Lisa Olivera is a writer, therapist, and creative who shares work centered around radical acceptance, cultivating compassion, and integrating our stories and full humanity. She is also a new mother, just five months postpartum at the time we recorded this episode.

Together we talk about the pressures and expectations of motherhood, the deep joy and grief of becoming a parent, and how having two tiny eyes on you all the time invites you to embody your values and step into your integrity. We also share our experiences of how becoming a mom made us change plans, say no, and honor our energetic capacities — even if it means disappointing people or ourselves in the process. 

Our conversation is an invitation to love your life, grieve your dreams, feel the depth of each moment,  and be fully human. Listen as we rewrite the story of motherhood together.

Resources 

• Belonging Episode #54: Finding Connection in Isolation with Lisa Olivera
• “Matrescence” is a term coined by Dr. Alexandra Sacks. Learn more in her TED talk.
• Episode #78: Non-Linear Reciprocity and Skills to Traverse Change with Jessie Harrold
• “From the time of birth to the time children are 3 years old, one MILLION neural connections are made in their brain each SECOND.” from Rachel Garcia Seliga @innatetraditions

More from Lisa Olivera: 

• Lisa’s book, Already Enough: A Path to Self-Acceptance
• Lisa’s substack

Belonging is back! After my winter hibernation, I find myself craving a little vernal worship. So this episode is all about ancestral rituals and practices for spring.

First, I share lessons I learned while wintering, including my stepping away from social media, making my life small, and my seasonal self-care wheel. Then we dive into the pleasure of seeds, greens, flowers, eggs, honey, and milk. I offer my favorite practices for planting, cooking, nourishing yourself, and connecting with ancestral rituals for spring.

Resources

• My winter self-care wheel
• Reel for making pesto
• Nettle soup recipe (with potatoes)
• Marysia Miernowska
• Sister Spinster
• Bloom Generation Flowers
• Belonging Episode #77: Mothering the Mothers with Rachelle Garcia Seliga
• Belonging Episode #69: Motherhood, Grief, and the Grandmother Hypothesis with Amber Magnolia Hill
• Medicine Stories Episode #67: Harvesting Light: The Alchemy of Sun & Human w/Nadine Artemis