Herbal Womb Wisdom

Tea is a foundational form of herbal medicine.  Partly because it's the epitome of how "plant medicine is people's medicine" because it's so accessible, inexpensive, and familiar.  But also because it's a way we can cultivate real, lasting relationship with the plants. Especially when we work with bulk dried herbs, we see them, smell them, taste them, and can feel the...

I think it's easy to pigeonhole our health - whether that's hormonal, sexual, menstrual or overall health - to being something physical.  Like, yes, we need certain foods, lots of fiber, healthy fats, good protein. And yes, we need to be hydrated. And move our bodies. And get outside. And make sure we're pooping.  Without those things, we can't actually feel integratively well,...

I think it's easy to dismiss the importance of core strength as something only for those who are young or oriented to body image.  But the truth is, your core is the center of your body. And it's actually a place where a lot of your whole body strength (and overall wellness) radiates from.  According to today's guest, Mary Vidal, having a strong core is an essential foundation to bo...

6 days. You're fertile for only 6 days of your entire cycle every month.  That's it!  I imagine you may have heard that before somewhere, especially if you've been on a fertility journey or practiced Fertility Awareness / cycle tracking in any form.  It's probably the most important part of the cycle to be aware of... but what IS it exactly?  What's happening in the body i...

What if your womb was a portal? Well, my beautiful friend... it is.  Our wombs (and wombspaces - even if you no longer have a womb) are power centers in our body. In many ways, they are the literal seat of our embodied power.  And they are also where we create life, experience the life-death-life cycle repeatedly, connect directly to the earth AND hold embodied connection to our ancestral lineage....

It's deep winter now. The time of quietude, slow movement, deep nourishment, and dreaming and visioning. And in the case of gardeners, this is often the time of choosing seeds, planning gardens, considering any shifts or changes you might be considering for your landscape, maybe even learning new skills that can serve you next season.  So it's the perfect time to bring flower and herb fa...

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...

Your womb is a place of power, pleasure and possibility. AND it's also a place where we tend to hold deep seated fears, imbalances and trauma - whether physical or energetic. I've decided to take a couple week break on new content creation for the podcast, and instead of just ghosting you, be more creative and intentional in the break time. In this episode, you'll find embodied wisd...

Okay, so most of us DO honor pregnancy and birth in a way that could be considered to be a rite of passage. We have blessingways, baby showers, even postpartum care.    But what about all the other pivotal moments of our womb story that we pass through?    The truth is, honoring these transitional times is part of many ancestral traditions. It’s not some kooky, woo-woo, new age thing.     The more...

I know, I know... Human Design? What could a system that reads more like an astrological birth chart mixed with the I Ching and Chakras have to do with our sexuality or relationships? It's a fair question, and one I had, too.  But today's guest, Cara Dempsey, shares about how learning Human Design (and especially understanding what her "Sacral Inner Authority" meant) completely...

What comes up when you think of your cervix? Is it images of a sterile healthcare office where you're getting a pap-smear (and all the complicated emotions that come up around that)? The common concerns around HPV, abnormal paps and even cervical cancer can run rampant in our minds.  So perhaps, thinking about your cervix brings up some fear or discomfort or grief... rightfully so.  Or maybe...

Stress, depletion, burnout, frazzled nerves, anxiety, lack of focus, spaciness, groundlessness. What do all of these have in common?  Vata.  If you're familiar with Ayurveda, you'll know there are three primary "doshas," or collections of elemental characteristics that describe qualities of a person.  But they aren't static. I think sometimes people get stuck in the idea t...

I think many of us just accept the discomfort we have in our guts without question.  I was talking to a client recently and I actively had to ask her if she ever notices any symptoms after eating for her to remember that she commonly experiences sharp pain in her belly and doesn't know why.  The fact that it wasn't top of mind for her because she's just accepted that as part of her...

After birth, our bodies are especially tender and rather "blown open." Not only has a babe passed through either your perineum or your belly, but your spirit has been expanded tremendously, too.  And unfortunately, most of us have NO IDEA how to effectively tend "to the root of our bodies" as today's guest, MD-turned-holistic-midwife (and mother of 9!) Dr Rebecca Cohen des...

Oh, our hearts!  I'm not sure if you're feeling it, but everywhere I look I'm seeing yet another person share about how they're feeling heartbroken, or how these times are heartbreaking.  The collective field is full of grief, loss, shock, confusion, and meanwhile we're also all living our lives, attempting to go about our days "as usual." When our hearts are so...

What the heck is the mesentery? And why does it matter to you, anyway? Okay, so I know not all of us are anatomy nerds, and we don't commonly get excited to hear about anatomical structures, but this one... well, it's worth checking out.  Partly because it's deeply intertwined with all of your belly organs, partly because it has  an intimate relationship with your wombspace, and par...

How do you navigate uncertainty - in your body, in your mind, in your life? I think it's easy to fall into patterns of avoidance or not facing what's hard, especially when that requires us to feel big emotions or actually respond to what we're feeling with some kind of action. This is just as true with worldly events like we're witnessing now as it is with information our body...

We hear a lot about the gifts and benefits of each of our cycle phases, but what we don't commonly explore are the shadow sides of those times. And whether it's our menstrual cycles or even our womb phases we travel through during our lives, it's helpful to know what to look out for that might be a sign of imbalance.  Not so much physically, but from a psycho-emotional perspective. ...

Okay, so why does it seem like hormonal birth control has become front and center as "the most effective" contraception? Somehow it seems like in the last few decades, non-hormonal birth control has fallen out of favor. Maybe because it's too simple? Maybe because there isn't enough money in it? It can feel scary to transition off of hormonal birth control if you've been o...

What does it mean to become fully yourself? And how can the plants and your womb help with that? These are questions that are not as straightforward as they seem. Really, each of us carries our own unique blueprint and gifts that we can offer to the world.  And beginning to connect with that inner knowing, the place inside you that whispers that you are more than just a cog in the wheel of societa...

Have you noticed how many people acknowledge the seasonal transition from summer to autumn? It's one of the most talked about events-of-the-year.  Maybe that's because it's such a dramatic change. The vibrant heat and buoyancy of summer give way to the brilliant display of color and shedding of leaves on trees, and the return to the earth of many annual and perennial plants.  It&apo...

What happens when the goal is not just to reduce pain or remedy a pelvic health "disorder", but actually to prioritize pleasure? What if it was possible to actually feel safe in your body, to listen to yourself, to gently ease into what authentically feels good for you... one step at a time. It's tremendously easy to feel shame around any kind of health challenge, but somehow even e...

Oh, Ashwagandha.  An herb that almost every single one of us have heard of - at least by name, if not because we've used it at some point along the way. A real celebrity of the plant world. And a true favorite among herbalists, too.  Before I share more, just take a moment to think about what you already know about this plant.    My guess is you probably think of Ashwagandha (Withania somnife...

Have you explored acupressure at all? I think most of us know that acupuncture has a lot of potential benefit, and perhaps you've heard of how supportive it is for enhancing fertility and/or as an adjunct to fertility treatments like IVF or IUI.  But something less well known is that acupressure is a modality unto itself, which at times can be as effective if not more effective than acupunctu...

Have you ever wondered what herbs may be supportive for the transition from hormonal birth control to natural cycles again? It's actually not something that's talked about much.  But herbs can be wonderful allies to help cultivate an optimal foundation for our sex hormones to begin circulating naturally again, both for overall system support and symptomatic relief. And they can also help...