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Episode 32 - Experiencing Unwanted Childlessness
On this week’s episode of the podcast, I talk to Marjon van Opijnen about her experience with unwanted childlessness. Although Marjon always pictured herself ending up with a large family, life took her in a different direction. We discuss how unwanted childlessness has affected her life and the key truths about life that she has come to learn along the way. We also touch upon the importance of working with the body as a tool to deal with the trauma of (in)fertility and the grief of unwanted childlessness.
Top quotes:
“Unwanted childlessness is a scar that is part of my life. And every phase in life has its own grief around not having children. But I do notice that the grief around it becomes milder and easier to face.”
“One of the questions that came up to me throughout this whole process is ‘what is motherhood’ and ‘what is motherhood if I can’t live that through raising children’, and ‘what is it that wants to get birthed through me.’”
“Life unfolds itself. Life is an iceberg and there is so much under the surface that we don’t see. That part underneath the surface unfolds itself and directs life somewhere. There’s that top of the iceberg that you can see. But I’d say to my younger self that there is that part underneath that you can’t really change or that that is just where life takes you. And to have more faith in that.”
About Marjon van Opijnen:
Marjon van Opijnen is a somatic trauma therapist, breath therapist, embodiment trainer and freelance lecturer at universities in the area of (embodied) leadership and integral sustainability. She works with professionals, pioneers and students to live a more embodied, resilient and balanced life. You can find out more about her work on www.embodimentlab.nl (in Dutch), on her podcast The Embodiment Talks (English) or The Embodiment Talks (Nederlands) or her YouTube channel Embodiment LAB.
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By That Fertile Feeling - The PodcastOn this week’s episode of the podcast, I talk to Marjon van Opijnen about her experience with unwanted childlessness. Although Marjon always pictured herself ending up with a large family, life took her in a different direction. We discuss how unwanted childlessness has affected her life and the key truths about life that she has come to learn along the way. We also touch upon the importance of working with the body as a tool to deal with the trauma of (in)fertility and the grief of unwanted childlessness.
Top quotes:
“Unwanted childlessness is a scar that is part of my life. And every phase in life has its own grief around not having children. But I do notice that the grief around it becomes milder and easier to face.”
“One of the questions that came up to me throughout this whole process is ‘what is motherhood’ and ‘what is motherhood if I can’t live that through raising children’, and ‘what is it that wants to get birthed through me.’”
“Life unfolds itself. Life is an iceberg and there is so much under the surface that we don’t see. That part underneath the surface unfolds itself and directs life somewhere. There’s that top of the iceberg that you can see. But I’d say to my younger self that there is that part underneath that you can’t really change or that that is just where life takes you. And to have more faith in that.”
About Marjon van Opijnen:
Marjon van Opijnen is a somatic trauma therapist, breath therapist, embodiment trainer and freelance lecturer at universities in the area of (embodied) leadership and integral sustainability. She works with professionals, pioneers and students to live a more embodied, resilient and balanced life. You can find out more about her work on www.embodimentlab.nl (in Dutch), on her podcast The Embodiment Talks (English) or The Embodiment Talks (Nederlands) or her YouTube channel Embodiment LAB.