Birthing Freedom with Serena Oliveira

An autumn equinox interview with Lyle Povah, who's worked in prisons and hospitals for the last 30 years. He's an international musician, drum circle facilitator, yoga teacher, and researcher who uses music and movement to bring people together and promote well-being. 

While the rain created it's own beat on his touring trailer (yes you can hear it in the background!) with 100 drums in tow, we chat-jammed about the power of freedom and intuition. Lyle shares his journey of working with children, families and in community during challenging times, with the intention of bringing more joy into the world. I caught up with Lyle about 250km into his 1,500km fundraising campaign. In addition to the power of music and it's therapeutic healing benefits, we explored the process of trusting one's own path in love, joy and connections.

Lyle shares his take on the meaning of freedom and how "Joy, and the expression of joy is freedom. When we're joyful, we feel well...Joy is like the yeast in bread. When it is present, all of the other ingredients rise up to allow for that expression. Joy is the key!"

He is the founder & executive director of the Rhythm of Life Society, a registered charity which recently launched it's first fundraising project, the Drum Run Adventure Tour. Lyle's mission is to run between 25 towns and cities across the province in the span of 3 months.

In this episode, we smiled a lot as we explored these gems:

Oh the soup of life, with all that comes with it! The fear, anger, stress and the many manifestations of pain that you may want to avoid, resist, escape, judge or ignore…it may feel like an easy go-to, but all this does is keep this energy ball trapped. Surrender and holding space for pain, allows you to heal and to be open to all that transforms with your creative flow!

Holding space and witnessing this over the years has taught me SO much in my practice-about the expansive,

transformative potential of sitting and facing uncomfortable feels.

The hair industry in the US alone is over 9 billion $/year. But what about it's energetic connection to us? Is it alive? Yes! It is much more than dead kerotin.

The Crown Chakra is the energy center of universal knowledge and spiritualism which connects you to the divine. The Crown influences the brain and the nervous system, as well as the emotions and the level of understanding and enlightenment. We conclude this episode with herbs and gems that can help you stay open and grounded in your crown element.

How to find Cindy:

Instagram:

@carbonhaircompany
@cindy_foley_in_the_forest
@thegatheringoftheones

Shop Owner, Master Hairstylist Red Seal Journeyman, Educator, B.A., B.Ed. 

Cindy has been doing hair since 1996 (26 years) and spent five years as a Cosmetology Teacher in Alberta. Her specialties include curly hair, cutting long-lasting wash and wear styles, reading and understanding each individual’s hair and sculpting it uniquely for you. She loves creatively painting balayages and highlights full of natural colour dimensions. Cindy specializes in curly hair and long hair, modern shags and awesome fringes and face framing styles. Helping you to love your hair and feel beautiful is what she loves to do.

Cindy is also a passionate artist and painter, inspired by nature, who loves sacred geometry, chakras and bees. Recently in December 2021 she published her debut children’s book called The Gathering of The Ones which can be viewed at www.cindyfoleyartist.ca 

This episode is to remind you that every woman, every person is limitless in our desires... In our access to freedom. 

Igniting the power of what turns you on and exploring your longings is brilliant. So let’s journey together and I’m going to share important strategies that apply to an empowered birth that also apply to living a badass life. In celebration of my son's birthday and my doula practice, I present to you, 5 GEMS that I learned from childbirth which apply to everyday living.

True freedom is and continues to be uncomfortable. We have been calcified in who we are…and birthing ourselves comes with endless possibilities-it is a cracking open and softening all at once.

Possibility is an invitation. Birth is impossible to predict, even under the best management and clinical interventions. You never know what lines up to define your story. I am here for folks to explore fear and to go beyond it.

Love is freedom. Love means I will never fully understand you, but I’ll keep coming back again and again….it means walking away, it means we're going to keep working at our differences, to embrace, what changes us, what we need to learn and grow together….it means to stay curious and open all at once. Revitalization of our culture begins with redefining sovereignty. What if sovereignty is to love fully? What if loving was the most revolutionary act we could do?

16 years ago I attended my first birth-9 months later my son was born. After these 5 gems, I share a personal story of choice. I will also touch on teen pregnancy and so that’s your head-sup. Many of our choices influence and change our lives forever. My desire to be his mom changed me forever. 

This episode shares the wonders of finding PEACE, PRESENCE & PAUSE and how they each manifest in their own power.

Peace looks different for each of us, and so for one peace may mean a social media fast. To another it’s finding community and entertainment. Or to find one’s self worth by being alone. To another it’s being in a world with less militarized violence. Finding peace is a huge can of worms and I explore it openly while exploring the importance of pranayama, Shakti and our connection to the natural world.

How do you cultivate the gift of perception? Presencing can mean being in a soup of all the feelings, as much as it can mean removing yourself emotionally from a situation. This can be important so you can see it from all angles. This can help you to be both fair and analytical.

Pausing is so essential to tap into your own vitality and health while you feel assurance and clarity in all that you do. Pausing helps us to be more grateful, to embrace radiance where it’s needed. To tap into our life force.

"Freedom and wonder create our trust. I’m here to stomp and dance with the rising dust of a deep remembering. Stirring up the ancestral healing that comes with renewal and revitalization of ourselves. We give birth to a new version of ourselves every day. "

-Serena Oliveira

Welcome to sovereign, creative pathways to nurturing unlimited potential. A podcast journey of growth and renewal as we navigate our amazing potentiality towards living our best lives. I've transitioned from my off grid life and I am back with a weekly gift for you all. This is the first show of many more to come that revamps this message in a bottle.  

How do we build trust in both our personal and professional lives?

I dive into 4 Ways to explore trust: 

1. Exploring trust is a creative process to help you to navigate towards reaching your full potential. 

2. Don’t sacrifice who you "could be" for "who you are". 

3. Know yourself & discern. 

4. Trust is a unique style of expression. 

The Birthing Freedom podcast explores the everyday brilliance in our minds, hearts and souls as we speak with experts and incredible leaders every week. I am your host Serena Oliveira, lifecycle doula, wisdom leader, entrepreneur and sovereignty researcher. Life is simple, and like love can get complicated. Join me as we dive deep into embracing our everyday power and become what I call emboldened thinkers. I believe that expansion and education is the root for more joy, love, and depth in connection.