Maiden to Mother

"A trauma free, transcendent birth experience." I mean, who wouldn't want to hear about something described like that? I was gifted the delightful opportunity to sit with Cheri Dostal Ryba once again to hear about the birth and delivery of her second daughter, Magnolia. From popsicle feedings from her toddler to visions of Magnolias, from deep downloads on maturity to the obstacles of partner involvement in home water births, there is so much to glean from her shared journey across the threshold of motherhood. Cheri's story provides us with a positive, empowering birth depiction of what birth can really be and look like when "stalked like prey" with fierceness and desire. Not only did Cheri get the VBAC she so vividly envisioned, she cultivated an experience for her entire family that will forever bond them together. And I even made an "appearance" in her story from afar - a prediction of birth that was already in progress! Enjoy this episode focused on maturity and Cheri's personal revelation on "ripening" the quality of her life once again! Connect with Cheri and all she has to offer:IG: @cheridostal FB: @cheridostalryba Website: www.cheridostal.com

Boldness, first family prayer, investigating disrupted matriarch lines and stalking her birth like prey - all just the tip of the iceberg of what I had the true pleasure of discussing with the incredible Cheri Dostal Ryba. As a pelvic health specialist, movement coach, and yoga therapist, Cheri's wisdom and perspective on the feminine is enlightening and inspiring.In this interview, I spoke with Cheri while she was 38 weeks pregnant with her second daughter. She shares her first journey from Maiden to Mother with her daughter, Fern, and the many lessons she gleaned from the unexpected experiences she encountered. With another grand shift in her life approaching, Cheri shares with us her hopes, fears, and realizations of how the Mother archetype is constantly pushing her to be her more authentic and genuine self. She has such light and joy to share with us all!

Spending time with Kelsey is always nothing short of enlightening and uplifting. This women has a beautiful way of putting things in perspective through the lens of compassion, respect, and love. My interview with her was inspiring and eye opening! Kelsey opened up and shared her personal journey and struggles from Maiden to Mother along with her views of how the masculine has influenced women today and how simple yet profound shifts in attitude can really help make this transition a magnificent chapter in life. Kelsey Delane is a bookworm, an extroverted introvert, and a people-lover who is currently raising a preteen & a toddler while running her women-centered Yoga business. Since first starting her practice in 2006, Kelsey has been integrating the tools of breath, embodied movement, and yoga philosophy into all facets of her life, especially motherhood. Her heart’s desire is to de-mystify the time-tested wisdom of Yoga and to hold the hand of her students while they explore new ways of being in their body, heart and mind. In her work as a both a yoga teacher & a birth worker, Kelsey is devoted to educating yogis, teachers and moms on how to implement yogic philosophy in practical ways so they can become the hero of their own life. You can connect personally with Kelsey on social media or her website IG: @kelseydelaneyogaFB: @kelseydelaneyogawww.kelseydelaneyoga.com Kelsey Delane Troup, E-RYT500, RPYTYoga Mentor & Full Spectrum Doula

For this, my first interview, we have the honor and privilege of hearing Nicolle Kasch's story of transitioning from Maiden to Mother. Nicolle is a certified HypnoBirthing practitioner, birth doula, and all around impassioned nerd surrounding topics such as fertility, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, breastfeeding, attachment parenting, and human rights. Since 2014 she has been helping families feel more informed, confident and empowered to achieve their goals as they welcome a new little soul into their lives. Nicolle is also a mother to two sweet and energetic boys, whose births opened the gateway to her passion for the perinatal period and find new ways to delight and challenge her daily! My time spent with Nicolle was full of laughter and revelations around fear and the magnitude that is the role of Motherhood. We talk about changing your mind, how our Maiden selves are influenced by our families and education, as well as the importance of returning to birth for our continued progress and prosperity in life. I hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed chatting! 

Moving from Maidenhood in to Motherhood is a journey that takes more time than many women realize. This is not a transition that happens of the short span of time during pregnancy or the event of birth but rather gradually occurs over months or years. A shift of this magnitude is jarring and can be destabilizing if preparation and work are not done ahead of time to ensure the woman is surrounded by love and support. In this episode, we investigate how moving from Maiden to Mother is both celebratory and mournful. Birth and death become the opposing lens through which we view reality. Our understanding of the world and our role within it has new meaning and dimension, much of which causes us to question what we learned in our Maiden years and look ahead with doubt, confusion, and anxiety. But there is much that can be done to help avoid or alleviate these stressors and possible outcomes! It requires us to take responsibility and cultivate a community or village that uplifts, inspires, and supports us… all of which is more than possible!    

The Mother is a complex and dynamic being, full of abundant love, assurance, nurturing and strength. She approaches life with a new found sense of reverence and power that reminds us of the majesty that women are. Her existence in our world leads us to understand the many dimensions of love and what it can feel like when fully offered and received. The groundedness and comfort that we associate with the Mother brings to light the value of authority and safety in our world and how important it is that we honor the sacrifices made each day by our mother's in order for us to live and thrive. She is also a symbol of life lived in surrender while also taking responsibility for those aspects that can in fact be controlled. The Mother reminds us that if we are to fully evolve and grow, we must understand and show reverence for the women who came before us and paved the way for us to be who we are and fully loved at the same time, recognizing as well that this is what lays the foundation for a life well-lived: unconditional and everlasting love. She is steadfast and true, a women who doesn't need to be protected but should be. She is a Divine Creator and deserves much of the same respect and honor as thos gods we have created in our world. In this episode we dive deeper in to all of her elements and how we can make changes in our society to ensure her expressions are protected, provided for, and empowered.

The Maiden is a vibrant expression of creativity, discovery, adventure and new beginnings. She embraces life with a fullness and excitement that reminds us of the power of dreams and hope. Her existence in our world leads us down unknown paths in search of meaning, purpose, and pleasure. The purity and youth that we associate with the Maiden brings to light the value of innocence in our world and how important it is that we protect such expressions from a young age. She is also a symbol of life lived without knowledge and the value therein. The Maiden reminds us that if we are to fully evolve and grow, we must not take matters naively in to our own hands but find elders that we trust who can help support and guide us through such a tumultuous and pivotal phase of life. She is boundless energy that should be protected and nurtured without judgement but with protection and a solid foundation of unconditional love. In this episode we dive deeper in to all of her elements and how we can make changes in our society to ensure her expressions are protected, provided for, and empowered.

Most women dream of becoming a mother (in some way) during their life. We are born with an innate desire to nurture, support, and love deeply another soul or being. It is this instinct to create and care for life outside of our own that reminds us of what will ultimately hold the human race together no matter what - LOVE. My transition from maiden to mother was quite the ride. With a pregnancy that I could only have ever dreamed up but a birth that was unexpected and full of chaos, I have been working for the past 5 years to fully transition in to the role of mother. In this first episode, I share my son, Jai’s, birth story. His entry in to our world was the beginning of my departure from my maiden archetype and the start of the tremendous full-reset and evaluation that is becoming a mother. The birth of my first child was a traumatic yet transformative experience and served as the catalyst for all that I now do to support, inspire, and empower women during conception, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.