Herbal Womb Wisdom – Details, episodes & analysis

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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 beyond
• Free Womb Connection + Clearing Guided Visualization
• Episode 45: Embodying Winter with Seasonal Herbalism
• Episode 48: 9 ways to honor winter solstice
• Episode 100: Rites of passage in your womb story

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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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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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) is
• why FAM is foundational for TTC, natural contraception or hormonal imbalances
• the two required signs and the optional sign to practice FAM effectively
• how your cervical mucus and BBT relate to estrogen and progesterone
• insights into what your cycle is telling you about your hormones

Resources:

• Free Guide: Track Your Cycle Naturally with FAM
• Grab a spot on the Natural Contraception course waitlist
• Today's shownotes: What is FAM?
• Episode 5: Are you ovulating? And why it matters
• Episode 98: Reclaim your cervix!
• Episode 105: What is your fertile window? + how to decipher it

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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Let's be honest, there's a gaping hole in our society around caretaking ourselves after loss of any kind. But most especially around pregnancy loss, and even more so around the experience of abortion. 

It's interesting to consider how quick we are to express our opinions about abortion rights (no matter where you are on the spectrum of choice), but how very rarely we ever talk about what it really means to choose to end a pregnancy. 

I know this is a tender topic. It's not something we're used to openly talking about. 

Which is exactly why I invited India Elyn, author of the book 'Honouring the Loss: A holistic guide to healing with ritual and herbal medicine' to come and share about her embodied experience and professional offerings supporting folks to navigate the abortion journey. 

From the contemplation phase, through the active abortion process (medication or otherwise), and healing afterwards (even many years later), herbs and rituals can offer beautiful adjunct support. 

This conversation is honest and explores the depths of emotions that can show up on this journey that most of us keep hidden from the world. May this interview be a gift to your heart and your womb.

Listen to the episode to learn:

• how India came to write her book (her personal story)
• why it can be helpful to honor your loss, even if it was decades ago
• about the lack of support and healing resources around abortion 
• how to begin to engage with your own healing + grief
• some herbal allies that may be especially supportive for you
• the importance of ritual + some ideas of simple rituals to explore

Resources:

• Today's shownotes: Get the links to India's book and work with her
• Episode 22: Herbal spotlight on nettles
• Episode 24: Reproductive sovereignty (+ nuanced thoughts on herbal approaches)
• Episode 32: Herbal spotlight on motherwort
• Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
• Episode 49: How to create "a sacred window" in transitional times 

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

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Aphrodisiacs. A term you've probably heard countless times in your life, most of us have at least, in popular culture, media, movies, books and maybe even classes.

The thing is, the term aphrodisiac is too general to really give us much insight into how the herbs or foods are even working in our bodies. 

Really, all 'aphrodisiac' means is that at some point in human history, that substance has encouraged libido, arousal and/or enhanced pleasure. It doesn't tell us how or when we might choose one over another.

And there are a multitude of herbs that fall into this category.  So, how do you decide which ones are right for you?

Well, instead of just glossing over a list of herbs, today's episode covers 5 core areas that are keys to enhancing your pleasure, and examples of herbs in each.

This way, you can reflect on your own personal experience of pleasure and your body's individualized needs to narrow down which herbs may be most helpful for YOU on your personal pleasure path. 

Listen to the episode to learn:

• why not all aphrodisiacs are the same
• how to begin exploring your individual needs and why that matters 
• 5 core areas to enhance pleasure from an herbal perspective
• brief descriptions of herbs in each of these categories 
• some ways to work with these herbs you may not expect

Resources:

• Today's shownotes page: Beyond Aphrodisiacs
• Episode 18: Uterine tonics
• Episode 19: The importance of softening the pelvis
• Episode 27: Sex, relationships + psychedelics
• Episode 28: Rhythms of your womb
• Episode 29: Jade eggs + the practice of pleasure 

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 :)

Your cycle is a vital sign. A clear signal that can help you understand the map of optimal health (or not) in your body. 

When you see symptoms coming up, anything from PMS to irregular cycles to menstrual pain to fertility challenges, that’s your body saying ‘it’s time to make a change.’

But what changes do you make? 

Especially if your symptoms are vague or “subclinical” (meaning not quite at the level of diagnosable), you may feel lost and confused on what steps to take first. 

But if you’re living in the modern world (how are you reading this if you’re not?), then it’s quite likely that chronic underlying stress is a part of the picture, so that’s a great place to start.

But when we talk about stress, what do we mean?

The reality is that stress is NOT just having to rush your kids to school or get a project done by a deadline. You may also be living with chronic internal stressors like blood sugar imbalance, chronic inflammation, or digestive issues. 

It’s not just external stress that messes with your hormones, it’s also internal stress.

And holistic nutritionist and menstrual health coach Pirita Hilton shares all about her personal embodied experience of reaching a level of stress that felt like burnout, which included completely losing her menstrual cycle for a whole year, intense migraines, horrible acne and just feeling completely exhausted. And how she found her way back to vitality and menstrual cycle wellness.

She also lays out some basic lifestyle habits that have replenished her and her clients, and a couple specific ideas you can get started with today. 


Listen to this episode to learn:

• How chronic stress, perfectionism, over-exercising + “clean” eating can lead to menstrual health problems
• Why it’s so important to pay attention to that inner voice of wisdom inside you
• All about internal and external stressors and how those impact your hormones
• A 5 pillared approach to encouraging optimal hormonal health
• 2 simple practices to nourish your nervous system you can start today

Resources:

• Learn to track your cycle to understand what your body is telling you: Track Your Cycle free guide
• Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters
• Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
• Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign
• Episode 41: How nature connection can reduce stress + burnout 
• Episode 50: Adaptogens + your 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 :)

Unless you’ve been hiding out in the woods with no media over the past decade, my guess is you’ve heard of adaptogens. And at some point you may have tried some. 

This herbal action has basically reached celebrity status, as far as herbs go. And for good reason. 

They support us in states of chronic stress, support our blood sugar regulation, enhance our stamina and some even encourage better sleep.

But contrary to popular belief, adaptogens are NOT right for everyone. And not all adaptogens are the same. 

Understanding the basics behind how they work and which ones might be most appropriate for you (or not) at this time in your life is foundational. 

Most of us have no idea when to choose one or another one, and what affinities certain adaptogens have for different times of life, symptom pictures, or constitutions. 

Not to mention which ones might be most helpful for various hormonal imbalances. 

So tune into today’s episode to learn all about how adaptogens work and ways they might be supportive for your individual hormonal health - and why you might want to add some other herbs in to get even better results.

Listen to this episode to learn:

• What adaptogens are and how they work (beyond the hype)
• Why some plants you might think are adaptogens may not be
• When to avoid adaptogens
• Why not all adaptogens are the same and how to determine which is right for you
• How adaptogens can support your hormonal health (in more ways than one)
• Some of my favorites and a beirf snapshot on each of them
  
  
  

Resources:

• Learn to track your cycle naturally - Step-by-step Cycle Tracking Guide
• Today’s shonotes: Get the references to learn more about adaptogens
• Episode 4: Herbal spotlight on Tulsi / Holy Basil
• Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones 
• Episode 30: 5 herbal keys to hormonal health
• Episode 40: Herbal spotlight on schisandra
• Episode 45: Embodying WInter with Jade Alicandro

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 :)

What could it look like to experience deep nourishment and caretaking during major transitions in our lives?

For those of us with wombs, we travel through multiple significant transitions purely because we have menstural cycles. Everything from our first period (menarche), to becoming a parent, to pregnancy loss or release, to menopause, and beyond. 

And we go through massive changes throughout our lives unrelated to our wombs, too. Times when our identities are turned over completely and we have to find our way from who we once were to who we are now. 

Whether it’s wombcycle changes or grief from loss of a loved one, embracing a chronic illness, navigating a recovery process, finding ground after a break-up or divorce, or changing careers, we are all familiar with transition. We may not like it, but we know what it feels like. 

The truth is *most* of us in the modern world have no support for these transitions beyond some well-meaning “congratulations” or “I’m so sorry” from people who love us. We may even be lucky enough to have someone create a “meal train” to help feed us for the first weeks or months after the change, but more likely than not, we navigate this terrain primarily alone.

But we as humans are social creatures. We are not meant to navigate these massive transitions alone, and there is SO much that ancestral wisdom can teach us about how to care for these shaky times on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. 

And Ayurvedic practitioner Ashlee Sakaishi Wilkin is here to share all about how we can create what is called “a sacred window” to nurture and replenish ourselves on all levels in these times of change, and how our community is an essential part of that. 

Listen to the episode to learn:

• how Ayurveda perceives times of transition
• what “a sacred window” means and how to create one in your life
• why a sacred window is not limited to postpartum care
• ways to incorporate your personal ancestral lineage into your care
• why it’s not too late to create a sacred window even if your transition was years ago
• what Vata is, and why it's essential to understand in times of change
• specific foods and practices to nourish your body, mind + spirit for optimal whole being health through these transitions

Resources:

• Links to Ashlee's offerings on today's shownotes: How to create a sacred window
• Episode 3: Ayurveda and your hormonal health with Kimberly Kubicke
• Episode 25: Immediate postpartum care with Liz Philbrick
• Episode 28: Rhythms of your womb
• Episode 45: Embodying winter with Jade Alicandro

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

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The longest night of the year is upon us. The energies of quiet, receptivity and stillness are palpable (if you listen beyond the frenzy of holiday preparations) and our bodies are attuned to this darkness in ways we might not realize. 

How are you honoring this time in your body and your life?

So many of us have lost touch with the ancestral seasonal traditions that commonly harnessed the energy of the season to enrich our lives, that evoked meaning and depth from something that often is glossed over as just "the first day of winter" in modern times.

But there is a power and a potency in this time of the year that we all have access to. 

And today's episode is an invitation to explore how you might be able to engage with this energy intentionally in 9 simple ways, with a dash of womb wisdom thrown in. 

Listen to this episode to learn:

• what winter solstice is (beyond the first day of winter)
• how winter solstice connects to the moon and your womb
• the energetic qualities of winter solstice
• how to engage meaningfully with this time of the year
• 9 simple ways you can explore honoring the solstice (from self-reflection prompts to ideas for rituals to the importance of rest and beyond)

Resources:

• Womb connection + clearing guided visualization (free)
• Today's shownotes: 9 ways to honor winter solstice
• Episode 1: What is womb wisdom?
• Episode 8: Exploring seasons + cycles in your body - Spring
• Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
• Episode 42: Reclaim menstruation with rest, ritual + replenishment
• Episode 45: Embodying winter with Jade Alicandro

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 are told it's "normal" to feel depressed, anxious or irritable premenstrually. As if we should just accept it and move on. 

And even when the symptoms are significant, maybe even debilitating, we're told to either just push through them or to medicate them away. 

But the thing is, there are some people who experience symptoms that are far beyond the weepiness, mood swings and bloating for a few days that PMS brings. 

And most of us have no idea it even exists. It's called PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder).

And it can be so debilitating that people can feel totally incapacitated for the entire second half of their cycle, and it can lead to depression so significant that it's hard to do daily tasks, show up for relationships, get to work, or even get out of bed. 

We're talking PMS on steroids. For weeks. And then as if by magic, it all disappears around menstruation. 

Today's guest, Jes (from Her Mood Mentor) shares all about her personal embodied experience of 17 years with PMDD and the integrative approach she developed to help herself and others find ease and comfort in their bodies and cycles after years of suffering. 

Listen to the episode to learn:

• what the difference between PMS and PMDD is
• how PMDD impacted Jes' relationships, jobs, school, etc
• examples of how PMDD can look in different people's lives
• why conventional treatments often don't help those with PMDD
• the difference between symptom relief and root cause approaches
• why a multi-faceted approach is best (+ what might be included in that)
• some of Jes' favorite herbs to support folks with PMDD

Related Resources:

• Today's episode shownotes: Get Jes' links + blog post, etc
• Episode 4: Herbal spotlight on tulsi/holy basil
• Episode 11: Herbal spotlight on dandelion
• Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
• Episode 22: Herbal spotlight on nettles
• Episode 30: 5 herbal pillars for vibrant hormonal health
• Episode 38: Your cycle is a vital sign

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