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So many of us are walking around with the beliefs we created in childhood running the show.

And almost always, we are unconscious of it. Largely because we have other parts of ourselves protecting us from feeling or becoming aware of the hurt parts of ourselves.

These "parts" protect us, or try to, and in a way cause us to act and react to everything from social interactions to work to relationships to sexual connections to how-we-treat-our-own-selves.

So, what can we do to heal some of these deep core wounds (whether they came from obvious trauma or from less-visible places in our lives)?

And how can we use embodied practices to help us do that?

 This is what Kristen Stake and I talk about on this week's episode.

Not only is she a licensed professional counselor trained deeply in Internal Family Systems (aka "parts work"). She is also a mover, and somatic practices have been a huge part of her life and healing path. 

So she has developed her own style of bridging the world of "parts work" and somatic practices like authentic movement into an embodied form of "Moving With Our Parts."

If you're new to IFS, or seasoned in the work, this episode is a great foundation on what it is, how it can help you become a better version of yourself, and how to bring some of those "parts" into your body and move with them to help them be accepted, expressed, and maybe even let their hold go a little bit, too.

I hope this conversation offers you some glimpses into what's possible for you. 

Resources:

• Today's shownotes: Get links to Kristen's offerings + the books she mentioned
• Grab the free Womb Connection & Clearing guided practice
• Sign up for the waitlist for Natural Contraception the Herbal Way program!
• Episode 121: Healing heartbreak with IFS with Sara Avant Stover

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.

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Let's be honest that most of us are poorly informed about all the non-hormonal birth control options we have. 

Our providers basically tell us we should either choose something they have on offer (whether that's IUD's or hormonal contraception of one kind or another), and dismiss the efficacy of the myriad non-hormonal birth control options we have access to outside of the medical system.

IUD's are incredibly commonplace, and while they work for many, they also have risks and side-effects that are often overlooked.

Our bodies are our own, and my biggest wish is for you to make the choice that's right for your body in whatever season of life you're in.

But if you are curious about non-hormonal birth control options, this episode is a great place to start. 

I've been practicing a combination of Fertility Awareness Method, withdrawal, occasional condom use and occasional herbal allies for my contraception practice for nearly two decades.

This is not some short-lived thing. This is long term, deeply embodied confidence I have in these forms of contraception working effectively - especially when combined. 

It's empowering to know what's possible, which is why I wanted to do an entire episode on withdrawal, really detailing what it is, how to make it more effective, when in your cycle you may want to try it if you're newer to it or more experienced, and how edging can play a role as well.

I hope it offers you some grounded information you can use as you explore what feels true and right for you!

Resources:

• Get started tracking your cycle: Track Your Cycle (FAM) guide
• Sign up for the waitlist here: Natural Contraception winter 2025/2026 waitlist
• Today's shownotes: Is withdrawal effective?
• Episode 90: Effective Non-hormonal birth control options
• Episode 146: 5 benefits of practicing natural contraception
• Episode 186: When contraception fails!

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.

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Nearly all of us have experienced some kind of menstrual, sexual, pregnancy loss or release, birth, postpartum, womb or other pelvic trauma.

And most of us just sort of... live with it. Or we find pathways to healing. 

Today's guest, Catherine Simone Gray, speaks to her personal journey of reclaiming her pleasure, growing into her power, and healing through her painful (and transformational) postpartum journey...

 which she wrote all about in her recently published book, "Proud Flesh: A memoir of motherhood, intimate violence and reclaiming pleasure."

This conversation is rich, beautiful and inspiring. Catherine has an exquisite way with words, and I'm SO excited to share it with you!

Resources:

• Today's shownotes: Get Catherine's books and links!
• Sign up for the waitlist for my Natural Contraception program
• Free guided Womb Embodiment & Clearing Practice
• Episode 65: Grief & pleasure postpartum w Stacey Ramsower

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.

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Wait, what? Astrology can give you insights into your reproductive, sexual or menstrual health? 

I know it might sound a bit wild, but astrology has actually been revered for not only divination but also for understanding tendencies towards physical, mental, emotional and spiritual weaknesses and strengths for hundreds (perhaps thousands?) of years!

And our charts can actually give us useful information about everything from our fertility (including optimal timing), libido, menstrual pain, perimenopausal symptoms to anticipate and so much more. 

My guest this week, Nurse Practitioner and Jyotish practitioner Jessica Lusignan, breaks down the basics of this and gives an amazing foundation.

Whether you're entirely new to Vedic astrology or seasoned in it, I hope this episode offers some helpful new ideas for you to explore.

Resources:

• Today's shownotes: Get links to Jessica's classes, readings, consultations
• Grab the free Womb Connection & Clearing guided practice
• Sign up for the priority waitlist for Natural Contraception the Herbal Way
• Episode 83: What is astroherbalism?

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

Support the show

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The transition into autumn is always a bit of a shock to the body. 

Shifting from expansive heat to cool and dry weather, the leaves falling, the plants going dormant, shifting their vital force down into their roots, the turning inwards.

So how can you tend your body, mind and whole being in this time? 

And especially with all the instability -- of Vata season and our collective global experience right now -- what are some of the ways to nurture yourself and trust the process?

We dive into all of this and more in this week's episode.

Resources:

• Get started tracking your cycle: Track Your Cycle (FAM) guide
• Sign up for the Fall 2025 priority list here: Natural Contraception Fall 2025 waitlist
• Today's shownotes: How to tend + trust your body in Autumn
• Episode 88: How to ease into Autumn
• Episode 92: How to trust your body in times of uncertainty 
• Episode 139: How to cultivate resilience this Autumn through Ayurveda

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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What if pleasure was not just something that feels good, relaxes us, helps us feel connected to something greater but ALSO had potential to be therapeutic - like physiologically?

Wait, whatttt? 

So much of our clinical training - whether in the medical or alternative health fields  - tells us to stay away from pleasure when working with people. 

And in a way that makes sense.

We need to create some containers for safety, consent, comfort, maintaining modesty etc. 

But the idea that pleasure is almost entirely taboo in the world of healthcare is also a shame.

Because we are WHOLE beings, and our pleasure (whether sexual, sensual or just generally feeling good) is a core part of who we are.

According to today's guest Dr Emily Wilson, arousal, orgasms and even particular pleasure zones can be medicinal -- like, actually have a healing impact on things like prolapse or ovarian cysts.

I am so excited to share this conversation with you!

Resources:

• Free guide: Get started tracking your cycle with FAM 
• Get on the priority list for the Natural Contraception Fall 2025 program!
• Today's shownotes: Get links to Emily's upcoming retreat & offerings
• Episode 61: Pelvic wisdom & trauma healing w Dr Emily Wilson
• Episode 190: Awakening erotic aliveness with ecosensuality

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.

Support the show

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Have you ever woken up from a dream and wondered, "what was THAT about?"

Maybe this happens to you all the time, or maybe you barely remember your dreams. Either way, we all dream.

And learning to work with our dreams from a more intentional or even therapeutic lens can be incredibly supportive in navigating complex mental or emotional states or even past or recurrent trauma in our lives.

Our dreams may have more to share with us than we perceive.

Today's guest, dreamwork and Somatic Experiencing practitioner Julie MacAdam is passionate about the world of dreams and what's possible when we begin to pay attention.

I invited her to the podcast after I attended an experiential dreamwork practice she and her partner guided. It was a powerful journey that helped me to see the beauty in something that felt quite disturbing when I woke up from my dream.

In a way, it was a healing experience. And it helped me to gain insight into he power of incorporating dreamwork into the therapeutic environment, especially when we're moving through hard things - but really even in everyday life.

So many of us have past or current traumas, recurrent stress, or are navigating relational or collective complexities.

So why not begin to explore what our dreams might be offering us? 

In this meandering conversation, Julie shares her embodied experience and also a whole lot of direction around ways you can begin finding gems in your dreams, as soon as tonight. :)

Resources:

• Get started tracking your cycle: Track Your Cycle (FAM) guide
• Sign up for: Natural Contraception Fall 2025 waitlist
• Today's shownotes: Get links to Julie's offerings
• Episode 140: Mugwort herbal spotlight
• Episode 171: Somatic experiencing with Emma Schurink

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.

Support the show

Click here to send me a quick message :)

What does it mean to be "erotically alive"? 

And how can connecting with the earth and your senses enhance that experience?

Today's episode is a beautiful conversation with sex and relationship coach Usha Rose all about how to incorporate your relationship to plants, elements, seasons, the earth and more into your sensuality and sexuality practice.

We talk what ecosensuality is, how that differs from ecosexuality, and ways to embody these practices whether you're outside or inside.

We also explore the concept of sex magic and how it actually works -- as well as the best ways to work with it and why it's not essential to be at climax or orgasm to effectively use it. 

You can even engage this practice while dancing or exercising or even just being aroused ecosensually in nature!

She says "I am not ever wasting this erotic energy because it’s powerful fuel that can be directed towards healing of the planet, so at the least I’m sending a prayer with my orgasm" -- and I'm hoping this conversation inspires more of us to do this too!

We are powerful creators, especially when we're in altered states. 

So let's spread this potential for our pleasure to bring forward a world we wish to see to those of us who deeply feel, care, and wish for a world filled with integrity, compassion, and earth connection.  

We need it in these times, more than ever.

Resources:

• Free guide: Get started tracking your cycle with FAM 
• Get on the priority list for the Natural Contraception program!
• Today's shownotes: Grab Usha's self please rituals (coupon code: podcast)
• Episode 37: Jade eggs & the practice of pleasure w Usha Rose

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What herbs can help bring your bleed on? This is a question I've been asked in so many ways over the years.

Honestly probably one of the most common. And we ALL deserve access to this information. Especially in these... turbulent times.

I'm not talking abortifacients, I'm talking when you are still in your luteal phase and would be expecting your menstruation in days or weeks.

THIS is the most effective time to be working with herbs. And today's episode is a medley speaking to three key herbs to consider working with for this reason.

While these snippets are not purely focused on contraception, they all speak to how these herbs work on multiple systems and in more than one way.

Herbs are dynamic, and often have a handful or even dozens of relevant actions. Which is why matching plants to people is a practice. It's not just "this herb for that thing" but how and when and why and who. 

If you're curious to learn a little more about mugwort, wild carrot or motherwort, this episode is perfect for you.

Resources:

• Get started tracking your cycle: Track Your Cycle (FAM) guide
• Sign up for the Fall 2025 priority list here: Natural Contraception Fall 2025 waitlist
• Episode 7: Wild carrot with Mischa Schuler
• Episode 32: Motherwort love
• Episode 140: Mugwort herbal spotlight

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.

Support the show

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How does Ayurveda view the perimenopausal transition? 

And what are some of the tools and strategies that might be helpful to incorporate in this time to both reduce and prevent the common symptoms that show up in this time?

According to today's guest, Ayurvedic Health Counselor Kristen Timchak, the perimenopausal transition is often characterized by qualities of Vata dosha.

Irregular cycles, drying skin, tissue fragility, brain fog, anxiety, mood swings, are all potentially signs of Vata imbalance.

In this conversation, we explore a variety of approaches to tend our bodies and minds in this time from the lens of Ayurveda and somatic embodiment practices, too!

Resources:

• Today's shownotes: Get links to Kristen's offerings
• Free guide: Get started tracking your cycle with FAM 
• Get on the priority list for the Natural Contraception program!
• Episode 37: Easing into menopause with Dana Lavoie 
• Episode 70: Is it perimenopause or....
• Episode 97: Nourish yr nervous system w Ayurveda w Kristen Timchak

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.

Support the show