Herbal Womb Wisdom

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How often do we hear the term “integrative medicine” and what people are really practicing is symptom suppression medicine with more natural, herbal or supplement methods?

I think it’s very hard to break away from that “treat the symptom” approach when you’ve been indoctrinated into it, and when so many patients are familiar with it.
But occasionally I’ll have a client who says they want to get to the root of what’s going on, and when faced with some of the lifestyle and dietary changes they may have to make, they’d rather not go there.
Which is totally fair. But there’s only so much bandaid approaches can do.
Like yeah, you can reduce the severity of your menstrual cramps in the moment, but if you don’t explore you circulation, the tension you may be holding in your pelvis, some of your ongoing stressors, your sleep, your nutrition, triggers for inflammation etc... well, it’s likely just going to keep being there cycle after cycle.
Which doesn’t mean it has to be hard, sometimes very simple shifts can make a huge difference, but they DO have to be made in order to make the difference.
Which is what I love about this conversation with NP and Ayurvedic Practitioner, Amy Eldredge.
She shares about how some of the simplest changes can be profoundly impactful and in some cases even clear up a condition entirely.
She also talks about the wisdom of samprapti, which is essentially an understanding of HOW disease manifests in the body (or mind) and how identifying it when it’s in the earlier stages (before it sets in) is true preventative medicine.
She speaks to how the western paradigm doesn’t even recognize disease until it’s in the fourth stage.
Annnnd we speak to her journey from conventional medicine into Ayurveda, her visions of what could be possible if primary care providers worked alongside Ayurvedic practitioners to help reduce the onset of disease in the first place.
Her visions (and her on the ground work) is inspiring, and I hope it helps you to feel a little more hope in what sometimes feels like a broken healthcare system.
Another world is possible. We just have to create it.

Listen to learn:

• where Ayurveda and western medicine overlap and where they differ
• How Amy went from 7 years as a Primary Care Provider seeing 700+ patients to her private Ayurvedic practice
• What her insider vision is on how true integrative care could look
• About the phases of disease from the Ayurvedic lens (they’re subtler than you might think)
• How simple healing can be

Resources:

• Episode 3: Ayurveda and your hormonal health
• Episode 97: Nourish Your Nervous System with Ayurvedic Wisdom
• Episode 147: Agni? Ayurvedic concept of digestive fire
• FREE Womb Connection and Clearing guided visualization

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.

And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensu

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There's a term - body literacy - that's thrown around a lot in Fertility Awareness circles.

And it may seem vague, "like, what part of our body are we talking about?" And it's true, you can become literate in any system of your body, technically.
BUT your menstrual cycle is a window into your whole health - and has even been considered a fifth vital sign.
However, you can only begin to perceive this embodied wisdom if you are naturally cycling (eg not using hormonal birth control).
That said, there are legitimate reasons someone may choose to get on, stay on, or return to hormonal contraception.

But if you're one - of many - who are transitioning off birth control and/or you want to understand your body and your options, this episode is a good starting point.

This is another compilation episode with snippets from a previous interview and solo shows, as I'm still on content creation break while I get some of my own "wintering" in.
First, you'll hear about vaginal fluids - what's normal and what's not - and a sneak peek into the topic of fertile cervical mucus.
Next, Gabrielle Jansen shares a little about the politics and history of birth control, the experience of "pill shame" some might have and how to support your body when you ARE on hormonal birth control.
Finally, I offer some basics on reasons you may be thinking about ditching your hormonal contraception and some first steps on how to support yourself in that transition.
It's really just a glimpse into each of those interviews, but you'll get practical take-aways from each one.
To listen to the episodes in full, check out the links below!

Resources:

• ONLINE - Natural Contraception course coming Jan 2024 - get on the waitlist!
• LOCALS - Winter Embodied Birth Control Series in-person, 3 months, in Hope, ME - taught by myself and Gabrielle Jansen - learn more here
• Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
• Episode 23: Your body on birth control with Gabrielle Jansen
• Episode 46: Vaginal fluids - what's normal, what's not?
• Episode 84: Herbal allies for transitioning off hormonal birth control

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.

And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.

Support the show

Click here to send me a quick message :)

So many of us have all but lost connection with our ancestral lineage traditions.

Especially those of us living in westernized, industrialized cultures...
and even more so if we live in the United States (or somewhere far from our lineage homelands) where so many of us have been cut off from the threads of deep relationship to land, place, community and family story for generations.
But even those of us who feel entirely lost from our ancestral folk traditions can begin to weave our way back in with a little effort.
Today's guest, herbal brewess, myth-teller and musician Heather Wolf, shares about ways she's explored the history of folk traditions like herbal brewing, music and song, and ritual both in her own ancestry and around the world.
She speaks of how many of the folk traditions (and even herbal brewing!) as well as ancient initiatory rituals were often held in the hands of women...
often post-menopausal elder women in their crone years.
And how these potent traditions were systematically taken away from women (herbalism included) and placed into the expanding power structures that embraced capitalism over commerce, Christianity over earth-based rituals, and professional arts and music over folk traditions.
Heather's way of weaving myth into history and a commitment to reclaiming our throne as the powerful leaders we have the potential to be - true creators in all senses of the word - is deeply inspiring.
In the end, it really is all about the resurgence of folk culture, meaning that each and every one of us has a place in creating it.
It's community, connection, creativity, expression.
And it's carrying on the crafts (and adding in modern elements) so we can find meaning and purpose in our lives and with each other.
With the womb at the center. ;)
Listen to learn:

• how herbal brewing was historically an elder woman's domain!
• what herbal brews are and how ancient they've been found to be
• how Heather has woven herself back into her own ancestral folk ways
• why learning myths can be a key to living a full life
• the connection between voice and the pelvic bowl

Resources:

• Today's shownotes: Get the book references and Heather's links!
• Grab the free Womb Connection and Clearing meditation
• Episode 89: Return to wholeness w womb at center w Robin Rose Bennett
• Heather's website: Heatherwolf.love

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.

And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.

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 circle
• what 10 years of participating and leading circles has taught Danielle
• the basic structure of an effective, ceremonial circle
• the importance of deeply listening and not responding in circle
• some ideas on how to intuitively plan each circle
• Danielle's advice on self-reflection before hosting your first circle

Resources:

• Sign up for the Natural Contraception course waitlist!
• Today's shownotes: Get links to Danielle's offerings + Yoni Shakti book
• Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
• Episode 52: Beyond aphrodisiacs
• Episode 90: 5 effective non-hormonal birth control options

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.

And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.

Support the show

Click here to send me a quick message :)

How would your experience change if you actually treated your womb like an altar?
I know, this concept may seem strange at first, but the reality is that your womb is arguably the most powerful place in your body, and truly a sacred space.
Sure, our hearts, our brains, and our lungs are significant, too. But our wombs are a place of creation. A place where the spark of life is possible.
What's more sacred than that?
(and remember, this energy is still available to you if you've had a hysterectomy)
Listen to this episode to hear:

• why our wombs are just as sacred as any altar or place of worship
• how our pelvis holds our wombs as a kind of temenos (and what that means)
• why having a physical altar may be helpful but also distract you from your womb
• six ways you can interact meaningfully with the altar of your womb

Resources:

• Free **Womb Connection + Clearing Guided Visualization**
• Episode 1: What is Womb Wisdom?
• Episode 10: Tradition womb healing practices with Sondra Hamilton
• Episode 28: Rhythms of your womb - A midsummer invitation to slow down
• Episode 29: Fertility rituals, womb wisdom, + the mystery of time with Caroline Ashurst

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.
And if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you. ❤️
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.

Support the show