Herbal Womb Wisdom

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 aloneno you do not carry this all alonethis is way too big for youto carry this on your ownso, 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 timesEpisode 41: How nature connection can calm burnout w Efan HsiehEpisode 50: Adaptogens + hormonal healthEpisode 97: Nourish your nervous system with Ayurveda w Kristen TimchakIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 naturally2) some wisdom on myofascial release and healing potential with Lindsay Courcelle3) a glimpse of herbal and natural therapies for milk production, engorgement and sore nipples in the immediate postpartum with Liz PhilbrickResources: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 PhilbrickEpisode 26: Premenstrual breast / chest tendernessEpisode 77: Myofascial care for breast, chest + pelvic bowl w Lindsay Courcelle 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 crampsEpisode 19: The importance of softening the pelvis w Chaya Leia AronsonEpisode 32: Herbal spotlight on motherwortEpisode 176: Integrative approach to fibroidsIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 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 classGrab the recording of my Uterine Tonics class at Earth BodyFree 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 @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 artEpisode 15: What's a plant ally? And how to find yoursEpisode 171: What is vibrational medicine? with Brooke SullivanJoin the Natural Contraception (Fall 2025) waitlist here!Grab my FREE Fertility Awareness Cycle tracking guideIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 meditationEpisode 28: Rhythms of your wombEpisode 61: Healing trauma + womb tending with Dr Emily WilsonEpisode 141: Uterine Unwinding with Dr Kathryn KloosEpisode 151: The anatomy of arousal with Juliana Rose GoldstoneIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 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 linkedsome of the research on estrogen and ADHD traits through the cyclewhat Adele found in her own clinical researchwhy she thinks progesterone is foundational in the perimenopausal yearsResources:Today's shownotes: Get links to Adele's work and researchGrab my FREE Fertility Awareness Cycle tracking guideEpisode 47: Differentiating PMS + PMDD w JesEpisode 143: What is FAM? And what it can tell you about your hormonesIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 ishow ancestral traditions always incorporated vibrational medicinewhat a mantra is, and some potent examples and stories about themwhat a flower essence isfour flower essences that may be supportive for you in these times!Resources:Today's shownotes: Check out Brooke's offerings, flower essence course, etcEpisode 118: How can cyclical living inform your yoga practice? with Rebecca RankinEpisode 163: How to find a path to power in wobbly times w Maitreya WolfJoin 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 @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 :) 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. More description coming soon!Resources:Today's shownotes: Check out Emma's links and offerings!If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 :) 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 cycle5 keys to encouraging a healthier follicular phase and regular cycleswhat the energetics of Spring are according to Ayurvedathe importance of cleansing in the Spring and Fallessential components of a cleansewhat Kimberly's guided 10 day cleanse looks likeResources:Check out and join Kimberly's 10 day guided Ayurvedic cleanse here*Today's shownotes: Springtime in our cycles and bodiesEpisode 69: Cyclical archetypes with Em DeweyEpisode 73: Cyclical Movement w Tara Lynn SteeleEpisode 78: Your cycle superpowersGrab 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 @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 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 hereEpisode 35: From endo to pregnancy with Sarah ShapiroIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 :) 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 doulathe origin story of Doulas by the Baya little on how this kind of doula community care model works what a doula is and is nothow doulas can play a role in perinatal mood supportwhat to consider when choosing a doulaResources:Today's shownotes: Get Shakila's links!Episode 25: Immediate postpartum care the herbal way w Liz PhilbrickEpisode 85: Acupressure for childbearing years with Sarah TewheyEpisode 136: The Herbal Doula with Marie WhiteEpisode 166: Your postpartum body w Courtney Naliboff + Dr Ruth MacyIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 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 arehow to intentionally counterbalance the qualities of the seasonsimple ways to cleanse and detox in springtimeKelley's favorite herbs to incorporate into springtime detox protocolswhy I don't recommend more intensive cleanses for most of usResources:Grab the recording of the Uterine Tonics class if you missed it - sign up hereEpisode 8: Exploring cycles of the earth in our bodiesEpisode 62: Embodying springEpisode 113: Herbs + practices for gentle detox w Kelley RiviereIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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'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 neededsome of Courtney's unanswered questions from her own postpartumthe difference stages of postpartum recoverywhy they see postpartum as a lifelong processpractical tips for integrative healing in the months and years postpartumhow the feet are intrinsically connected to the pelvic floor!why your breathing matters to your pelvic floor healthResources:Today's shownotes: Get links to the book and moreFree guide: 10 key herbs for your hormonal healthIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 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?Resources:Today's shownotes: The healing power of embodying elementsEpisode 8: Cycles in our bodies - spring wild weeds editionEpisode 27: Sex, relationships & psychedelics w Juliana Rose GoldstoneEpisode 122: Entheogens, meditation & pelvic pain w Alison AvalonEpisode 62: Embodying spring with herbal alliesEpisode 113: Herbs for gentle spring detox w Kelley RiviereIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 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 notthe difference between acute symptom relief and tonic actionswhen and why to consider working with restorative tonic herbsthe differences and overlaps between categories of tonic herbsa few examples of restorative tonic herbs, cardiovascular tonics, nervine tonics and uterine tonicsResources:Sign up for the Uterine Tonics class - 3/12 at 7pm eastern - register hereToday's shownotes: Tonic herbs for replenishment + resilienceEpisode 44: Bitters and hormonal balanceEpisode 50: Adaptogens and hormonal healthEpisode 68: Milky oats herbal spotlightIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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.Sign up for the Herbal Uterine Tonics class hosted by Earth Body School. Learn more and register here. Support the show

Click here to send me a quick message :) 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 nowhow these times can be perceived as an "initiatory process" what it means to find and connect with your personal powerpractical ideas to feel your strength in uncertain timeswhy creativity in all forms is needed in times of upheavalhow earth connection plays a role in feeling your rooted powerResources:Sign up for my upcoming Uterine Tonics class (3/12) hereToday's shownotes: Get the links to Maitreya's offerings hereHere's a quick link to her website: soulpowermentoring.comEpisode 92: How to trust your body (+ cycle) in times of uncertaintyEpisode 161: 3 simples ways to caretake your nervous system in upheavalIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 :) 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 suspectedlab tests that may be helpful to detect mold exposureways to mitigate the impact of mold exposure in your daily lifeeye elements of the process of healing after mold exposureResources:Sign up for my upcoming Uterine Tonics class (3/12) hereToday's shownotes: Get links to resources Dr Tara Pollock mentionedEpisode 44: Bitters and hormonal healthEpisode 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 @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 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 stressthe most important thing to consider when stressors get overwhelminga couple of breathwork practices to calm the stress responsesome foods that can help ground and relax youwhen to consider adaptogens vs nervinessome examples of relaxing and sedative nervinesa simple self-oiling practice to enhance relaxationResources:Sign up for the upcoming Herbal Uterine Tonics class! March 12thToday's shownotes: See hand positions for alternate nostril breathing etcEpisode 19: How stress messes with your hormonesEpisode 32: Motherwort herbal spotlightEpisode 44: Bitters + hormonal balanceEpisode 50: Adaptogens + hormonal healthEpisode 97: Nourish your nervous system with AyurvedaIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 :) 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 bodyhow to begin to sense fascia in your own body what you can eat to nourish the fluidity of your faciaherbal allies for encouraging softness in your fasciaan guided practice you can do to experience your fasciaResources: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 MaséEpisode 58: Gut health and your hormonesEpisode 77: Myofascial release for breast, chest & pelvic bowlIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 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 levelwhat's actually passing through the GI walls how to tell if you might be experiencing leaky gutsome of the common causes of intestinal permeabilitylab tests that can help determine whether you might have ithow to begin tending your GI tract if you suspect itResources:Today's shownotes: Grab links to Nour's work, courses + YoutubeEpisode 44: Bitters and hormonal healthEpisode 58: Gut health and your hormonesIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 :) 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 formulationhow to simply add herbs into your winter routinesome restorative tonic herbs to add to your brothsideas about getting to know herbs you already have access toResources:Today's shownotes: Midwinter herbalism - teas, broths, tincturesSign up for the Natural Contraception waitlistSacred Window Podcast (interview w me): Lost Art of Restorative TonicsEpisode 12: The simple + sacred practice of making teasEpisode 22: Stinging nettles herbal spotlightEpisode 82: How to make oxymels, vinegars + shrubsIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 :) TW: addiction, sexual trauma, pelvic painI'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 yogahow her pelvic pain and tension impacted sex and childbirthwhat interoception is and why it's key to understanda surprising moment for her after Hurricane Helene and how she navigated itthe reality of healing as a spiral not a straight lineResources:Today's shownotes: Grab links to Rose's offeringsFree guided meditation: Womb Connection and clearingEpisode 16: Healing from narcissistic abuse w Amy BranumEpisode 61: How to heal trauma w embodied listening w Dr Emily WilsonEpisode 119: Clearing, tending, releasing womb trauma w Dr Sarah WylieIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd 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 showSupport the show

Click here to send me a quick message :) 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- PresenceIn 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 workResources:- 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 visualizationIf 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 :) 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 spotlightEpisode 40: Schisandra herbal spotlightEpisode 86: Ashwagandha herbal spotlightFree guide: Gardening for Menstrual + Hormonal HealthIf 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 :) 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 altarEpisode 65: Grief + pleasure w Stacy RamsowerEpisode 93: Teachings of the mesentery with Abigail Rose ClarkeFree guided visualization: Womb connection and clearing practiceIf 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 :) 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 beyondFree Womb Connection + Clearing Guided VisualizationEpisode 45: Embodying Winter with Seasonal HerbalismEpisode 48: 9 ways to honor winter solsticeEpisode 100: Rites of passage in your womb storyIf 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 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 differHow Amy went from 7 years as a Primary Care Provider seeing 700+ patients to her private Ayurvedic practiceWhat her insider vision is on how true integrative care could lookAbout the phases of disease from the Ayurvedic lens (they're subtler than you might think)How simple healing can beResources:Episode 3: Ayurveda and your hormonal healthEpisode 97: Nourish Your Nervous System with Ayurvedic WisdomEpisode 147: Agni? Ayurvedic concept of digestive fireFREE Womb Connection and Clearing guided visualizationIf 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 licensuSupport the show

Click here to send me a quick message :) 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 is4 different factors for effective scar tissue remediationan innovative style of holistic pelvic carewhy nervous system relaxation is foundationalResources:Today's shownotes: Get links to Juliana's offeringsSign up for Natural Contraception - The Herbal Way (reg closes 12/13/24)Episode 27: Sex, relationships + psychedelicsEpisode 52: Beyond AphrodisiacsEpisode 64: Vagus nerve and sexual arousalIf 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 showSupport the show

Click here to send me a quick message :) 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 controlwhy I think it's foundational to track your cycle *especially* if you have irregular cycles, PCOS, are postpartum or perimenopausalhow many times you can ovulate in a cyclewhy apps are almost never a reliable way to know when you ovulatewhether herbs for pregnancy prevention can be dangeroushow herbal abortion differs from herbal contraceptionwhat actually works! Resources:Check out the Natural Contraception - The Herbal Way program! Class starts Dec 10th, enrolling until Dec 13th, 2024Today's shownotes: Check out some FAM studies and reliability resourcesEpisode 18: Herbal uterine tonicsEpisode 90: 5 effective non-hormonal birth control optionsEpisode 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 perspectivewhy I think gratitude is a huge and often missing factor what the difference is between vision and intentionhow normal it is to face obstacles after implementing changehow this is relevant to the upcoming Natural Contraception course Resources:Grab your spot on the Natural Contraception course waitlist hereToday's shownotes: How to create new pathways of embodied possibilityEpisode 12: The simple practice of making herbal teasEpisode 107: The healing practice of everyday ritualsFree 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.Support the show

Click here to send me a quick message :) 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 medicinewhy 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 gutthe 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 isa couple great tips on encouraging kids to actually *take* their herbal medicine from Mel's 11+ years of experience as an herbalist mamaResources:Today's shownotes: Get links to all of Mel's offerings, courses, etcGrab your spot on the Natural Contraception course waitlistEpisode 4: Herbal spotlight on TulsiEpisode 12: The simple sacred practice of making herbal teasEpisode 82: Making herbal vinegars, oxymels, shrubsEpisode 134: Herbal baths and compressesDownload the FREE Track your cycle naturally guideIf 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 :) 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 iswhy agni is not just "digestive fire" but also relates to brain functionthe four kinds of agni according to Ayurvedahow to protect, support and maintain your digestive firesome initial practical steps you can take to support your own agnihow agni impacts our hormones and vice versaResources:Today's shownotes: Get links to Kimberly's offeringsGrab your spot on the Natural Contraception course waitlist hereEpisode 3: Ayurveda + your hormonal healthEpisode 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.Support the show

Click here to send me a quick message :) 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 contraceptionhow learning your unique rhythm + cycle can change your lifehow practicing natural contraception is an act of resistanceabout FAM as a skill to build towards resiliencehow natural contraception compares with hormonal birth control5 benefits I have found practicing FAM for 16 years and countingResources:Free Guide: Track Your Cycle Naturally with FAMGrab a spot on the Natural Contraception course waitlistEpisode 5: Are you ovulating? And why it mattersEpisode 84: Herbal support for transitioning off hormonal BCEpisode 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 healthsome basics on sympathetic nervous system activationwhat "mobilization" looks like when adrenaline + cortisol are pumpingwhy it's key to learn about how to tend your nervous systemhow to identify and navigate the "freeze" stateResources:Today's shownotes: Get Lizzy's links + free offerings hereEpisode 17: How stress messes with your hormonesEpisode 97: Nourish your nervous system w AyurvedaEpisode 142: Relaxation through song + ancestral folk traditionsGrab Lizzy's free somatic deep rest meditationIf 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 :) 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 circlewhat 10 years of participating and leading circles has taught Daniellethe basic structure of an effective, ceremonial circlethe importance of deeply listening and not responding in circlesome ideas on how to intuitively plan each circleDanielle's advice on self-reflection before hosting your first circleResources:Sign up for the Natural Contraception course waitlist!Today's shownotes: Get links to Danielle's offerings + Yoni Shakti bookEpisode 34: What if your womb was an altar?Episode 52: Beyond aphrodisiacsEpisode 90: 5 effective non-hormonal birth control optionsIf 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 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) iswhy FAM is foundational for TTC, natural contraception or hormonal imbalancesthe two required signs and the optional sign to practice FAM effectivelyhow your cervical mucus and BBT relate to estrogen and progesteroneinsights into what your cycle is telling you about your hormonesResources:Free Guide: Track Your Cycle Naturally with FAMGrab a spot on the Natural Contraception course waitlistToday's shownotes: What is FAM?Episode 5: Are you ovulating? And why it mattersEpisode 98: Reclaim your cervix!Episode 105: What is your fertile window? + how to decipher itIf 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 behow Heather has woven herself back into her own ancestral folk wayswhy learning myths can be a key to living a full lifethe connection between voice and the pelvic bowlResources:Today's shownotes: Get the book references and Heather's links!Grab the free Womb Connection and Clearing meditationEpisode 89: Return to wholeness w womb at center w Robin Rose BennettHeather's website: Heatherwolf.loveIf 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 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 carehow her own personal cancer journey exemplifies her somatic dialogue techniquewhat uterine unwinding is and how you might explore some of this practice in your own body either solo or with a practitionersome inspiring and hopeful stories of womb, fertility and trauma healingabout the possibility of generational trauma getting stuck in our tissuesone simple practice to ground you in your body and pelvisResources:Today's shownotes: Get links to Kathryn's online course, website, moreSign up for the Natural Contraception course waitlist (coming soon!)Episode 10: Traditional womb healing practices w Sondra HamiltonEpisode 61: How to heal trauma with embodied listening w Dr Emily WilsonEpisode 119: Clearing, releasing, tending womb trauma w Dr Sarah WylieIf 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'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 useshow mugwort was my initiation into the path of plant medicinemultiple ways of working with mugwortwhy mugwort is an essential herb for your natural contraception apothecarycautions around dosing and constituents in mugwortsome interesting recent research on mugwort's actionsResources:Today's shownotes: Get the references / research study citations Sign up for the Natural Contraception Waitlist hereEpisode 18: Uterine tonicsEpisode 83: How mugwort prevented a hysterectomy w Andrea WebbEpisode 89: Return to wholeness in your womb w Robin Rose BennettIf 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 Campbell, 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 Autumnwhy you may want to consider cutting down coffee in this seasonhow a slow but steady pace is essential for longevitysome nuances on how your unique body may respond to different seasonsa few simple ways you can begin to tend to Vata in your daily life this FallResources:Today's shownotes: Get links to Molly's reset + other offeringsSign up for the Natural Contraception course waitlist! (Oct 2024)Episode 3: Ayurveda and hormonal health w Kimberly KubickeEpisode 49: How to create a sacred window beyond postpartum w Ashlee Sakaishi-WilkinEpisode 88: How to ease into AutumnIf 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 uncertaintythe story of how Cycles Journal came to be how moon cycles and solar + lunar astrology can enhance cycle trackingthe gift of observing patterns in your body/mind/spirit month after monthhow personal healing is integral to collective healinga little on the forthcoming Embodied Ecosystems Tarot DeckResources:Today's shownotes: Get links to Cycles Journal and Rachael's offeringsFREE GUIDE: Track your cycle naturally with Fertility Awareness MethodEpisode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)Episode 38: Your menstrual cycle is a vital signEpisode 78: Your cycle superpowersEpisode 90: 5 effective non-hormonal birth control optionsIf 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 controlspecifics on the benefits, risks and efficacy of copper IUD'swhy I think condoms are essential for everyone to considerhow barrier methods like condoms are a part of Fertility Awarenessbasics on your fertile window and what it's telling youthe benefits of ovulationsome of the gifts of progesteroneResourcesFree Natural Cycle Tracking (FAM) guideGet on the Natural Contraception waitlistEpisode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)Episode 90: 5 effective non-hormonal birth control optionsEpisode 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 herbsabout the lack of resources for those on the gender + relationship spectrumsome very simple herbs to support nourishing + replenishing postpartumthe impacts of climate change + extreme weather events on hormoneshow herbs can help mitigate the effects of ecological extremesMarie'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 linksFREE GUIDE Track your cycle naturally (using FAM)Episode 25: Immediate postpartum care the herbal way w Liz PhilbrickEpisode 49: How to create a sacred windowEpisode 68: Milky Oats herbal spotlightIf 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 heSupport the Show.

Click here to send me a quick message :) 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 itthe 5 aspects of ourselves that relate to grief totally differentlyhow grief encourages us to feel more alivethe difference between elder and olderwhy not all walk with loss are initiations + how grief can be initiationthe diverse ways our wombs carry grief throughout our liveswhat a "re-enlivened wailing culture" could look likeResources:Today's shownotes: Get links to Siobhan's offeringsFREE Womb connection and clearing meditationEpisode 20: Earth, womb + seed connectionEpisode 65: The intersection of grief and pleasureEpisode 112: How to tend grief w support from the earthEpisode 121: Navigating heartbreak with Internal Family SystemsIf 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 :) 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 arehow to make these preparationswhy I chose the herbs I did for my Bartholin's cystwhat conditions may be best supported by herbal baths + compresseswhich actions you may want to consider when choosing herbshow to determine which herbs to choose for you unique symptomsResources:Free Natural Cycle Tracking (FAM) guideToday's shownotes: Herbal baths, sitz baths, compressesEpisode 12: Simple + sacred practice of making teaEpisode 25: Immediate postpartum care w herbs w Liz PhilbrickEpisode 82: Herbal vinegars, oxygens + shrubsIf 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 :) 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 a loved one or a client.Listen to learn:some essential herbal remedies to help prepare for surgerywhat's NOT safe (eg which herbs to avoid directly around surgery)a creative and beautiful way to honor any body part that is removedhow to differentiate the three phases of recovery post-surgeryherbs and nutrition for each phase of recoveryResources:Free Guide: Track Your Cycle Naturally using FAMToday's shownotes: Get links to all of Elaine's offeringsElaine's article on Herbs for SurgeryEpisode 12: Making herbal teasEpisode 57: Self-care + healing trauma after cesareanEpisode 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.Support the Show.

Click here to send me your Q's, comments, lovenotes, or a quick message here :) 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 timewhy sperm health should ALWAYS be considered part of the fertility picturethe difference between chronological and biological ageAlexandria's thoughts on essential nutrition for fertilitywhy preparing a year or more before TTC is extremely helpfulhow fertility is not ONLY an age or hormonal issueResources:Today's shownotes: Get links to Alexandria's book + lab testing companyFree Guide: Track Your Cycle Naturally using FAMEpisode 5: Are you ovulating? And why it mattersEpisode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign - learn to listen to what it's telling youEpisode 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.Support the Show.

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 youherbs to soothe tension in your tight tissues and achy musclesherbs to soften and moisten your GI, vaginal and urinary tractherbs to calm your mood and mindmy favorite herbal oil to use for belly massage (+ why belly massage matters)several simple practices you can adapt into your OWN gentleness practicea song to include in or inspire your gentleness practice :)Resources:Today's episode: Get link to Rosalie's poem and moreFree guided meditation: Womb connection + clearing meditationEpisode 18: Uterine tonics (to nourish + support your womb)Episode 19: Pelvic softening wisdom w Chaya Leia AronsonEpisode 32: Motherwort love - an herb for every season of your wombEpisode 49: How to create a sacred window in transitional timesSupport the Show.

Click here to send me your Q's, comments, lovenotes, or a quick message here :) 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 reductionthe basics of preparing for an recovering from breast/chest reduction surgerythe lack of solid information on this topic and where Kali found her best infohow to find a good surgeon and why you should "shop around"ways to prepare for the surgery + recoverywhat Kali didn't expect (even though she researched a TON beforehand)Resources:Today's shownotes: Get Kali's links hereEpisode 26: How to ease cyclic breast/chest tendernessEpisode 77: Myofascial release for breast, chest, pelvic careFree guide: Womb connection and clearing meditationIf 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 :) 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 practicesome DIY styles for yoni steaming at homehow 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 waswhy vaginal steaming is more than just physical healingabout the steam seat she designedResources:Free womb connection+clearing guided visualizationToday's shownotes: Get links to Leiamoon steam seat + Jessica's workEpisode 18: Herbal Uterine TonicsEpisode 19: The importance of softeningEpisode 43: Vaginal steaming w Julia Demillones MooreIf 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.