Herbal Womb Wisdom

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TW: addiction, sexual trauma, pelvic pain
I've been reading Gabor Maté recently, and learning about the undeniable link between trauma and addiction, and feeling just how much that plays out in our world.
According to today's guest - yoga therapist Rosemary Holbrook - addiction is often more of a symptom of past trauma.
Her story of how she went from addiction (and sexual trauma which led to chronically painful intercourse the medical model had nothing to offer for) to being pain-free, and experiencing pleasure and a healthy relationship is illuminating.
Honestly, I think it's important to speak to these topics here because they are so common in our communities, and often hidden and NOT talked about.
Without sharing any of the details, we dive into the flow of events for Rose, and how yoga, Jyotish astrology and Ayurveda were keys along her healing journey.
She also speaks to to the transformational experience of being a pelvic floor PT and how she learned to melt away the tension "down there" so she no longer experiences pain, and instead can experience pleasurable sex.
More than anything, she speaks to the importance of learning to be more fully in her body, feel her emotions and cultivate healthy self- and relationship patterns.
Far beyond just yoga asanas, It's been a whole life, truly integrative path for her.
If you're on a pelvic pain, addiction or trauma healing journey, this episode is made for you.
Listen to learn:

• how sexual trauma can be overlooked "on paper"
• Rose's story from addiction to recovery through yoga
• how her pelvic pain and tension impacted sex and childbirth
• what interoception is and why it's key to understand
• a surprising moment for her after Hurricane Helene and how she navigated it
• the reality of healing as a spiral not a straight line

Resources:

• Today's shownotes: Grab links to Rose's offerings
• Free guided meditation: Womb Connection and clearing
• Episode 16: Healing from narcissistic abuse w Amy Branum
• Episode 61: How to heal trauma w embodied listening w Dr Emily Wilson
• Episode 119: Clearing, tending, releasing womb trauma w Dr Sarah Wylie

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

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

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

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Okay, so real talk... how much do you know about menopause?
If you aren't in the midst of peri-menopause, or already through menopause, my guess is not much.
For some reason, our western culture is fairly obsessed with preparing us for fertility and childbirth, but completely neglects to acknowledge the massive transition that is menopause.
I mean, most of us have heard of hot flashes, and we know that our cycles will eventually stop, but that's almost the entirety of common knowledge around this time of our lives.
And unfortunately most medical doctors don't have much to offer us than hormone replacement, and really, that's even become less common because of some potential risks.
It's like we all just don't know what to do.
Enter natural remedies. Whether it's herbs, acupuncture, nutrition or homeopathy, there are actually lots of potential ways to both relieve your symptoms and prevent future ones.
In this week's episode, homeopath Ruth Hull shares how homeopathy (which is a very subtle but powerful natural therapy you'll learn all about) can be helpful specifically for hot flashes, and for other common symptoms of menopause.
Listen to this episode to learn:

• what homeopathy is (believe me, it's commonly misunderstood)
• how to determine what remedy is specific for your condition
• resources to support you in choosing your own remedies
• a little about hot flashes and the menopausal transition
• all about three different kinds of hot flashes and which remedies are perfect for each
• how homeopathy can support you with the burn out, fatigue and depletion you may experience in menopause
• why changing your perception of this time of your life may help

Resources:

• Get links to the books Ruth mentioned and her free guide to help you cope with stress on this week's shownotes page
• Join The Herbal Womb email community
• Episode 15: What's a Plant Ally? (and how to find yours)
• Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones + menstrual cycle
• Episode 30: 5 herbal pillars for vibrant hormonal health

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

Support the show

Click here to send me a quick message :)

Becoming a mother or parent is transformational - no matter what- and there is growth with every pregnancy and birth along the way too.
But the journey of meeting, acquainting with and then navigating the world of complex caregiving when your new baby is born with special medical needs is likely hard to understand if you haven't walked the path yourself.
Personally I haven't walked that path, but today's guest Andrea Dole has and she shares not only about her personal story but also how that has profoundly informed the way she understands the world and how devastatingly lacking support is for (well anyone but especially) families of children with special needs.
This has led her to a life of advocacy work, powerfully proposing paid family caregiving here in Maine and beyond, but along the way she's faced a number of health challenges that have reminded her that she's NOT invincible, and actually needs to tend herself in the midst of tending those she loves most too.
From discovering her Hashimoto's diagnosis 9 months postpartum after her second child to lasting nerve pain from a shingles outbreak, her body is a constant teacher - and in her words, "an elder" that reminds her to pay attention.
Her way of seeing the world and the possibilities of healthcare and community care are deeply inspiring as they are. But she also weaves in the regenerative healing of immersing in the natural world through canoe and camping trips through her family's business of Earthways Guide Service and it just all feels even richer.
Mostly this episode is a gentle telling of Andrea's story, but along the way we explore everything from indigenous healing traditions to how plants speak to us to how chronic stress can lead to autoimmune conditions -- and how nature immersion can be profoundly healing amidst all of it.
It's a beautiful conversation and such an honor to share it with you.
Listen to learn:

• how having a child with special medical needs inspired transformation + activism
• the gentle telling of James' birth story and immediate postpartum
• some insights on the emerging field of combining indigenous science + conventional medicine
• how immersing in guided wilderness trips can reset your nervous system
• an example of the journey of chronic stress leading to health challenges
• why we need a village and how we can learn about community care from our animal relatives
• how the landscape can be an extension of our nervous systems

Resources:

• Today's shownotes: Get links to Earthways Guide Service trips & more
• Episode 7: All about wild carrot with Mischa Schuler
• Episode 41: How nature connection can reduce burnout w Efan Hsieh
• Episode 63: Nutrition and herbs for Hashimoto's w Kamila Valjkovic
• Episode 92: How to trust your body in times of uncertainty

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

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

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbali

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 altar
  • Episode 65: Grief + pleasure w Stacy Ramsower
  • Episode 93: Teachings of the mesentery with Abigail Rose Clarke
• Free guided visualization: Womb connection and clearing practice

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

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

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

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 cycle
• 5 keys to encouraging a healthier follicular phase and regular cycles
• what the energetics of Spring are according to Ayurveda
• the importance of cleansing in the Spring and Fall
• essential components of a cleanse
• what Kimberly's guided 10 day cleanse looks like

Resources:

• Check out and join Kimberly's 10 day guided Ayurvedic cleanse here*
• Today's shownotes: Springtime in our cycles and bodies
• Episode 69: Cyclical archetypes with Em Dewey
• Episode 73: Cyclical Movement w Tara Lynn Steele
• Episode 78: Your cycle superpowers
• Grab your free guide: Track your cycle with FAM

Affiliate links!

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

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

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

Support the show