her pelvic pain and tension impacted sex and childbirth
- what interoception is and why it's key to understand
- a surprising moment for her after Hurricane Helene and how she navigated it
- the reality of healing as a spiral not a straight line
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Grab links to Rose's offerings
- Free guided meditation: Womb Connection and clearing
- Episode 16: Healing from narcissistic abuse w Amy Branum
- Episode 61: How to heal trauma w embodied listening w Dr Emily Wilson
- Episode 119: Clearing, tending, releasing womb trauma w Dr Sarah Wylie
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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Most of us move through life on auto-pilot, which makes so much sense. The pace of everything is fast and requires so much of our attention.
It's easy to end up stressed, frazzled, burnt out and feel like our cups are only half full - especially when we're mothers or parents, caregivers in any capacity, healing arts practitioners, teachers or facilitators, or just living meaningful lives in any way.
Today's guest, founder and director of the Center for Sacred Window Studies, Christine Eck, shares guidelines she's developed to help herself (and her students) cultivate a healing presence and wellbeing in their lives and practices.
These Universal Mother Principles include:
- Intention
- Simplicity
- Flexibility
- Compassion
- Listening and Intuition
- Grounding
- Non-judgment
- Presence
In other words, a recipe for living a well nourished, meaningful, and generative life.
We chat about how these principles emerged for her, as well as what each of them means in context and some practical examples of ways you can incorporate them into your daily life or practice.
This is such a beautiful, inspiring conversation full of wisdom, relevant throughout all of our womb phases.
Listen to learn:
- how Christine went from a traveling, performing musician to Ayurvedic caregiver
- some insights on the importance of nourishing postpartum care
- how the Universal Mother Principles emerged for Christine
- what each of the principles are in context
- tangible ways to incorporate the principles into your life or practice
- how these can be useful in anything from conflict to client work
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get Christine's e-book outlining these principles
- Episode 49: How to create a sacred window w Ashlee Sakaishi Wilkin
- Episode 97: Nourish Your Nervous System with Ayurveda w Kristen Timchak
- Episode 147: Agni? Ayurvedic digestive fire with Kimberly Kubicke
- FREE Womb Connection and Clearing guided visualization
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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In this generative dark wombspace of the year, you might be starting to dream into some of the herbs you'd like to grow (or harvest) in your garden this year.
So while these three are not necessarily "wintertime" herbs, there are actually plenty of reasons to incorporate them into your wintertime herbal formulas... and they are each potent allies for hormonal health throughout the lifecycle.
First, I share about dandelion, one of the most nutritious and medicinal wild weeds we have -- in abundance. And probably my favorite prebiotic hepatic (liver support) herb. It even works on both phase 1 + phase 2 detox, meaning it can help process and clear excess hormones and wastes from the body especially well.
Then I give a glimpse into the gentle but powerful restorative tonic adaptogen, Schisandra -- also known as the 5 flavored berry. Another herb that ends up in many of my hormonal support formulas, from PMDD to menstrual irregularities to perimenopause.
And finally I explore a little on ashwagandha, an increasingly popular herbal medicine often touted for stress resilience and sleep. But an equally powerful herb for hormonal regulation and especially low thyroid conditions (including postpartum).
Some key herbs for menstrual, hormonal and sexual health.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Winter herbal lovin'
- Episode 11: Dandelion herbal spotlight
- Episode 40: Schisandra herbal spotlight
- Episode 86: Ashwagandha herbal spotlight
- Free guide: Gardening for Menstrual + Hormonal Health
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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Our wombspaces are SO MUCH MORE than our menstrual cycles. They are locations of profound power, pleasure, wisdom and great teachings.
In this week's medley episode, I bring together three episodes that illustrate some of the depth and breadth of the palace of the pelvis.
First, I offer an invitation to consider your wombspace as not just a physical location in your body, but a place of sacredness, an actual altar, that you can offer your presence and care to.
Next, I share a snippet of a conversation with Stacey Ramsower, who beautifully articulates the interplay of grief and pleasure -- specifically in the postpartum time, but it can be applied to any time when our identities are massively changing.
And finally, I share a glimpse into the potent conversation I had with Abigail Rose Clarke about the mesentery -- which is the embryological origin of all the abdominal organs, and has so much to wisdom about how strength is not just about being firm and solid, but also about being soft and nurturing.
I honestly just loved these conversations when I had them, and realize they're from long enough ago you may not have listened to them, so I highly recommend diving in -- especially in this wombspace of the year as we both reflect on what we've passed through in 2024, and look to where we're going in 2025.
On this new moon, may you feel more connected to your wombspace, to the wisdom and teachings held there, and to the seeds of possibility you're generating in the palace of your pelvis as we enter into the wheel of this new year.
Happy new year, beautiful friends. Let's bring some magic into this one.
Resources:
- Listen to the full episodes:
- Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar
- Episode 65: Grief + pleasure w Stacy Ramsower
- Episode 93: Teachings of the mesentery with Abigail Rose Clarke
- Free guided visualization: Womb connection and clearing practice
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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Ahh, solstice has passed and winter has officially arrived - into the landscape and into our bodies.
While this holiday time can feel like a lovely time to connect with family and community, it can also be a time of a lot of conflicting emotions.
But when we tune into the energy of this season, the impending wintertime, the wombspace of the year,
it's actually so much more about quiet, reflection, inner listening than it is about outward connection like the holidays ask of us.
On today's medley episode, you'll find snippets from three previous episodes oriented to the winter season, and ways to engage with the energy of it:
First I share some ideas about practices, and even some self-reflection prompts to explore in the weeks surrounding solstice, or the yin time of the year (right now).
Then, herbalist Jade Alicandro speaks to the qualities of winter from a western and Chinese medicine perspective, and some foods and herbs you can incorporate aligned with this season.
And finally I share about ways to honor not only the rite of passage in the wheel of the year, but also the rites of passage in the wheel of our lives, and particularly the major transitions that occur in our womb phases.
I hope these glimpses into some wintertime practices, including embodied seasonal herbalism and how to engage more intentionally with the season offer you ideas of how to find meaning in this potent time of the year.
A time that so many turn away from... and instead encourage you to consider turning towards it.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Honoring winter in your body and beyond
- Free Womb Connection + Clearing Guided Visualization
- Episode 45: Embodying Winter with Seasonal Herbalism
- Episode 48: 9 ways to honor winter solstice
- Episode 100: Rites of passage in your womb story
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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How often do we hear the term “integrative medicine” and what people are really practicing is symptom suppression medicine with more natural, herbal or supplement methods?
I think it’s very hard to break away from that “treat the symptom” approach when you’ve been indoctrinated into it, and when so many patients are familiar with it.
But occasionally I’ll have a client who says they want to get to the root of what’s going on, and when faced with some of the lifestyle and dietary changes they may have to make, they’d rather not go there.
Which is totally fair. But there’s only so much bandaid approaches can do.
Like yeah, you can reduce the severity of your menstrual cramps in the moment, but if you don’t explore you circulation, the tension you may be holding in your pelvis, some of your ongoing stressors, your sleep, your nutrition, triggers for inflammation etc… well, it’s likely just going to keep being there cycle after cycle.
Which doesn’t mean it has to be hard, sometimes very simple shifts can make a huge difference, but they DO have to be made in order to make the difference.
Which is what I love about this conversation with NP and Ayurvedic Practitioner, Amy Eldredge.
She shares about how some of the simplest changes can be profoundly impactful and in some cases even clear up a condition entirely.
She also talks about the wisdom of samprapti, which is essentially an understanding of HOW disease manifests in the body (or mind) and how identifying it when it’s in the earlier stages (before it sets in) is true preventative medicine.
She speaks to how the western paradigm doesn’t even recognize disease until it’s in the fourth stage.
Annnnd we speak to her journey from conventional medicine into Ayurveda, her visions of what could be possible if primary care providers worked alongside Ayurvedic practitioners to help reduce the onset of disease in the first place.
Her visions (and her on the ground work) is inspiring, and I hope it helps you to feel a little more hope in what sometimes feels like a broken healthcare system.
Another world is possible. We just have to create it.
Listen to learn:
- where Ayurveda and western medicine overlap and where they differ
- How Amy went from 7 years as a Primary Care Provider seeing 700+ patients to her private Ayurvedic practice
- What her insider vision is on how true integrative care could look
- About the phases of disease from the Ayurvedic lens (they’re subtler than you might think)
- How simple healing can be
Resources:
- Episode 3: Ayurveda and your hormonal health
- Episode 97: Nourish Your Nervous System with Ayurvedic Wisdom
- Episode 147: Agni? Ayurvedic concept of digestive fire
- FREE Womb Connection and Clearing guided visualization
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensu
Support the show
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From pleasure to tissue healing to nurturing presence to tending generational trauma, so many of us have no idea what's possible in the palace of our pelvis.
One thing that is especially wild to me is that we often believe what we see in the media is reality.
As if all of us can just immediately feel lubricated and aroused and we can just have overwhelming orgasms in a five minute quickie.
Maybe this is true in the Honeymoon or New Relationship Energy phase, when our bodies are just living in a state of arousal, but once we get beyond the excitement of the unknown and start acclimating to our partner/s, it takes time to become aroused.
In today's episode, Juliana Rose Goldstone shares some real talk about arousal, including the time it takes (average 45 minutes for those of us with internal anatomy) annnnnd a pretty in depth map of our embodied pleasure centers (including the parts of the clitoris, locations in the vagina and the vulva), which you won't wanna miss.
And then we talk scar tissue remediation, which is far more interesting than it sounds at first. Her descriptions of the melting of scar tissue that can happen when the environment is right are illuminating.
It's not just about the biomechanics massage or therapeutic technique, but also about the emotional state, the biochemical state and more that can help us release years (potentially) decades of scar tissue buildup and tension.
She tells a story of a client with chronic back pain who was due for surgery, who no longer needed surgery after working on the scar tissue from an episiotomy.
This is big, whole body, whole being stuff.
There's so much more in this conversation, so I invite you to listen for yourself.
Listen to learn:
- the real deal of arousal in a female body (internal anatomy)
- what scar tissue really is vs what you think it is
- 4 different factors for effective scar tissue remediation
- an innovative style of holistic pelvic care
- why nervous system relaxation is foundational
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Juliana's offerings
- Sign up for Natural Contraception - The Herbal Way (reg closes 12/13/24)
- Episode 27: Sex, relationships + psychedelics
- Episode 52: Beyond Aphrodisiacs
- Episode 64: Vagus nerve and sexual arousal
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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It's pretty astounding how many different perspectives there are on natural contraception.
Everything from, "that doesn't work" to "that's dangerous" to "it's the best thing on the planet" and on and on, really.
Because I'm currently launching the Natural Contraception- The Herbal Way program, I thought I'd come on here and share some of the common misconceptions I hear (and some of the fears folks have) and give a little clarity on what's true and what's not.
As usual, there's often a little truth in everything, and of course I'm biased, but with 16 years of Fertility Awareness practice as my sole form of contraception and 20 years (well, in 2025 it will be 20) of study and active practice with herbal medicine, I can say confidently that there is a LOT we know about how to prevent pregnancy without hormones, IUD's, or even barrier methods.
In fact, Fertility Awareness is a very reliable form of contraception when practiced correctly ("perfect use" in contraception terms).
Which is not without risks and most of us practice imperfectly, at least occasionally. We're not robots... at least not yet.
So what are some of the most common myths and misconceptions about natural contraception? And what actually works?
Listen in to this episode to find out.
Listen to learn:
- how effective FAM and natural contraception can be compared to hormonal birth control
- why I think it's foundational to track your cycle especially if you have irregular cycles, PCOS, are postpartum or perimenopausal
- how many times you can ovulate in a cycle
- why apps are almost never a reliable way to know when you ovulate
- whether herbs for pregnancy prevention can be dangerous
- how herbal abortion differs from herbal contraception
- what actually works!
Resources:
- Check out the Natural Contraception - The Herbal Way program! Class starts Dec 10th, enrolling until Dec 13th, 2024
- Today's shownotes: Check out some FAM studies and reliability resources
- Episode 18: Herbal uterine tonics
- Episode 90: 5 effective non-hormonal birth control options
- Episode 105: What is your fertile window, and what is it telling you?
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
The truth is that behavior change is NOT easy.
Most of us can't just say we want to do something, and then just do it. Especially if it's something we're trying to incorporate into our lives for a long period of time, regularly.
We have rhythms and patterns we are accustomed to. Sometimes they're healthy for us, and sometimes they're not. Sometimes we're choosing them, and sometimes they're just our default.
In working with clients for years, and also through my extensive health coach training, I've found that most of us don't have an easy time implementing something new into our lives, even if we know it's healthy for us or even if it's something we 100% want (myself included).
So today I decided to riff on the framework I see as foundational in the process of implementing something new.
Honestly I was inspired to speak to this partly because of this week's very controversial holiday (honor to ALL the indigenous people of Turtle Island who are certainly not represented accurately in the stories we learned in school).
But the act of true thanks-giving and allowing ourselves to feel gratitude is to me, the first step in effectively adding something new into our lives.
Not because our gratitude encourages change in itself, but because when we feel that sense of abundance in our lives, we can move from a foundation of feeling what's good, and what's possible. Accepting ourselves where we have been and are now, before beginning to envision what's next for us.
Instead of coming from a place of lack, we're coming from a place of nourishment.
And from there we can move into vision, gathering resources, intention and goal setting, creative action and then maintenance over time.
I speak to all of this and, as usual, so much more in this week's episode.
Listen to learn:
- some of the reasons we often don't achieve our goals
- the foundational pillars of behavior change from my perspective
- why I think gratitude is a huge and often missing factor
- what the difference is between vision and intention
- how normal it is to face obstacles after implementing change
- how this is relevant to the upcoming Natural Contraception course
Resources:
- Grab your spot on the Natural Contraception course waitlist here
- Today's shownotes: How to create new pathways of embodied possibility
- Episode 12: The simple practice of making herbal teas
- Episode 107: The healing practice of everyday rituals
- Free guide: Track your cycle naturally (FAM basics)
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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What herbs are must-have remedies for every home apothecary? I think every herbalist would probably answer that differently.
But there are certain foundational herbs that are not-to-be-missed, partly because they are safe, gentle, and versatile.
Those are the kinds of herbs we cover in today's episode.
Clinical herbalist and host of The Herbalist's Path podcast, Mel Mutterspaugh shares about 5 of her absolute favorites to have on hand as a mama (or parent) for those common accidents, ailments or conditions that require a little first aid care.
Which herbs, you ask? We cover plantain, comfrey, echinacea, yarrow and calendula.
Especially for those bumps, scrapes, bruises, gashes, splinters, colds, flus, fevers, etc... these simple herbal remedies are some of our best allies!
I remember when I first discovered I didn't need to go to the pharmacy to get first aid supplies. I truly barely ever even set foot in there anymore.
So much of what we need is growing right outside your doorstep, or easy to grow in your garden. It's the kind of home herbalism we all deserve access to.
Simple, accessible, effective and abundant.
Mel shares practical tips, stories and experiences from her own family and community herbalism work in the apothecary she used to run.
We talk everything from sprains from ski injuries to flus and fevers to pulling out an embedded blackberry thorn and more.
It's a fun and informative conversation that I hope you love.
Listen to learn:
- how leading outdoor trips led Mel to herbal medicine
- why Calendula is Mel's favorite plant (+ how it helps "where the sun don't shine")
- what Echinacea does aside from supporting our immunity
- why plantain might be called "nature's band-aid" + how it helps the gut
- the magic of comfrey as a topical application + was we both think of those pyrrolizidine alkaloids it contains
- the versatility and first-aid-kit-in-a-plant that yarrow is
- a couple great tips on encouraging kids to actually take their herbal medicine from Mel's 11+ years of experience as an herbalist mama
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to all of Mel's offerings, courses, etc
- Grab your spot on the Natural Contraception course waitlist
- Episode 4: Herbal spotlight on Tulsi
- Episode 12: The simple sacred practice of making herbal teas
- Episode 82: Making herbal vinegars, oxymels, shrubs
- Episode 134: Herbal baths and compresses
- Download the FREE Track your cycle naturally guide
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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Fire. The energy of light, of transformation, digestion, metabolism, creation, vitality, radiance.
In Ayurveda, the concept of Agni (which is akin to digestive fire) is a key to digesting, metabolizing and absorbing both food and information.
It's not solely related to the gastro-intestinal tract but relates to anything we are taking in -- through our meals, sensory experiences, information, etc.
So the state of our Agni has a direct impact on everything from our hormones to our organs to our brain function.
And while we ideally want to experienced "balanced" agni, it's more likely to experience imbalance in some way (typically fast, slow or variable).
According to today's guest Ayurvedic practitioner Kimberly Kubicke, the quality of our agni corresponds to our hormonal and overall health.
Not only do we need to support the optimal function of agni, but we also need to both cultivate an optimal environment for it and maintain it over time.
For those of us with wombs, our fluctuating cycles and the major transitional times like postpartum and perimenopause are all impactful ON our agni, too.
Learn about many ways to caretake your unique agni on today's episode.
Listen to learn:
- what agni is
- why agni is not just "digestive fire" but also relates to brain function
- the four kinds of agni according to Ayurveda
- how to protect, support and maintain your digestive fire
- some initial practical steps you can take to support your own agni
- how agni impacts our hormones and vice versa
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Kimberly's offerings
- Grab your spot on the Natural Contraception course waitlist here
- Episode 3: Ayurveda + your hormonal health
- Episode 49: How to create a sacred window
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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Well hey my loves, it's a freaking wild time in the world. Full of uncertainty. Who knows what's coming this week, this year, in the next decade, and on and on.
There is so much we have no power or control over. But one thing we DO is our own bodies and ideally also, our choice of what to do with them.
But when we talk about choice related to our bodies, it's often speaking to access to contraption or termination options provided by practitioners or medical establishments outside of ourselves. (and unfortunately widely controlled by those in power in our governmental or religious organizations).
What I mean when I speak to choice is something entirely different. It is the POWER inherent in practicing natural contraception from the lens of Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) combined with herbal allies to help us prevent pregnancy if needed.
It is entirely within our capacity to prevent pregnancy with no outside assistance. And that, to me, is embodied sovereignty.
Today I share a little about 5 benefits of practicing natural contraception based on my personal 16 years of doing so, and teaching tens (maybe hundreds now) of others to do so too.
My life and work has been profoundly shaped by this practice, so I'm excited for you to hear these benefits especially if you're considering walking this path, too.
Listen to learn:
- what I mean by natural contraception
- how learning your unique rhythm + cycle can change your life
- how practicing natural contraception is an act of resistance
- about FAM as a skill to build towards resilience
- how natural contraception compares with hormonal birth control
- 5 benefits I have found practicing FAM for 16 years and counting
Resources:
- Free Guide: Track Your Cycle Naturally with FAM
- Grab a spot on the Natural Contraception course waitlist
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? And why it matters
- Episode 84: Herbal support for transitioning off hormonal BC
- Episode 105: What is your fertile window?
- Episode 143: What is FAM?
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
I don't know how else to say it... we are in times of collective, regional, political, global and personal upheavals that somehow feel more unraveling than previous generations.
Is that true? Are there people who've faced so much all at once previously? Yes, probably.
The reality is that it's likely that humans have faced collective trauma over our entire evolutionary history. We've always had periods of relative upheaval... whether through disease, war, famine, colonization, natural disasters, or who knows what else.
Maybe it's part of the human condition, to endure crisis.
But we're exposed now, through our devices, to many crises happening all at once. With vivid imagery. And consequences.
Perhaps we're at a threshold of how much we can hold, each of us. Our hearts. Our bodies. Our minds.
The too-much-ness is so apparent right now.
Which is why we all need tools, strategies, practices to support us.
Today's guest, personal trainer and somatic nervous system coach Lizzy Zima, has both personal experience and professional training in how to support ourselves through times of upheaval and crisis.
She lives in Swannanoa, NC - one of the most devastated communities after Hurricane Helene - and has recent stories and embodied wisdom to share about what it's been like on the ground in a disaster zone and what helped her most when she was in her most activated sympathetic nervous system states.
She also shares some simple somatic practices to explore if (and when) you're feeling stuck in a "freeze" state to help you sense safety in a gentle way.
Mostly this is a poignant and timely conversation in a world that feels unsteady.
Listen to learn:
- how strength training can support perimenopausal health
- some basics on sympathetic nervous system activation
- what "mobilization" looks like when adrenaline + cortisol are pumping
- why it's key to learn about how to tend your nervous system
- how to identify and navigate the "freeze" state
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get Lizzy's links + free offerings here
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 97: Nourish your nervous system w Ayurveda
- Episode 142: Relaxation through song + ancestral folk traditions
- Grab Lizzy's free somatic deep rest meditation
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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There is power in circles. Both the actual shape, reminding us of our cycles, the ways the seasons move, the shape of the sun and the full moon.
But also, there is power in creating spaces to share and grow in the form of circles, and perhaps even more potency when we gather as women (or folks with wombs) in this space together.
Ritually. Ceremonially. Intentionally.
For today's guest, Danielle Catherine, women's circles have changed her life.
They've helped her to reflect on her own tendencies to try to fix others, people please and initially not really be listening.
Through about 10 years of facilitating circles in-person in France, Costa Rica, Peru and now Bali - as well as leading women's circles online - she has learned a LOT about herself and encouraged her to grow into a deeply intuitive and adapting style of holding these ceremonial spaces in her communities.
We talk all about what women's circles are, how Danielle structures her circles (which is a little different in person than online), and what the growth and healing potential is when consistently participating in (or leading) these spaces.
If you've ever been curious about how to bring a women's circle (or circle for folks with wombs, or any particular group) into your community, this is a perfect episode for you to get started.
Listen to learn:
- how to craft an intentional, heart-centered women's circle
- what 10 years of participating and leading circles has taught Danielle
- the basic structure of an effective, ceremonial circle
- the importance of deeply listening and not responding in circle
- some ideas on how to intuitively plan each circle
- Danielle's advice on self-reflection before hosting your first circle
Resources:
- Sign up for the Natural Contraception course waitlist!
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Danielle's offerings + Yoni Shakti book
- Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
- Episode 52: Beyond aphrodisiacs
- Episode 90: 5 effective non-hormonal birth control options
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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If you're newer to body literacy, cyclical living and cycle tracking, you might be wondering what the heck FAM (Fertility Awareness Method) is.
Or maybe you've read about it and kind of know, but you haven't started practicing it. Or maybe you are already practicing it but you're not sure how to tell what your personal cycle rhythms are telling you about your hormones.
Wherever you're at on your cycle tracking journey, this episode is an introductory glimpse at what FAM entails (tracking BBT, cervical mucus and the optional sign of cervical position) and what those signs are telling you about your hormonal health.
Every person is unique, and your cycle and your signs will be unique to YOU. Which is why it's so important to start tracking earlier in your life and watch the changes over time.
When you know how to confirm your own ovulation, you can use this method for contraception, conception AND to better understand your irregular cycle or when you're going to bleed in what can otherwise feel like the unknown times of perimenopause or postpartum.
Understanding what your cervical mucus is telling you about your estrogen, and why your temperature rise and pattern throughout your luteal phase is an important indicator of progesterone levels is empowering to say the least.
What if you didn't have to invest in expensive hormonal testing in order to understand what kinds of imbalances you're working with?
FAM is a perfect place to start. You can always incorporate other methods in for conception, contraception or your hormonal health goals, but it's a foundation that all of these other methods can build on.
Learn why in this week's episode.
Listen to learn:
- what FAM (Fertility Awareness Method) is
- why FAM is foundational for TTC, natural contraception or hormonal imbalances
- the two required signs and the optional sign to practice FAM effectively
- how your cervical mucus and BBT relate to estrogen and progesterone
- insights into what your cycle is telling you about your hormones
Resources:
- Free Guide: Track Your Cycle Naturally with FAM
- Grab a spot on the Natural Contraception course waitlist
- Today's shownotes: What is FAM?
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? And why it matters
- Episode 98: Reclaim your cervix!
- Episode 105: What is your fertile window? + how to decipher it
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
So many of us have all but lost connection with our ancestral lineage traditions.
Especially those of us living in westernized, industrialized cultures...
and even more so if we live in the United States (or somewhere far from our lineage homelands) where so many of us have been cut off from the threads of deep relationship to land, place, community and family story for generations.
But even those of us who feel entirely lost from our ancestral folk traditions can begin to weave our way back in with a little effort.
Today's guest, herbal brewess, myth-teller and musician Heather Wolf, shares about ways she's explored the history of folk traditions like herbal brewing, music and song, and ritual both in her own ancestry and around the world.
She speaks of how many of the folk traditions (and even herbal brewing!) as well as ancient initiatory rituals were often held in the hands of women...
often post-menopausal elder women in their crone years.
And how these potent traditions were systematically taken away from women (herbalism included) and placed into the expanding power structures that embraced capitalism over commerce, Christianity over earth-based rituals, and professional arts and music over folk traditions.
Heather's way of weaving myth into history and a commitment to reclaiming our throne as the powerful leaders we have the potential to be - true creators in all senses of the word - is deeply inspiring.
In the end, it really is all about the resurgence of folk culture, meaning that each and every one of us has a place in creating it.
It's community, connection, creativity, expression.
And it's carrying on the crafts (and adding in modern elements) so we can find meaning and purpose in our lives and with each other.
With the womb at the center. ;)
Listen to learn:
- how herbal brewing was historically an elder woman's domain!
- what herbal brews are and how ancient they've been found to be
- how Heather has woven herself back into her own ancestral folk ways
- why learning myths can be a key to living a full life
- the connection between voice and the pelvic bowl
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get the book references and Heather's links!
- Grab the free Womb Connection and Clearing meditation
- Episode 89: Return to wholeness w womb at center w Robin Rose Bennett
- Heather's website: Heatherwolf.love
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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We hold so much in our wombspace.
Stories, trauma, imprints, births, losses, past sexual experiences, and even more energetic qualities like our creative energy or feelings of safety.
So, even if we aren't experiencing any issues "down there" we could still benefit from some regular caretaking just to tend our tissues.
But if you are someone (like many of us) who's got anything from menstrual cramps to fertility challenges to trauma history to endometriosis or PCOS or irregular cycles or bladder pain or even creative blocks...
it's likely that some extra presence and care would be a powerful option for you.
Naturopathic physician, herbalist and bodyworker, Dr Kathryn Kloos has synthesized many years of working hands-on and clinically with thousands of patients and has developed her own practice of supporting multi-layered healing in the wombspace with a variety of techniques, including something she calls "uterine unwinding."
Combining hands-on presence in the pelvic bowl with somatic dialogue, uterine unwinding is a practice that encourages a client to listen deeply to what's present in the pelvic bowl and invites both awareness and possibility to change the imprints or stories that are alive there.
Unwinding and retelling the stories in those tissues.
We talk about all of this and much more, including some actual cases from Kathryn's practice in this week's episode.
Listen to learn:
- why Kathryn finds bodywork to be a key to pelvic care
- how her own personal cancer journey exemplifies her somatic dialogue technique
- what uterine unwinding is and how you might explore some of this practice in your own body either solo or with a practitioner
- some inspiring and hopeful stories of womb, fertility and trauma healing
- about the possibility of generational trauma getting stuck in our tissues
- one simple practice to ground you in your body and pelvis
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Kathryn's online course, website, more
- Sign up for the Natural Contraception course waitlist (coming soon!)
- Episode 10: Traditional womb healing practices w Sondra Hamilton
- Episode 61: How to heal trauma with embodied listening w Dr Emily Wilson
- Episode 119: Clearing, releasing, tending womb trauma w Dr Sarah Wylie
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
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If you've heard of mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), I bet the primary action you've heard about it is that it can enhance dreams.
And mayyyyybe that it has an affinity to bring on menstruation?
But this herb is so much more dynamic than that.
I've often heard of people adding mugwort to sleep blends (with names like "good night's sleep" or "sleep well") and I'm just like, "wait are they talking about the same mugwort as me?"
Because for me, mugwort has been incredibly powerful, and produced such vivid and lucid dreams that I would never ever consider adding it to a calming sleep blend. It's a FAR cry from passionflower, chamomile or California poppy energy!
While yes, it has some relaxing nervine and uplifting actions, it's also a strong dream-inducing plant that has potential to create a wakeful dreaming state that's so active someone might not feel rested when they wake up, even if they slept all night.
For me, I did feel rested, but I started sleeping less and less.
I don't recommend it for that unless you're intentionally wanting to activate your dream life in some way or another.
I mean, mugwort was the plant that initiated me into the path of herbal medicine, but in no way was that a gentle process.
Instead I think of mugwort as an aromatic bitter to support enhancing your digestion, a warming circulatory stimulant to your pelvic region to help move stagnation and bring on bleeding "down there," and an herb that supports gentle relaxation and a brighter, clearer mood and mind.
How do you experience mugwort? Any stories to share?
Listen to learn:
- the basics on mugwort's actions, energetics and uses
- how mugwort was my initiation into the path of plant medicine
- multiple ways of working with mugwort
- why mugwort is an essential herb for your natural contraception apothecary
- cautions around dosing and constituents in mugwort
- some interesting recent research on mugwort's actions
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get the references / research study citations
- Sign up for the Natural Contraception Waitlist here
- Episode 18: Uterine tonics
- Episode 83: How mugwort prevented a hysterectomy w Andrea Webb
- Episode 89: Return to wholeness in your womb w Robin Rose Bennett
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
It's Autumn equinox time! Well, almost. Technically, it's this weekend (Sunday, 8:47 am eastern time).
So, it feels fitting to offer an episode on how to align with the season through foods, herbs and lifestyle practices that can support the transition into Fall.
And from the lens of Ayurveda, this seasonal change is particularly significant on the body, mind and spirit, partly because it's the transition from Pitta season (summer) into Vata season (Fall/early winter).
Vata is the most unstable, light, rough, dry and mobile of the doshas, so it's especially easy to go out of balance as we transition from the vitality and heat of the summer into the chilly, crisp autumn.
Have you ever noticed that your immunity starts getting quirky in this seasonal transition? That you perhaps sleep a little lighter, have some digestive weirdness, maybe even some cycle irregularity, anxiety, or even a tendency towards reflective meditation, inspired creativity or spirituality?
According to Ayurvedic practitioner Molly McConnell, Vata season is a perfect time to first cleanse and then replenish to cultivate resilience and capacity for the months to come.
We talk about all of this, how you can tell if your resilience might be low, and some initial ways you can begin to work on building your resilience in your daily life to help you ease into and through this season.
Listen to learn:
- the basics on how Ayurveda perceives seasons, particularly Autumn
- why you may want to consider cutting down coffee in this season
- how a slow but steady pace is essential for longevity
- some nuances on how your unique body may respond to different seasons
- a few simple ways you can begin to tend to Vata in your daily life this Fall
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Molly's reset + other offerings
- Sign up for the Natural Contraception course waitlist! (Oct 2024)
- Episode 3: Ayurveda and hormonal health w Kimberly Kubicke
- Episode 49: How to create a sacred window beyond postpartum w Ashlee Sakaishi-Wilkin
- Episode 88: How to ease into Autumn
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
If you're reading this, my guess is you're likely already aware that your menstrual cycle is something you can cultivate a generative relationship with.
In the process of getting to know our cycles (whether through pure observation, actively tracking signs and symptoms and/or embodying cyclical living practices), we gain valuable understanding of what our bodies are telling each month during our cycling years.
And even after we travel through perimenopause and into menopause and beyond, we're still impacted by the cycles of the moon and the seasons.
According to today's guest, Rachael Amber, "anchors" are really anything that we can return to over time, to check in with, to know is there even when things feel hard or unknown.
They help us to ground - even in the midst of change.
And Rachael has created a couple of powerful tools that can support you to find the "anchors" in your own life, in creative and reflective ways.
One of those tools is the Cycles Journal, which is an annual publication that encourages cycle tracking, physical/mental/emotional symptom tracking, and alignment with the moon phases and solar and lunar astrology.
It's a beautiful way to engage more fully with your own internal menstrual cycle and/or the cycles of the moon and the earth.
There is power in observing what your body is telling you and how that relates with the seasons and cycles outside of you too.
Rachael is also currently creating a whole tarot deck that explores the interconnectedness of our bodies and the natural world.
We talk about all of this, the creative process, the ways that cycle tracking supported Rachael's mental and menstrual health and so much more.
Listen to learn:
- why Rachael considers "anchors" to be a key to navigating life's uncertainty
- the story of how Cycles Journal came to be
- how moon cycles and solar + lunar astrology can enhance cycle tracking
- the gift of observing patterns in your body/mind/spirit month after month
- how personal healing is integral to collective healing
- a little on the forthcoming Embodied Ecosystems Tarot Deck
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Cycles Journal and Rachael's offerings
- FREE GUIDE: Track your cycle naturally with Fertility Awareness Method
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)
- Episode 38: Your menstrual cycle is a vital sign
- Episode 78: Your cycle superpowers
- Episode 90: 5 effective non-hormonal birth control options
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the show
Click here to send me a quick message :)
Well late summer is here, and between medicine making, food preservation and family visits, life is full.
So today I'm bringing you a medley full of juicy past episode snippets all about understanding your cycle and your choices.
First you'll hear about your choices of non-hormonal birth control -- specifically focusing on the copper IUD and condoms, but you can absolutely go listen to the entire episode to learn about all your other options too (see link below!).
Then you'll hear about when you even NEED to use birth control (hint: only during your fertile window and your follicular phase sometimes if you're practicing FAM) and a little about what your fertile window is telling you.
And finally, I dive into the incredible benefits of ovulation that we often don't hear about.
Ovulatory cycles are a sign of health and there's actually a lot to know about the gifts of progesterone in the luteal phase for your body and mind.
Leaning the basics of your cycle and what your choices are is power.
I hope you feel that, too.
Listen to learn:
- some ideas for non-hormonal birth control
- specifics on the benefits, risks and efficacy of copper IUD's
- why I think condoms are essential for everyone to consider
- how barrier methods like condoms are a part of Fertility Awareness
- basics on your fertile window and what it's telling you
- the benefits of ovulation
- some of the gifts of progesterone
Resources
- Free Natural Cycle Tracking (FAM) guide
- Get on the Natural Contraception waitlist
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)
- Episode 90: 5 effective non-hormonal birth control options
- Episode 105: What is your fertile window (and how to understand what it's telling you)
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the Show.
Click here to send me a quick message :)
How do you find resources you can trust around perinatal herbal care?
Whether you're a birthworker, an herbalist, or on your own fertility/pregnancy/postpartum journey, it can feel confusing to sort through all the information on herbal safety and efficacy in pregnancy, birth and postpartum (especially if you're nursing).
Not to mention how to comfortably incorporate herbs into the world of assisted reproductive technology (IUI, IVF, etc).
It's actually not something taught extensively at herb schools or foundational programs. And in my experience of being in both the midwifery world and the herbal world, I actually found that there are a LOT of gaps in people's understanding of safety and efficacy with herbs in these times.
Even experienced herbalists will shy away from working with clients in pregnancy. And I found some midwives and birthworkers working with herbs that have been clearly shown to be questionable in pregnancy.
Herbs can be incredible allies when TTC, pregnant, during the birthtime, and postpartum.
But figuring out which ones are appropriate is a little less straightforward, and it's essential to get some guidance (or have some resources on hand).
In her new book, The Herbal Doula, herbalist-author Marie White weaves together her embodied herbal practice with current scientific evidence to offer a balanced view on how to work with herbs in these more sensitive times.
Her approach is very gentle, nourishing, simple, accessible and inclusive.
I really love that she creates space for the gender spectrum and the diversity of family structures that aren't just heteronormative, while also including those who fall into more typical structures too.
It's a beautiful world-bridging resource, and also a wealth of solid information about herbal allies in the childbearing years and beyond - and we talk all about this and more in today's conversation.
Listen to learn:
- why Marie White all but left the "herbal community"
- how ableism impacts all of us, including how we work with herbs
- about the lack of resources for those on the gender + relationship spectrum
- some very simple herbs to support nourishing + replenishing postpartum
- the impacts of climate change + extreme weather events on hormones
- how herbs can help mitigate the effects of ecological extremes
- Marie's favorite herb (I bet you already have this growing, or know someone who does!)
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Pre-order The Herbal Doula + get Marie's links
- FREE GUIDE Track your cycle naturally (using FAM)
- Episode 25: Immediate postpartum care the herbal way w Liz Philbrick
- Episode 49: How to create a sacred window
- Episode 68: Milky Oats herbal spotlight
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an he
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As humans, grief is an unavoidable part of life. Loss, illness, unexpected upheavals internally and externally, in relationship to others, self, the earth, our wombs, the cycles and seasons of life, and on and on.
There's no poverty of opportunities to face grief, but there is a poverty of grief literacy -- at least here in the United States.
Most of us are socialized to contain our emotions and only allow them to flow in privacy. We apologize for crying, we're expected to get back to work and responsibilities weeks or months after an immense and debilitating loss.
Our identities change and we barely acknowledge it.
It's fascinating how absent grief practice has become. Especially when you consider that every single one of our ancestral lineages had ways of navigating the "wild terrain of grief."
Whether through ritual, community space, embodied expression, or just allowing ourselves to fully, deeply feel in whatever unruly ways that might show up. There are many paths to metabolize grief.
Today's guest grief doula + doula activist, Siobhan Azgarzadeh, has devoted her life to navigating and tending grief -- both in herself as a lifelong practice and also facilitating online and in-person spaces to encourage this practice for others.
To, as she puts it, "re-enliven a wailing culture" because in this process, we not only metabolize grief in our personal lives but it also helps us to become more alive and belong together to a world in which we "honor our emotions as holy messengers."
I'm excited to share this conversation with you.
Listen to learn:
- some ideas on what grief IS in a world that wants us to contain it
- the 5 aspects of ourselves that relate to grief totally differently
- how grief encourages us to feel more alive
- the difference between elder and older
- why not all walk with loss are initiations + how grief can be initiation
- the diverse ways our wombs carry grief throughout our lives
- what a "re-enlivened wailing culture" could look like
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Siobhan's offerings
- FREE Womb connection and clearing meditation
- Episode 20: Earth, womb + seed connection
- Episode 65: The intersection of grief and pleasure
- Episode 112: How to tend grief w support from the earth
- Episode 121: Navigating heartbreak with Internal Family Systems
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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Click here to send me a quick message :)
Last week I had some discomfort "down there." I felt a slight tinge of pain when I walked, and a little itchiness, and it felt like something was growing on my vulva.
I took a mirror and a headlamp and checked it out. (Yes, you can do that too. If you've never looked at your vulva, please do. It's a treasure.)
What I found was a little red stretched pea size lump inside my inner labia. It was by all signs a Bartholin's cyst.
It's something I've heard about enough to basically identify it immediately. It's not rare, so maybe you've had one too.
But I think perhaps I'd been ignoring it (had a lot going on) and it was getting inflamed and maybe even heading towards infection (the redness and itching and pain got me curious).
So I immediately took action and made myself a strong tea of gotu kola, yarrow, calendula, lavender and rose, which I then applied warm as a compress.
I did this for a couple days, and then it drained. It reminded me of how easy herbal medicine can be.
And also inspired me to share an entire episode all about this topic since I think it's the kind of thing we should all know how to do, and how to choose which herbs make sense for our specific condition.
Herbal baths, sitz bath and herbal compresses are one of the most accessible ways to extract the active constituents from herbs - all you need are herbs, water and something to heat the water with.
But they're also very effective. Sometimes what we really need is to bathe a part of our body in warm herbal tea. And especially when it comes our vulva and pelvis, it's also an incredibly beautiful way to honor this precious place.
Listen to learn:
- what herbal baths, sitz baths and herbal compresses are
- how to make these preparations
- why I chose the herbs I did for my Bartholin's cyst
- what conditions may be best supported by herbal baths + compresses
- which actions you may want to consider when choosing herbs
- how to determine which herbs to choose for you unique symptoms
Resources:
- Free Natural Cycle Tracking (FAM) guide
- Today's shownotes: Herbal baths, sitz baths, compresses
- Episode 12: Simple + sacred practice of making tea
- Episode 25: Immediate postpartum care w herbs w Liz Philbrick
- Episode 82: Herbal vinegars, oxygens + shrubs
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
Support the Show.
Click here to send me your Q’s, comments, lovenotes, or a quick message here :)
Herbs for surgery?
Something commonly overlooked is how many surgeries women and folks with wombs encounter in their lifetime.
From high cesarean rates and hysterectomies to endometriosis excision surgeries to hip or knee replacements post-menopause, we experience a LOT of surgical intervention and we're often far underprepared for how we can restore the tissue integrity, reduce scarring, and encourage optimal healing afterwards.
The truth is, most healthcare practitioners have no idea how to determine which herbs or supplements are effective or safe or not, so a very common recommendation is to stop taking all of them before/right after surgery.
Today's guest - clinical herbalist + co-founder of Green Path Herb School - Elaine Sheff offers some very grounded and practical tips on what categories of herbs to avoid and what herbs and nutrition and other prep work can be incredibly helpful leading up to the surgery.
And then she goes through the 3 phases of recovery post surgery (inflammatory phase, proliferative phase, remodeling phase) and how to pair herbs, flower essences, homeopathic remedies, aromatherapy, nutrition and supplements with each time period individually.
It's an info-packed episode and a great resource for anyone curious about what's possible at any stage of the surgery process (before, immediately after or long term, even years later) or wanting to help prepare a loved one or a client.
Listen to learn:
- some essential herbal remedies to help prepare for surgery
- what's NOT safe (eg which herbs to avoid directly around surgery)
- a creative and beautiful way to honor any body part that is removed
- how to differentiate the three phases of recovery post-surgery
- herbs and nutrition for each phase of recovery
Resources:
- Free Guide: Track Your Cycle Naturally using FAM
- Today's shownotes: Get links to all of Elaine's offerings
- Elaine's article on Herbs for Surgery
- Episode 12: Making herbal teas
- Episode 57: Self-care + healing trauma after cesarean
- Episode 130: How body neutrality led to a breast reduction
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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Fertility is a reflection of your overall health, wellbeing, vitality, capacity.
I think it's common to pigeonhole "trying to conceive" as all about hormones, but actually our body's reproductive resilience is a mirror of what else may be going on in our bodies.
There are so many factors at play, from nutrition to movement to environmental exposures to stress levels to blood sugar to egg and sperm health and beyond.
Yes, sperm too! They are 50% of the equation after all.
And contrary to common perception, male partners actually have a HUGE role to play in the fertility journey (it's NOT just about menstrual cycles and womb care).
Infertility is more of a thing than it's ever been these days, but there's an incredible amount you can do to prepare for an optimal preconception environment which is what clinical nutritionist Alexandria DeVito shares all about in this week's episode.
Combining her clinical practice and extensive research into current scientific literature, she wrote a book called '9 Months is Not Enough." And our conversation explores some of the most poignant topics covered in it.
Something I appreciate is how she embraces both the importance of preconception lab testing AND the immense information our menstrual cycles tell us, too. Learning to listen to your body wisdom can be equally as powerful as test results.
And she also speaks to the distinction between chronological age and biological age, which is an essential factor in the fertility puzzle whether you're 29 or 43 years old.
Listen to learn:
- how the fertility rates have changed over time
- why sperm health should ALWAYS be considered part of the fertility picture
- the difference between chronological and biological age
- Alexandria's thoughts on essential nutrition for fertility
- why preparing a year or more before TTC is extremely helpful
- how fertility is not ONLY an age or hormonal issue
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Alexandria's book + lab testing company
- Free Guide: Track Your Cycle Naturally using FAM
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? And why it matters
- Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign - learn to listen to what it's telling you
- Episode 66: What are your irregular cycles telling you?
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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Click here to send me your Q’s, comments, lovenotes, or a quick message here :)
What comes up for you when you think of offering yourself gentleness?
I think for many of us, we don't feel time for things like slowness, soothing, gentleness, tenderness, caretaking our own selves.
We're often preoccupied with any number of other roles and responsibilities in life, and as women and folks with wombs, we've often been socialized to place ourselves at the bottom rung of importance.
Even when we DO have time to tend to ourselves, we often choose distraction or stimulating activity over quiet self time that truly offers our own bodies, hearts, minds and spirits a form of gentleness.
Many of us don't even believe we deserve that. It's just something we give, not something we receive.
I want to shift the frame around all of this and turn the mirror onto you and invite you to explore what gentleness can look like and feel like in your own life.
What herbs may be supportive for you to release tension in your tissues, or soften what feels hard, or soothe and calm your mood and mind?
And what other practices are available to you that you could easily incorporate into your daily or weekly or monthly routine to help you soothe and tend yourself?
In today's episode, I invite you to consider what a "gentleness practice" could look like and feel like for you -- and encourage you to make your own "gentleness in a bottle" tincture with some of the herbs that help to calm, soothe and nurture your unique needs.
Listen to learn:
- what a gentleness practice could mean for you
- herbs to soothe tension in your tight tissues and achy muscles
- herbs to soften and moisten your GI, vaginal and urinary tract
- herbs to calm your mood and mind
- my favorite herbal oil to use for belly massage (+ why belly massage matters)
- several simple practices you can adapt into your OWN gentleness practice
- a song to include in or inspire your gentleness practice :)
Resources:
- Today's episode: Get link to Rosalie's poem and more
- Free guided meditation: Womb connection + clearing meditation
- Episode 18: Uterine tonics (to nourish + support your womb)
- Episode 19: Pelvic softening wisdom w Chaya Leia Aronson
- Episode 32: Motherwort love - an herb for every season of your womb
- Episode 49: How to create a sacred window in transitional times
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What's the difference between body positivity and body neutrality?
I think this is a really important distinction that today's guest - strength coach Kali Perry - gives insight into surrounding her own journey in her body as she eventually found her way to finally having a breast reduction she'd been considering for many years.
The concept of body positivity kind of requires us to be psyched on our body no matter what form or concerns we have. While body neutrality is more about acceptance and embracing from a neutral lens.
It's interesting to me because this concept reminds me of how I've come to acceptance and eventually falling more in love with everything from my own partner in our 18 year relationship, to our home, to the community we live in and certainly also my body.
For me, it's all "good enough" -- as in I feel generally okay with it all, and sometimes really love it. It's how I've found my way to falling into deeper love. Not needing anything to be perfect.
I think so many of us fall into the trap of seeking perfection -- inside or out.
This said, I love Kali's story of how she came to a place of choosing her breast reduction to feel more at home -- and have more physical capacity -- in the body she's in. Not about perfection, but about feeling better in her body.
And her holistic and integrative approach to preparing for and recovering from her surgery is really inspiring, and I think a great resource to learn from for any planned surgery -- especially breast/chest surgery.
To me, this conversation was a fascinating glimpse into a world I have no awareness of and Kali shares in an embodied and practical way.
Listen to learn:
- how the practice of body neutrality helped Kali choose breast reduction
- the basics of preparing for an recovering from breast/chest reduction surgery
- the lack of solid information on this topic and where Kali found her best info
- how to find a good surgeon and why you should "shop around"
- ways to prepare for the surgery + recovery
- what Kali didn't expect (even though she researched a TON beforehand)
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get Kali's links here
- Episode 26: How to ease cyclic breast/chest tenderness
- Episode 77: Myofascial release for breast, chest, pelvic care
- Free guide: Womb connection and clearing meditation
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.
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Click here to send me your Q’s, comments, lovenotes, or a quick message here :)
What does it mean to connect to your womb, anyway? I mean, is that a practical thing or totally intangible?
It's a fair question, and one I would have asked many years ago when I was completely and utterly disconnected from the part of my body "where the sun don't shine."
It took me many years to find my way there.
It's interesting, a couple days ago I was in a circle of colleagues and one of them directed us to "journey to our wombspace" but gave us no guided visualization or any cues at all on how to do that.
I was able to go there, but only because I have cultivated so much connection over the years. I was thinking that 15+ years ago, I would have had no clue how to do that and would have absolutely just fallen asleep during that "journey."
So... how does one cultivate relationship to their wombspace?
Well there are many ways. Cycle tracking, guided visualizations, sexual healing, trauma work, pelvic bodywork, birth work, and also.... intentional practices like vaginal steaming.
Which is what this week's episode is all about.
Jessica Birnbaum Pratt found her way from unexplained abnormal vaginal bleeding to a deep relationship with her womb through the practice of vaginal (or yoni) steaming.
The first time she awkwardly explored the practice of steaming her vulva and pelvic floor with an herbal blend, she felt a sense of "remembrance."
And it's true, this practice IS ancient. And also can be translated into a modern context.
It's got physiologic therapeutic benefits (from enhancing circulation, to softening tissues) but beyond that, it's also got some deep emotional and spiritual layers too.
For Jessica, it was the elemental and spiritual qualities that really supported her sense of relationship and connection with her wombspace.
Listen to learn:
- what vaginal steaming is + some of the history of the practice
- some DIY styles for yoni steaming at home
- how Jessica went from being told she might be going through "early menopause" to having children!
- what Jessica thinks the cause of her abnormal vaginal bleeding was
- why vaginal steaming is more than just physical healing
- about the steam seat she designed
Resources:
- Free womb connection+clearing guided visualization
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Leiamoon steam seat + Jessica's work
- Episode 18: Herbal Uterine Tonics
- Episode 19: The importance of softening
- Episode 43: Vaginal steaming w Julia Demillones Moore
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any per
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The energy of peak summer is upon us.
It's been HOT and the speed of the everything-all-at-onceness with all the plants coming in, the quickening energy of social time, long days, short nights, holidays, travel, adventures, and so much more.
How can you better navigate all these energies by connecting with the plants and your own body?
Today I'm offering a glimpse into three different summer themed episodes to support you in this season.
First, I share an invitation to slow down to the rhythm of your womb, to really tune into what phase of your cycle you're in and to orient yourself to your body time as a counterbalance to the quickening of summer.
Second, you'll hear about some plant allies that can help you cool off in the summer heat, with some insights into working with some of my absolute faves like California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) and the beach rose (Rosa rugosa) among others.
And finally, you'll get a little immersion into the power and convenience of vinegar medicine. And how food as medicine is one of the best ways to be sure you're both preserving your harvests and actually taking your herbs!
I'm excited for you to hear all of these snippets.
Resources:
- Today's episode: Summa, summa, summatime!
- Free guide: Get started tracking your cycle naturally (FAM)
- Episode 28: Slow down to the rhythms of your womb
- Episode 74: Cool the summer heat in your body
- Episode 82: Late summer medicine making
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any per
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If you haven't ever heard of Interstitial Cystitis (IC) aka Bladder Pain Syndrome, you're not alone -- but it's actually a lot more common than you may think.
IC might look like all the symptoms of recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI's) though it lacks the bacteria that cause those infections. But because it's exceedingly common to not test for bacteria before prescribing antibiotics for a UTI, it can often go under the radar for years (yes years) without a correct diagnosis.
For some, interstitial cystitis can be debilitating, and there aren't a ton of clear answers on what the causes are or how to effectively treat it.
So I'm excited to bring you today's guest herbalist and nutritionist Jillian Bar-av who has both experienced this condition herself and specializes in working clinically with folks who have bladder conditions like IC.
She shares about the physiology of interstitial cystitis, and also some of the research around what differentiates IC from things like UTI's and pelvic floor dysfunction (and how commonly these show up together).
She also gives insight into some key nutritional strategies and essential herbal allies to consider depending on the specific presentation in your body (or your client's body).
Like so many chronic conditions, a one-size-fits-all approach is likely not going to be as effective as an individualized integrative therapeutic approach like Jillian shares about.
Quite often, IC requires tending to various systems of the body, including not only the genito-urinary tract but also digestive system, nervous system and overall pelvic health.
Listen to learn:
- what interstitial cystitis is, and how to differentiate it from recurrent UTI's
- some simple dietary strategies to reduce IC symptoms
- how the nerve bundles are different in the bladders of IC patients
- some key herbs to consider for bladder pain, spasms, inflammation, etc
- why including nervines and adaptogens may be essential for this condition as well
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Jillian's articles and offerings!
- Jillian's article: 5 Top Herbs for Interstitial Cystitis
- Episode 19: The importance of softening (pelvic health) with Chaya Leia Aronson
- Episode 86: Herbal spotlight on ashwagandha
- Episode 106: How to restore your core + pelvic floor with Mary Vidal
- Episode 110: Healing chronic pelvic pain with Julia Dyer
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any perSupport the Show.
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What happens when we look beyond the basics of "herbs for fertility?"
Because let's be honest that quite often folks who are on a fertility journey, trying to conceive, are experiencing far more than a simple hormonal imbalance.
Though of course, some folks are... and we can look in that direction too.
The truth is though, that the path of TTC can be a long and meandering one for some, perhaps even resembling more of a spiral than a straight line.
So how can you support yourself with herbs? Your body, your mind, your spirit, as you traverse these many layers of the fertility continuum...
This episode is a tiny taste of what's possible, from the lens of my authentic and in-the-moment answering of questions with Françoise Molenaar from That Fertile Feeling podcast.
She interviewed me and I liked the conversation enough that I thought. "why not repost this?"
And since this week is SOLSTICE week, it's a perfect time to reflect on on the buoyant vibrancy of fertility.
So listen in to learn:
- my story of how I became an "herbal womb wisdom keeper" (Françoise's words)
- the best ways to get started working with herbs for cyclical health
- why I think incorporating herbs for softening and moistening is a lost art
- some herbs to support the womb-heart connection and miscarriage loss
- some herbs to support the spirit layer of the fertility journey
- my spontaneous intuitive reflections of why I think we're in an infertility crisis
Resouces:
- Today's shownotes: Looking beyond "herbs for fertility"
- Episode 29: Fertility rituals + the mystery of time with Caroline Grace Ashurst
- Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
- Episode 80: Cultivating receptivity
- Episode 124: Empowered pelvic exams & fertility wisdom w Françoise Molenaar
- Free guided visualization: Womb connection and clearing meditation
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Support the Show.
Click here to send me your Q’s, comments, lovenotes, or a quick message here :)
Becoming a mother or parent is transformational - no matter what- and there is growth with every pregnancy and birth along the way too.
But the journey of meeting, acquainting with and then navigating the world of complex caregiving when your new baby is born with special medical needs is likely hard to understand if you haven't walked the path yourself.
Personally I haven't walked that path, but today's guest Andrea Dole has and she shares not only about her personal story but also how that has profoundly informed the way she understands the world and how devastatingly lacking support is for (well anyone but especially) families of children with special needs.
This has led her to a life of advocacy work, powerfully proposing paid family caregiving here in Maine and beyond, but along the way she's faced a number of health challenges that have reminded her that she's NOT invincible, and actually needs to tend herself in the midst of tending those she loves most too.
From discovering her Hashimoto's diagnosis 9 months postpartum after her second child to lasting nerve pain from a shingles outbreak, her body is a constant teacher - and in her words, "an elder" that reminds her to pay attention.
Her way of seeing the world and the possibilities of healthcare and community care are deeply inspiring as they are. But she also weaves in the regenerative healing of immersing in the natural world through canoe and camping trips through her family's business of Earthways Guide Service and it just all feels even richer.
Mostly this episode is a gentle telling of Andrea's story, but along the way we explore everything from indigenous healing traditions to how plants speak to us to how chronic stress can lead to autoimmune conditions.
It's a beautiful conversation and such an honor to share it with you.
Listen to learn:
- how having a child with special medical needs inspired transformation + activism
- the gentle telling of James' birth story and immediate postpartum
- some insights on the emerging field of combining indigenous science + conventional medicine
- how immersing in guided wilderness trips can reset your nervous system
- an example of the journey of chronic stress leading to health challenges
- why we need a village and how we can learn about community care from our animal relatives
- how the landscape can be an extension of our nervous systems
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Earthways Guide Service trips & more
- Episode 7: All about wild carrot with Mischa Schuler
- Episode 41: How nature connection can reduce burnout w Efan Hsieh
- Episode 63: Nutrition and herbs for Hashimoto's w Kamila Valjkovic
- Episode 92: How to trust your body in times of uncertainty
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no p
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Okay, wait what!? Is it actually possible to experience an empowered pelvic exam?
If you've ever laid on an exam table with your feet in stirrups awaiting a cold speculum from a practitioner who's giving dozens of pelvic exams each day, you'd probably answer, 'hell no.'
Almost every part of a gynecologic exam feels awkward to most of us. Pants off, feet in stirrups (are we riding a horse?), some veritable stranger examining one of the most intimate places in our entire body -- often without gentleness or really much communication at all, and sometimes entirely distracted.
I mean, who can blame them. They learned that way.
But that doesn't mean it's right. That doesn't mean we have to just accept the status quo. There are ways to take back your power.
I'm actually currently training with Tami Lynn Kent (author of Wild Feminine) and she mentioned that when she prepares herself for a gyn exam, she prepares herself with self-care and acknowledgement of what will be happening, that it may not feel gentle, and that if it is uncomfortable (which btw it doesn't HAVE to be), then just to allow her body to relax into it as much as possible knowing this is a beneficial thing for her health.
So that's one option for sure, is to prepare our tissues with our own personal tender loving care and acknowledgement.
But another option is what this week's guest fertility coach Françoise Molenaar shares about, which is to actually ASK for what you want.
It takes courage for sure, because so many of us defer to the power-over structure especially in doctor's offices.
You can actually ask to insert the speculum yourself, or even to play music(!), or ask for gentleness, or say you'd like to take some breaths to relax first.
You can take the speculum back.
It's your body. No matter how many degrees or letters or years of study or practice your provider has. YOU are the one whose body they are touching and you can ask for what you want or need. They are serving you.
If you want to hear about how Françoise found her way to empowered gynecologic exams and how this was a key to her own personal fertility journey, this week's episode is perfect for you.
Listen to learn:
- how advising governments in conflict zones led to Françoise's fertility journey
- why it's important to cultivate patience and nourishment while TTC
- what an empowered gynecologic exam could look like
- how asking for what she wanted led to pregnancy after 10 years of TTC
- the results of Françoise's 1500-response survey on pelvic exam discomfort
- additional keys to supporting the fertility journey
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to the articles and Françoise's work
- Episode 10: Traditional womb healing practices w Sondra Hamilton
- Episode 61: How to heal embodied womb trauma w Dr Emily Wilson
- Episode 119: Clearing, tending, releasing womb trauma w Dr Sarah Wylie
- FREE guided Womb connection and clearing meditation
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show
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Click here to send me your Q’s, comments, lovenotes, or a quick message here :)
This is a first my friends.
I can't always answer Q's, especially in my DM's and emails, from listeners so I thought this would be a great way to share my answers (which always tend to be more nuanced than a quick response, let's be honest).
If someone is asking these questions, my guess is that many more of you are too.
So I hope you enjoy this grab bag of Q+A this week.
First I share my thoughts on whether or not it's appropriate to work with "hormonally active" herbs at different phases in the menstrual cycle.
Then I share some basics on how I navigate working with herbs when someone is on meds -- what the most important things are to consider, and how to think through this.
After that, I share some quick thoughts on what to do if you have quirky sleep and still want to get an accurate read for your basal body temperature when cycle tracking.
And finally I share a few simple tips to encourage an easier sleep onset for those who tend to get that "second wind" at night rather than actually get tired.
I hope this is an enjoyable tour through these various topics. All the answers were totally off the cuff for me, so you'll hear my in-the-moment reflections.
As I'm writing this, I'm feeling the vulnerability of trying something entirely new, and I'm also embracing the energy of playfulness today.
So here it is, first ever Q+A. :)
Listen to learn:
- are hormonally active herbs appropriate in different cycle phases (including menstruation)
- why it's important to take herbs regularly for hormonal health conditions (we're talking months at a time, not weeks)
- when I might make an exception and choose to work with herbs in specific phases
- some basics on herb-drug interactions and what to look out for
- why consistency is more important than timing with your basal body temperature charting
- several simple ideas you can easily incorporate into your daily routine to encourage sleepiness and reduce the chances of staying up til 2am (again!)
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Q+A with me
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 54: The many faces of chaste tree for "hormonal balance"
- Episode 86: Herbal spotlight on ashwagandha
- Free guide: Start tracking your cycle with Fertility Awareness
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Support the Show.
Click here to send me your Q’s, comments, lovenotes, or a quick message here :)
I'll be the first to admit that it irks me when people use the term "plant medicine" to refer to psychedelics, or what perhaps could be more properly termed "entheogens."
First of all, half of those are isolated compounds that are created in labs (perhaps originally derived from plants, but not always) and others are derived from fungi or animal compounds.
Like, they aren't even all sourced from plants. And I don't love the usurping of a name that I've been using for almost 2 decades to refer to my love of the practice of people's medicine, or herbal medicine.
That said, I'll also openly acknowledge that psychedelics and entheogens have been a significant part of my path TO herbal medicine. And to healing arts overall. And to nature connection before that.
They are profound and powerful and I deeply respect them. I just think we need to be more precise about what we're talking about.
Today's guest Allison Avalon shares about her relationship with entheogens and how, alongside silent meditation and foundational nutrition and lifestyle practices, they have had an immeasurable impact on healing her wombspace, jaw, and overall anxiety and depression.
Her story starts in a place of deep suffering in a spiral of anxiety and depression, intense jaw clenching she'd bite into her cheeks and intense menstrual pain -- and while she was seeking answers she found powerful entheogens that changed her entire life, partly by facing death -- and what she calls "death practice."
We talk about all of this and how free and relaxed the flow of energy is through her body. How she no longer has menstrual pain or jaw clenching AT ALL.
It's really an inspiring and hopeful story full of so much wisdom.
Listen to learn:
- what entheogens are and some possible ways they may support you
- how "death practice" can actually help you LIVE more fully
- ways our wombs can support our healthy relationship with death
- how the pelvis and throat/jaw are connected
- Allison's story of complete relief from her lifetime of her chronic jaw clenching
- the surprising way releasing jaw tension was mirrored in her pelvis
- the power of intentional entheogenic practice
- how silent meditation can support integration
- an example of how the foundational pillars of health are essential in healing
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Links to the Entheogem retreats + Allison's offerings
- Episode 10: Traditional womb healing practices w Sondra Hamilton
- Episode 27: Sex + Psychedelics with Juliana Rose Goldstone
- Episode 61: Pelvic wisdom + healing trauma w Dr Emily Wilson
- Episode 77: Myofascial release for pelvic bowl w Lindsay Courcelle
- Free offering: Womb connection + clearing meditation
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only,
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We all know loss, grief, heartbreak. But how many of us know how to tend it in ourselves or in those we love?
Once we've made it into adulthood, many of us have experienced heartbreak -- a total shattering -- at least once, if not multiple times.
And as we move onward into midlife and beyond, the heartbreaks just compound, don't they? We begin to identify, for years, sometimes decades, with parts of ourselves that have to dissolve in the wake of heartbreak.
It's no quick or easy task, especially when we truly give our presence to it and allow it to transform us.
Today's guest - author Sara Avant Stover - speaks about how one immense heartbreak (relationship) led to a cascade of others (abortion, fertility journey, health, finances, community, career), and shares about her gradual journey to healing.
We discuss big and small heartbreaks we often don't talk about.
Along her healing journey, she found Internal Family Systems (IFS) and it changed everything for her, and she shares all about that too.
It's a beautiful, wise conversation and I hope you love it.
Listen to learn:
- how cervical dysplasia sparked self-reflection and healing for Sara
- what immense heartbreak led Sara to write her book
- why it's important to allow ourselves to feel the emotions as they come
- how alone Sara felt after her abortion loss
- the difference between slow healing and spiritual bypassing
- what Internal Family Systems is and how it can support us to heal at a deep level
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get the link to buy Sara's book or check out her podcast
- Episode 16: Healing from narcissistic abuse with herbs + flower essences
- Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
- Episode 49: How to create a sacred window for times of change
- Episode 65: Grief and pleasure (postpartum and beyond)
- Episode 98: Reclaim your cervix
- Episode 112: How to tend your grief with earth connection
- Free resource: Womb connection and clearing meditation
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
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Click here to send me your Q’s, comments, lovenotes, or a quick message here :)
Herbs and pregnancy.
Let's just say this is a topic with all kinds of perspectives depending on who you talk to. Or what link you click after your google search.
So, how do you know what's safe, what's not, and who to trust when it comes to herbs, like for instance red raspberry leaf, in pregnancy?
Well, it's a multi-layered response really, which is why I recorded an entire episode on it.
But the short answer is: there's evidence in the literature saying that red raspberry leaf has potential to stimulate contractions of the uterus, but there's also evidence showing that it supports uterine relaxation too. (mostly in rats, btw)
That said, Red Raspberry Leaf (Rubus ideaus) tea has been used traditionally in pregnancy for at least hundreds of years as an herbal ally to nourish and support the womb in pregnancy and labor, and is probably one of the most common herbs taken in pregnancy.
And there's published surveys showing that those who used red raspberry leaf in pregnancy had slightly shorter active labors with less augmentation (meaning less inductions and other interventions).
So... what's the deal? How do you decide what's right for you?
I go into some of the nuances that I think are most important to consider, plus offer some ideas around herbs you might blend red raspberry leaf with to make a really nourishing pregnancy tea blend, in this week's episode.
Listen to learn:
- why people work with red raspberry leaf in pregnancy
- a nuanced perspective on using herbs in first trimester
- the best way to take red raspberry leaf in pregnancy and beyond
- a glimpse into some of the published research on RRL and pregnancy
- how to use red raspberry leaf tea during labor
- why it's essential to listen to your own body
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Go check out the research studies on RRL + pregnancy
- Episode 11: Dandelion herbal spotlight
- Episode 22: Nettles herbal spotlight
- Episode 85: Acupressure for pregnancy, birth + pp w Sarah Tewhey
Support Herbal Womb Wisdom!!
I have a new link where you can donate to support the show. Please consider offering something if you've enjoyed or benefitted from the years of weekly episodes. It's currently a labor of love, and I welcome donations to help sustain my efforts of creating this kickass resource :) Donate to support the show here
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing
Support the Show.
Support the Show.
What does it mean to hold trauma in the wombspace? And what are some signs that indicate that womb trauma may be present?
The topic of "womb healing" is a bit of a buzz these days and sometimes I wonder what people mean by that. I see social media profiles of "womb healing practitioners" and "womb healing" programs and honestly it's a vague concept.
It could be everything from someone who has absolutely no training in any therapeutic modalities but likes to position themselves as a self-proclaimed expert on instagram to someone like today's guest, Dr Sarah Wylie, who is a Naturopathic doctor who's trained extensively with Rosita Arvigo and other practitioners to cultivate her multiple decades of clinical practice working with abdominal, pelvic and womb care.
The truth is, when we hold story, energy, trauma, information in our wombspace, there are many paths to healing that exist.
And it's really about exploring what works for you -- especially because so much of what's stored there is not just physical, but also emotional and even ancestral lineage stuff.
So a combination of modalities is often helpful.
But what I love about the way Dr Sarah Wylie uniquely approaches this work is that she weaves together her naturopathic clinical training, lab work as needed, bodywork, and visualization techniques to both assess and support the release and tending of information held in the wombspace.
She speaks in detail about simple signs to tell if you might be holding something there (yep, pain is a big one, but also bleeding patterns, cycle irregularities, etc) and then she shares a lot about her personal bodywork practice.
It's a beautiful collaborative approach to womb tending, release, and care and I'm excited for you to hear about it.
Listen to learn:
- how a cervical dysplasia diagnoses changed Dr Sarah Wylie's life
- why it's important to look beyond just physical trauma in relation to pelvic care
- signs of womb trauma or imbalances in the wombspace
- a glimpse at her bodywork practice and how collaborative the work can be
- a guided visualization to help you sense a personal womb story or wisdom
- some inspiring thoughts on the womb through perimenopause
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Sarah's womb care courses + offerings
- Episode 10: Traditional womb healing practices w Sondra Hamilton
- Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
- Episode 61: Pelvic wisdom with Dr Emily Wilson
- Free guided visualization: Womb embodiment and clearing practice
Support Herbal Womb Wisdom!!
I have a new link where you can donate to support the show. Please consider offering something if you've enjoyed or benefitted from the years of weekly episodes. It's currently a labor of love, and I welcome donations to help sustain my efforts of creating this kickass resource :) Donate to support the show here
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner,
Support the Show.
Follicular, Ovulatory, Luteal, Menstrual.
Inner spring, Inner summer, Inner Autumn, Inner Winter.
Waxing Moon, Full Moon, Waning Moon, New Moon.
The cycles of nature are tangible in ourselves, and especially for those of us with wombs while we're in our cycling years, we have the option to align ourselves with the phase of our cycle we'e in at any given moment.
For instance, I'm currently in early Autumn. I just ovulated a few days ago, my temperature rose, my cervical mucus changed, and I can feel a subtle difference in my energy levels, and honestly I also feel a little warmer (well maybe that's bc I'm wearing too many layers, lol, but basal body temp DOES rise post-ovulation).
What phase of your cycle are you in right now??
Whatever phase you're in has certain qualities and characteristics, and it's important to learn your own rather than just rely on books or social media, because sometimes we don't fit the prescribed mold.
However, there are general qualities that hold true for most folks... so it's helpful to learn those and then reflect on your own.
Today's podcast guest, longtime yoga teacher and cyclical living mentor Rebecca Rankin, shares all about not only her life-changing experience with cyclical living but also how we can bring yoga postures and breathwork into the fold.
She shares a couple poses and breathwork options that suit each phase. I especially love how she includes a rolled towel to encourage ovarian circulation in the follicular phase in one pose and then that same rolled towel in a different location to encourage uterine circulation in the late luteal phase.
It's really neat to consider the ways we can more intentionally bring our cycle into our yoga and vice versa.
If this intrigues you, I think you'll dig today's episode.
Listen to learn:
- how becoming a mother catalyzed Rebecca's cyclical living journey
- what cyclical living is and a couple ways it's changed her business + life
- ways that natural cycles mirror and inform embodied cyclical living
- how even when you're no longer cycling, you can still attune to cycles
- some yoga postures + breathwork for each phase of the menstrual cycle
- a guided "Apana" breathwork practice helpful in menstrual phase + whenever you need some extra tethering to the earth
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get Rebecca's links to her journal, website, social media
- Start tracking your cycle with Fertility Awareness Method (free guide)
- Episode 42: Reclaim your menstruation
- Episode 69: Cyclical archetypes w Em Dewey
- Episode 73: Cyclical movement w Tara Lynn Steele
- Episode 78: Your cycle superpowers
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Well, today I decided to go for it and talk about everyone's favorite topic... poop. 😂
But for real, the quality and regularity of our elimination has a huge impact on our overall health.
And unfortunately, we've all but normalized constipation.
Most folks go to the doctor and when they're asked, "Do you have regular bowel movements?" They respond, "yes." Because regular just means at regular intervals, right?
The answer to that is... NO. Ideally we all poop at least once a day, if not twice.
And those eliminations feel complete, relieving, relaxing.
If you're pooping every 2-3 days, or even longer intervals (I've known clients and friends to say they have "regular" bowel movements every 10 days), that's constipation.
For some people pooping only once a day could be a form of incomplete elimination that may be a slight constipation.
What's "normal" or "typical" is not necessarily healthy.
And constipation, whether it's chronic or occasional or situational, wreaks havoc on multiple systems of the body - so it's important to eliminate every single day not just for your digestive discomfort but also for your whole health (and yes, your hormones too).
I share all about this and a lot more in this week's episode.
Listen to learn:
- what constipation is and how to tell if you have it (it's not always obvious)
- how to determine your transit time
- the many forms of constipation and when they might show up
- how constipation impacts your hormones, cholesterol levels + skin
- the direct relationship between your gut and your mental health
- a few ideas about how to encourage more optimal elimination (aka how to help you poop)
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: What's constipation got to do with it?
- Free guide: Dandelion recipe collection
- Episode 11: Dandelion herbal spotlight
- Episode 17: How stress messes w your hormones
- Episode 58: Gut health + your hormones
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
When you think about the menopausal transition, what comes up?
I'm genuinely curious actually...
Is it the end of the cycling years, no more bleeding?
Or the hot flashes, low libido, dry vaginal tissues, maybe even need to focus more on bone or heart health?
Does it feel liberating or like something you're dreading?
I know some folks here are already well beyond their menopausal years (and I love that you're here), and others are barely even thinking yet about this transition.
And that's the thing, many of us don't begin to even think about this time of our lives until we start to experience the symptoms that make it obvious.
Today's guest, herbalist and homeopath Seraphina Capranos speaks about menopause from the lens of the Wise Woman Tradition which approaches this transitional time as something to prepare for by focusing on deep nourishment, nervous system and adrenal health.
While of course alleviating symptoms is important, there's also an art to preventing them even occurring in the first place.
So many of us run ourselves to the ground, trying hard to keep up with a world that glorifies over-extending and production over rest and replenishment.
And let's just say, that go-go-go energy is the opposite of what we need to be doing as we head into our transitional years. Instead, we need to be caretaking ourselves.
Seraphina shares about some of her favorite herbs to incorporate into this time of life (and before), and also a whole different perspective on what's possible as we pass through this transition - how instead of an entry into the elder years, it's actually often a time of new beginnings and empowered action.
Listen to learn:
- how Seraphina braids together herbalism, homeopathy and ritual into her work
- the power of touching your own breasts/chest
- what the foundations of the Wise Woman Tradition are
- the Wise Woman approach to health care (and how integrative it is)
- ways to prepare your body and mind and spirit for menopause
- a few herbs Seraphina thinks are key for most of us in this time
- why menopause is not typically the entry to "crone" years in modern times
Resources:
- Todays shownotes: Get links (and discount) to Seraphina's programs + work
- Free guide: 10 key herbs for hormonal health
- Episode 37: Easing into menopause w Dana LaVoie
- Episode 40: Herbal spotlight on schisandra
- Episode 70: Is it perimenopause?
- Episode 86: Herbal spotlight on ashwagandha
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Something that always surprises me is how powerful it is to share stories, especially when they relate to "things we don't talk about."
It's pretty easy for us to share stories about how our day went awry, or something funny about what our kids did when trying to get them to eat their dinner.
But what we don't talk about are often the things we are socialized to keep quiet.
Which tends to be, oh just about anything related to our pelvis and wombspace, especially when we're feeling vulnerable or like we're the only ones who must be experiencing this (insert very common reproductive or sexual or hormonal health issue here).
The reality is that many of us have been socialized to feel shame around anything we experience related to "down there" and since we only see the happy moments and smiling photos of postpartum parents and families, it's easy to believe no one else is struggling.
But let's be real. Especially for first time parents, but also any subsequent birth, there are SO MANY unexpected things that show up.
From perineal tears to healing from a cesarean to feeling scared to poop to prolapse to incontinence to massive mood swings to beyond-imaginable-fatigue to being responsible for another human to nipple soreness and figuring our nursing and on and on and on.
But who talks about this? So much of the focus tends to be on preparing for birth and often very little if any heads-up about what to genuinely expect in those days and weeks after birth, physically/emotionally/mentally, etc.
And this. This is what Zulilah Merry's documentary film, No One Told Me, vividly portrays in observational form.
Simple, observational, real-deal postpartum journey.
Which is both refreshing and a gift to see.
We talk about her film and her journey to making it, as well as way more about what is profoundly missing in our current individualistic, "I can do it myself," society.
And how important it is to find ways to connect and build community in this world that is endlessly asking us to stray from it.
Listen to learn:
- the premise of No One Told Me
- what prompted Zulilah to make this film
- why the style of observational documentary is powerful in the postpartum context
- how sharing honest views into this time of life can support others
- what might be possible if we center connection versus individuation
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Zulilah's website and social media
- Sign up for Tending the Loss of Abortion (starts April 7, 2024)
- Episode 25: Immediate postpartum care the herbal way
- Episode 49: Creating a sacred window postpartum and beyond
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
As humans, we love stories. And sometimes physiology can be boring and heady and unpalatable. But what if we tell the story of what's happening instead?
What if we see the primordial germ cell that may become an oocyte and may ovulate and then travel from the ovary through the uterine tubes and beyond as an epic tale?
Honestly, I've fallen in love with physiology, and the burst of potential life that exists in our oocytes is as fascinating as it is mysterious.
And that makes it... magic. In my mind, at least.
Some might say we can understand it all scientifically, but can we?
In this episode I dive into my own version of what I see happening, from the original primordial germ cells we create when we're inside our mother's (or parent's) womb all the way to ovulation as adults and potential fertilization.
I actually think this physiology is a good foundation whether you're trying to conceive or trying to avoid it... it's the 101 (okay, well maybe 202) glimpse into what's actually happening, how it happens, and why it matters.
This process is both scientific (and yes, I talk some researched science) and mystical. And I personally think it's best that way.
Listen in to learn:
- the scientific and mystical elements of eggs and their monthly journey
- how and when your potential eggs start forming (hint: when you're an embryo)
- the myth around the amount of eggs you have in your lifetime
- what the process of oocyte development and ovulation looks like
- what happens once the oocyte has ovulated (how does it get out?)
- what your cervical fluid does to sperm
- the myth about the fastest sperm being the one to fertilize the egg
- what happens after fertilization
Resources:
- Grab the FREE Track Your Cycle Naturally guide here.
- Today's shownotes: Get links to the references + articles I mentioned today
- Episode 38: Your menstrual cycle is a vital sign
- Episode 98: Reclaim your cervix
- Episode 105: What is your fertile window?
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
It's Equinox time!
Finally, spring is showing its face... or is it? Depends where you live, honestly.
Regardless, those of us in the northern hemisphere are likely noticing longer days, and with that increased light, we're reminded that spring is either here, or coming soon.
Here in the Wabanaki lands of Maine, we're teetering between cold and slightly warmer days, the ground is shifting between thawing and freezing, and we haven't seen much (if any) new green growth yet.
But in other places, spring is probably in full swing.
Wherever you are, my guess is that you're feeling the stirrings of Spring, and with that some inner and outer changes in your physical and emotional energy.
You may even be craving greens, or lighter foods. Maybe you're seeking ways to help your body release some of the heaviness of the wintertime.
Simple things like movement, eating more bitter greens, reducing your dense foods, taking some time away from things like dairy, sugar or alcohol are all simple ways you can begin this process. And really, they can be enough.
But working with herbs to support all your systems of elimination is a traditional practice that can be easily incorporated into your daily life alongside some of the dietary or lifestyle options.
And today's guest, long-time herbalist and Kundalini yoga teacher Kelley Riviere shares all about how this practice looks for her, the herbs she feels are most key in this time, and the primary ways she works with them.
She also talks about her relationship with wildcrafting, and how important it is to cultivate deep relationships with the plants that live around you.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- what wildcrafting is and some of the essential principles
- why Kelley still has herbal mentors and teachers 30 years in
- the different between intense cleansing and gentle detox
- the systems of elimination that are most important to focus on in spring
- what lymph is and why you should care
- highlights of 5 different plants to work with in springtime
- an experienced medicine maker's tip on how to make a potent cleavers tincture
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get Kelley's spring self-care guide + links
- Episode 8: Exploring cycles of the earth in our bodies: Spring edition
- Episode 11: Dandelion herbal spotlight
- Episode 22: Nettles herbal spotlight
- Episode 62: Embodying Spring
- Learn more and sign up for Tending the Loss of an Abortion (April 2024)
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
There are so many reasons to grieve right now, on the planet, in our personal lives.
Whether it's part of our womb stories or not. Loss is everywhere.
We can't escape it, it's part of being a fully living human.
So instead of trying to minimize it or rush through it, as our modern world would love to have us do, what if we learn to tend our grief?
What could it look like to have a healthy relationship with grief? How would it feel to a actually give yourself the space you heart needs? What's possible when we call in our relationship to the earth, the herbs and seasonal cycles?
Herbalist and birth + loss doula India Elyn shares all about how she's worked with the earth and herbs to deeply tend her own deep grief journeys.
It's through this practice of honoring and tending grief that she's found her affinity for tending the thresholds between life and death.
And she shares both her personal grief journeys and embodied earth wisdom in this week's episode.
The truth is, we aren't taught how to grieve, and most commonly in modern society, grief happens behind closed doors, in private, without witness.
We've lost our relationship to how to grieve well, how to allow ourselves to feel and not hold it in, especially in moments when the waters of grief are there because of how fully we've lived or how much we've allowed ourselves to love.
This is big work, and it's beautiful work. And I want to invite you to join me and Inda in exploring what can be possible when you weave yourself back into relationship with the earth while feeling and tending your grief.
Listen to learn:
- what brought India to the work of threshold tending
- how similar the space of birth and death are
- how to receive the nurturing and strength of the earth when you're feeling fragile
- 3 ways India loves to bring plant medicine into grief work
- embodied wisdom around the non-linear path of grief
- how the seasons and cycles can inform us about death and loss
Resources:
- Learn more about Tending the Loss of an Abortion (April 2024)
- Today's shownotes: Get links to India's website and book
- Episode 41: Nature connection and stress resilience w Efan Hsieh
- Episode 53: Honoring the Loss (last year'sinterview with India)
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
I woke up this morning feeling the spark of spring, and simultaneously felt the excitement of plants popping up. Maybe soon, maybe not.
In those moments, I started to reflect on the multitude of ways we can "be an herbalist." And how I'm really a blend of so many, depending on the day, and how my personal herbal journey reflects this.
I realized I haven't really ever told my own personal plant path story - not fully at least, and while I couldn't fit it ALL into one episode, I tried to give the highlights to offer some context to how the heck I got where I am, some of the influences along the way, and a few pivotal moments where I realized what I wanted to pursue and why.
I hope it's not just a story about me, and instead it's a glimpse into what a diverse, meandering plant path can look like in a way that inspires you to feel into what's true and right for you.
Whether that's in your own plant path or in choosing an herbalist or practitioner to work with.
The truth is, no two herbalists are the same. And your unique expression of herbal medicine will be your own.
Plant medicine is truly people's medicine and I want to encourage you to bring whatever form of herbalism you practice to the world.
But also to name it in a way that reflects your path honestly.
I offer a few different ideas for you to pick from -- folk herbalism, home/family herbalism, community herbalism, embodied herbalism, clinical herbalism. But maybe there's another one that resonates even more for you.
And please, name your teachers too. They deserve our honoring.
Listen to learn:
- where I started (hint: very simply)
- what a hands-on herbal apprenticeship can look and feel like
- how long it took me to claim myself as an herbalist
- why "western herbal medicine" is really not "western" at all
- ways I began to incorporate herbalism into my professional practice
- differences between home/family herbalist, community herbalist + clinical herbalist
- why I chose to become a clinical herbalist and get a masters degree
- why I don't think most people need to go to graduate school!
- what I'm inspired to offer now
Resouces:
- Today's shownotes: links to Joe Hollis' work and more
- Episode 11: Dandelion herbal spotlight
- Episode 22: Nettle herbal spotlight
- Episode 108: "What's in your tea today?"
- Free recipe collection: 6 ways to prepare dandelion!
**I mis-spoke a couple times in this episode. I meant "bodywork school" when I said "herb school" where I learned mostly about flower essences and aromatherapy. And I meant to say "Andrew" not "Adam" when I was talking about my teachers at David Winston's school! (I'm not going to edit the recording, but wanted to have this documented somewhere)
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
As humans, we are storytelling creatures... but I think we often overlook how powerful hearing stories of others healing can be.
Especially when they include facing profound debilitation and hopelessness. And show us how we are ALL capable of finding our way from the darkness to the light.
To vitality, vibrancy -- even pleasure.
And that's what I really really love about Julia's story. In her mid-teens she experienced sexual trauma that was tucked away until she was 19 when stabbing, stinging pain started in her vulva and did.not.stop.
She lived for 6 whole years with debilitating vulva pain, was given a long list of diagnoses from various specialists, and was given very little hope that she would EVER recover from most specialists that she saw.
In fact, she was told "you'll just have to work on your anxiety," "there's nothing we can do," "we don't understand this condition," and "just put lidocaine on it so you can please your partner."
And the sad truth is, most medical practitioners really don't have anything to offer to those suffering with conditions like vulvodynia, vaginismus, interstitial cystitis etc.
For some reason, it took years for Julia to be referred to a pelvic floor physical therapist, but finally once she went she felt hope again.
And along the way, she started studying and practicing yoga, meditation, breathwork, therapy, herbalism, and more. Which all played a huge role in her healing.
She shares her whole story in a powerful way on this week's episode. And honestly, I think everyone would benefit from listening.
If you've got chronic pelvic pain, this is especially for you. But if you don't, your compassion for those who do will expand exponentially.
Share this one far and wide, friends. It's the kind of story that lends hope to all of us.
Listen to learn:
- why Julia sees sexual trauma as the origin of her pelvic pain
- how chlamydia, a UTI and BV may have played a role
- what it was like for Julia to experience chronic pelvic pain day in and day out
- some interventions that are common but were not helpful
- an intervention that made her pain significantly worse for a year
- what she felt really worked, and how integrative care was most helpful
- how her yoga practice supported her healing journey
- how she got her partner involved in her pelvic floor healing
Resources
- Today's shownotes: Get Julia's links + a link to that Pelvic yoga book
- Episode 19: The importance of softening w Chaya Leia Aronson
- Episode 61: Healing embodied womb trauma w Dr Emily Wilson
- Episode 77: Myofascial release for breasts, chest + pelvic bowl w Lindsay Courcelle
- Free guide: Gardening for your menstrual health
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Your pleasure is a superpower.
Not metaphorically. Actually.
And I'm not just talking orgasms and clitoral stimulation, though that's certainly a huge pathway to pleasure.
Instead I mean, connecting to what feels good - uniquely, in your body, to you.
And that's different for everyone.
But in starting to pay attention to anything that feels good, you start inviting the possibility for more pleasure in your life because you can seek more of that.
Is it sun on your skin, the feeling of warm water running over your hands, the smell of jasmine, dancing in a certain way, and what about in the bedroom?
Before you even attempt sexual arousal, what is sensually pleasing?
Are you someone who's always go-go-go or feeling burnt out and barely have a libido?
Or are you feeling numb or blocked or like you don't even have an idea of where to start?
How do you begin to uncover what unlocks your pleasure if you don't already know?
If any of these questions get you curious, this week's episode medley is for you.
First, I share a little about arousal, the importance of prioritizing pleasure and why I think the term "aphrodisiac" is close to meaningless. Plus you'll get a quick glimpse into the first category of herbs that may be supportive for enhancing your arousal.
Next Usha Rose speaks about the yoni egg practice as a supportive way to deepen connection to your body, enhance orgasmic potential and offer prevention and even treatment for certain pelvic health imbalances (like urinary incontinence, for example).
And finally Juliana Rose Goldstone share about how psychedelics can be a tool to help expand your perception of what's possible in your erotic embodiment and "sexual wholeness," and how that works from the lens of neural pathways.
I hope this wide range of pathways to pleasure inspires you to connect with your own.
*And yes, you guessed it, I'm doing this medley bc I'm sick... but what better topic to talk about than aspiring to feeling good what I'm feeling like crud? Send your prayers for full and easy recovery please, I welcome them wholeheartedly.
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: On enhancing arousal and pleasure
- Episode 27: Sex + Psychedelics with Juliana Rose Goldstone
- Episode 39: Yoni eggs and the practice of pleasure with Usha Rose
- Episode 52: Beyond aphrodisiacs
- Episode 64: Vagus nerve and arousal
- Episode 65: Grief & Pleasure w Stacey Ramsower
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Tea is a foundational form of herbal medicine.
Partly because it's the epitome of how "plant medicine is people's medicine" because it's so accessible, inexpensive, and familiar.
But also because it's a way we can cultivate real, lasting relationship with the plants.
Especially when we work with bulk dried herbs, we see them, smell them, taste them, and can feel them. Our senses are engaged.
It also requires time and patience.
It's a form of slow medicine.
It's a ritual and rhythm we can bring into our daily lives, and that's therapeutic unto itself.
And it's also something a lot of people ask me about, since I've almost always got an herbal tea in my hand - no matter where I am. It could be a clothing swap, the grocery store or a party. I'll likely have tea.
The question "what's in your tea, today?" is common. So I decided to answer that here.
I needed something easy today because I'm under the weather, but it also feels at least a little bit fun, which is a nice way to celebrate Herbal Womb Wisdom's birthday!
2 years old this week!!
Listen to learn:
- the basics on making tea
- why slow medicine matters
- how to start simply when exploring tea blending
- why I think tasting herbs is essential before blending teas
- how tea helps us cultivate relationship to plants more fully
- what's in my tea today, and why I chose each herb
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: "What's in your tea, today?"
- Episode 4: Tulsi herbal spotlight
- Episode 12: The simple and sacred practice of making herbal teas
- Episode 22: Nettles herbal spotlight
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
I think it's easy to pigeonhole our health - whether that's hormonal, sexual, menstrual or overall health - to being something physical.
Like, yes, we need certain foods, lots of fiber, healthy fats, good protein. And yes, we need to be hydrated. And move our bodies. And get outside. And make sure we're pooping.
Without those things, we can't actually feel integratively well, for sure.
But something that I think is missing from A LOT of holistic health conversations is how systemic, social and cultural wellbeing (or imbalances) impacts our health.
Bc let's be honest, MOST of the systemic structures that hold our lives together on a wider scale are a mess.
Whether its capitalism, or racism, or classism, or sexism, or oppressive forces using power-over-to-get-what-they-want-through-whatever-means, our bodies and minds and spirits are all affected.
So I appreciate how today's guest Sherene Cauley defines wellness from the lens of "love, connection and home."
That those three pillars elucidate a well person but can also be expanded out to define a well regional community, or even a well global community.
That cultural wellbeing on that level is an integral part of individual wellbeing. That we are not separate from our environments, from our neighbors, from each other.
Sherene is a health coach, and honestly I think a visionary guide that helps us to reflect thoughtfully on what we're doing and why we're doing it.
And part of how she encourages that is to start noticing your daily rituals (or incorporating new ones) and infusing them with multiple layers of meaning.
By bringing mindfulness and curiosity into our daily rituals, we can begin to notice what's changing and also any underlying behavior patterns or thoughts.
These kinds of daily rituals can bring more connection to our lives, in a myriad of ways.
Listen to learn:
- how Sherene defines wellness from a cultural wellbeing level
- what led her to uncover some of the systemic imbalances going on
- how health coaching informs her work towards changing patterns
- what her definition of a ritual is, and how simple they can be
- ways to infuse meaning and reflectiveness into your rituals
- a sneaky way to incorporate a new healthy behavior
- thoughts on how to cultivate mindfulness on social media
- some ideas on how to bring ancestral connection into your daily life
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get Sherene's links to website and social media
- Episode: The mesentery with Abigail Rose Clark
- Episode: Your womb is a portal with Sepideh Hakimzadeh
- Check out Womb Attune in Northport, ME Feb 18th 2024 w Chaya Leia Aronson
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
I think it's easy to dismiss the importance of core strength as something only for those who are young or oriented to body image.
But the truth is, your core is the center of your body. And it's actually a place where a lot of your whole body strength (and overall wellness) radiates from.
According to today's guest, Mary Vidal, having a strong core is an essential foundation to both treating and preventing everything from chronic pain, to prolapse, to incontinence, to diastases recti and beyond.
It's something to bring our attention to at any phase of life, but especially as we move through childbearing years and navigate postpartum pelvic floor challenges and also navigate the hormonal shifts and changes of perimenopause and post-menopause.
She shares about how to assess your core strength in an easy to understand (super simple) way, some ideas about what core exercises are better than others (hint: kegels are often NOT the answer), and even a quick breathwork practice to help you begin to connect to and feel your core.
We also talk a little about bone health and why it's especially important not just to address it once you're menopausal, but actually start to intentionally tend to maybe even as early as your 30's.
It's an episode packed with practical tips, professional knowledge, and personal story... a perfect one for you in any age and stage in life -- from fertile years all the way to menopause and beyond.
Listen to learn:
- why supporting your core strength goes far beyond a six pack
- how caretaking your core + pelvic health can prevent future issues
- why Mary sees core health from a holistic, whole life wellness lens
- the simple 3 P's for assessing your core
- how to know if you're not doing core exercises correctly
- the myth about kegels
- how postpartum and perimenopause and menopause change our pelvic floor
- ways to support your body to age well (bone health, muscle strength, etc)
Resources:
Today's episode: Grab Mary's links to her website, socials, etc
Episode 19: The importance of pelvic softening with Chaya Leia
Episode 55: How to heal diastases recti with Dr Christine Klein
Episode 61: Pelvic wisdom w Dr Emily Wilson
Episode 95: How to tend the "root" of your body w Dr Rebecca Cohen
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
6 days. You're fertile for only 6 days of your entire cycle every month.
That's it!
I imagine you may have heard that before somewhere, especially if you've been on a fertility journey or practiced Fertility Awareness / cycle tracking in any form.
It's probably the most important part of the cycle to be aware of... but what IS it exactly? What's happening in the body in that time? And why is it important, even if you're not trying to conceive?
The truth is your cycle is a vital sign. And your fertile window is one of the markers that give information about what the heck is going on "down there" and also overall in your menstrual cycle, your hormones, and even your whole body health.
The fertile window is often characterized by an abundance of cervical mucus for 5 days leading up to and on the day of ovulation.
It's a time that is FULL of sensual energy, because you're likely to experience the natural lubrication of your vaginal tissues, and you're often more oriented towards desire and connection with others.
It's also a window into how healthy your estrogen levels are, and how your body is changing over time.
And because it has SO MUCH to do with ovulation, it's also impacted by everything from stress to travel to blood sugar dysregulation to prolactin levels to thyroid function.
Because it's ALL connected.
Even though it's talked about a lot, I still think the interconnection of all our systems (and particularly the interweaving of our hormones) is underrated.
Which is why I see the fertile window as a powerful mirror of how it's all going.
Is share all about this, and wax poetic about my love of cycle tracking, in this episode.
Listen to learn:
- what the fertile window is (actually)
- why cervical mucus does NOT equal fertile window
- how different fertile windows can be person to person
- why it's important to start tracking your fertile window if you're not already
- what other body systems / imbalances may impact ovulation
- why you can't count on apps or charts online to tell you when you're fertile
- some nerdy studies I found on the topic of the fertile window and cervical mucus
Resources:
- Save your spot on the Natural Contraception course waitlist
- Today's shownotes: Get the links to those studies I mention here
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (+ benefits)
- Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign
- Episode 78: Your cycle superpowers
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
What if your womb was a portal? Well, my beautiful friend... it is.
Our wombs (and wombspaces - even if you no longer have a womb) are power centers in our body. In many ways, they are the literal seat of our embodied power.
And they are also where we create life, experience the life-death-life cycle repeatedly, connect directly to the earth AND hold embodied connection to our ancestral lineage.
Really, when you think about it, the uterus (and the entire wombspace when you include the ovaries, too) is basically magic.
Which is probably, let's just be honest, why so many powers-that-be wish to control our relationship to this place!
In today's episode, psychotherapist and mystery school guide Sepideh Hakimzadeh shares all about these topics and more.
Her work is in the realm of earth, womb and ancestral connection and how those weave together in your unique lineage and story.
She tells a little of her story, and really emphasizes the importance of learning your own personal lineage stories and finding ways to work with your personal ancestors so that you can bring your gifts to the world.
It's an inspiring and beautiful interview, and we end with a gorgeous guided visualization I highly recommend checking out, too.
Listen in to learn:
- why Sepideh emphasizes the importance of learning your ancestral stories
- how your womb connects to the earth and vice-versa
- how Sepideh found her way to running a mystery school
- what the heck "womb mysteries" are and why it's not as woo-woo as it sounds
- some reflections on learning to protect yourself and ground before exploring the unseen realms
- some basics on how to embody these teachings
Resources:
- Today's shownotes page: Get Sepideh's links and womb mysteries program
- Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
- Episode 72: Weaving the ancestral thread
- Get on the Natural Contraception course waitlist
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
It's deep winter now. The time of quietude, slow movement, deep nourishment, and dreaming and visioning.
And in the case of gardeners, this is often the time of choosing seeds, planning gardens, considering any shifts or changes you might be considering for your landscape, maybe even learning new skills that can serve you next season.
So it's the perfect time to bring flower and herb farmer Xenia D'Ambrosi of Sweet Earth Co onto the podcast to share her embodied knowledge around all things ecological gardening.
Xenia sees gardening as not just growing medicine or flowers or food.
Instead, she considers gardening to be a way we can tend our local landscape to increase biodiversity, encourage pollinator habitat, restore damaged ecosystems, and ALSO provide benefit for us as humans, too.
Her story is interesting. She started out in corporate finance, but ended up as a professional gardener after a cancer diagnosis. She credits having her hands in the soil and returning to seasonal gardening as a huge part of her healing process.
And since then, she's devoted her life to not only gardening herself, but also designing gardens and teaching how to garden.
In our conversation we talk everything from her healing journey and the loss of meadows all the way to how to choose a location for your garden, which plants to start with and how to start hard-to-germinate seeds.
She shares about which medicinal herbs she finds indispensable in her garden, and the myriad ways she works with them.
It's an information packed, inspiring conversation.
Listen in to learn:
- how Xenia's cancer diagnosis led her to the plants
- about herbs as her "gateway plant"
- what ecological gardening is and why thinking beyond typical gardens is important
- why herbs are indispensable in her gardens, and which ones she loves most
- how to choose a location for your garden and start planning
- what she recommends for seed starting (hint: mimic nature)
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get all of Xenia's links here. (Use code: HERBALWOMB for 10% off her cutting garden course!)
- Episode 6: Gardening for your menstrual + hormonal health
- Episode 20: Earth, Womb & Seed Connection
- Get on the Natural Contraception course waitlist here (Jan 2024)
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
There's a term - body literacy - that's thrown around a lot in Fertility Awareness circles.
And it may seem vague, "like, what part of our body are we talking about?" And it's true, you can become literate in any system of your body, technically.
BUT your menstrual cycle is a window into your whole health - and has even been considered a fifth vital sign.
However, you can only begin to perceive this embodied wisdom if you are naturally cycling (eg not using hormonal birth control).
That said, there are legitimate reasons someone may choose to get on, stay on, or return to hormonal contraception.
But if you're one - of many - who are transitioning off birth control and/or you want to understand your body and your options, this episode is a good starting point.
This is another compilation episode with snippets from a previous interview and solo shows, as I'm still on content creation break while I get some of my own "wintering" in.
First, you'll hear about vaginal fluids - what's normal and what's not - and a sneak peek into the topic of fertile cervical mucus.
Next, Gabrielle Jansen shares a little about the politics and history of birth control, the experience of "pill shame" some might have and how to support your body when you ARE on hormonal birth control.
Finally, I offer some basics on reasons you may be thinking about ditching your hormonal contraception and some first steps on how to support yourself in that transition.
It's really just a glimpse into each of those interviews, but you'll get practical take-aways from each one.
To listen to the episodes in full, check out the links below!
Resources:
- ONLINE - Natural Contraception course coming Jan 2024 - get on the waitlist!
- LOCALS - Winter Embodied Birth Control Series in-person, 3 months, in Hope, ME - taught by myself and Gabrielle Jansen - learn more here
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 23: Your body on birth control with Gabrielle Jansen
- Episode 46: Vaginal fluids - what's normal, what's not?
- Episode 84: Herbal allies for transitioning off hormonal birth control
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Your womb is a place of power, pleasure and possibility. AND it's also a place where we tend to hold deep seated fears, imbalances and trauma - whether physical or energetic.
I've decided to take a couple week break on new content creation for the podcast, and instead of just ghosting you, be more creative and intentional in the break time.
In this episode, you'll find embodied wisdom and practical tips from three previous guests.
Chaya Leia shares about why you should even care about "down there" and what to look for as signs of imbalances or that you'd benefit from starting to pay attention.
Sondra speaks about traditional Central and South American practices of temescal and vaginal steaming as ways to bring the plants into a ritual that is both physically and energetically supportive for your womb healing.
Dr Emily Wilson speaks about how the position of your womb and your cervix matters and what those positions may be telling you.
It's really just a glimpse into each of those interviews, but you'll get practical take-aways from each snippet.
If you want to listen to any of the interviews in full, I've got them for you below.
Happy holidays and happy new year, my beautiful friend. I'm grateful for you.
Resources:
Today's shownotes: Womb tending, clearing + healing
Episode 10: Traditional womb healing practices with Sondra Hamilton
Episode 19: The importance of pelvic softening with Chaya Leia Aronson
Episode 61: Pelvic wisdom + healing womb trauma with Dr Emily Wilson
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Okay, so most of us DO honor pregnancy and birth in a way that could be considered to be a rite of passage. We have blessingways, baby showers, even postpartum care.
But what about all the other pivotal moments of our womb story that we pass through?
The truth is, honoring these transitional times is part of many ancestral traditions. It’s not some kooky, woo-woo, new age thing.
The more we get present with the immense changes…
everything from menarche, to fertility/birth, to losses like miscarriage/abortion/infertility, to hysterectomies (yes, that’s a HUGE unspoken right of passage, too), to menopause…
the more we’re able to embody our womb stories and really allow our emotions to flow, the traumas held in our wombspaces can soften, and the power inherent in your wombspace can come alive.
We can shift our perspective from dread or disdain to celebration and honoring hard (and transformational) times.
Today’s episode is an invitation to explore what this can look and feel like with me. I don’t have all the answers, but I hope to offer some inspiration to spark your creativity around what would feel really good for you in honoring any of these passages in your body and being.
Listen in to learn:
- Why honoring rites of passage in your life matters
- How we create culture by normalizing rites of passage
- About winter solstice as the fertile, generative dark workspace of the year
- Explorations of each womb story rite of passage (menarche, fertility/pregnancy/postpartum, all kinds of loss, hysterectomies, perimenopause/menopause)
- How to help me celebrate 100 episodes! :)
Resources:
- Today’s shownotes: Rites of passage in your womb story
- Episode 45: Embodying winter w Jade Alicandro
- Episode 48: Simple ways to honor winter solstice
- Episode 49: Creating a “sacred window” using Ayurvedic wisdom w Ashlee Sakaishi Wilkin
- Episode 89 : Returning to wholeness with Robin Rose Bennett
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
I know, I know... Human Design?
What could a system that reads more like an astrological birth chart mixed with the I Ching and Chakras have to do with our sexuality or relationships?
It's a fair question, and one I had, too.
But today's guest, Cara Dempsey, shares about how learning Human Design (and especially understanding what her "Sacral Inner Authority" meant) completely transformed her relationship with not only her wombspace, but also her menstrual cycle and her libido.
Well, cycle awareness practices had something to do with it, too.
The truth is, she lost most of her sexual desire postpartum, she was living a life oriented to hustle and productivity and her body was feeling the consequences, and she needed help.
Fascinatingly, her deep dive into understanding her energetic patterns through both Human Design and cycle awareness helped her to listen to her body in ways she never had before, and begin to accept parts of herself she previously thought of as weaknesses.
And as it turns out, Human Design really does have a lot to say about how we may relate to our own sexuality, how we cultivate boundaries (sexually, in relationships, etc), and overall how we listen to our own selves.
Whether or not you decide to explore it further, consider this an opportunity to reflect on archetypal energies - the inner authorities and energy centers especially - and how those may inform your growth into more of who you really are - beyond what society tell us we should be.
Listen in to learn:
- what Human Design is and where it originated from
- how Cara's health transformed through learning Human Design + cycle awareness
- what the inner authorities are and the 6 types
- how learning your inner authority can support healthy boundaries
- a deep dive into the sacral and root energy centers and what it means if they are "defined" or "undefined"
- how Human Design can support your relationships and authentic sexual expression
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get a link to find your Human Design chart + Cara's HD decoder guide
- Episode 69: Cyclical archetypes w Em Dewey
- Episode 73: Cyclical movement w Tara Lynn Steele
- Episode 78: Your cycle superpowers
- Episode 80: Cultivating receptovity
- Get on the Natural Contraception course (Jan 2024) waitlist here!
What comes up when you think of your cervix?
Is it images of a sterile healthcare office where you're getting a pap-smear (and all the complicated emotions that come up around that)? The common concerns around HPV, abnormal paps and even cervical cancer can run rampant in our minds.
So perhaps, thinking about your cervix brings up some fear or discomfort or grief... rightfully so.
Or maybe it's a worry that your cervix may not be ripe when you get to 40+ weeks of pregnancy, because you know it's supposed to be softer and start to thin out and even dilate a bit before labor really gets going?
Hoping and wishing and praying for your cervix to do what it needs to do so you can birth your babe safely and gracefully into the world.
For most of us, THOSE are what we think about when we hear the word cervix.
But the truth is, your cervix is MUCH more than just a place the baby comes out, or a place that can be affected by sexually transmitted infections.
In fact, it's a place you can cultivate a tangible relationship with, learning to understand its signs and symptoms over the course of your menstrual cycles and beyond.
This is not just some woo-woo idea, you can both touch and observe your cervix throughout your cycles to get to know how your unique cervix shifts and changes.
Your cervix is the entryway to your wombspace, the place where your fertile cervical fluid is created, a changing and adapting structure that responds to both hormones and your nervous system AND is a locus of some of the most pleasurable orgasms possible.
It is not just something to feel fear around or indifferent about. It's something to admire and honor and even... love.
Listen to learn:
- what and where your cervix is
- about the cervical shifts and changes throughout your menstrual cycle
- how to find your cervix (with your fingers and visually)
- the unique ways your cervix plays a role in fertility
- how your cervix is an indicator of your health
- why getting to know your cervix is empowering
- some basics on cervical orgasms
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Grab some of my references on cervical recoil
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (+ why it matters)
- Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
- Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign
- Episode 64: Vagus nerve, pelvic organs + sexual arousal
- Sign up for the Natural Contraception (Jan 2024) waitlist
Stress, depletion, burnout, frazzled nerves, anxiety, lack of focus, spaciness, groundlessness.
What do all of these have in common?
Vata.
If you're familiar with Ayurveda, you'll know there are three primary "doshas," or collections of elemental characteristics that describe qualities of a person.
But they aren't static. I think sometimes people get stuck in the idea that "doshas" are like a personality test.
And while there are some aspects of that, from an Ayurvedic lens we actually have both our innate constitution AND the current state we're in. Which are usually NOT the same.
We may be born super hot, active, and physically strong, but we may go out of balance by burning ourselves out after pushing way too hard over the years and end up feeling high levels of anxiety or spaciness.
Because that endless excess stimulation we've subjected ourselves to is constantly eating away at our reserves until we no longer have them and we collapse.
It's a common story, really, especially as people reach their late 30's or 40's.
And it's one (of many) example of how the elements inherent in Vata dosha (air and ether) can have an imbalancing effect on someone whose innate nature is not that.
In other words, most of us tend to go out of balance in Vata at some point in our lives, and often we see the results in our nervous systems.
Kristen Timchak, host of the Nourished Nervous System podcast, shares all about how Ayurveda counteracts the qualities of Vata dosha in the mind.
She includes several simple practices you can start incorporating into your life if/when you feel your Vata going out of balance, and she shares about some indispensable herbal allies for this, too.
Listen in to learn:
- the basics of Ayurveda from a 5 element perspective
- what Vata dosha is and how it relates to our nervous systems
- how Vata shows up in the seasons and times of day
- what Ojas is and it relates to nervous system health
- a few simple, quick practices you can add into your life to balance Vata
- the basic recipe for an Ojas-building drink
- a couple key Ayurvedic herbs that are essential to restoring your nervous system
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Kristen's free deep rest meditation + oil massage
- Episode 3: Ayurveda and hormonal health
- Episode 49: How to create a "sacred window" - Ayurvedic wisdom
- Get on the Natural Contraception course (Jan 2024) waitlist here!
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
I think many of us just accept the discomfort we have in our guts without question.
I was talking to a client recently and I actively had to ask her if she ever notices any symptoms after eating for her to remember that she commonly experiences sharp pain in her belly and doesn't know why.
The fact that it wasn't top of mind for her because she's just accepted that as part of her day-to-day life is indicative of how much we normalize digestive upset.
Some folks have chronic loose stools, endless gas, bloating after almost every meal, alternating constipation and loose stools or even painful, sharp spasms regularly in their bellies... and they don't pay any attention.
I had another client who told me she's had gut symptoms her entire life, and her mom has them too, so it's not something she even thinks of as a "symptom."
I want to call bullshit on this way of thinking.
Our bodies are wisdomkeepers, and your gut is giving you information. Which is not to say that you need to wallow in suffering because of your symptoms, but instead that it's a good idea to start taking note of what they are, and when they show up.
Herbs like relaxing carminatives can be especially helpful at easing some of the gas, bloating and spasms - and when we narrow in on the relaxing carminatives they are even more specific for times when you notice stress, anxiety or irritability in relation to your gut symptoms (which is exceedingly common).
The gut-brain connection is real, so when you're having those digestive symptoms, you mood and mind will no doubt be impacted.
Unfortunately relaxing carminatives won't get to the ROOT of the problem, but they can help your belly calm down and soften to ease symptoms along the way.
And they can be worked with intentionally in times of increased stress (like the current global situation), or heightened anxiety (like perhaps holiday gatherings), or cyclic hormonal shifts that mess with your gut (like, say loose stools the first day of your moon).
The better we feel in our bellies, the more steady and strong we can show up in the world.
Listen to learn:
- what carminatives are and how to add them into your daily life
- when you would want to consider RELAXING carminatives
- how muscle tension might increase pain sensations (+ how carminatives can help)
- a basic overview of 8 relaxing carminatives (why, when, how you might use them)
- how to add some carminatives into your holiday meals (or anytime)
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get the links I mentioned in the episode
- Sign up for the Natural Contraception (Jan 2024) waitlist!
- Episode 4: Herbal Spotlight on Tulsi
- Episode 44: Bitters and hormonal balance
- Episode 58: Gut - hormone connection
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
After birth, our bodies are especially tender and rather "blown open."
Not only has a babe passed through either your perineum or your belly, but your spirit has been expanded tremendously, too.
And unfortunately, most of us have NO IDEA how to effectively tend "to the root of our bodies" as today's guest, MD-turned-holistic-midwife (and mother of 9!) Dr Rebecca Cohen describes it.
We've all but lost the art of deep, replenishing convalescence that's so needed postpartum. Birth is a big experience, and whether it's physically, emotionally or spiritually - there's often a lot to integrate (on top of having a newborn babe)!
So caring for the tender tissues and the tender spirit in this liminal time can be incredibly supportive.
There are many ways to do so, from rest, to easy-to-digest foods, to herbal practices such as vaginal steams, to sitz baths, to teas, to hands-on and hands-in care.
And today's episode goes into all of this and more.
Listen in to learn:
- how Rebecca went from conventionally trained MD to herbalist and midwife
- what "the root of your body" means (on a couple different levels)
- some simple practices to tend that part of your body postpartum
- Rebecca's favorite herbs for the postpartum journey - internal + topical
- why she considers vaginal steams a core part of holistic postpartum care
- how to know when to return to sex after birth
- ways to connect with your vulva and wombspace with tender love + care
- an invitation to offer yourself hands-in care to support pelvic muscle relaxation
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get link's to Rebecca's work + other resources
- Episode 25: Immediate herbal postpartum care with Liz Philbrick
- Episode 43: Vaginal steaming with Julia Demillones Moore
- Episode 49: How to create a sacred window with Ashlee Sakaishi-Wilkin
- Episode 81: Deep restorative postpartum care with Rachael Hollinger
- Sign up for my Natural Contraception (Jan 2024) course waitlist!
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any&
Oh, our hearts!
I'm not sure if you're feeling it, but everywhere I look I'm seeing yet another person share about how they're feeling heartbroken, or how these times are heartbreaking.
The collective field is full of grief, loss, shock, confusion, and meanwhile we're also all living our lives, attempting to go about our days "as usual."
When our hearts are so tender, it's essential to find ways to both feel our feelings AND tend our emotional and physical hearts.
Have you ever heard of "broken heart syndrome"?
It's a (usually temporary) sudden weakening of the heart muscle that is actually a form of cardiomyopathy. While it's common to recover in a few months as long as good care is taken, it's a true clinical condition that results from extreme stress, shock, or grief.
I also remember learning (when I was getting endless cardiac testing years ago) that folks who are depressed are more likely to have heart conditions. And conversely that post-heart attack patients commonly experience cardiac depression - which is literally a melancholy that occurs after a major cardiac event.
I can't even count the number of times doctors and nurses in the ER and at my cardiologist's office asked me about anxiety and stress in my life. With unexplained tachycardia (fast heart rate) and no cardiac risk factors and an extremely health-centered life, they were all SURE my heart rate was psycho-emotional. (it wasn't btw)
In other words, emotions affect our hearts, and our hearts affect our emotions. The physical heart is not separate from the emotional heart.
So it's important, especially in times when we feel our heart is breaking, to pay a little extra attention to our beautiful rhythmic center that keeps our blood oxygenated and flowing around our bodies.
Instead of just thinking of "grief" remedies in general, consider what specific signs and symptoms you're experiencing - whether emotional or physical.
From there, you can choose herbs and practices that address your individual needs.
That's what this week's episode is all about.
Listen in to learn:
- how grief relates to both your heart and your wombspace
- a little about the womb-heart connection
- why healthy estrogen levels in your body are important to heart health
- some practices for tending your grief, individually or in community
- herbal allies to support your unique expression of grief
- remedies for physical heart conditions that may show up with heartbreak
- how insomnia and and anxiety may be linked to your heart
Resources:
- Sign up for the Natural Contraception program waitlist here!
- Free guide: How to track your cycle naturally (FAM)
- Episode 53: Honoring the loss - grief rituals +herbs
- Episode 56: Womb + heart connection?
- Episode 76: What's the deal with phytoestrogens
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any&
What the heck is the mesentery? And why does it matter to you, anyway?
Okay, so I know not all of us are anatomy nerds, and we don't commonly get excited to hear about anatomical structures, but this one... well, it's worth checking out.
Partly because it's deeply intertwined with all of your belly organs, partly because it has an intimate relationship with your wombspace, and part of because it is the embryological origin of the uterus...
...but mostly because it has SO MUCH to teach us.
And today's guest, somatic facilitator and author Abigail Rose Clarke offers an in-depth glimpse at the magic and mystery of this"queer" organ - not from the lens of sexual orientation or gender, but from the lens of hard-to-define as one or the other.
It's an organ that is both soft and strong, both holding all of our belly organs in and also allowing them to have the ease of adapting to shape and size as needed (for instance in pregnancy).
She shares about how to locate this organ inside your body, as well as what it's made of, and why it took until 2016 for people to even realize it even was an organ!
We also talk earth connection, ecology, phases of our lives and how embodiment can support us in navigating what's hard in our lives, including current world events.
In the end, it's all about "returning home to our bodies" which is also the name of her forthcoming book, which is on pre-sale now and comes out in January.
Listen to learn:
- what the mesentery is and why it matters to you
- how embodiment practices can help you navigate hard things
- why the mesentery was overlooked for most of medical history
- the embryological origins of our belly organs, including the uterus
- how the vagus nerve relates to the mesentery
- details on why Abigail considers the mesentery to be queer
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Abigails books, instagram and offerings
- Sign up for my Natural Contraception (FALL 2023) course waitlist!
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 64: Vagus nerve and sexual arousal
- Episode 80: Cultivating receptivity
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
How do you navigate uncertainty - in your body, in your mind, in your life?
I think it's easy to fall into patterns of avoidance or not facing what's hard, especially when that requires us to feel big emotions or actually respond to what we're feeling with some kind of action.
This is just as true with worldly events like we're witnessing now as it is with information our body is telling us about our health.
When it's confusing or intense, we often want to escape in some way, to feel better as quickly as possible so we don't have to actually look at what's underlying.
Or to choose a quick fix rather than something that might take a little more effort.
But the problem with that is if we ignore the smaller signs and symptoms telling us that something is imbalanced for too long, we tend to end up with more significant imbalances that are harder to relieve.
And if you add on to that the shifts and changes we go through hormonally throughout our lives, it can feel like a very dynamic and confusing situation in our bodies.
But when we start to actually listen to (and respond to) to what the body is telling us, everything changes.
When we pay attention, we begin to cultivate a trusting relationship with the ebbs and flows, the cycles and patterns, the rhythms and even the unknown.
And especially when we connect to our wombspace with intention, care and presence, we are able to deepen that trust in a way that also feels held and nurtured by our relationship to the earth and those who came before us.
It's no small thing to form a trusting relationship with your body, including when things feel like they're falling apart.
I talk all about what this can look and feel like, and some practices for you to explore, in this week's episode.
Listen in to learn:
- how those of us with wombs are primed for uncertainty and change
- what vitalism is, and why the vital force matters for your overall health
- why it's essential for you to find ways to feel and release your emotions
- practices for emotional and somatic release
- ideas to help you cultivate a more trusting relationship with your body
- how connecting with your pelvis can help you ground in tumultuous times
Resources:
- Sign up for the Natural Contraception program waitlist here!
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 41: How nature connection can reduce stress
- Episode 66: What is your irregular cycle telling you
- Episode 90: 5 effective non-hormonal birth control options
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
We hear a lot about the gifts and benefits of each of our cycle phases, but what we don't commonly explore are the shadow sides of those times.
And whether it's our menstrual cycles or even our womb phases we travel through during our lives, it's helpful to know what to look out for that might be a sign of imbalance.
Not so much physically, but from a psycho-emotional perspective.
Today's guest Bri Martinez shares her view on cyclical archetypes both in relationship with our menstrual cycles and also as guidance for us to consider our habits and behavioral patterns beyond our cycles, too.
There is power in self-awareness, and this episode offers an invitation to explore your own personal version of cyclical archetypes (which may or may not be the same as others) from a reflective and curious lens.
And Bri also offers some nature connection practices you can engage in both to respond to these archetypal qualities as well as deep your relationship with them.
It's a neat blend of cycle awareness meets earth wisdom and I'm excited for you to hear it!
Listen to learn:
- what archetypes are in general
- how archetypes have been essential to understanding ourselves throughout human history
- the gifts and shadows of each of our cyclical archetypes
- how to identify the virgin/warrior, mother/creator, wild woman/enchantress, and crone/wise woman in your cycle and yourself
- real-life examples of how these archetypes can show up
- how nature connection can help us relate to these parts of ourselves
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Bri's offerings + more
- Sign up for Natural Contraception course waitlist (FALL 2023)
- Episode 69: Cyclical archetypes and divination with Em Dewey
- Episode 73: Cyclical movement with Tara Lynn Steele
- Episode 78: Your cycle superpowers
- Episode 89: A return to wholeness with Robin Rose Bennett
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Okay, so why does it seem like hormonal birth control has become front and center as "the most effective" contraception?
Somehow it seems like in the last few decades, non-hormonal birth control has fallen out of favor. Maybe because it's too simple? Maybe because there isn't enough money in it?
It can feel scary to transition off of hormonal birth control if you've been on it for a while, but let me tell you that the benefits of cycling naturally are extensive.
Whether it's receiving the gifts of progesterone in your luteal phase or having your natural menstrual cycle as a guide to help you listen more effectively to your body, there are may reasons to choose non-hormonal contraception.
And I don't think we hear enough about all of our options.
So today I dive into some of these, including benefits, risks, side effects and more.
And I also share about my absolute favorite, which I consider to be true natural contraception - fertility awareness + herbs when needed.
This is all really just an overview to give you a sense of what's possible so you can craft a personalized path to effective non-hormonal contraception that works best for you (and your partner/s).
It's pretty information-heavy, but hopefully will be a great resource for you to build your foundation from as you explore your personalized path to empowered birth control.
One informed choice at a time.
Listen in to learn:
- some basics on non-hormonal birth control
- why most non-hormonal birth control requires commitment (but is worth it)
- about a few options of barrier methods (condoms, diaphragm, cervical cap, sponge) + how to use them effectively
- some basics on copper IUD's (why you might love em or hate em)
- how withdrawal is actually a viable option in some cases
- an overview of fertility awareness and cycle tracking methods
- why fertility awareness is even better when combined with an additional non-hormonal method
- some herbal categories that may also be helpful to incorporate to prevent pregnancy
- what I consider to be the ultimate "natural contraception"
Resources:
- Sign up for the Natural Contraception program waitlist here!
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)
- Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign
- Episode 66: What is your irregular cycle telling you?
- Episode 84: Herbal support for transitioning off hormonal birth control
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
What does it mean to become fully yourself? And how can the plants and your womb help with that?
These are questions that are not as straightforward as they seem. Really, each of us carries our own unique blueprint and gifts that we can offer to the world.
And beginning to connect with that inner knowing, the place inside you that whispers that you are more than just a cog in the wheel of societal expectations, can take time.
But my guess is that, if you're here and reading this, you've already gotten a glimpse into this reality, and have begun relating with the plants, the earth or your body in a way that helps you feel more whole and connected.
That said, it's a process. And often feels a bit like a spiral, doesn't it?
In this week's episode, writer, herbalist and green witch Robin Rose Bennett brings together 35+ years of herbalism and a deep reverence for the magic of life itself to offer a generous dose of the wisdom she's gathered over time.
She shares about her own spiral of growth and becoming, her personal womb story throughout all of her phases, and what it can mean to be an elder in the world.
And she brings the plants in, too.
Listen in to learn:
- how herbalism can be an antidote to loneliness
- why Robin Rose Bennett chose to embrace the term "green witch"
- what a lifetime of herbal medicine can offer to your sense of belonging
- about Robin Rose's new book, and some bibliomancy readings from it
- how our relationships to our wombs can change dramatically over time
- thoughts on the womb-heart connection
- some herbs and recipes including motherwort, rosemary, mugwort + ginger
Resources:
- Pre order Robin Rose's new book: A Green Witch's Pocket Guide of Wisdom
- Check out the upcoming Portugal retreat (Oct 2023): The magic, medicine & mystery of trees
- Today's shownotes page: Get all the rest of the links to Robin Rose's offerings
- Episode 41: How nature connection can calm stress w Efan Hsieh
- Episode 56: Womb + heart connection
- FREE GUIDE: Track your cycle naturally (Fertility Awareness method basics)
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Have you noticed how many people acknowledge the seasonal transition from summer to autumn? It's one of the most talked about events-of-the-year.
Maybe that's because it's such a dramatic change. The vibrant heat and buoyancy of summer give way to the brilliant display of color and shedding of leaves on trees, and the return to the earth of many annual and perennial plants.
It's a small death, every year. And while we get used to it, and we trust that spring will come again, we also have to reckon with the diminishing light and the oncoming cold.
That said, most of us live in very protected environments shielded from the elements and are not subject to the "danger" of winter that our ancestors used to be.
Still, we feel it, and our bodies feel it too. Seasonal change is inherently destabilizing.
And from an Ayurvedic perspective, when we go from summer to fall, it's actually common to have over-accumulated heat from the summer that peaks in symptoms in early fall.
So instead of diving immediately into the spicy chai (and even pumpkin spice drinks) that are easy to desire as the cool weather sets in, it's actually important to cool and calm the heat, to simplify your diet a bit, and give your body a little support as it adjusts.
I dive into how all of this can look and more in this week's episode.
Listen in to learn:
- what NOT to do right after autumn equinox
- why you might actually need to focus on cooling rather than warming
- how Ayurveda views seasonal transitions
- a few signs and symptoms to look out for as the cooler weather sets in
- some herbs and foods that can be helpful for the shift from summer to fall
Resources:
- Today's showotes: Get links to the Ayurveda books I mentioned
- Episode 11: Dandelion herbal spotlight
- Episode 44: Herbal bitters and your hormones
- Episode 50: Adaptogens + hormonal health
- Episode 62: Embodying spring
- Episode 74: Cooling the summer heat in your body
- Free guide: Track your cycle naturally (Fertility Awareness basics)
- Free: Dandelion recipe collection
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
What happens when the goal is not just to reduce pain or remedy a pelvic health "disorder", but actually to prioritize pleasure?
What if it was possible to actually feel safe in your body, to listen to yourself, to gently ease into what authentically feels good for you... one step at a time.
It's tremendously easy to feel shame around any kind of health challenge, but somehow even easier to feel shame around the pain or dysfunction that shows up in our pelvis.
I mean, who wants to talk about not being able to hold their pee in, or how they haven't been able to have sex without pain (or a trauma response) for years - maybe ever.
It's not the kind of stuff we share freely with our friends, and may not even share it with our partners.
Pelvic health OT Laura Rowan helps clients to feel less pain and more pleasure in their pelvis and throughout their lives. It's not just about the pelvic organs, or sex, or pain.
Through manual therapies, vagus nerve stimulation practices, breathwork, vocalization, educating her clients on their own anatomy and more, she integrates a diverse tapestry of modalities to create a truly integrative approach to sexual and pelvic health.
You'll hear all about these and more in today's episode.
Listen to learn:
- how occupational therapists approach pelvic "dysfunction" differently
- what pelvic health imbalances can feel and look like
- why the root cause may have nothing to do with your pelvis
- the importance of the nervous system in pelvic health
- how breathing & vocalization can pay a role in pelvic healing
- why reducing pain should not be the ONLY goal
- how to enhance your sexual pleasure (one step at a time)
- ways to gain confidence in your sexual experience
- why "communication is lubrication"
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get all the resources + links Laura shares about here
- Episode 19: Pelvic health & liberation w/ Chaya Leia Aronson
- Episode 39: The practice of pleasure w/ Usha Rose
- Episode 52: Beyond aphrodisiacs - herbs to enhance pleasure
- Episode 61: Pelvic wisdom w/ Dr Emily Wilson
- Episode 64: Vagus nerve + sexual arousal
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Oh, Ashwagandha. An herb that almost every single one of us have heard of - at least by name, if not because we've used it at some point along the way.
A real celebrity of the plant world. And a true favorite among herbalists, too.
Before I share more, just take a moment to think about what you already know about this plant.
My guess is you probably think of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) as an adaptogen, and maybe as an ally for anxiety, or perhaps also to encourage more optimal sleep.
And yes, yes, and yes. These are all lovely uses for this easy-to-grow, rather unassuming plant.
But as you know, plants are complex, and cannot be pigeonholed into just a handful of "uses."
The truth is, ashwagandha has been worked with medicinally for thousands of years - not only in Ayurveda (which is what most of us think of), but also in the Middle East, and Africa too.
And the range of uses embodied in these traditions has included everything from easing back pain to reducing coughs to tending gastric ulcers all the way to promoting longevity and recovering after giving birth.
It's one of the most revered herbs in all of Ayurveda.
It's even a potent (and I might say indispensible) ally for every phase of our hormonal health - from menarche to fertility to postpartum to peri-menopause to post-menopause.
And I go into all of this - and more - in this week's episode.
Listen in to learn:
- the basics on Ashwagandha's medicinal actions, energetics + uses
- why ashwagandha is so highly respected in Ayurveda
- what a rasayana is + when you might consider using one
- the best ways to take ashwagandha for sexual + hormonal health
- safety considerations around taking ashwagandha
- about some clinical studies showing support for hormonal health
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get all the references! (so many)
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 30: 5 pillars of hormonal health the herbal way
- Episode 50: Adaptogens + hormonal health
- Episode 64: How does the vagus nerve affect sexual arousal?
- FREE GUIDE: 10 key herbs for your hormonal health
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Have you explored acupressure at all?
I think most of us know that acupuncture has a lot of potential benefit, and perhaps you've heard of how supportive it is for enhancing fertility and/or as an adjunct to fertility treatments like IVF or IUI.
But something less well known is that acupressure is a modality unto itself, which at times can be as effective if not more effective than acupuncture, and can be an incredible ally during the childbearing years.
And it's something that you can practice yourself or on a loved one, without needles.
That said, there are safety considerations you need to be aware of (especially in pregnancy!), and knowing which points to work with and how to do so effectively is a whole art and practice that can take years to master.
But you can start with one point at a time, and today's guest Sarah Tewhey gives a beautiful introduction to not only a few points that may be helpful in pregnancy, birth and postpartum, but also the philosophy behind this healing practice overall.
She's an acupuncturist, herbalist and doula and weaves these together in her clinical practice and as an educator. Really, I might call her one of the foremost experts (in the west) on this topic, and I don't think I'm exaggerating.
So curl up with a cup of tea and listen in to learn the basics on how acupressure can support you in your childbearing journey and beyond.
Listen in to learn:
- what acupressure is and how it's different from acupuncture
- specific points for common challenges in pregnancy, birth + postpartum
- safety considerations and contraindications and why this matters so much
- how to choose a great perinatal acupuncturist (hint: they aren't all the same)
- ways that acupressure gives you more options, and how empowering that is
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to all the acupuncture organizations, books + links Sarah mentions in the episode
- Episode 25: Immediate herbal postpartum care w/ Liz Philbrick
- Episode 29: Fertility rituals + mystery of time w/ Caroline Grace Ashurst
- Episode 49: Create a "sacred window" w/ Ashlee Sakaishi-Wilkin
- Episode 65: Grief + pleasure postpartum + beyond w Stacey Ramsower
- FREE GUIDE: Key herbs for your hormonal health
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Have you ever wondered what herbs may be supportive for the transition from hormonal birth control to natural cycles again?
It's actually not something that's talked about much.
But herbs can be wonderful allies to help cultivate an optimal foundation for our sex hormones to begin circulating naturally again, both for overall system support and symptomatic relief.
And they can also help further along the way if your cycle doesn't return or you notice they're irregular or have other symptoms coming up.
The truth is, up to 80% of people will begin menstruating again with no extra effort within 3 months after coming off birth control.
So really, the point is not "what can you do to bring your cycles back?" but instead it's more " how can you nourish and support your body to adapt and adjust to these changes so it has what it needs to encourage optimal hormonal health?"
That's the first step.
So focusing on optimal nutrition, nourishing herbs, herbs that help when adapting to change, liver support and making sure you're eliminating every day are most helpful.
I share all about what this means and many examples for you to get started with (and so much more - as usual!) in today's episode.
Listen to learn:
- why you might choose to go off hormonal birth control
- the first steps to take (hint: this involves cycle tracking!)
- what nutrition and supplements are essential when coming off hormonal birth control
- the four primary categories of herbs to focus on to support the transition
- herbs for common symptoms when discontinuing hormonal birth control
- how long to wait and what to do when your cycles don't come back or are irregular
Resources:
- FREE GUIDE: Track Your Cycle Naturally (Fertility Awareness)
- Episode 4: Herbal spotlight on tulsi
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? (And why that matters)
- Episode 11: Herbal spotlight on dandelion
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 22: Herbal spotlight on nettles
- Episode 32: Herbal spotlight on motherwort
- Episode 36: Blood building herbs
- Episode 40: Herbal spotlight on schisandra
- Episode 44: Herbal bitters & hormonal health
- Episode 58: How does your gut health relate to hormones?
- Episode 68: Herbal spotlight on milky oats
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
How does herbalism relate to astrology? I mean, what can the stars possibly have to do with the plants? Aren't they totally different disciplines?
These are such good questions. And honestly, I didn't even hear about the ancient practice of astro-herbalism until about ten years ago when I took a course on it.
Turns out western herbalism was actually deeply rooted in astrological practice hundreds of years ago.
Blending the two was a way to differentiate and understand the energetics of the plants. To match them more effectively with the people and the ailments as they were presenting.
It's actually not as esoteric and out there as it sounds at first.
Today's guest Andrea Webb offers a detailed glimpse into how bringing astrology and herbalism together helped her to understand the plants (and the planets) more fully.
She gives a general overview and then dives into a couple specific examples of how adding astrology into the picture can help to provide a more dynamic perception of the herbs she works with in her practice.
And then we go deep into mugwort, one of my dearest plant allies, and Andi shares about how her relationship with that plant completely changed her relationship with her womb.
She went from having a debilitating, sometimes emergency-level menstrual phase (that had her considering the possibility of a hysterectomy) to relatively easeful cycles.
It sounds miraculous, AND it's real. A story worth telling, indeed.
(plus she adds in her astro-herbalism perspectives on mugwort to bring it all together)
Listen to learn:
- what astro-herbalism is
- how to understand plants in relationships to planets and vice-versa
- the way herbal energetics show up in astrology
- the life-changing way mugwort showed up for Andi's menstrual health
- some of mugwort's medicinal actions
- an astroherbal perspective on mugwort
- how birth charts can be helpful in choosing herbs for a formula
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to all of Andi's offerings!
- FREE 10 Key Herbs for Menstrual + Hormonal Health Guide
- Episode 15: What's a plant ally? (+ how to find yours)
- Episode 18: Uterine tonics
- Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign
- Episode 42: Reclaim your menstruation
- Episode 56: Womb + heart connection?
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal heal
Late summer has arrived, and with it a sense of fall coming soon. In the earth, in our bodies.
As folks with wombs, we're intimately connected with the seasons outside of us.
And it's in this late summer season we can start to feel an urgency or desire to both relish in the abundance and joy of summer in all its glory, and also store and preserve our foods and medicines for the coming winter.
Herbal vinegars are a form of preservation that brings it all together.
We can make everything from strongly medicinal vinegars we are working with intensively for a clear purpose all the way to fun and lighthearted shrubs or oxymels we can prepare with the intention to uplift and/or enjoy with friends in a social setting.
Herbal vinegars are versatile, accessible, and also - unsurprisingly - a remnant of our ancestral womb lineages. A form of medicine that's been around as long as written records have been, and likely a lot longer than that.
But what are the actual benefits of medicinal vinegars?
When would we choose them over other preparations, and why?
What do they extract better than other methods?
I cover all of this (and more, of course), in this week's episode.
Listen to learn:
- what herbal vinegars are
- a little on the history of herbal vinegars (hint: they're ancient)
- different medicinal preparation methods from around the world
- some of the modern research on health benefits of vinegar
- why we might want to incorporate herbal vinegars for hormonal health
- some herbs that may be especially helpful in the form of vinegar
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get references + link to Herbal Vinegar book
- Episode 4: Herbal spotlight on tulsi
- Episode 11: Herbal spotlight on dandelion
- Episode 22: Herbal spotlight on nettles
- Episode 32: Herbal spotlight on motherwort
- Episode 44: Herbal bitters & hormonal health
- FREE GUIDE: 10 Key Herbs for Your Hormonal Health
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal heal
So many of us spend days, weeks, months researching and taking classes, preparing ourselves for the event of childbirth.
Because it feels mysterious and miraculous and like something we need to train for.
And that makes sense. It's a huge milestone unlike any other in our lives.
But what about the tremendous transformation that occurs the moment you become a parent (for the first or second or third time)?
How do you prepare for not only the baby arriving, but also the physical, mental and emotional recovery that's often much more intensive than we expect?
Most of us don't. At least not in the US.
Deeply restorative, nourishing postpartum care is all but a thing of the past. But thankfully there is also a resurgence.
More and more birthworkers are looking to various cultural traditions to glean the wisdom of thousands of years of supporting birthing parents after birth.
And postpartum doulas like today's guest Rachael Hollinger are inspiring a whole new generation of postpartum care providers to honor the fourth trimester as a time when not only baby needs attention and care, but also the mother (or birthing parent).
So, what can that look like?
Everything from nourishing food to herbal remedies to steams and baths to rest to warmth and so much more. It's a paradigm shift, not just more "things to do."
You'll hear all about how important all of this is, especially when pregnancy or birth is hard, in this week's episode.
Listen to learn:
- what nourishing, deeply restorative postpartum care means
- how Rachael came to this work from her own childbearing challenges
- how Hyperemesis gravidarum can affect pregnancy, birth and postartum
- why it's important to tell REAL birth and postpartum stories
- 5 essential elements of truly restorative postpartum care
- a simple recipe that's perfect in the immediate postpartum period
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to 'The Pause' retreat + Rachael's offerings
- Episode 22: Herbal spotlight on nettles
- Episode 25: Immediate herbal postpartum care with Liz Philbrick
- Episode 32: Herbal spotlight on motherwort
- Episode 65: The healing power of your sensual body in postpartum
- FREE 10 Key Herbs for Menstrual + Hormonal Health Guide
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal heal
What is receptivity? And how does it relate to our wombspace?
In the world of gynecologic health, the concept of a receptive womb is all but left to the scientific research articles talking about encouraging an optimal uterine lining so potential implantation can occur.
And while that is absolutely important (of course having a robust and nutrient-rich uterine lining is a sign of not just uterine health but also overall health), there is more to the story than just the physical components.
In my perspective, cultivating the energy of receptivity is JUST as important as having the physical building blocks we need for womb health.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that supporting the reproductive and generative organs in our womb with everything from visualizations and loving self-touch all the way to herbs and grief and trauma work can ALL encourage more optimal receptivity.
The truth is, we are not just physical bodies.
We have emotions, we have traumas, we have grief, we have patterns and we need tools and strategies to support us on multiple layers as we work to enhance our receptive energy - whether for fertility, sensuality or hormonal health overall.
Which is exactly what I get into in this week's episode.
Listen to learn:
- what receptivity is and how it relates to the wombspace
- examples of nature representing the soft and yin qualities
- how security, safety, trauma, grief + creativity are all connected to the womb
- why it's important to offer yourself loving attention and "no agenda" touch
- simple practices and ideas for you to cultivate receptivity in your body
- some herbal allies for nourishing your receptive wombspace
Resources:
- FREE MEDITATION: Womb connection and clearing guided visualization
- Episode 19: The importance of softening in your pelvis w Chaya Leia Aronson
- Episode 28: Rhythms of your womb: Invitation to slow down
- Episode 29: Fertility rituals + mystery of time w Caroline Ashurst
- Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
- Episode 61: Womb tending with Dr Emily Wilson
- Episode 77: Myofascial release for breast/chest + pelvis w Lindsay Courcelle
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal heal
"Communicating with plants" can feel mysterious, especially if you're new to it.
And really, what does it mean to connect with them? How do you cultivate a relationship beyond knowing their name and potential ways to work with them?
What happens when we start to weave ourselves back into the story of the landscape, and recognize that plants are actually always sensing and communicating with us and the entire ecology around them?
Plants are beings just like humans. They may be more stationary, but they are absolutely sentient and when we learn to tune into their subtle language (whether that's physical, chemical or intuitive), there's so much we can receive.
Like today's guest herbalist and author Liz Neves shares, even just being around plants can offer healing once we expand our perception of what's possible and open up to receiving their wisdom.
She shares stories of developing her own relationships with plants, partly through relationship with place, even though she's primarily lived in the urban world of NYC for the past 20 years.
With tools like meditative states, presence, creative expression and just noticing who shows up, we can begin to make connecting and communicating with plants into a daily practice that helps us experience more meaning and healing throughout.
Listen to learn:
- what meeting a plant wherever you are means
- how to begin to connect with the plants and landscape around you
- simple practices you can start with to cultivate these relationships
- stories that give glimpses into what plant connection can look like
- ways to connect with plants whether you're in a city or live rurally
Resources:
Today's shownotes: Get links to Liz's work and the artists she mentions
Episode 15: What's a plant ally? And how to find yours
Episode 28: Rhythms of your womb - an invitation to slow down
Episode 72: Weaving the ancestral thread
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal heal
Have you ever paid attention to how your energy, desires, symptoms, even feeling of mental capacity or self-confidence changes throughout your menstrual cycle?
Well, this IS a thing and it's not just you.
The hormonal fluctuations throughout the waves of our menstrual cycle have four fairly distinct phases - menstrual, follicular, ovulatory and luteal.
And each of those phases can be characterized as having certain qualities.
It is tremendously empowering for folks to start not only tracking their cycles but also get to know what patterns and strengths or weaknesses they notice in each of them.
To see the strengths, the weaknesses, the tendencies - and start to come to expect them, accept some of the harder parts and really harness the strengths of each phase as superpowers.
This entire way of perceiving our bodies and our cycles has been a trending topic over these past few years, and is commonly known as cycle awareness or cycle synching.
But I wanted to jump in and throw my own version of this beautiful practice into the mix, including probably most importantly not being to strict about it, and above all else, listening to YOUR body to learn what's true and right for YOU.
Not just attach to some idealized version you read about in a book or saw on TikTok.
Listen in to learn:
- how to identify each phase of your menstrual cycle
- what the gifts of your menstrual phase are
- ways to harness the strengths of your follicular phase
- why your ovulatory phase in not just ovulation
- about the delineation of the luteal phase into two phases, not one
- why listening to your unique body is most important
Resources:
- FREE GUIDE: Track your cycle naturally (Fertility Awareness method)
- Today's shownotes: Your cycle superpowers
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)
- Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign
- Episode 42: Reclaiming your menstruation
- Episode 69: Cyclical archetypes w Em Dewey
- Episode 73: Cyclical movement with Tara Lynn Steele
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal heal
Have you heard of fascia?
It's become a bit of a trending topic, but in case it's new to you, just know that it's a form of connective tissue that connects everything to everything in your body.
I'm actually not exaggerating. It's basically the matrix that covers every organ, bone, muscle, and tissue and connects them to each other.
And in living bodies, it's actually ever-changing and dynamic, responding to movements, traumas, impact - whether physical or emotional.
It can become tense and tight or fluid and relaxed, according to today's guest - myofascial release therapist Lindsay Courcelle.
And if you've been listening for a while, you'll probably know that our pelvic bowls and our breasts/chest are two places in our bodies that have a tendency to store trauma and emotions more than others.
So much of our sense of safety, sensuality, sexuality, creativity, nourishment and relationship can show up in these power centers of our bodies.
Which is why something as simple as a gentle, slow and deeply listening touch like myofascial release can have profound therapeutic benefit for those who are holding any emotions in our tissues (hint: that includes almost all of us).
Listen in to learn:
- what fascia is and why it's dynamic and ever-changing
- how your fascia responds to emotions and trauma
- why touching your body IS touching the earth + vice versa
- what myofascial release (MFR) is and how it's different from other massage + craniosacral work
- how the slow, gentle, patient approach of MFR encourages lasting change
- ways to support your pelvic bowl + breasts/chest through MFR
- a simple guided breast/chest myofascial release practice you can do now
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get Lindsay's links + more here
- Sign up for Lindsay's Myofascial Breast Care class here (USE COUPON CODE: wisdom to get the course for $33 - which is 66% off!)
- Episode 26: Premenstrual breast or chest tenderness? Ease your symptoms
- Episode 28: Rhythms of your womb: Invitation to slow down
- Episode 72: Weaving the ancestral thread -connecting to womb lineage herbal traditions
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal heal
Phytoestrogens...
What are they? How do they work? Are they helpful or harmful?
Honestly, these questions are more complicated to answer than they seem, even though researchers have been diving into this topic for decades.
In the end, the basics are that phytoestrogens are plant-derived compounds that act similarly to estrogens in our bodies.
But they're milder acting than our natural estrogens so on the one hand they can reduce the effect of estrogen in our bodies when they bind to receptors (so can be helpful in excess estrogen conditions for example) but they can also encourage a mild estrogenic activity when we are in an estrogen deficient state (like say, perimenopause or post-menopause).
That said, not all phytoestrogens are equal, and actually there's even some new research showing that the makeup of our gut microbiome may have some effect on whether or not phytoestrogenic compounds have any benefit in our bodies.
They're even being researched in estrogen-dependent cancer situations to act potentially as SERMs (or selective estrogen receptor modulator) type compounds.
But all the current research aside, what benefits might they have in your body?
And what kinds of plants are even included in this category?
Listen in to learn:
- what phytoestrogens are
- how phytoestrogens work
- what makes these plant compounds a bit complicated
- how phytoestrogens help to modulate estrogen levels
- how phytoestrogens can reduce menopausal symptoms
- the latest on phytoestrogens and cancer
- when you might want to avoid taking phytoestrogens
- a few phytoestrogenic herbs and simple ways to work with them
Resources:
- FREE GUIDE: 10 essential herbs for your hormonal health
- Today's shownotes: Get all the nerdy references here!
- Episode 18: Herbal uterine tonics
- Episode 30: 5 pillars of hormonal health the herbal way
- Episode 37: Easing into menopause with Dana LaVoie
- Episode 58: How does your gut health relate to your hormones?
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal heal
Breath.
How can such a simple, unassuming practice that happens automatically every few seconds be such a powerful ally in changing our body, our mind, our emotions, and more?
I'm sure you've experienced it. You've noticed how your breath quickens and seems to be bursting out of your chest when you're in a panic moment. Or you've noticed that deep belly sigh that can happen when you finally relax after a long, exhausting day.
Indeed, breath is both an indicator of how we are in a moment, and also a tool we can work with to CHANGE how we are in that moment.
When we intentionally, strategically work with deepening and slowing our breathing, or changing the breathing patterns, or breathing through nose or mouth or even quickening our breath for periods of time, we have access to far more than just our lungs.
According to Pause breathwork practitioner Liz Harris, some of these intentional breathing patterns can actually be harnessed to move beyond our conscious mind to access our subconscious in a safely held way, especially when we repeat breathing patterns for more than eight minutes straight.
And for Liz, this intentional breathwork practice has been profoundly supportive in her recovery from disordered eating patterns and restoring a healthier body image.
Which is something probably most of us could use some support with.
Listen in to learn:
- how breathwork helped Liz go from disconnected to loving her body
- what intentional breathwork practice can look like
- ways breathwork can help us release stuck emotions and trauma
- why having a facilitator holding space can be a key to pattern change
- a couple of very simple breathing practices you can start with now
- benefits and contraindications with intense breathwork practice
Resources:
- Shownotes: Breathwork, body image + disordered eating
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 21: Chronic illness, disordered eating + menstrual cycles
- Episode 41: Nature connection to reduce stress
- Episode 64: How the vagus nerve affects sexual + pelvic health
- FREE GUIDE: Track your cycle with fertility awareness method
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal heal
It's summa summa summa-time!
Summer solstice is upon us and the heat is kicking in. Have you ever noticed how your body responds to the summer heat?
For those of us with more fire physically and mentally, the heat can aggravate some of our symptoms or create new ones altogether. For others, the summer heat can be very balanced and welcome.
But either way, the heat can sometimes be too much.
From exacerbating inflammation, sparking fiery emotions, catalyzing quick digestion or painful spasms, or drying up our tissues and more, heat has an impact on us.
So to stay harmonized with the season, learning to cool the summer heat in our bodies can help us feel better in our menstrual cycles, hormonally, and overall.
In today's episode, you'll learn about 10 herbs as well as some lifestyle and dietary practices you can incorporate into your daily routine to cool and calm your body and mind - in this season and beyond.
Tune in to find out:
- how the summer heat messes with your body and mind
- the qualities of pitta dosa and how that corresponds with summer
- why some of us are more impacted than others by the heat
- ten herbs to help calm and cool you this summer
- some easy + accessible cooling food and drink options
- a quick cooling breath practice and other simple cooling ideas
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Cool the summer heat in your body
- Episode 11: Dandelion herbal spotlight
- Episode 32: Motherwort herbal spotlight
- Episode28: An invitation to slow down - womb rhythms
- Episode 44: Bitters and hormonal balance
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal heal
Have you explored the world of cycle synching at all?
It's a concept that's been developed and popularized really over the past decade or so by some menstrual health influencers, but the truth is they were just tuning in to what our bodies already tell us.
The basics are that each phase of our cycles (menstrual, follicular, ovulatory and luteal) are characterized by different hormonal fluctuations and this impacts everything from our energy, to our sleep, to our appetite, to our attention and focus, to our facial features.
In other words, our cyclical hormones have a whole body, whole life impact and this also includes our ability to engage in different kinds of physical activity (yep, exercise).
So many of us try to stick to the same movement routine day after day or week after week, especially when we're actively training or trying hard to reach fitness goals.
But the reality is that if you start to listen more deeply to what you body is telling you in different phases, you'll probably start noticing that some weeks you just have less energy and you may want to be doing more floor-based or slow-but-strong exercises, whereas other weeks you're all in for cardio like running or dancing or a big hike.
While we're all unique (so it's always important to listen to your own body's signals), today's guest Tara Lynn Steele is a functional mobility coach who bridges the worlds of exercise and cyclical living into her practice.
She shares all about what she's learned and uncovered in both her own and her clients' bodies about the most effective ways to "unleash your [cycle] superpowers" by aligning your movement to your cycle.
And since she's a joint mobility expert, she shares some tips on how to work with your hormones to enhance your joint stability, too.
Listen to learn:
- how to optimize your exercise based on the four phases of your menstrual cycle
- why cardio and weight lifting may feel more natural sometimes and restorative yoga might be calling to you other times
- when the best time to engage in social dancing, group exercise classes or community hikes is
- how your joint stability changes throughout your cycle
- when your body is primed to try new things and take risks
- some basics on how to stabilize your joints if you're hypermobile
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get links to Tara Lynn's work + other resources
- Free guide: Track your cycle - Fertility Awareness method basics
- Episode 5: How to tell if you're ovulating (and why it matters)
- Episode 17: Stress response and your cycle
- Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign
- Episode 66: What is your irregular cycle telling you?
- Episode 69: Cyclical archetypes with Em Dewey
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal heal
Have you explored the herbal lineages of your ancestral lines?
Most of us come to plant medicine learning either the plants around us (which is a wonderful way to begin!) or studying a particular tradition (western, Chinese, Ayurveda, or a specific regional medicinal practice).
But at this point in history, most of us have become pretty disconnected from our ancestral homelands, especially if we live in industrialized countries full or immigrants, colonists, or a history of forced migration.
Because of this, many of us have lost our relationship to our personal ancestral plant traditions, and in that process, completely lost connection to the wisdom from our womb lineages as well.
Before the individualized, industrialized, global-centric world we live in today, all of our ancestors had a relationship with plants as both food and medicine.
And especially those in our womb lineage would have carried and passed on much of the home and family herbalist traditions, and midwives would have been carrying the wisdom of cycles and seasons of our lives.
In simpler words, we all have womb lineages. And those lineages were often medicine carriers. Your cells hold this memory, and your wombspace does, too.
Today's episode offers a glimpse into how you can begin to explore reconnecting to these lost parts of yourself, with your womb and the plants at the center.
Listen to learn:
- why I think herbal medicine is your birthright
- about the co-evolution of plants and people
- how your womb lineage may have carried plant wisdom
- simple ways to learn more about your personal womb lineage
- ideas for connecting with the herbal traditions of your ancestral lands
- first steps on forming a plant ally from your womb lineage landscape
Resources:
- FREE Womb embodiment, clearing + connection meditation
- Episode 1: What is womb wisdom?
- Episode 15: What is a plant ally? (and how to find yours)
- Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
- Episode 61: Pelvic wisdom and trauma healing w/ Dr Emily Wilson
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Have you ever noticed that you feel turned on by certain scents? Or even just noticed a relaxation response from lavender, or a stimulating energy from rosemary?
Aromatherapy is both a simple practice accessible to all of us and a more advanced therapeutic modality that can take a lifetime to study.
But the basic concept is that the volatile oils of plants (also called essential oils) can be captured through the process of distillation. The production of these oils can take anywhere from hundreds to thousands of pounds of plant material to create one pound of essential oil.
In other words, they are precious, highly concentrated medicinal plant extracts and are best worked with sparingly.
That said, these volatile oils (which you can smell) can be profoundly therapeutic, and can be worked with one drop at a time.
Their scents can transport us. Get us into our bodies. Relax us. Tune us in. Turn us on.
And that's exactly what we explore in today's episode.
Clinical aromatherapist Amy Anthony shares all about how to work with essential oils in a sophisticated and intentional way to enhance libido, sensuality and sexuality from a personalized-to-you lens.
Listen in to learn:
- what aromatherapy is from a professional perspective
- how essentials oils work in the body
- why more is not better when it comes to essential oils
- safety concerns and basics on working with essential oils
- how plants communicate to us through their scents
- how to look for quality essential oil sources
- how aromatherapy can enhance your sensuality and sexuality
- some "insider" tips on blending essential oils for best effect
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Links to books and resources Amy mentioned
- Episode 19 : The importance of softening
- Episode 39: Jade eggs and the practice of pleasure
- Episode 52 : Beyond Aphrodisiacs
- Episode 64: Vagus nerve + sexual arousal
- Episode 68: Milky oats for sensuality + sexuality
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Can we just talk about how wholly unprepared most of us are for this massive transitional time in our lives?
It's one of those things we often don't talk about until it starts happening.
And even while it's happening you might feel shame about having symptoms like insomnia, mood swings, hot flashes, changes in libido, skin, metabolism or your cycles.
You're expected to just keep working, tending to your kids and life responsibilities, while also feeling unsure about whether what you're experiencing is normal.
And are these even symptoms of the menopausal transition? What else might be going on in your late 30's, 40's and early 50's that may be at the root of some of your hormonal imbalances?
There's a lot to unpack here. And instead of seeing this time as a complete mystery, I'm here to offer basic information about what perimenopause actually is and how it can be a time of powerful reclamation of yourself rather than a total shitshow.
Listen in to learn:
- what the difference between menopause, perimenopause, early menopause, premature menopause and post-menopause are
- when your symptoms might NOT be perimenopause
- a new paradigm of thought around the perimenopausal time
- ways to help prepare for a more easeful transition whether you have symptoms or not (and no matter what age you are)
Resources:
- FREE Track your cycle basics guide
- Today's shownotes: Is it perimenopause?
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating?
- Episode 18: Uterine tonics
- Episode 41: Nature connection + stress w Efan Hsieh
- Episode 66: What is your irregular cycle telling you?
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
At this point, the concept of the seasons of our menstrual cycles has become familiar to many of us. In other words, considering our inner winter as menstruation, inner spring as follicular, inner summer as ovulatory, and inner fall as luteal.
And if you haven't yet heard that description, there's a quick introduction to it.
But there's a difference between speaking these words, or seeing them written, and actually embodying them.
There's more to these archetypes than just the seasons themselves.
And as today's guest, herbalist and menstrual health coach Em Dewey shares, learning to familiarize herself with these seasons as they show up uniquely in her own cycle (vs what the picture perfect version looks like) completely changed her relationship with her body.
Her initiation into cyclic living and embracing her own patterns opened up an entirely new world for her. One in which she dove deeply into archetypal energies beyond the seasons, and explored the lunar cycle, animals, plants, the tarot and more as they related to her own cycling body.
She was so taken by this journey that she started an herbal company based on cycle wellness AND co-authored a divinatory oracle deck (Sacred Cycles) that helps you to more deeply understand some of these archetypal energies and your own body rhythms on a deeper level.
Listen in to hear all about:
- what an archetype is
- how to deepen your cycle awareness with archetypal energies
- what we both consider to be missing from the "maiden, mother, crone" trifecta
- ways not only the seasons, but lunar rhythms, plants and even tarot can relate to your cycle
- a couple simple ways to start cycle tracking for self awareness
- how Em's relationship to her body changed through cycle connection
Resources:
- Shownotes: Get the Sacred Cycles Deck + Em's links
- Episode 28: Rhythms of your womb
- Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign
- Episode 66: What's your irregular cycle telling you?
- FREE GUIDE: Track your cycle with fertility awareness
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Could it be possible for the humble oat plant to have a transformational impact on your sexual, sensual and hormonal health?
The answer is a resounding YES.
Between the oats you eat for breakfast, the oatstraw you drink in nourishing infusions, and the milky oats extract from the unripe seed heads that contain a luscious nourishing "milky sap" that is a true nervous system tonic, the unassuming oat plant is actually a bit of a wonder.
It's essentially a "food for your nervous system," especially when you're burnt out, frazzled, or just plain depleted. Which is, of course, not uncommon in this world that asks so much of us all the time.
And it's partly because of the deep nervous system restoration that milky oats is perfectly suited to supporting your arousal, your libido, your cycle health and more.
When we think about sex, we're unlikely to think of oatmeal. But let me tell you, there's a reason to, and I share all about it in this week's episode.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- the different medicinal actions between the oats you eat, oatstraw and milky oats (hint: they are each completely different)
- why I now consider oats to be an ESSENTIAL herb for hormonal health
- actions and traditional uses of the oat plant in all its forms
- ways to work with oats to nourish your sensual, sexual + hormonal health
- some interesting scientific research both validating traditional uses of oats and adding some new insights
- how to tell when milky oats are ripe and why I recommend growing them
Resources
- Today's shownotes: Check out the references and research articles
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 30: 5 pillars of hormonal health the herbal way
- Episode 64: How does the vagus nerve affect sexual arousal?
- FREE GUIDE: 10 key herbs for your hormonal health
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Okay, let's be real. 1 out of every 3 births in the United States is a cesarean. So, if you've experienced a C-section birth, you're far from alone.
That said, many people wish to achieve a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) and possibly even want to try that at home.
And while there's certainly risk involved, there's also a very high success rate.
So what can you do to prepare yourself for a successful VBAC?
So much! And today's guest, naturopath and clinical herbalist Jahwei Chen-Graf shares all about her personal embodied experience of her home birth-turned-cesarean and her TWO subsequent vaginal births at home.
She reveals all the holistic ways she prepared for her VBAC, including homeopathic remedies, herbs, finding the right care provider, movement, mindset, book recommendations, and more.
And she gives tips gleaned from her clinical practice, too.
Her stories are insightful and inspiring, and the truth is we need to hear more positive birth stories, and especially stories that challenge what we've been told and help us to trust our bodies innate wisdom.
Whether or not you've had a cesarean, if you're preparing for a natural birth, this episode is perfect for you.
Listen to learn:
- Jahwei's embodied insights and birth stories (home birth-turned-cesarean followed by two vaginal births at home)
- how to prepare your body and mind for a VBAC
- specific practices Jahwei found especially helpful
- a list of books and resources to help you prepare for natural birth
- why it's important to find a birth provider who believes in you
- homeopathics and herbs that may be helpful in pregnancy and labor
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get Jahwei's links + all the resource recommendations!
- Episode 25: Immediate postpartum herbal care with Liz Philbrick
- Episode 33: Homeopathy, hot flashes + menopause with Ruth Hull
- Episode 55: How to heal Diastasis recti with Dr Christine Klein
- Episode 57: Self care + healing after cesarean with Lilliana Rivera
- FREE GUIDE: Gardening for your menstrual + hormonal health
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Irregular cycles. Are they something to just shrug off, or is it important to pay attention to them?
The answer is, it depends. But almost always, they are giving you some kind of information that will be helpful for you to understand not only your hormonal health, but also you whole body health.
After all, your cycle is a vital sign.
So if you're noticing cycles longer than 35 days on a regular basis, or you're missing cycles regularly, or you're noticing shorter then longer cycles, or it seems like they've completely vanished, your body is telling you something.
During our primary cycling years (which include decades of our lives), healthy menstrual cycles between 26 and 34 days are ideal. They tell us we're on the right track, that we're not too stressed or undernourished or that something else is out of whack.
They give us basic reassurance, and when our rhythms get wonky, we can start paying attention to our symptoms to get a picture of what might be going on and how to restore our healthy rhythms.
It's a gift to have these cycles to give us so much information.
Listen to today's episode to learn:
- why irregular cycles are something to pay attention to
- what your cycle might be telling you
- 3 common causes of irregular cycles
- a few less common causes of irregular cycles
- implications of irregular cycles over the long term
- what a regular cycle looks and feels like
- why our cycles are a treasure
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: What your irregular cycles are telling you
- FREE GUIDE: Track your Cycle Naturally with Fertility Awareness
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 37: Easing into menopause with Dana LaVoie
- Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign
- Episode 47: Severe PMS? All about PMDD with Jes (Her Mood Mentor)
- Episode 63: Hashimotos? Nutrition & lifestyle wisdom for thyroid health with Kamila Veljkovic
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Have you ever noticed yourself becoming more aware of your senses when you're in the depths of grief or loss?
It's an interesting thing that feeling such grief can remind us of what we love, to paraphrase a Martin Prechtel quote that this week's guest Stacey Ramsower shared.
Somehow, dropping into what sometimes feels like emptiness, helplessness, or lostness, can actually help us feel what matters most.
Which seems counter-intuitive but is often true.
Whether it's the often-unspoken grief we experience postpartum when our identities change or grief after another loss or immense life transition, pleasure is commonly part of our healing path.
And we talk all about this, and so much more, in this weeks episode.
Listen to learn:
- about the intersection of grief and pleasure
- how inner listening may help you connect with your own pleasure
- ways that your simple senses might help you remember what you love
- why it's important to acknowledge your grief postpartum
- pelvic pain and pain with sex postpartum and some tips to navigate it
- how any kind of immense loss can lead to grief and how pleasure heals
Resources:
- This week's shownotes: Get links to Stacey Ramsower's work
- Episode 19: The importance of softening with Chaya Leia Aronson
- Episode 27: Sex, relationships and psychedelics with Juliana Goldstone
- Episode 39: Jade eggs and the practice of pleasure with Usha Rose
- Episode 49: How to create a sacred window in transitional times with Ashlee Sakaishi-Wilkin
- FREE GUIDE: 10 key herbs for your hormonal health
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Ahh, the vagus nerve. It's funny how this nerve has basically become its own kind of celebrity.
I mean, who would have ever thought that a nerve could gain such popularity and trending hashtags? But it has, and for good reason.
Not only does the vagus nerve comprise 75% of our parasympathetic nervous systems*, but it's also the longest cranial nerve (meaning the longest nerve that travels from the brain into the body).
And this nerve impacts everything from our breathing to our heart rate to our digestion to our arousal!
But there are also some risks and concerns we should consider before we go all in on vagal toning, some of which may surprise you.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- basics on the vagus nerve (anatomy, relationship to organs)
- why vagal response is not always a good thing
- simple ways to enhance your vagal tone
- which pelvic organs the vagus nerve innervates
- why heart rate variability is important to track
- how the vagus nerve relates to sexual function and arousal
- why you want both sympathetic + parasympathetic activity for sex
- specific ways to enhance your pleasure using vagal toning
Resources:
- FREE GUIDE: Track your cycle naturally (fertility awareness)
- Today's shownotes: Check out the references + resources
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 19: The importance of softening with Chaya Leia Aronson
- Episode 39: Jade eggs and the practice of pleasure with Usha Rose
-
Episode 52: Beyond aphrodisiacs: Herbal approaches to enhance pleasure
-
I say 80% in the episode, but it's really 75%!
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Hashimoto's is more common than you may think.
In fact, up to 5% of all people in the US may be faced with this autoimmune disorder, which often shows up between the ages of 30 and 50 and is significantly more common in women and folks with wombs.
But the reality is that Hashimoto's itself doesn't have to mean you end up with hypothyroidism, especially if you catch it earlier and implement a variety of nutritional and lifestyle approaches that can even reverse the condition altogether.
That said, every person is unique, and your tiggers may be completely different from someone else with Hashimoto's.
Understanding your unique triggers can give you incredible power in being able to keep yourself in a state of remission, particularly once you start to experience more noticeable symptoms.
Today's guest, nutritionist Kamila Veljkovic, shares all about different root causes that may be at the core of Hashimoto's, and nutritional or lifestyle suggestions to support you in reducing symptoms and possibly even heading towards remission.
She's got both personal embodied and clinical expertise in this area, and this conversation is full of gems you'll walk away with.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- what Hashimoto's is and how it differs from hypothyroidism
- the tests that can help you to determine if you have Hashimoto's
- a few of the major root causes of Hashimoto's
- some of Kamila's favorite supplements for her clients
- a holistic lifestyle approach to address Hashimoto's and autoimmunity
- how an integrative plan may be exactly what you need
Resources:
- Download the Track your Cycle Naturally free guide
- Today's shownotes: Get Kamila's links here!
- Episode 11: Herbal spotlight on dandelion
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign
- Episode 51: Cultivating stress resilience + menstrual health with Pirita Hilton
- Check out Kamila's FB group: Reversing Hashimoto's with nutrition
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
It's spring, it's spring!
And that means... it's time to clear out the gunk accumulated over the winter (inside and out). Especially if you've been eating lots of rich foods, hibernating indoors, or feeling stagnant and sedentary at all.
The earth is coming alive and inviting us to come alive with it.
So, what are some simple ways you can engage with the spring season to encourage optimal health?
From an Ayurvedic perspective, the spring season is associated with the Kapha dosha, which encompasses the elements of earth and water. In other words, mud.
Which is sometimes what our bodies feel like in springtime, especially if we have a tendency towards congestion or sluggishness.
So working with herbs, foods and lifestyle habits can have a tremendous impact on whether we clear out the heaviness or become burdened by it.
And once we've cleared out the gunk, we can start to focus on cultivating healthy "soil" in our bodies and embodying the real magic of the spring season (eg fertility, sensuality and sexuality).
You'll hear all about all of this and more in this week's episode.
Listen to learn:
- how we can sense the season in our bodies
- what foods and herbs can be helpful to balance out Kapha dosa
- which wild weeds are perfect choices for balancing out Spring
- about spring tonics from a western herbal perspective
- a few options for gentle spring "cleanses"
- what to do after you clear the gunk out (hint: nourish)
- why spring is the perfect time to re-engage your sexuality
Resources:
- Grab wild weeds pesto + dandelion recipes here
- Today's shownotes: Embodying Spring
- Episode 8: Exploring cycles of the earth in your body
- Episode 11: Dandelion herbal spotlight
- Episode 22: Nettles herbal spotlight
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Who isn't living with some form of trauma in our current world?
It's just part of our lives, and whether you've got something lingering from childhood, a more recent experience, or even chronic underlying patterns that carve out longer term less-overt forms of trauma, we've all got something to heal from.
And as you may already know, trauma commonly settles into the pelvis - whether it's sexual or not.
Today's interview with pelvic floor physical therapist Dr Emily Wilson explores a variety of different practices specifically focused on your pelvis, womb and cervix that may be helpful for you to begin your personal trauma healing journey.
You'll learn about how the position of your womb may carry a certain meaning, why your psoas (a muscle spanning from your mid-back to your groin) may be holding tension, and how your cervix may be trying to tell you something - all through deeply listening to patterns of imbalance in your body.
Emily really bridges her knowledge of physical therapy techniques with more intuitive healing work, which helps make this work accessible for pretty much all of us.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- why healing trauma using conventional physical therapy may not be enough
- how to begin connecting with your womb wisdom simply and gently
- some ideas of what the position of your womb in your pelvis may mean
- about the cervix as a guardian
- why the psoas is essential to consider when healing trauma
- how the "witch wound" may be showing up in your life
- about the womb as a powerful seat of embodied wisdom
Resources:
- Sign up now for the Pelvic Health Summit (this weekend!) 3/24-3/26
- Check out today's shownotes with Dr Emily Wilson's links!
- Episode 1: What is womb wisdom?
- Episode 10: Traditional womb healing practices w/ Sondra Hamilton
- Episode 16: Healing from narcissistic abuse + trauma w/ Amy Branum
- Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
If you're familiar with my style, you know I'm not a this-for-that kind of herbalist so when I was asked the question a couple weeks ago, "what herbs do you recommend for hormonal health?" My answer was unsurprisingly, "it depends."
But I wanted to create something to answer that question that also incorporates the concept of WHY we would choose each of these herbs.
Not just what the herbs are, not just their actions, but how they support hormonal health from a more wide-lens perspective.
So I referred back to the 5 herbal pillars of hormonal health that I covered last summer, and chose a range of some of my favorite herbs that cover each of those, so you have a few herbs you can begin to explore depending on what symptoms and patterns you see showing up in your body hormonally.
No matter what menstrual challenge or peri-menopausal weirdness you've got going on, it's likely at least one of these herbs may be an ally for you.
In the end, it's less about the exact symptoms and more about what's underlying your imbalances that matters.
And you'll hear all about that and more in this episode.
Listen to learn:
- why hormonal health is more complex than just addressing symptoms
- review the 5 herbal pillars of hormonal health
- 10 of my favorite herbs to incorporate into hormonal health formulas
- specific indications, energetics and insights on each herb
- how tracking your symptom patterns helps you choose herbs
Resources:
- FREE download: 10 key herbs for your hormonal health
- Sign up for the Pelvic Health Summit (March 24th-26th)
- Episode 4: Herbal spotlight on Tulsi
- Episode 11: Herbal spotlight on dandelion
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 22: Herbal Spotlight on nettles
- Episode 30: 5 herbal keys for hormonal health
- Episode 32: Herbal spotlight on motherwort
- Episode 40: Herbal spotlight on schisandra
- Episode 44: Bitters and hormonal balance?
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Let's just be real and acknowledge this is an edgy topic.
It's one of those things we don't talk about and often stays tucked in the dark and under the table, so much so that most clinically trained herbalists (and even midwives) have little to no training on this topic AT ALL.
So most of us just avoid the topic. We assume that herbal abortifacients are unsafe and inappropriate and other abortion techniques (like medication, aspiration or clinical) are a better option.
But is there a place for herbal abortions, and if so what would that look like?
Midwife Molly Dutton-Kenny gives a glimpse into an answer that may surprise you.
As a full spectrum midwife, she's been offering abortion care in various forms for her entire career, and even chose the path of midwifery to become a better abortion provider!
Honestly, I'm not sure there's anyone better suited to speak on this topic than she is.
Plus, she's been part of a collective of folks who've gathered and recorded data on herbal abortion care that has recently been published into an article, which we also cover.
It's a fascinating exploration into what's safe and effective, what's not, and so much more.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- the difference between self-managed abortions + at-home abortion care
- stories of Molly's first experiences offering herbal abortion care
- how she wove together many trainings to become an abortion provider
- basics on pregnancy prevention the herbal way
- how encouraging menstruation differs from abortion
- some examples of herbs that may be incorporated into this care
- what's normal and what's not in the abortion experience (+ safety)
- details about the published article and their findings on efficacy
- why dosing low and slow is better than high and fast
- how diverse different practitioners' protocols are
- ways to learn more!
Resources:
- AHG Article: A Place for Herbal Abortion in Clinical Herbalism
- Molly's Herbal Abortion Resource Page
- Episode 5: How to tell if you're ovulating (and why it matters)
- Episode 7: Natural contraception? All about Wild Carrot
- Episode 24: Reproductive sovereignty (nuanced thoughts)
- Episode 53: Herbs, rituals and care after abortion
- Register for the Pelvic Health Summit
- Get the FREE guide: 10 essential herbs for your hormonal health
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
It’s easy to think that our systems are separate. We don’t typically think - “oh, I have a hormonal imbalance, I wonder if my food sensitivities or bloating are related to that."
But the truth is, your gut is intricately related to your hormonal health in a variety of ways.
And most especially through your miraculous microbiome, including a specialized part called “the estrobolome.”
Whether you have PCOS, endometriosis, estrogen dominance or even if you have perimenopausal or other hormonal imbalance symptoms, the composition of your microbiome is likely a part of the picture.
Our endocrine system is complex. And finding that dynamic dance of optimal hormonal health we’re seeking is often a multi-facted path.
Whether it’s stress, inflammation, detoxification, elimination, microbiome health, or even sleep, every single one of these factors impacts your gut. And also your hormones.
This episode gets nerdy in good ways, especially if you’re curious about how all of this works.
Listen in to learn:
- how your hormones affect your gut, and how your gut affects your hormones
- what the metabolome and estrobolome are and why they matter
- specifics on the microbiome and PCOS, endometriosis, menopause and thyroid imbalance
- how oxytocin ("the love hormone") affects your gut
- specific ways you can restore a healthy microbiome and gut (herbs, diet, lifestyle, etc)
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Find all the nerdy references here
- Last day (2/28) for $25 off to Pelvic Health Summit! Use discount code: LOVEYOURWOMB
- FREE guide: 10 Essential Herbs for Your Hormonal Health
- Episode 11: Herbal spotlight on dandelion
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 44: Bitters and hormonal balance?
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Cesarean births are on the rise globally. And though the numbers are staying pretty stable in the US, they account for about 1/3 of all births here.
Regardless of where you live, the healing process afterwards is something we absolutely do NOT talk about enough. It's multifaceted and different for everyone.
For some, cesareans are a chosen form of birth. But for many, they're a completely unexpected direction for a birth to go, and they are sometimes very rushed.
While you might have been preparing for the birth process (homebirth or hospital, natural or otherwise), you probably weren't anticipating a cesarean birth, so you probably didn't learn everything you would want to know about them.
And even beyond that, you probably weren't considering the much more intensive postpartum healing journey that takes place after major abdominal surgery.
Needless to say, there's a lot to this. And whether or not the cesarean was desired, there's often some kind of trauma, whether physical or emotional, that comes along with it.
This is what we dive into in today's episode with abdominal massage therapist and holistic womb coach, Lilliana Rivera.
She shares all about her own cesarean births and womb story, and how she healed her chronic pain and numbness in her lower belly, and also worked on integrating her emotional trauma that was held in that place for years after her second cesarean.
It's a beautiful conversation about the depth of healing possible when you offer yourself self-care and therapeutic practices to support your healing process.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- different modalities to support your healing after cesarean birth
- how abdominal massage therapy can help with scar tissue, pain, numbness
- why your womb may be holding emotional trauma (from birth or otherwise)
- that healing is possible whether your cesarean was last year or 40 years ago
- how cultivating a relationship with your womb is deeply healing in itself
- ways to navigate body image issues and self-acceptance post-cesarean
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get Lilliana's links + more
- Sign up for the Pelvic Health Summit (use discount code: LOVEYOURWOMB)
- Episode 10: Traditional womb healing practices
- Episode 25: Immediate postpartum care with herbs
- Episode 42: Reclaim your menstruation
- Episode 49: How to create a sacred window in transitional times
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Have you ever heard anything about the connection between your womb and your heart?
It may sound strange, like they are so different in their structure and function that it doesn't make sense, but in both traditional teachings from Chinese medicine and in current scientific research we see they are more linked than you may think.
Modern western biomedicine tends to separate and isolate body parts as if they don't have anything to do with each other. As if the cardiovascular system is completely disconnected from our generative or reproductive organs.
But in reality, this just isn't the case.
From my own embodied experience, I've seen how both our hearts and our wombs are powerful centers of intuitive knowing and also are both places where strong emotions show up.
When we look to the traditional paradigm of Chinese medicine, we see that this is not just a fanciful myth, but has a real basis in how imbalances arise in our wombs.
And in modern science, we're also starting to see an actual physiologic connection between these two organs, particularly in the menstrual years, that may be a reason that cardiovascular risk is lower pre-menopausally.
It's fascinating stuff, and worthy of all of our attention.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- 3 different perspectives on the heart-womb connection
- how to start to connect to both of these powerful centers in your body
- some basics on Chinese medicine theory and how the Heart is protected by its relationship with the Womb
- why it's so important to work on healing your trauma and process your grief and some ideas on how to start doing so
- simple first steps you can take to encourage womb clearing and healing
- some of the emerging science around how our wombs may actually help to physically heal heart damage!
Resources:
- Today's shownotes page: Womb and heart connection + links
- Free womb embodiment + clearing meditation
- Sign up for Pelvic Health Summit (discount code: LOVEYOURWOMB)
- Episode 10: Traditional womb healing + clearing with Sondra Hamilton
- Episode 29: Fertility rituals + the mystery of time w/ Caroline Grace Ashurst
- Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
- Episode 43: Vaginal steaming w/ Julia Demillones Moore
- Episode 53: Honoring the loss w/ India Elyn
Dedicating this podcast episode to the beautiful life of womb wisdom keeper, Ayah Buonaugurio. Thank you Ayah, for all you offered to this world.
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Diastasis what? I know, this is not the most common topic of conversation for most of us.
But Diastasis recti (aka the separation of your visible abdominal muscles) is actually not that rare. Especially postpartum.
And you may not even know you have it!
While it’s not a condition that has major consequences initially, it’s something that impacts the integrity of your entire core so it’s helpful to address it, even if it’s years after it started.
The thing is, most of us probably consider this an abdominal issue, and think of the need to rehab from just a strengthening and exercise perspective.
But the truth is it’s easy to rehab this incorrectly in a way that may lead to future challenges if you’re not also incorporating your pelvic floor and what Dr Christine Klein talks about as “internal pressure regulation.”
In other words, your abdominal health is intimately intertwined with your pelvic health and we cover how it all relates and so much more in this week’s episode.
Even if you don’t think you’ve got abdominal separation, there are gems for you in here.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- How pelvic floor physical therapy can support everything from digestive challenges to painful sex to postpartum recovery and more
- What Diastasis recti is and how to tell if you have it (simple ways to check at home)
- The difference between diastasis recti and hernias
- Ways to prevent Diastasis recti during pregnancy
- A specific breathing practice that can help you regulate internal pressure, calm your nervous system and help your healing process
- Exercises to avoid and exercises to include in your rehab process
- A few additional drops of pelvic health wisdom from Christine sprinkled throughout
Resources:
- Today’s shownotes: Links to Christine’s work and resources
- Episode 19: The importance of softening the pelvis
- Register for the Pelvic Health Summit (discount code: EARLYBIRD)
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Is vitex really "the great hormone balancer" of herbs?
If you’ve ever googled “hormone balancing herbs” I bet you’ve found a list of herbs including vitex (or chaste tree berry).
It’s probably one of the most well-known herbs for hormonal regulation in modern practice. And for good reason.
People work with vitex for fertility, irregular cycles, irregular bleeding, estrogen dominant conditions, PCOS, psychological and physical PMS and PMDD, and to reduce things like hot flashes and support vaginal tissues perimenopausally.
But is vitex good for everyone?
The answer is more complicated, and really depends on the specific picture that’s showing up in your own body. It’s not about the condition, it’s really about what’s causing that condition.
Put simply, vitex is an incredibly effective herb for some people, and not the right one for others.
So, can vitex help you? Listen in to find out.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why vitex has been a staple herb for gynecologic conditions for over 2500 years
- How to grow this herb and what it looks like and tastes like
- Medicinal actions and indication for vitex
- Why some historical uses are perplexing for this herb
- The many times and places you might consider vitex
- When you might want to think again before choosing vitex
- How I like to think about working with vitex
- Recent updates on clinical studies and scientific research
- Safety concerns and contraindications
Resources:
- Register for the Sacred Pelvic Health Summit! Get $37 off by using discount code EARLYBIRD before Feb 4th! Sign up here.
- Download the 10 Essential herbs for your hormonal health FREE guide here
- Today's shownotes: Get the nerdy references + see photos of Vitex
- Episode 3: Ayurveda & your hormonal health with Kimberly Kubicke
- Episode 13: Vitalist approach to balancing hormones with Heather Luna
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 23: Your body on birth control with Gabrielle Claire Jansen
- Episode 30: 5 herbal keys to hormonal health
- Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign
- Episode 47: Severe PMS? How PMDD might be at the root of your symptoms with Jes
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Let's be honest, there's a gaping hole in our society around caretaking ourselves after loss of any kind. But most especially around pregnancy loss, and even more so around the experience of abortion.
It's interesting to consider how quick we are to express our opinions about abortion rights (no matter where you are on the spectrum of choice), but how very rarely we ever talk about what it really means to choose to end a pregnancy.
I know this is a tender topic. It's not something we're used to openly talking about.
Which is exactly why I invited India Elyn, author of the book 'Honouring the Loss: A holistic guide to healing with ritual and herbal medicine' to come and share about her embodied experience and professional offerings supporting folks to navigate the abortion journey.
From the contemplation phase, through the active abortion process (medication or otherwise), and healing afterwards (even many years later), herbs and rituals can offer beautiful adjunct support.
This conversation is honest and explores the depths of emotions that can show up on this journey that most of us keep hidden from the world. May this interview be a gift to your heart and your womb.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- how India came to write her book (her personal story)
- why it can be helpful to honor your loss, even if it was decades ago
- about the lack of support and healing resources around abortion
- how to begin to engage with your own healing + grief
- some herbal allies that may be especially supportive for you
- the importance of ritual + some ideas of simple rituals to explore
Resources:
- Today's shownotes: Get the links to India's book and work with her
- Episode 22: Herbal spotlight on nettles
- Episode 24: Reproductive sovereignty (+ nuanced thoughts on herbal approaches)
- Episode 32: Herbal spotlight on motherwort
- Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
- Episode 49: How to create "a sacred window" in transitional times
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Aphrodisiacs. A term you've probably heard countless times in your life, most of us have at least, in popular culture, media, movies, books and maybe even classes.
The thing is, the term aphrodisiac is too general to really give us much insight into how the herbs or foods are even working in our bodies.
Really, all 'aphrodisiac' means is that at some point in human history, that substance has encouraged libido, arousal and/or enhanced pleasure. It doesn't tell us how or when we might choose one over another.
And there are a multitude of herbs that fall into this category. So, how do you decide which ones are right for you?
Well, instead of just glossing over a list of herbs, today's episode covers 5 core areas that are keys to enhancing your pleasure, and examples of herbs in each.
This way, you can reflect on your own personal experience of pleasure and your body's individualized needs to narrow down which herbs may be most helpful for YOU on your personal pleasure path.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- why not all aphrodisiacs are the same
- how to begin exploring your individual needs and why that matters
- 5 core areas to enhance pleasure from an herbal perspective
- brief descriptions of herbs in each of these categories
- some ways to work with these herbs you may not expect
Resources:
- Today's shownotes page: Beyond Aphrodisiacs
- Episode 18: Uterine tonics
- Episode 19: The importance of softening the pelvis
- Episode 27: Sex, relationships + psychedelics
- Episode 28: Rhythms of your womb
- Episode 29: Jade eggs + the practice of pleasure
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Your cycle is a vital sign. A clear signal that can help you understand the map of optimal health (or not) in your body.
When you see symptoms coming up, anything from PMS to irregular cycles to menstrual pain to fertility challenges, that’s your body saying ‘it’s time to make a change.’
But what changes do you make?
Especially if your symptoms are vague or “subclinical” (meaning not quite at the level of diagnosable), you may feel lost and confused on what steps to take first.
But if you’re living in the modern world (how are you reading this if you’re not?), then it’s quite likely that chronic underlying stress is a part of the picture, so that’s a great place to start.
But when we talk about stress, what do we mean?
The reality is that stress is NOT just having to rush your kids to school or get a project done by a deadline. You may also be living with chronic internal stressors like blood sugar imbalance, chronic inflammation, or digestive issues.
It’s not just external stress that messes with your hormones, it’s also internal stress.
And holistic nutritionist and menstrual health coach Pirita Hilton shares all about her personal embodied experience of reaching a level of stress that felt like burnout, which included completely losing her menstrual cycle for a whole year, intense migraines, horrible acne and just feeling completely exhausted. And how she found her way back to vitality and menstrual cycle wellness.
She also lays out some basic lifestyle habits that have replenished her and her clients, and a couple specific ideas you can get started with today.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- How chronic stress, perfectionism, over-exercising + “clean” eating can lead to menstrual health problems
- Why it’s so important to pay attention to that inner voice of wisdom inside you
- All about internal and external stressors and how those impact your hormones
- A 5 pillared approach to encouraging optimal hormonal health
- 2 simple practices to nourish your nervous system you can start today
Resources:
- Learn to track your cycle to understand what your body is telling you: Track Your Cycle free guide
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign
- Episode 41: How nature connection can reduce stress + burnout
- Episode 50: Adaptogens + your hormonal health?
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Unless you’ve been hiding out in the woods with no media over the past decade, my guess is you’ve heard of adaptogens. And at some point you may have tried some.
This herbal action has basically reached celebrity status, as far as herbs go. And for good reason.
They support us in states of chronic stress, support our blood sugar regulation, enhance our stamina and some even encourage better sleep.
But contrary to popular belief, adaptogens are NOT right for everyone. And not all adaptogens are the same.
Understanding the basics behind how they work and which ones might be most appropriate for you (or not) at this time in your life is foundational.
Most of us have no idea when to choose one or another one, and what affinities certain adaptogens have for different times of life, symptom pictures, or constitutions.
Not to mention which ones might be most helpful for various hormonal imbalances.
So tune into today’s episode to learn all about how adaptogens work and ways they might be supportive for your individual hormonal health - and why you might want to add some other herbs in to get even better results.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- What adaptogens are and how they work (beyond the hype)
- Why some plants you might think are adaptogens may not be
- When to avoid adaptogens
- Why not all adaptogens are the same and how to determine which is right for you
- How adaptogens can support your hormonal health (in more ways than one)
- Some of my favorites and a beirf snapshot on each of them
Resources:
- Learn to track your cycle naturally - Step-by-step Cycle Tracking Guide
- Today’s shonotes: Get the references to learn more about adaptogens
- Episode 4: Herbal spotlight on Tulsi / Holy Basil
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 30: 5 herbal keys to hormonal health
- Episode 40: Herbal spotlight on schisandra
- Episode 45: Embodying WInter with Jade Alicandro
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
What could it look like to experience deep nourishment and caretaking during major transitions in our lives?
For those of us with wombs, we travel through multiple significant transitions purely because we have menstural cycles. Everything from our first period (menarche), to becoming a parent, to pregnancy loss or release, to menopause, and beyond.
And we go through massive changes throughout our lives unrelated to our wombs, too. Times when our identities are turned over completely and we have to find our way from who we once were to who we are now.
Whether it’s wombcycle changes or grief from loss of a loved one, embracing a chronic illness, navigating a recovery process, finding ground after a break-up or divorce, or changing careers, we are all familiar with transition. We may not like it, but we know what it feels like.
The truth is most of us in the modern world have no support for these transitions beyond some well-meaning “congratulations” or “I’m so sorry” from people who love us. We may even be lucky enough to have someone create a “meal train” to help feed us for the first weeks or months after the change, but more likely than not, we navigate this terrain primarily alone.
But we as humans are social creatures. We are not meant to navigate these massive transitions alone, and there is SO much that ancestral wisdom can teach us about how to care for these shaky times on a physical, emotional and spiritual level.
And Ayurvedic practitioner Ashlee Sakaishi Wilkin is here to share all about how we can create what is called “a sacred window” to nurture and replenish ourselves on all levels in these times of change, and how our community is an essential part of that.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- how Ayurveda perceives times of transition
- what “a sacred window” means and how to create one in your life
- why a sacred window is not limited to postpartum care
- ways to incorporate your personal ancestral lineage into your care
- why it’s not too late to create a sacred window even if your transition was years ago
- what Vata is, and why it's essential to understand in times of change
- specific foods and practices to nourish your body, mind + spirit for optimal whole being health through these transitions
Resources:
- Links to Ashlee's offerings on today's shownotes: How to create a sacred window
- Episode 3: Ayurveda and your hormonal health with Kimberly Kubicke
- Episode 25: Immediate postpartum care with Liz Philbrick
- Episode 28: Rhythms of your womb
- Episode 45: Embodying winter with Jade Alicandro
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
The longest night of the year is upon us. The energies of quiet, receptivity and stillness are palpable (if you listen beyond the frenzy of holiday preparations) and our bodies are attuned to this darkness in ways we might not realize.
How are you honoring this time in your body and your life?
So many of us have lost touch with the ancestral seasonal traditions that commonly harnessed the energy of the season to enrich our lives, that evoked meaning and depth from something that often is glossed over as just "the first day of winter" in modern times.
But there is a power and a potency in this time of the year that we all have access to.
And today's episode is an invitation to explore how you might be able to engage with this energy intentionally in 9 simple ways, with a dash of womb wisdom thrown in.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- what winter solstice is (beyond the first day of winter)
- how winter solstice connects to the moon and your womb
- the energetic qualities of winter solstice
- how to engage meaningfully with this time of the year
- 9 simple ways you can explore honoring the solstice (from self-reflection prompts to ideas for rituals to the importance of rest and beyond)
Resources:
- Womb connection + clearing guided visualization (free)
- Today's shownotes: 9 ways to honor winter solstice
- Episode 1: What is womb wisdom?
- Episode 8: Exploring seasons + cycles in your body - Spring
- Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
- Episode 42: Reclaim menstruation with rest, ritual + replenishment
- Episode 45: Embodying winter with Jade Alicandro
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
So many of us are told it's "normal" to feel depressed, anxious or irritable premenstrually. As if we should just accept it and move on.
And even when the symptoms are significant, maybe even debilitating, we're told to either just push through them or to medicate them away.
But the thing is, there are some people who experience symptoms that are far beyond the weepiness, mood swings and bloating for a few days that PMS brings.
And most of us have no idea it even exists. It's called PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder).
And it can be so debilitating that people can feel totally incapacitated for the entire second half of their cycle, and it can lead to depression so significant that it's hard to do daily tasks, show up for relationships, get to work, or even get out of bed.
We're talking PMS on steroids. For weeks. And then as if by magic, it all disappears around menstruation.
Today's guest, Jes (from Her Mood Mentor) shares all about her personal embodied experience of 17 years with PMDD and the integrative approach she developed to help herself and others find ease and comfort in their bodies and cycles after years of suffering.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- what the difference between PMS and PMDD is
- how PMDD impacted Jes' relationships, jobs, school, etc
- examples of how PMDD can look in different people's lives
- why conventional treatments often don't help those with PMDD
- the difference between symptom relief and root cause approaches
- why a multi-faceted approach is best (+ what might be included in that)
- some of Jes' favorite herbs to support folks with PMDD
Related Resources:
- Today's episode shownotes: Get Jes' links + blog post, etc
- Episode 4: Herbal spotlight on tulsi/holy basil
- Episode 11: Herbal spotlight on dandelion
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 22: Herbal spotlight on nettles
- Episode 30: 5 herbal pillars for vibrant hormonal health
- Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Okay, so let's be honest... vaginal fluids are not everyone's favorite topic.
In fact, so often we avoid talking about the fluids, smells or colors we see "down there," especially with friends, family members, and even healthcare practitioners.
It's a sensitive topic, I know. But your fluids (and yes, by fluids I mean discharge, mucus, arousal fluids, etc) offer a lens into the health of not only your vagina, but also your whole body health.
We can tell everything from whether we're ovulating, to hints at how our hormones are doing, to signs of vaginal infections or imbalances, all through paying attention to the timing, texture, color and smell of our fluids.
What if you changed your perspective of vaginal fluids from being just a thing you mark down on your cycle tracking chart (or barely notice) to something that is a treasured library of knowledge about what's going on in your body?
How would that change your experience?
Listen to the episode to learn:
- all the kinds of vaginal fluids you might experience
- how your fluids may change depending on your phase of life
- what's considered "normal" and what's not
- how to figure out what's normal for you
- the difference between cervical fluids, arousal fluids, healthy vs unhealthy vaginal secretions and mucus, lochia, and more
- why you might experience more fluids (and infections) in pregnancy
- when to seek out more support (eg textures, colors, smells) and the basics on what "abnormal" vaginal fluids might be telling you
Resources:
- Learn what's normal for you: Track Your Cycle guide (free)
- Shownotes + research for this episode: Vaginal Fluids 101
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)
- Episode 9: Your vaginal microbiome
- Episode 31: Recurrent BV? A whole person approach
- Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
How do you relate to the winter season? What are the ways that you naturally support your body through this time of colder, darker days?
These aren't questions we often ask, at least not in the dominant western worldview.
But traditional wisdom from around the world teaches us that winter is a time for quieting down, for reflection, for introspection and for deeply nourishing ourselves.
For supporting our inner resilience.
For cultivating our capacity to withstand stressors.
Which as you might imagine, is especially important for our hormonal health, too.
And today's guest, community herbalist Jade Alicandro, weaves the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine together with her embodied practice of bioregional herbalism to offer simple and accessible steps we can take right now to encourage optimal health this winter and beyond.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- what it means to live a seasonal lifestyle
- some of the basic energetics and elements of each season
- the importance of acknowledging late summer
- how the seasons are reflected in the phases of our wombs
- why winter is connected to the water element
- simple ways we can harness the energy of winter
- foods and herbs that are especially supportive for us in this time
- why astragalus, maitake, and nettles are winter essentials in Jade's kitchen
- a couple culinary herbs to help ease menstrual cramps
Resources:
- For links to Jade's course Spice Rack Medicine (enrolling now) and all her other offerings: Check out today's shownotes page!
- Episode 8: Exploring the cycles of the earth in our bodies
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 20: Earth, Womb + Seed Connection
- Episode 22: Herbal spotlight on nettles
- Episode 41: How nature connection can calm stress + reduce burnout
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Bitter herbs beyond digestion?
It's true. Almost everything we ever hear about bitters is about how they stimulate our appetite, encourage digestive juices to flow and enhance our bowel movement.
Like, literally, that's what most people say, on repeat, every time they talk about bitters.
But there is SO MUCH MORE to these herbs and foods than just supporting our digestive function (though that's obviously important too).
Did you know there are "bitter taste receptors" outside of the digestive tract?
Well there are. And they're everywhere... from your heart, your respiratory tract to your uterus.
This awareness as only been really coming to light in recent years, but it explains a lot about why some herbs may have affinity for some organ systems.
So in this episode I cover all of this and more, exploring the specific ways that bitters enhance our digestion and how many of those actually impact our hormonal health (for real!) as well as our emotional and mental health, too.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- what the bitter taste is and how it works in the body
- what bitters actually do to enhance your digestion
- why you may not have to taste bitters to achieve the medicinal effect you're seeking
- some examples of my favorite bitters and which organ systems they have affinities for
- what to consider when adding bitters into your protocol from a constitutional and energetic perspective
- why I wouldn't want to be without bitters when working on hormonal health challenges
Resources:
- Free dandelion recipe collection!
- Today's shownotes + all the nerdy references: Bitters + hormonal health?
- Episode 8: Spring tonic herbs
- Episode 11: Herbal Spotlight on Dandelion
- Episode 30: 5 herbal pillars for hormonal health
- Episode 32: Motherwort love: An herbal ally for every season of your womb
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Vaginal steaming. Yoni steaming. Pelvic steaming.
Whatever name you use for this practice, it's likely you've heard of it, and maybe even tried it. Or... maybe this concept is totally new to you.
At the most basic level, it's like making a strong tea and sitting over it with a bare pelvic floor. Almost as simple as it can get.
And really, it's ancient. Steam itself is one of the easiest ways to receive benefits from herbs (especially aromatic ones). And in my mind is an underused form of hydrotherapy that was likely practiced by MOST of our ancestral lineages.
But over the past few years, there's been a bit of a vaginal steaming revolution.
And I think for good reason. It's a deeply healing practice that has many benefits, and certified vaginal steam facilitator Julia Demillones Moore shares all about it.
Listen to this week's episode to learn:
- basics on how to steam + some simple herbal combinations to try
- what kinds of conditions benefit from steaming (hint: A LOT)
- when you definitely want to avoid steaming
- what the best times of your cycle are to steam
- some reasons you may want to be cautious or work with a practitioner
- 3 common myths + misconceptions about steaming
- a simple tip on how to steam when you're traveling!
Resources:
- Check out the shownotes for all of Julia's links + those mentioned: Herbal steaming for pelvic health
- Learn to track your own cycle so you can safely steam at the most ideal times of your cycle with this FREE cycle tracking guide
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)
- Episode 10: Traditional womb healing practices with Sondra Hamilton
- Episode 19: The importance of pelvic softening with Chaya Leia Aronson
- Episode 22: Herbal spotlight on nettles
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
It's the first day of your period, your moon, your bleeding time. What do you do?
If you're like many, it's probably just a day like many others with the added need to make sure your have menstrual products to capture your blood, and possibly something to medicate the pain away or deal with other symptoms.
Or maybe you honor this time in some way already. Maybe it's a time of rest, a day out of time, a time you embrace as something more meaningful than just "a period."
Our cycles are powerful, and the days we bleed hold a special quality.
Even if we experience challenging symptoms, these days offer connection to an altered state that allows us to connect more deeply to our inner womb wisdom.
But in order to experience the power of this time more completely, we have to intentionally offer ourselves the space, time and presence to do so.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- why your period is far more than just "that time of the month"
- how to engage meaningfully with your menstruation
- how our cultural misunderstanding of menstruation leads to our perceptions
- practical ideas to incorporate rest into your menstruation
- suggestions of various rituals you can explore during this time
- specific foods and some herbs that are key for replenishing your body
Resources:
- Get the Cycle Superpowers chart inside the free Track Your Cycle Guide
- Today's shownotes page: Reclaim your menstruation
- Episode 22: Herbal spotlight on stinging nettles
- Episode 28: Rhythms of your womb
- Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
- Episode 35: From endometriosis to pregnancy with Sarah Shapiro
- Episode 36: Herbal approaches to blood building
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Sun exposure. Bare feet on earth. Time with trees.
All of these practices may seem simple (and they are), but they also have the potential to affect your body, your mind, and your spirit profoundly.
And today, functional medicine health coach Efan Hsieh shares all about not only some nature connection practices that may be beneficial to ease stress and burnout, but also the science behind how they do what they do.
Chronic stress (and burnout) can have a tremendous impact on your hormonal health and in this modern world, almost all of us are faced with these at some point in our lives (if not constantly!). So having tools to reduce or ease our stress is essential.
Nature connection is one of those tools.
Listen to today's podcast to learn:
- what nature connection is and how it can support a healthier stress response
- how stress and burnout mess with your overall health
- some specific practices you can start with that are easy and accessible
- the physiology behind how sunlight impacts your sleep rhythms
- the science of "earthing" and how barefoot walking supports you
- how electromagnetic frequencies impact your health
- ways to practice nature connection in cities or rural places
Resources:
- Today's shownotes with Efan's links + book rec's: Nature connection, stress + burnout
- Episode 8: Seasonal cycles in the earth and our bodies
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Oh, schisandra, what a great herbal love.
I know, not as popular as say, dandelion or nettles, but to me, schisandra is just as essential for our apothecaries.
Perhaps you're familiar with this plant already, maybe you think of schisandra as an adaptogen, or as a lung tonic, or even as an herb to contain and replenish fluids in the body... or maybe you're completely new to this beautiful herb.
Either way, this episode will help you to get to know this plant - which is not commonly thought of as a hormonal or sexual health herb - in a new light.
Truly, an herbal ally for transitions in our cycling years, and beyond.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- why schisandra is one of my favorite herbs
- how Schisandra's taste tells us about the medicinal properties
- schisandra's traditional and modern energetics and actions
- how schisandra is viewed from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective
- modern applications of schisandra for whole body health
- some updates on recent research and clinical trials on schisandra
- when you might incorporate schisandra into your hormonal health protocols
- how schisandra is especially supportive for perimenopause + post-menopause
Resources:
- See photos, videos + references from today's episode: Schisandra lovin'... an herbal ally for whole body resilience + hormonal health
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 32: Motherwort love: An herbal ally for every season of your womb
- Episode 33: Homeopathy, hot flashes + the menopausal transition
- Episode 37: Easing into menopause
- Learn how to track your cycle + symptoms so you can understand what's going on in your body with this free guide
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
What's your relationship to pleasure?
I'm talking your personal pleasure... not what you think you should like, not just orgasms, not just what you do out of habit or routine or to please others.
But actually what you want, what feels good to you, in your body, in your life.
How much do you prioritize that kind of pleasure in your life?
If you're like most of us, it's probably rare.
We live in a world that glamorizes productivity and minimizes taking the time to be present with ourselves. Which leads to much of the 'pleasure' we experience being by default, or based on what other people want.
As sacred sexuality educator Usha Rose says in this week's podcast, "most of us are people pleasers." It's how we're socialized. It's not your fault that you might not even know what you want, or even think to consider it on a deeper level.
But pleasure is your birthright, and in this episode we explore everything from how to begin noticing what you like, to what might be standing in the way of your own pleasure (hint: SO many things), to specifically how a jade egg practice is a tool you can try to enhance your personal embodied, orgasmic pleasure.
It's packed with wisdom and practical steps to support your pleasure. And you deserve it. We all do.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- why pleasure matters in your life (it's not just sexual)
- some practical ways you can explore + enhance your own pleasure
- how our sense of safety + security can play a role in our access to pleasure
- what a personal pleasure practice is + why you need one
- the basics on working with jade eggs + how to get started
- the sensual, sexual + health benefits of a jade egg practice
- contraindications and considerations around jade eggs
- how sensuality, sexuality and spirituality are all related
Resources:
- Check out today's shownotes, extra resources + links to Usha's work
- Episode 19: Pelvic health + liberation - the importance of softening
- Episode 16: Healing from narcissistic abuse + trauma
- Free guided womb embodiment + energy clearing meditation
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
What’s your cycle telling you?
Just like breathing, heart rate, temperature and blood pressure, your menstrual cycle is an essential function that offers clues and insights into how your body is doing.
A vital sign.
And what’s especially interesting is that our menstrual cycles are not just a momentary look at overall health and wellness, they’re actually a barometer of the past few weeks, or months, or even years of our lives.
They’re a glimpse into how we’re doing OVER TIME.
And when we learn to listen to the intricacies of our cycles, we not only cultivate a deeper relationship with the wisdom of our own bodies, but we can then use the knowledge we gather to more effectively tend our hormonal, cyclical and whole body health.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- what it means for your menstrual cycle to be a vital sign
- why medical professionals have also incorporated this into their practice
- how to start listening to your own cycle
- how your cycle can tell you about your overall health
- what key things to look for as indicators of health imbalances
- when it's most important to track your cycle
Resources:
- Free step-by-step guide to get you started tracking your own cycle
- Today's shownotes: Your cycle is a vital sign
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)
- Episode 23: Your body on birth control
- Episode 26: Premenstrual breast or chest tenderness?
- Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Most of us think of the menopausal transition as something that happens later in life.
...in our 40's or 50's. After our childbearing years are completely over. As our fertility wanes.
And while that's partly true, there's another part of the story.
The reality is that our bodies are always changing, from the time of menarche (first period) all the way through menopause (12 months after our last period).
And instead of looking at these times as defined phases, acupuncturist Dana LaVoie speaks about the gradual shift of hormones that begins as early as our twenties and continues into our forties and fifties until they stabilize post-menopause.
And there is SO much we can do along the way, no matter how young we are, to support a gentle transition.
Listen to today's episode to learn:
- how to know if you're approaching the menopausal transition
- why you might want to start preparing your body (and mind) for the menopausal transition as early as your 20's
- how traditional Chinese medicine differs from common conventional medical in treating peri-menopause
- ways that herbs, foods, and lifestyle can support the menopausal transition no matter how old you are
- basics on the traditional art + practice of incorporating tonic herbs into your life
Resources:
- Today's episode shownotes: Easing into menopause with Dana LaVoie
- FREE step-by-step guide to track your cycle with fertility awareness
- Episode 5: How to tell if you're ovulating
- Episode 17: How stress messes with our hormones
- Episode 30: 5 herbal pillars for vibrant hormonal health
- Episode 33: Homeopathy for hot flashes with Ruth Hull
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Have you ever thought about the importance of having well-nourished blood?
I think it's one of those elements of our bodies that we neglect to think about often enough. We're always talking about our livers, our digestion, our hormones, our brain.
But what about that absolutely essential viscous liquid that carries essential nutrients everywhere in our bodies, our blood?
I think maybe it's because our blood moves, and isn't defined as one organ, that it can be easy to overlook and just take for granted.
But if you've experienced anemia of any kind (like true symptomatic anemia) or a significant blood loss through hemorrhage or menstrual flooding for instance, you'll be well aware of how important this life force liquid actually is.
Without our blood bringing oxygen, nutrients, hormones, immune cells and more to all the nooks and crannies of our bodies, we'd basically start to wither away.
Our blood matters. And the quality of it does, too.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- what the somewhat vague concept of blood building entails
- why I believe blood building is a lost ancestral art
- how traditional cultures approach building the blood
- ways to tell if you need to nourish your blood
- why your blood may be depleted
- specific herbs and foods that are especially helpful
Resources:
- FREE Dandelion love recipes book
- Episode 36: Episode shownotes from today
- Episode 22: Herbal spotlight on nettles
- Episode 11: Herbal spotlight on dandelion
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
What is a fertile body?
And how do our societal narratives limit what's possible for us when we're trying to conceive?
Nutritionist + herbalist Sarah Shapiro shares all about her personal four year journey to cultivating optimal fertility in her body that started at 36.
And in contrast to conventional medical wisdom which says that 35 is some kind of fertility cliff, she was healthier than ever when she finally conceived at 40 years old.
Along the way, she discovered that the extremely painful periods she had been experiencing her entire life were actually NOT normal, and likely pointed to endometriosis which seems to have been the primary reason she experienced fertility challenges to begin with.
The truth is that she flipped the script on what we're told about fertility, avoided surgery that was offered to her to remove endometrial lesions, and conceived a healthy babe with the support of nutrition, supplements, herbs, mindset + more.
Listen in to hear:
- how fertility is not just about being a certain age
- why learning the signs + symptoms of endometriosis is important even if you're not TTC
- Sarah's path to fertility through nutrition, lifestyle, herbs, mindset work and more
- the importance of listening to YOUR inner guidance (whether TTC or not)
- understanding fertility as a whole health issue
- how impactful healing your relationship with your cycle + womb can be
Resources:
- Get the links Sarah mentions today on this week's shownotes page
- Step-by-step free guide to Track Your Cycle Naturally
- Try this free Womb Embodiment and Clearing Meditation
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones + menstrual cycle
- Episode 29: Fertility rituals, womb wisdom + the mystery of time with Caroline Ashurst
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
How would your experience change if you actually treated your womb like an altar?
I know, this concept may seem strange at first, but the reality is that your womb is arguably the most powerful place in your body, and truly a sacred space.
Sure, our hearts, our brains, and our lungs are significant, too. But our wombs are a place of creation. A place where the spark of life is possible.
What's more sacred than that?
(and remember, this energy is still available to you if you've had a hysterectomy)
Listen to this episode to hear:
- why our wombs are just as sacred as any altar or place of worship
- how our pelvis holds our wombs as a kind of temenos (and what that means)
- why having a physical altar may be helpful but also distract you from your womb
- six ways you can interact meaningfully with the altar of your womb
Resources:
- Free Womb Connection + Clearing Guided Visualization
- Episode 1: What is Womb Wisdom?
- Episode 10: Tradition womb healing practices with Sondra Hamilton
- Episode 28: Rhythms of your womb - A midsummer invitation to slow down
- Episode 29: Fertility rituals, womb wisdom, + the mystery of time with Caroline Ashurst
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Okay, so real talk... how much do you know about menopause?
If you aren't in the midst of peri-menopause, or already through menopause, my guess is not much.
For some reason, our western culture is fairly obsessed with preparing us for fertility and childbirth, but completely neglects to acknowledge the massive transition that is menopause.
I mean, most of us have heard of hot flashes, and we know that our cycles will eventually stop, but that's almost the entirety of common knowledge around this time of our lives.
And unfortunately most medical doctors don't have much to offer us than hormone replacement, and really, that's even become less common because of some potential risks.
It's like we all just don't know what to do.
Enter natural remedies. Whether it's herbs, acupuncture, nutrition or homeopathy, there are actually lots of potential ways to both relieve your symptoms and prevent future ones.
In this week's episode, homeopath Ruth Hull shares how homeopathy (which is a very subtle but powerful natural therapy you'll learn all about) can be helpful specifically for hot flashes, and for other common symptoms of menopause.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- what homeopathy is (believe me, it's commonly misunderstood)
- how to determine what remedy is specific for your condition
- resources to support you in choosing your own remedies
- a little about hot flashes and the menopausal transition
- all about three different kinds of hot flashes and which remedies are perfect for each
- how homeopathy can support you with the burn out, fatigue and depletion you may experience in menopause
- why changing your perception of this time of your life may help
Resources:
- Get links to the books Ruth mentioned and her free guide to help you cope with stress on this week's shownotes page
- Join The Herbal Womb email community
- Episode 15: What's a Plant Ally? (and how to find yours)
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones + menstrual cycle
- Episode 30: 5 herbal pillars for vibrant hormonal health
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Oh, motherwort! Such an indispensable herb for those of us with wombs.
Motherwort. Leonorus cardiaca.
No matter what phase of life you're in, there's likely some way motherwort can support you... and I'm really not exaggerating.
Motherwort is specific for everything from anxiety + stress (which can often be exacerbated by hormonal shifts), to easing menstrual cramps, to supporting a mama or parent postpartum to calming a racing heart which is common in perimenopause.
Truly, an herb for all seasons of our wombs.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- why I turn to motherwort often in my life
- basics about plant identification and growing
- similarities between western motherwort and Chinese motherwort
- historical understandings of working with motherwort
- modern actions and clinical applications in your own body
- updates on recent research on motherwort's actions
Resources:
- See photos of motherwort on today's shownotes page
- Learn to grow motherwort in this FREE herbal gardening basics guide
- Episode 4: Herbal spotlight on tulsi / holy basil
- Episode 6: Gardening for your menstrual health
- Episode 18: Uterine tonics
- Episode 25: Immediate postpartum care the herbal way
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Vaginal infections. Bacterial vaginosis. Yep, we're going there.
Okay, I know vaginal infections are probably not your favorite topic.
But let's be real, they're a thing, and most of us deal with them at some point in our lives.
And BV is among the most common. And is also one of the most likely to be recurrent.
So, if you've had BV, and then you've had it again, and then again, you're not alone.
On today's episode, Certified Nurse-Midwife Sofia Lorelle shares all about what the heck BV is, ways to know you have it, what the conventional treatments are and why she's ended up seeking out a variety of more integrative, whole-being approaches to it.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- what BV actually is + risk factors
- how to know if you've got BV (without clinical testing)
- what the conventional treatment methods are
- some alternative approaches that may be helpful
- what else might be going on or underlying if BV is recurrent
- how your mindset or life circumstances may be playing a role
- how this might all apply to other health challenges in your life
Resources:
- Links to Sofia's vaginal health practice + offerings on today's shownotes page
- Episode 1: What is womb wisdom?
- Episode 9: Your vaginal microbiome
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Ahh, hormones.
From menarche to menopause (and even sometimes beyond), we live in the cyclic flow of reproductive and generative hormones like estrogen, progesterone, LH, FSH, prolactin, and more.
Our ovaries and brains are involved, and not surprisingly, our hormones are impacted by almost everything we do, including our stress, our sleep, our activity levels, our food, and even our exposures to environmental toxins.
There's really nothing in our lives that doesn't somehow impact our hormonal health. Which is what makes it so fascinating, and also sometimes complicated.
That said, from an herbal perspective there are some foundational pillars that can support overall hormonal well-being, which I prefer NOT to call balance, and instead to think of as a vibrant and healthy "dynamic flow."
Listen to this episode to learn:
- why I don't like to refer to hormonal health as "balance"
- how preventative herbal approaches are essential in hormonal health
- 5 foundational keys to supporting your hormones
- why I consider softening to be an essential component and what this means
- what Ayurveda teaches us about nourishing our sexual + reproductive organs
Resources:
- Gardening for your menstrual health (free guide)
- Dandelion Love recipes (free collection)
- Episode 11: Herbal spotlight on dandelion
- Episode 12: Medicinal teas for your hormonal health
- Episode 13: Vitalist approach to balancing hormones with Heather Luna
- Episode 17: How stress messes with our hormones
- Episode 18: Herbal uterine tonics
- Episode 22: Herbal spotlight on nettles
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
What's possible when we take a wider lens view of fertility?
Both for those trying to conceive a babe and those who are in the conception process of a project, a creative vision, or just seeking a deeper connection with the potent source of wisdom and power that is your womb.
What if cultivating a fertile environment for conception in your body included not only the practical side of nutrition, cycle tracking and hormone testing, but also brought in less tangible practices like ritual, womb connection, and changing your perception of time?
As with everything really, conception is a physical AND energetic process.
And there is so much healing and possibility when these worlds are brought together.
In this week's podcast, acupuncturist and holistic fertility coach Caroline Grace Ashurst shares her years of clinical experience supporting folks on their fertility journeys from a whole being perspective.
Even if you're never planning to have a babe, you'll still get so much out of this conversation.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- how to understand your fertility journey beyond numbers and doctors offices
- how to connect with your womb wisdom, even if you feel like your womb has failed you
- what ritual is, and how to incorporate it into your fertility (or creation) process
- some examples of womb connection practices
- the meaning of the womb in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and why it's extraordinary
- how to re-orient yourself to a non-linear version of time + why that matters
Resources:
- Check out Caroline's fertility coaching offerings + the resources she mentioned on the episode shownotes!
- Episode 1: What is Womb Wisdom?
- Episode 10: Traditional Womb Healing Practices with Sondra Hamilton
- Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
- Episode 20: Earth, Womb + Seed Connection
- Free womb embodiment + connection guided visualization
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Here in the northern hemisphere, it's midsummer.
When the abundant harvests start rolling in; when the heat beckons us to oceansides, rivers and lakes; when traveling and camping and friends and family visiting are upon us; and when everything feels like it's happening all at once.
Plus, we have to keep up with our daily life responsibilities, our chores, our families, and our work.
It's a time that feels over-full, and like it's happening so fast it's hard to keep up.
Which is exactly the right time to prioritize slowing down. Especially in these moments that feel beyond busy, taking what I like to call "time out of time" is essential medicine.
In this week's episode, I invite you to explore how you might deepen your connection to your own womb's innate rhythms in order to access some of this time out of time.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- what I mean by "time out of time"
- how we can learn from ancestral traditions and intact cultures about making the space to celebrate and connect with self and community even in the busiest seasons
- what your innate womb rhythms are, and how to explore them as access points to altered states of consciousness or presence that allow you to enjoy more
- how your womb rhythms extend beyond your cycling years
- brief physiology of the menstrual cycle, arousal, ovulation + fertilization, childbearing rhythms, and life phases associated with your womb to help you visualize your rhythms
- some simple ideas for ways to connect with the womb rhythms you most resonate with
Resources:
- If you're not already tracking your cycle and you want to be, check out the free Track Your Cycle Naturally (FAM) guide here
- Episode 1: What is Womb Wisdom?
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Pleasure. Sexual wholeness. Relationships. Psychedelics.
Taboo topics? Yes, and... the world is changing.
It's an interesting time right now, especially in the US, as psychedelics gain a respect and acceptance in the mainstream that's been long-deserved.
And conversations around pleasure and sexuality are becoming more commonplace, too.
So, what happens when we combine them?
Somatic sex educator and psychedelic integration coach Juliana Goldstone sees psychedelics as a tool to unlock hidden potential in our sexuality and relationships.
And she shares all about what she's discovered on both her personal journey as well as work with clients on this week's episode.
It's a fascinating conversation that I hope will add insight and intrigue into what's possible in your own body and life, whether or not you feel like this particular path is for you.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- how Juliana went from a "tangled mess" to healthy + empowered in her sexuality
- ways to explore what sexual or erotic wholeness can mean for you
- how synthetic psychedelics were originally derived from plants
- what somatic sex education is, and where it all started
- what psychedelic integration means, and how it can be helpful
- how psychedelics can enhance your ideas of what's possible in your personal pleasure, sexuality or relationships
- some basics on how our brains work and try to keep us safe, and why it's important to soften those fear responses in order to explore new things
- ways our societal perception of rites of passage in relationships is limited
- resources for you to explore these things in your own life
Further resources:
- Get links to resources Juliana shared + work with her - Episode shownotes
- Episode 1 - What is womb wisdom?
- Episode 10 - Traditional womb healing practices with Sondra Hamilton
- Episode 16 - Healing from narcissistic abuse + trauma with Amy Branum
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Tender. Painful. Ropy. Lumpy. Achy. Huge.
Do any of these words remind you of how your breasts (or chest) feel the days, or weeks, leading up to your period?
Probably one of the most common PMS symptoms, fibrocystic breasts or chest conditions can range from mild and barely noticeable all the way to extremely painful making it hard to exercise, be sexual, wear certain clothes, or even feel like moving.
This cyclic tenderness and enlargement of your breasts or chest is so common that it's basically considered to be a variation of normal.
But for those who get more extreme symptoms, they can be a major issue.
Thankfully, there is SO much you can do to ease your symptoms.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- how changing your perception of your breasts (or chest) can change your whole relationship with this part of your body
- why a self-love practice of some kind is important
- how to tell if you have a cyclic fibrocystic condition and when you need to go get checked out for cysts or lumps you're noticing
- possible causes, including both scientific research + natural therapeutic perspectives
- nutritional, herbal + lifestyle strategies to support different systems of your body to ease your symptoms (including your lymphatic system, detoxification, elimination, hormone balancing, and more)
- the reasons I believe self-massage is essential
Resources:
- Grab the FREE step-by-step guide + fillable chart: Track Your Cycle
- Check out the nerdy references + shownotes: Premenstrual tenderness
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)
- Episode 11: Herbal spotlight on dandelion
- Episode. 13: Vitalist approach to balancing hormones
- Episode 14: The genderless womb
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
What comes up when you think about the days and weeks after birth?
Probably not a sore pelvic floor, feeling like you just ran a marathon, and engorgement.
While those moments and weeks after birth are some of the most tender, sweetest, and magical feeling, they are also often fraught with unexpected challenges and twists and turns both physically and emotionally.
Today's podcast guest, clinical herbalist and nutritionist Liz Philbrick, shares a wealth of embodied knowledge about herbal approaches to many of these less-than-desirable things that can come up.
This episode is perfect for you if you're currently pregnant, very newly postpartum, ever plan on becoming a parent, or have friends, family, or clients who'll be giving birth soon.
And really, there's some good info in here for anyone who experiences mood swings, anxiety, mild depression, constipation, muscle soreness, etc -- in other words ya don't have to have a baby or be expecting one to get lots of useful info from this episode.
This week's episode is SO jam packed with practical, step-by-step remedy suggestions that I've actually created timestamps for you to be able to navigate to the topics you are most curious about, if you're short on time. Or for when you want to return to it in the future, as needed (you probably will!).
<11:20> What is the postpartum period?
<17:00> Why use herbs in this time?
<21:15> Herbal safety postpartum + while nursing
<28:20> Herbal medicine making 101 overview
<37:00> How to support perineal/pelvic floor healing (tears, episiotomy, etc)
<43:55> How to ease afterpains (uterine contractions after birth)
<51:30> How to ease sore muscles
<55:10> How to ease the emotional rollercoaster (anxiety, baby blues, weepiness, etc)
<1:06:40> Herbal approaches to constipation
<1:12:35> Herbs to support strength + recovery
<1:22:15> Increasing milk supply with herbs
<1:31:25> Ways to soothe engorgement
<1:33:05> How to soothe sore, cracked + painful nipples
Resources:
- Get the recipes Liz mentions in the podcast + links to her work - Today's shownotes
- Episode 22: Herbal spotlight on stinging nettles
- Episode 12: The simple practice of making medicinal teas
- Episode 11: Herbal spotlight on dandelion
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Oh my friends, these times are very alive with change, aren't they?
And somehow, change often brings up divisions and perspectives that feel very rooted in one way or another, as if somehow there are only two paths forward.
But in reality, there are many paths. And ideally, we each have the opportunity to make choices about what feels true and right for us.
What am I talking about? Well, I'm talking about access to abortion, I'm talking about herbal approaches, and I'm talking about getting more of the whole picture so you can make truly informed choices that aren't swayed by the waves of social media influence.
We don't have to agree (I don't agree with all of my colleagues or teachers and I believe that's healthy), but I think it's worth having a conversation and telling our own stories, especially in this time, so that we can learn from each other.
The more we know, the better choices we can make.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- why I think black and white perspectives on herbal approaches are too limited
- how "rights" are actually an external concept, and you ALWAYS have choice
- simple ways to incorporate pregnancy prevention + natural contraception into your life
- why I don't personally think DIY herbal abortion is the best option
- what herbal categories are involved in herbal approaches + how they impact the body
- a quick overview of medication and clinical abortion methods
- my personal story of an herbal abortion + some other stories I've heard
- how herbal approaches are SO MUCH more complicated than medicated approaches
- my personal idealistic view of reproductive sovereignty
- the importance of personal, informed choice
Resources:
- Further learning on this topic + shownotes:herbalwomb.com/episode24
- Free step-by-step guide to fertility awareness method: Track Your Cycle
- Episode 5: Are you Ovulating? How to Tell (+ why it matters)
- Episode 7: Natural Contraception? All about Wild Carrot with Mischa Schuler
- Episode 23: Your Body on Birth Control with Gabrielle Jansen
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
One of the most empowering things in life is choice.
Choice allows us to tune into our values and decide what's right for us at any given time.
Birth control is one of many areas of our lives that we are fortunate enough to have many options, whether we're talking the pill, shots, IUD's, condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, herbal contraceptive allies, vasectomies, fertility awareness, and more!
So many choices. And honestly, most of us don't even know about all of them.
But one of the most common forms of contraception prescribed and used worldwide is "the pill" (the birth control pill).
And that's what herbalist and fertility awareness educator Gabrielle Claire Jansen shares all about on this week's podcast.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- how the birth control pill actually works
- why ovulation is important for our overall health
- a bit on the history of "the pill"
- how the pill actually doesn't resolve underlying symptoms
- when and why you might want to choose the pill (or not)
- why pill shaming is NOT helpful
- nutrients you can support yourself with if you're on the pill
- ways to support yourself when you're transitioning off the pill
Resources:
- Get all of Gabrielle's book, film + resource rec's + links on the shownotes page.
- Learn to track your cycle, see if and when you're ovulating, and even practice natural contraception with fertility awareness: Track Your Cycle (without an app) free guide
- Episode 17: How Stress Messes with Your Hormones + Menstrual Cycle
- Episode 7: Natural Contraception? All About Wild Carrot with Mischa Schuler
- Episode 5: Are You Ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Ahhhh, nettles. Urtica dioica. Stinging nettles. Very possibly one of the most beloved medicinal plants in western herbalism. And for good reason.
As one of the most mineral and nutrient-rich plants in the western herbal materia medica, nettles bring deep nutrition and restoration to the whole body, and have a lovely affinity for the wombspace, too.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- why nettles is an indispensible herb for your apothecary (and diet)
- the energetics and overall character of nettles
- what I mean when I say nettles is a "gateway plant"
- ways to start working with nettles in your own body or clinically
- traditional actions and uses of nettles throughout history
- explorations into current scientific research on nettle leaf, root, and seed
- specific reasons to incorporate nettles into pregnancy, postpartum, endometriosis, PCOS and overall support during menopause
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Current episode: Shownotes + Nerdy References
- Free guide: Gardening for Your Menstrual Health
- Episode 2: What is Herbal Medicine?
- Episode 4: Herbal Spotlight - Tulsi/Holy Basil
- Episode 12: The Simple + Sacred Practice of Making Medicinal Teas
- Episode 15: What's a Plant Ally (and how to find yours)
- Buy bulk organic herbs: Mountain Rose Herbs
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.(affiliate links may be included)
What do parasites have to do with menstrual cycles and disordered eating?
EVERYTHING.
Well, at least that's the reality in this week's podcast with holistic nutritionist, herbalist and health coach, Lisa Masé.
Lisa spent years living with chronic parasites wreaking havoc on her gut, leading her to truly fear food, and ultimately not be getting the nourishment her body deeply needed.
In this time, she lost 40 pounds, didn't menstruate for six whole years (!), and was told by well-meaning doctors that she'd never get pregnant.
She was in her 20's at the time.
But she kept seeking, and eventually found a path to healing from the parasites, cultivating a healthy relationship to food, and calling her cycle back in. And she now has TWO healthy children, and works as a practitioner supporting other folks on their health journeys.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- how digestive distress led Lisa to discover chronic parasites
- why fear of food (or obsession around food) can lead to many health issues
- how hormones and ovulation are impacted by chronic illness
- what a truly integrative healing path can look like
- herbs and foods that can be supportive for intense anxiety around food
- how traditional ceremonies or rituals might be helpful
- how mindful eating practices and meditation can be transformational
RESOURCES:
- Episode (this one!) shownotes: for links to Lisa's website, membership + socials
- Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)
- Episode 10: Traditional Womb Healing with Sondra Hamilton
- Episode 17: How Stress Messes with Your Hormones
- Track Your Menstrual Cycle with Fertility Awareness, step-by-step guide (free)
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review!
It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
In times that feel tumultuous, confusing, and sometimes even hopeless, it can feel challenging to know how to hold it all or how to process the emotions flowing through us.
In this episode, I invite you to explore how your relationship with the earth, the plants and the seeds can inform your relationship with your own womb. And how that might help you to find meaning and connection, even when things feel hard.
The stories we tell have a deep impact on how we see the world, and what we believe is possible. This episode is an offering of stories that showcase the immense power inherent in our wombs and the seeds.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- how your relationship with your womb can be deepened by your relationship with the earth around you (and vice versa)
- how disconnection from the earth may be a cause of 'disease'
- what cesarean rates in the US might have to do with connection to nature
- how our bodies mirror our landscapes
- how important it is to allow our emotions to flow through us
- traditional ways of honoring menstruation and gathering with others
- what I mean when I say 'seeds are wombs of the earth'
Resources:
- Learn about some antispasmodic + analgesic herbs (and more) in the Gardening for Your Menstrual Health guide.
- Connect more deeply with your own womb in the Womb Embodiment Guided Visualization.
- Episode shownotes: Earth, Womb + Seed Connection
- Episode 1: What is Womb Wisdom?
- Episode 13: The Vitalist Approach to Balancing Your Hormones with Heather Luna
- Episode 19: Pelvic Health & Liberation - The Importance of Softening with Chaya Leia Aronson
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review!
It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Your pelvis is a centerpiece of your body. A place of creation, elimination and pleasure. But in our modern society, almost everything we do has the potential to cause imbalances there.
Incontinence. Prolapse. Painful sex. Inability to orgasm. Chronic pelvic pain. All the things we don't talk about. Or at least not regularly, and not publicly.
In this interview, Chaya Leia Aronson touches on all of these and more, including some first steps you can take to address them in your own body (hint: the answer is NOT kegels).
Even if you're not experiencing any of these, you'll learn ways you can prevent them from showing up in the future.
For real, this episode is a must-listen. We all deserve to have this basic body knowledge.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- why it's important to start paying attention to your pelvis
- how to tell if you might have some imbalances going on
- some potential causes of things like incontinence, prolapse, painful sex, etc
- why softening is the first step to healing (+ why kegels can make it all worse)
- how to tell if your vaginal wall muscles are toned in a balanced way
- how to begin to relax your psoas muscle, and what that has to do with pelvic health
- some practical steps you can take to start enhancing your pelvic health
RESOURCES:
- Find links to learn more from Chaya, get her barefoot shoe company recommendations + Liz Koch's article on the psoas: Episode Shownotes
- Episode 9: Your Vaginal Microbiome
Are you starting an herbal garden this year?
Download the free Gardening for Your Menstrual Health Guide
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review!
It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Did you know that there are herbs that are generally strengthening, toning, nourishing and supportive for your womb?
Like, herbs that might be helpful overall for reproductive or generative health, versus for specific conditions?
Well, my friend, uterine tonics are just that.
This episode covers what makes these herbs supportive overall for womb health and how they've been used over the course of hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Plus, you'll get a brief overview of six of my favorites.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- what a uterine tonic is
- the difference between emmenagogues and uterine tonics
- why the word 'tonic' is sometimes confusing
- how uterine tonics can be worked with as overall caretakers of your womb and/or for specific conditions
- some examples of uterine tonic herbs and a little about each of them
- ways to work with each of these plants
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Getting started with Gardening for your Menstrual Health guide
- Episode shownotes to review today's topic: Uterine Tonics
- Episode 12: The Simple & Sacred Practice of Medicinal Teas
- Episode 17: How Stress Messes with Your Menstrual Cycle
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Have you ever wondered how stress impacts your cycle or your hormones?
Maybe you've even had an experience of a missed period, increased cramping, worse PMS symptoms, or fertility challenges after traveling to a new place, being sick, or going through some major stress in your life.
The truth is that stress has a tremendous impact on your hormones, and this episode goes into all you could possibly want to know about how it all goes down.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- what the stress response actually is
- the difference between a healthy and unhealthy stress response
- stories about how stress causes irregular cycles
- the physiology behind how stress causes hormonal imbalances
- what allostatic load is and why it matters
- how your stress response might be linked to your time in your mother's womb
- how chronic stress can suppress ovulation and fertility
- some nerdy research that talks about what kind of stress is linked to everything from short cycles to hirsutism to PCOS to lower fertility to amenorrhea
- some quick lifestyle, dietary and herbal tips on modulating your stress response
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Free resource - Track your own cycle, easily, naturally, without an app.
- Today's podcast show notes & nerdy references
- Episode 5 - Are you ovulating? How to tell (& and why it matters)
- Episode 10 - Traditional Womb Healing Practices with Sondra Hamilton
- Episode 13 - The Vitalist Approach to Balancing Hormones with Heather Luna
- Episode 15 - What's a Plant Ally? ...and how to find yours
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating & write a review! Thank you! ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Our wombs are a center of our sense of groundedness and safety in our lives, especially when it comes to our sexuality and relationships.
So what happens when we experience destabilization from trauma or relationship abuse?
How does that chronic, gradual wearing down of our sense of self impact us?
And what are effective ways to remove ourselves from those situations and re-establish our safety, and even renew ourselves to a strong and vibrant version of who we are now?
Clinical herbalist, Ayurvedic Practitioner and Founder of the Northern California School of Botanical Studies shares her own person journey with narcissistic relationship abuse and her whole life approach on the path to healing from it.
She brings her own personal experience and her clinical experience together to offer embodied wisdom on where to start, how to get the support you need, and all the levels of healing that are involved in recovering your vitality after traumatic or abusive situations of all kinds, and specifically she dives deeply into narcissistic abuse.
This is one of those 'things we don't talk about' and that's exactly why we're talking about it here.
If you're personally in an abusive relationship or you know someone who is, this episode is for you. It's here to support all of us in growing awareness and compassion, too.
Tune into the episode to learn:
- how to tell if you're in an abusive relationship (and why it's not always obvious)
- all about narcissistic personality disorder
- common signs of narcissistic abuse
- how to gain the strength you need to leave the abusive situation
- how the intensity of this kind of situation can lead to hormonal imbalance (in Amy's case, hyperthyroidism)
- what resources are helpful in the transition process
- herbal support (and practical support) for the initial transition
- how to regain your strength and vitality after leaving
- herbal remedies and other healing modalities for the ongoing recovery process
- inspiration on becoming a vibrant version of yourself again
Resources from this episode:
- Links to all of Amy's classes, clinic, and her socials on the SHOWNOTES
- If you need immediate help or are in an unsafe situation, seek support. Here's a link to the National Domestic Violence HOTLINE
Offering for you:
If you're feeling like you could use a guided meditation to support your connection to your womb-centered intuition, download this free WOMB EMBODIMENT & CONNECTION MEDITATIONIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend or on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating & write a review! Thank you! ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Have you ever heard of the concept of a plant ally?
If so, you may wondering, 'how the heck do I find one'? Or if this idea is new to you, you may be sitting there curiously asking what this could even mean.
The truth is, people use this term in different ways.
And while you can say something like 'dandelion is a plant ally for the liver, or the urinary track,' that's NOT the kind of ally I'm talking about here.
In this podcast episode, I'm sharing all about how to cultivate a deeper relationship with one particular plant over the course of a season, or even a whole year. Really getting to know that one plant on many levels, inside and out, as a sort of plant study focus, if you will.
But cultivating your relationship with your plant ally is more than just studying the plant, it's also about connecting with it regularly - getting to know it through observation, journaling, tasting, meditation, making medicines with it, and of course, also learning about it through classes or research, too.
It's a multi-layered, deep dive kind of experience. Almost like getting to know a new lover, or at least a new friend. You don't just read a paragraph about them and assume you know them already. Or ask them what they do and assume that's all there is to them, right?
Plants are no different. And this episode guides you through the process of learning what a plant ally is, how to find yours, and what you can do to deepen your relationship with them.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- what a plant ally is, and why it's helpful to have one
- a variety of different ways to help you find yours
- what you can do to cultivate a deeper relationship with your ally
- how you may have already had plant allies without even knowing it
- a story about a couple of my first plant allies (when I didn't even know what plant allies were)
- how plant allies can change your life (and how one unquestionably changed mine)
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Check out a list of 13 herbs that can support your menstrual or hormonal health in theGardening for Menstrual Health guide here
- Get the basics on what a plant ally is, how to find one and what to do once you do in the EPISODE SHOWNOTES & LIST OF PLACES TO SOURCE BULK HERBS
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend or on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom. And leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating & write a review! Thank you! ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
I can just hear your questions rolling...
"What could you possibly mean by a genderless womb?"
"Aren't wombs inherently located in female bodies?"
"Oh, no, are we getting into the topic of gender, now?"
"In what universe do men have wombs?"
Well, my friends, this podcast episode dives into all of these topics and more.
And it doesn't just cover the gender spectrum (though that's super important), but also some of what science has uncovered about the myth of biological sexes, too.
At the most basic level, wombs are wombs. Women, non-binary and trans folks all have them. And everyone is welcome here.
This is my imperfect attempt to express that.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- why what words we use matters, and how exclusive the word "women" can feel exclusive
- how gender is based on cultural conditioning, not a cross-cultural fact
- a little about the normalized "third gender" in Oaxaca, Mexico
- that biological sex is NOT as simple as we were taught it was
- about how relatively common (as in not actually rare) intersex folks are
- that our cells can actually be different genders from each other and how that impacts things like sex hormones in our bodies
- how folks with wombs exist across the gender (and sex) spectrum
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Go check out the NERDY REFERENCES & SHOWNOTES for some of the science
- Plan your garden with the GARDENING FOR YOUR MENSTRUAL HEALTH guide
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend or on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom. And leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating & write a review! Thank you! ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
What does hormone balancing even mean? It's a term that's thrown around all over the internet without a whole lot of specifics.
People might be talking about hot flashes or heavy bleeding, PCOS or endometriosis, mood swings or menstrual cramps. Or even thyroid imbalances.
It's pretty much a catch-all phrase that relates to anything that could go wrong with the magical symphony of chemical messengers in your body that are... hormones.
And while it can be helpful to know specifically what your symptoms are to explore ways to address those with a a more individualized approach, clinical herbalist and nutritionist Heather Luna shares all about her very whole-body, whole life-perspective based in the therapeutic paradigm of vitalism, which is the foundation of her longstanding clinical practice.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- what vitalism is and how it differs from other approaches
- the basic foundational building blocks that can encourage optimal hormonal health
- how deficient most of us are in nutrients like magnesium, healthy fats, & vitamin D
- why sleep is essential to hormonal health, and how to make yours better
- how protein can help you deal with stress more effectively
- some herbal allies for painful menstrual cramps (both for immediate use and longer term preventative support)
Resources from this episode:
- SHOWNOTES & LINKS TO ACORN HERB SCHOOLfor you to review some basics from the episode or connect further with Heather Luna
- Gardening for Your Menstrual Health Guide(free) to get started with 13 easy-to-grow herbs for your hormonal health (including black cohosh, raspberry leaf and nettles, which Heather mentioned in the episode)
If you loved this episode, share it with a friend or on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom. Or leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review! Thank you! ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
What's more comforting than a cup of tea? The scent, the taste, the warmth in your hands. A simple act of presence as you wait for the herbs to steep. A moment of solace in a mug.
We all know what tea is, and many of us drink it in some form daily.
But there's more to tea than just a simple beverage we enjoy for taste or the caffeine boost. And this episode dives into a few different ways you can incorporate medicinal herbal teas into your life, and some specific examples of tea blends you can start out with to enhance your hormonal, menstrual and sexual health.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- some insights on how tea is the oldest form of herbal medicine
- how tea is probably a part of your daily life even if you don't think you drink tea ;)
- why tea is a wonderful entryway into starting to formulate your own custom formulas
- the difference between a beverage tea and a medicinal infusion
- all about cold infusions, nourishing infusions and decoctions
- five herbal tea blends that can support your menstrual, hormonal and sexual health!
Resources mentioned in this episode
- Dandelion Love Recipe Collection where you can find the dandelion chai recipe
- SHOWNOTES where you can review all the basics from today's episode
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.If you loved this episode, leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the episode with a friend you think would dig it, too! Thank you!!
Isn't it interesting how some plants are just famous?
Like, everyone knows about them for one reason or another... maybe because they grow pretty much everywhere, or maybe because you played with them as a child, or maybe because they're a persistent weed in your yard or garden...
Dandelion is one of these extraordinarily famous plants. Basically a celebrity in the plant world.
So you probably know a thing or two about dandelion already.
You may even be aware that the root is a wonderful bitter and liver tonic, or the leaves are a nutrient rich diuretic. Or maybe that the entire plant is edible AND medicinal.
And maybe you even know that this wild weed can enhance your womb health, too?
Whether you're new to herbs, an herbalist-in-the-making or a seasoned herbalist, this episode will offer something new.
In this herbal spotlight episode, you'll learn:
- who dandelion is in the story of your life
- the background basics on dandelion
- how long this plant has been worked with as medicine
- some theories about how dandelion's scientific name came about
- best times to harvest
- about the energetics of dandelion
- some ways you can prepare dandelion roots, leaves and flowers into food & medicine
- all about medicinal (and edible) benefits of dandelion
- when you might consider incorporating dandelion in your life
- why dandelion is an indispensable ally for menstrual, hormonal, & pregnancy health
Download the THE DANDELION LOVE RECIPE COLLECTION.Recipes include: dandelion chai, wild weeds pesto, dandelion flower muffins, dandelion-orange peel bitters, spicy sautéed dandy greens and roasted dandelion "coffee".
Check out the SHOWNOTES & NERDY REFERENCES: https://www.herbalwomb.com/episode11
NOTE: In the episode I mention that dandelion may not be found in the southern hemisphere because I read this in multiple sources, however after doing some post-recording research I've learned that dandelion is actually weedy in Australia as well, so basically, I'm not well-versed in southern hemisphere plants and you absolutely always know best about the place you live in! This is essentially my attempt at a correction. ;) I can only really speak to what I know and where I've spent the most time which is primarily temperate, northern hemisphere places, with little stints in tropical spots too.
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
If you loved this episode, leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the episode with a friend you think would dig it, too! Thank you!!!
Have you ever been curious about how to clear out emotional trauma from your womb?
Or wonder about that lingering feeling of connection to past sexual partners, and how that might be impacting your day-to-day life?
Today's conversation with mystic herbalist and Ayurvedic health counselor Sondra Hamilton covers a variety of traditional practices that can support you to bring healing into your womb.
From simple herbal bathing rituals she learned from her curandera teachers, to womb connection practices she's found to be powerful in her own life, to certain Ayurvedic herbal formulas that support uterine function... there's a lot we explore here.
In this episode you'll learn:
- about the importance of honoring our teachers and lineages
- some possible sources of womb trauma or imbalances
- why we might want to focus on womb healing work
- how to intentionally clear energetic cords and womb trauma through temezcal ceremonies, yoni steaming, plant baths and Kundulini kriyas
- some specific herbs to encourage soft and nurturing womb healing energy
- Ayurvedic herbal formulas that may support physical and emotional womb healing
- some simple womb connection practices
Check out the shownotes and get links to Sondra's offerings: https://www.herbalwomb.com/episode10
If you want to explore embodied connection with your womb, try this FREE guided meditation: https://www.herbalwomb.com/meditation
Or start connecting more deeply with your cycles using this FREE step-by-step natural cycle tracking guide: https://www.herbalwomb.com/trackyourcycle
If you LOVED this episode, please share it with someone you think would love it, too! ❤️
Have you ever been curious about what's going on "down there"? Or wonder what's even normal? Or how to prevent infections? Or how the heck to deal with recurrent ones?
Your vagina (yep, I'm going there) is seriously amazing.
And cultivating a healthy vaginal microbiome can make a world of difference to the integrity of your vaginal lining, which can reduce transmission of STI's, decrease dryness or irritation, and keep recurrent infections at bay.
This is essential info for anyone with a vagina (or yoni, if that's more your vibe).
Listen to this episode to learn:
- the basics of your vaginal ecology, what's normal and what's not
- signs of imbalance that you can look out for
- how an imbalanced vaginal microbiome relates to other conditions or challenges
- potential causes of these imbalances, why is this happening?
- why lactobacillus is so important!
- how to live a preventative lifestyle that encourages a healthy vagina
- a whole bunch of specific tips on how to restore your robust and healthy vaginal microbiome when you've got an imbalance going on
EPISODE SHOWNOTES & LIST OF ALL THE NERDY REFERENCES: https://www.herbalwomb.com/episode9
Connect more deeply with your body. Start by getting to know your cycle, whether it's regular or not with TRACK YOUR CYCLE THE NATURAL WAY (free step-by-step guide):
https://www.herbalwomb.com/trackyourcycle
DISCLAIMER: This podcast and blog is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Y'all, spring is in the air! Can you feel it??
The earth is stirring, the seeds are sprouting, the plants are poking their little heads out of the soil, the snow is melting and the waters are flowing. Depending on where you live, you may already have lots of spring edibles and medicinals emerging.
These transitional times, the between-season times, and especially the shifting forward and back between what feels like winter and what is clearly spring, are an opportunity to listen to our bodies, to really feel into what we're needing, and give ourselves some extra support.
This episode shares all about listening to the cycles of the earth through our bodies, and how you can incorporate wild plants (many that are probably growing as weeds in your yard or a nearby park) into springtime tonics that support the releasing of the heavier, duller, denser energy of winter, and support your detoxification and elimination pathways in your body, so you can feel lighter, brighter and more vital as the spring really sets in.
Our wombs directly connect us to the cycles of the earth, so learning to live a more seasonal lifestyle helps us cultivate healthy foundations in our bodies, including in support of more balanced menstrual & hormonal health.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- two ways the cycles of our own lives as folks with wombs connect us to the earth
- how the energy of the wild weeds of spring are perfect antidotes to the heaviness we may be carrying after a deep winter
- the story behind how I started incorporating spring edibles into my life (spoiler alert: it involves living with a hermit, having no money, no car, and not enough food)
- ways to prepare these wild weeds in your foods or teas
- what these plants are actually doing in your body, including how they're supporting your liver, kidneys, and digestive system and why that's also helpful for your hormones
- why ramps are a controversial topic
- a deeper look into nettles, chickweed, garlic mustard, dandelion, burdock, & yellow dock
EPISODE SHOWNOTES & PLANT PHOTOS: http://herbalwomb.com/episode8
SIGN UP FOR PODCAST UPDATES & EXTRA INSIGHTS: https://www.herbalwomb.com/jointhecommunity
DONATE TO MOUNTAIN GARDENS HERBS TO HELP THEM REBUILD AFTER THE FIRE: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-mountain-gardens-rebuild
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
**Have you ever wondered about natural forms of birth control?
Or if herbal contraception actually works?
Maybe you’ve even heard about wild carrot seed but just weren’t totally sure HOW to work with it...
Or who the heck you could trust to provide clinically-sound information on dosage and timing to ensure the best results...**
If any of this is resonating, this episode is perfect for you.
Listen to this conversation with clinical herbalist Mischa Schuler to learn:
- The basics on Wild Carrot, which is also known as Queen Anne’s Lace
- How to identify this plant friend and differentiate from poisonous look-alikes (see details on show notes page)
- How Wild Carrot is helpful for both conception AND contraception (what!? It’s true)
- The nitty-gritty on the Wild Carrot seed contraception study that Robin Rose Bennet and Mischa worked on together
- Everything you need to know to incorporate Wild Carrot into your life as a contraceptive ally
- Why Wild Carrot seed sometimes doesn’t work, and who should definitely NOT use it
- The exact time and dosage that will ensure best results for contraception
- Why tracking the signs of your ovulation (as described in Episode 5) is essential practice for calculating appropriate timing of your wild carrot seed doses
- How to make Wild Carrot seed tincture for best effects
- And so much more!!
This episode gets a little nerdy and detailed at times so if it ever feels like too much, you can always return to it, listen again, or check out the show notes for all the most essential info.
EPISODE SHOWNOTES & LINKS TO MISCHA'S OFFERINGS: https://www.herbalwomb.com/episode7 DOWNLOAD THE FREE NATURAL CYCLE TRACKING GUIDE: https://www.herbalwomb.com/trackyourcycle
And, leave a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating & review, I'd love to hear from you!
Or if social is more your thing, I'm slowly getting my lil social media feet wet on...
IG: @herbalwombwisdom
FB: @herbalwombwisdom
Let me know your questions, what you're most curious about, and what your dream topics for me to cover on the podcast are!
In these tender hearted times, one of the most hopeful things we can do is dream into seeding future possibilities. Maybe for you that includes growing your own medicine.
If that's you, take a listen and grab the guide below to get started with your own personalized womb medicine garden!
Whether you've got a sunny balcony, a small raised bed, or a whole farm, you can start to grow your own medicine... even if you've never grown a plant before.
Cultivating relationships with the medicine plants can be a powerful part of the healing path.
And while it doesn't always have to happen in the garden, growing your own medicine can help you experience them as more than just an herb in a jar, or tincture bottle... and instead as whole living beings, as friends.
So, if you're curious about medicinal herb gardening basics, or wanna know which easy-to-grow herbs you could add to your garden this year (or next) to support your own personal womb health, give this a listen!
In this episode, you'll learn about:
- the most basic things you need to start your medicine garden (even if you're just growing your plants in pots)
- why many medicinal plants don't need to be pampered
- 13 easy-to-grow plants to add to your menstrual & hormonal health garden
- the essentials on how and where those plants like to grow
- the essentials on how they can ease your menstrual cramps, curb heavy periods or menopausal flooding, support your mood if you experience PMS or menopausal mood swings, or balance your hormones no matter what season of life you're in
🌿 Download your FREE Menstrual & Hormonal Health Gardening Basics Guide.🌙
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
EPISODE SHOWNOTES: https://www.herbalwomb.com/episode6
JOIN THE HERBAL WOMB EMAIL COMMUNITY: https://www.herbalwomb.com/jointhecommunity
And, leave a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating & review, I'd love to hear from you!
Or if social is more your thing, come over and connect on...
IG: @herbalwombwisdom
FB: @herbalwombwisdom
Let me know your questions, what you're most curious about, and what your dream topics for me to cover on the podcast are!
Ovulation is a superpower.
Learn to listen to the signs of your cycle to enhance your life.Do you ever wonder whether or not your cycle is "normal"? Or sometimes think maybe you'd prefer a natural form of contraception, but don't know where to start...
Maybe you've heard about cycle synching and want to deepen your relationship with your cycle so that you can really explore these concepts.
Maybe you aren't even sure why you should be interested in tracking your cycle or whether you're ovulating in the first place. I mean, what's the point if you already use an app?
Or you've been hearing about fertility awareness for a while and are ready to take the steps to start practicing it yourself...
If any of these sound like you, you're in the right place, my beautiful friend.
Listen to the episode to find out about:
- what ovulation is (the basics)
- the inherent superpowers of the ovulatory phase of your cycle
- how ovulation benefits you beyond just fertility
- the magic of progesterone
- how to know if your lack of ovulation may be due to low estrogen
- why most apps are not the best choice for tracking your cycle
- how to track your own cycle using the Fertility Awareness Method (including what you need to know about checking your basal body temperature, cervical fluid and cervical position) for contraception, fertility or general health awareness
- when it's normal NOT to ovulate
DOWNLOAD THE FREE NATURAL CYCLE TRACKING GUIDE
EPISODE SHOWNOTES & REFERENCES: https://www.herbalwomb.com/episode5
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal and integrative health educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
**Are you curious about how to make simple changes in your life to support your hormonal health?
Have you been wondering about Ayurveda?**
In this episode, Ayurvedic educator and health coach Kimberly Kubicke shares about how the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda can support your day-to-day life and make a big difference in your hormonal balance, whether you’re experiencing blood sugar challenges, thyroid issues, cycle weirdness, or in your transition into menopause. You’ll learn:
- Daily routines that can dramatically improve your body’s balance
- Food and lifestyle changes that can make a big difference
- How not resting enough might contribute to hormonal imbalances
- Ideas for personalizing these suggestions into what will work best for you
- A simple breathing exercise to enhance your hormonal health
EPISODE SHOWNOTES: https://www.herbalwomb.com/episode3
Be sure to subscribe, rate and review the podcast if you feel it! And if you loved this episode, share it with a friend or your community.
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Holy basil, sacred basil, tulsi, the incomparable one... all common names for a well-loved medicinal plant originally from tropical regions like India and Africa.
Today, we're going to cover many aspects of tulsi, from personal stories to ancient wisdom to modern clinical use backed by scientific research.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- where and how tulsi is traditionally grown and revered
- why the plant has been commonly named "holy" and "sacred"
- the energetics and actions of tulsi as a medicinal plant
- when and how you might incorporate tulsi into your life
- scientifically-backed uses of tulsi on a clinical level
- why tulsi is so beloved
EPISODE SHOWNOTES & REFERENCES: https://www.herbalwomb.com/episode4Be sure to subscribe, rate and review the podcast if you feel it! And if you loved this episode, share it with a friend or your community.
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
**What does the term "womb wisdom" mean?
And how do you reconnect to the innate wisdom of your womb?**
If you've ever asked these questions, or are asking them right now, then this episode is for you.
And let's just clear this up right now. Even when your womb is removed, as in with a hysterectomy, or once you're beyond cycling years, as in menopause, your connection with your womb space is no less present.
Womb connection is for anyone who currently has a womb or used to have one. The power, creative potential, and wisdom housed in this part of your body is available to you.
In this episode you'll learn:
- where the womb space is located
- all about the relationship of the womb to the first and second chakras
- how your womb connects you to your ancestral lineage and future generations
- how your wombspace and cycles act as indicators of overall health
- ways to start to connect or deepen your relationship to your own womb
Download the FREE Womb Connection Meditation
EPISODE SHOWNOTES: https://www.herbalwomb.com/episode1
So you’re interested in herbal medicine.
Whether you’re new to herbs or an herbalist in the making, you’re probably still in the process of understanding what the difference between using herbs and actually practicing herbalism is. Or maybe you’re just wondering what people mean when they talk about “energetics.” Or maybe you’re wondering where to start, or how to deepen your knowledge.
If any of this sounds like you, then you’re in the right place.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Some of the history of “western” herbalism and medicine in the US
- Why asking “what herb is good for…” is a very limited perspective
- How herbal commerce perpetuates a superficial view of what herbalism is
- Why it’s important to know if your herbs are at-risk or endangered
- Ways to start looking at herbs from a more nuanced lens
- How practicing herbal medicine requires deeper knowledge of both herbs and people
- Ways to start to think through individualizing herbs for yourself and others
EPISODE SHOWNOTES: https://www.herbalwomb.com/episode2
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.
Come explore the embodied practice of herbalism with the womb at the center, for folks who are new to herbs or herbalists-in-the-making.
Join clinical herbalist and integrative health educator Kay'aleya Hunnybee for this podcast where you'll learn how to include herbs and natural therapies in your personal menstrual, sexual or hormonal health and, most importantly, reconnect to the deep wisdom and healing capacity of your own body and the earth.