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Ahhhh, nettles. Urtica dioica. Stinging nettles. Very possibly one of the most beloved medicinal plants in western herbalism.  And for good reason. 

As one of the most mineral and nutrient-rich plants in the western herbal materia medica, nettles bring deep nutrition and restoration to the whole body, and have a lovely affinity for the wombspace, too. 

Listen to this episode to learn:

• why nettles is an indispensible herb for your apothecary (and diet)
• the energetics and overall character of nettles
• what I mean when I say nettles is a "gateway plant"
• ways to start working with nettles in your own body or clinically
• traditional actions and uses of nettles throughout history
• explorations into current scientific research on nettle leaf, root, and seed
• specific reasons to incorporate nettles into pregnancy, postpartum, endometriosis, PCOS and overall support during menopause

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Current episode: Shownotes + Nerdy References
• Free guide: Gardening for Your Menstrual Health
• Episode 2: What is Herbal Medicine?
• Episode 4: Herbal Spotlight - Tulsi/Holy Basil
• Episode 12: The Simple + Sacred Practice of Making Medicinal Teas
• Episode 15: What's a Plant Ally (and how to find yours)
• Buy bulk organic herbs: Mountain Rose Herbs

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.

(affiliate links may be included)

Click here to send me a quick message :)

What do parasites have to do with menstrual cycles and disordered eating?

EVERYTHING. 

Well, at least that's the reality in this week's podcast with holistic nutritionist, herbalist and health coach, Lisa Masé. 

Lisa spent years living with chronic parasites wreaking havoc on her gut, leading her to truly fear food, and ultimately not be getting the nourishment her body deeply needed.

In this time, she lost 40 pounds, didn't menstruate for six whole years (!), and was told by well-meaning doctors that she'd never get pregnant. 

She was in her 20's at the time. 

But she kept seeking, and eventually found a path to healing from the parasites, cultivating a healthy relationship to food, and calling her cycle back in. And she now has TWO healthy children, and works as a practitioner supporting other folks on their health journeys. 

Listen to the episode to learn:

• how digestive distress led Lisa to discover chronic parasites
• why fear of food (or obsession around food) can lead to many health issues
• how hormones and ovulation are impacted by chronic illness
• what a truly integrative healing path can look like
• herbs and foods that can be supportive for intense anxiety around food
• how traditional ceremonies or rituals might be helpful 
• how mindful eating practices and meditation can be transformational

RESOURCES:

• Episode (this one!) shownotes: for links to Lisa's  website, membership + socials
• Episode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)
• Episode 10: Traditional Womb Healing with Sondra Hamilton
• Episode 17: How Stress Messes with Your Hormones
• Track Your Menstrual Cycle with Fertility Awareness, step-by-step guide (free)

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.

Click here to send me a quick message :)

In times that feel tumultuous, confusing, and sometimes even hopeless, it can feel challenging to know how to hold it all or how to process the emotions flowing through us. 

In this episode, I invite you to explore how your relationship with the earth, the plants and the seeds can inform your relationship with your own womb. And how that might help you to find meaning and connection, even when things feel hard. 

The stories we tell have a deep impact on how we see the world, and what we believe is possible. This episode is an offering of stories that showcase the immense power inherent in our wombs and the seeds. 

Listen to the episode to learn:

• how your relationship with your womb can be deepened by your relationship with the earth around you (and vice versa)
• how disconnection from the earth may be a cause of 'disease'
• what cesarean rates in the US might have to do with connection to nature
• how our bodies mirror our landscapes
• how important it is to allow our emotions to flow through us
• traditional ways of honoring menstruation and gathering with others
• what I mean when I say 'seeds are wombs of the earth'

Resources:

• Learn about some antispasmodic + analgesic herbs (and more) in the Gardening for Your Menstrual Health guide.
• Connect more deeply with your own womb in the Womb Embodiment Guided Visualization. 
• Episode shownotes: Earth, Womb + Seed Connection
• Episode 1: What is Womb Wisdom?
• Episode 13: The Vitalist Approach to Balancing Your Hormones with Heather Luna
• Episode 19: Pelvic Health & Liberation - The Importance of Softening with Chaya Leia Aronson

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.

Click here to send me a quick message :)

Your pelvis is a centerpiece of your body. A place of creation, elimination and pleasure. But in our modern society, almost everything we do has the potential to cause imbalances there.

Incontinence. Prolapse. Painful sex.  Inability to orgasm. Chronic pelvic pain.  All the things we don't talk about. Or at least not regularly, and not publicly.

In this interview, Chaya Leia Aronson touches on all of these and more, including some first steps you can take to address them in your own body (hint: the answer is NOT kegels).

Even if you're not experiencing any of these, you'll learn ways you can prevent them from showing up in the future. 

For real, this episode is a must-listen. We all deserve to have this basic body knowledge.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• why it's important to start paying attention to your pelvis
• how to tell if you might have some imbalances going on
• some potential causes of things like incontinence, prolapse, painful sex, etc
• why softening is the first step to healing (+ why kegels can make it all worse)
• how to tell if your vaginal wall muscles are toned in a balanced way
• how to begin to relax your psoas muscle, and what that has to do with pelvic health
• some practical steps you can take to start enhancing your pelvic health

RESOURCES:

• Find links to learn more from Chaya, get her barefoot shoe company recommendations + Liz Koch's article on the psoas:  Episode Shownotes
• Episode 9: Your Vaginal Microbiome

Are you starting an herbal garden this year?
Download the free Gardening for Your Menstrual Health Guide

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.

Click here to send me a quick message :)

Did you know that there are herbs that are generally strengthening, toning, nourishing and supportive for your womb?

Like, herbs that might be helpful overall for reproductive or generative health, versus for specific conditions?

Well, my friend, uterine tonics are just that.

This episode covers what makes these herbs supportive overall for womb health and how they've been used over the course of hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

Plus, you'll get a brief overview of six of my favorites.

Listen to the episode to learn:

•  what a uterine tonic is
• the difference between emmenagogues and uterine tonics
• why the word 'tonic' is sometimes confusing
• how uterine tonics can be worked with as overall caretakers of your womb and/or for specific conditions
• some examples of uterine tonic herbs and a little about each of them 
• ways to work with each of these plants

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Getting started with Gardening for your Menstrual Health guide
• Episode shownotes to review today's topic:  Uterine Tonics
• Episode 12: The Simple & Sacred Practice of  Medicinal Teas 
• Episode 17: How Stress Messes with Your Menstrual Cycle

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.

Click here to send me a quick message :)

Have you ever wondered how stress impacts your cycle or your hormones?

Maybe you've even had an experience of a missed period, increased cramping, worse PMS symptoms, or fertility challenges after traveling to a new place, being sick, or going through some major stress in your life.

The truth is that stress has a tremendous impact on your hormones, and this episode goes into all you could possibly want to know about how it all goes down. 

Listen to the episode to learn:

• what the stress response actually is 
• the difference between a healthy and unhealthy stress response
• stories about how stress causes irregular cycles
• the physiology behind how stress causes hormonal imbalances
• what allostatic load is and why it matters
• how your stress response might be linked to your time in your mother's womb
• how chronic stress can suppress ovulation and fertility
• some nerdy research that talks about what kind of stress is linked to everything from short cycles to hirsutism to PCOS to lower fertility to amenorrhea
• some quick lifestyle, dietary and herbal tips on modulating your stress response

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Free resource - Track your own cycle, easily, naturally, without an app.
• Today's podcast show notes & nerdy references
• Episode 5 - Are you ovulating? How to tell (& and why it matters)
• Episode 10 - Traditional Womb Healing Practices with Sondra Hamilton
• Episode 13  - The Vitalist Approach to Balancing Hormones with Heather Luna
• Episode 15 - What's a Plant Ally? ...and how to find yours

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom. 

And leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating & write a review! Thank 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.

Click here to send me a quick message :)

Our wombs are a center of our sense of groundedness and safety in our lives, especially when it comes to our sexuality and relationships.

So what happens when we experience destabilization from trauma or relationship abuse? 

How does that chronic, gradual wearing down of our sense of self impact us? 

And what are effective ways to remove ourselves from those situations and re-establish our safety, and even renew ourselves to a strong and vibrant version of who we are now?

Clinical herbalist, Ayurvedic Practitioner and Founder of the Northern California School of Botanical Studies shares her own person journey with narcissistic relationship abuse and her whole life approach on the path to healing from it.

She brings her own personal experience and her clinical experience together to offer embodied wisdom on where to start, how to get the support you need, and all the levels of healing that are involved in recovering your vitality after traumatic or abusive situations of all kinds, and specifically she dives deeply into narcissistic abuse.

This is one of those 'things we don't talk about' and that's exactly why we're talking about it here.  

If you're personally in an abusive relationship or you know someone who is, this episode is for you. It's here to support all of us in growing awareness and compassion, too.

Tune into the episode to learn:

• how to tell if you're in an abusive relationship (and why it's not always obvious)
• all about narcissistic personality disorder
• common signs of narcissistic abuse
• how to gain the strength you need to leave the abusive situation
• how the intensity of this kind of situation can lead to hormonal imbalance (in Amy's case, hyperthyroidism)
• what resources are helpful in the transition process
• herbal support (and practical support) for the initial transition 
• how to regain your strength and vitality after leaving
• herbal remedies and other healing modalities for the ongoing recovery process
• inspiration on becoming a vibrant version of yourself again

Resources from this episode:

• Links to all of Amy's classes, clinic, and her socials on the SHOWNOTES
• If you need immediate help or are in an unsafe situation, seek support. Here's a link to the National Domestic Violence HOTLINE

Offering for you:

If you're feeling like you could use a guided meditation to support your connection to your womb-centered intuition, download this free WOMB EMBODIMENT & CONNECTION MEDITATION



If you loved this episode, share it with a friend or on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom. 

And leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating & write a review! Thank 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.

Click here to send me a quick message :)

Have you ever heard of the concept of a plant ally? 

If so, you may wondering, 'how the heck do I find one'?  Or if this idea is new to you, you may be sitting there curiously asking what this could even mean.

The truth is, people use this term in different ways. 

And while you can say something like 'dandelion is a plant ally for the liver, or the urinary track,' that's NOT the kind of ally I'm talking about here.

In this podcast episode, I'm sharing all about how to cultivate a deeper relationship with one particular plant over the course of a season, or even a whole year. Really getting to know that one plant on many levels, inside and out, as a sort of plant study focus, if you will.

But cultivating your relationship with your plant ally is more than just studying the plant, it's also about connecting with it regularly -  getting to know it through observation, journaling, tasting, meditation, making medicines with it, and of course, also learning about it through classes or research, too. 

It's a multi-layered, deep dive kind of experience. Almost like getting to know a new lover, or at least a new friend. You don't just read a paragraph about them and assume you know them already. Or ask them what they do and assume that's all there is to them, right? 

Plants are no different. And this episode guides you through the process of learning what a plant ally is, how to find yours, and what you can do to deepen your relationship with them. 

Listen to this episode to learn:

• what a plant ally is, and why it's helpful to have one
• a variety of different ways to help you find yours
• what you can do to cultivate a deeper relationship with your ally
• how you may have already had plant allies without even knowing it
• a story about a couple of my first plant allies (when I didn't even know what plant allies were)
• how plant allies can change your life (and how one unquestionably changed mine)

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Check out a list of 13 herbs  that can support your menstrual or hormonal health in the Gardening for Menstrual Health guide here
• Get the basics on what a plant ally is, how to find one and what to do once you do in the EPISODE SHOWNOTES & LIST OF PLACES TO SOURCE BULK HERBS

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend or on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.  And leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating & write a review! Thank 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.

Click here to send me a quick message :)

I can just hear your questions rolling... 

"What could you possibly mean by a genderless womb?" 
"Aren't wombs inherently located in female bodies?"
"Oh, no, are we getting into the topic of gender, now?"
"In what universe do men have wombs?"

Well, my friends, this podcast episode dives into all of these topics and more. 

And it doesn't just cover the gender spectrum (though that's super important), but also some of what science has uncovered about the myth of biological sexes, too. 

At the most basic level, wombs are wombs. Women, non-binary and trans folks all have them. And everyone is welcome here. 

This is my imperfect attempt to express that. 

Listen to this episode to learn:

• why what words we use matters, and how exclusive the word "women" can feel exclusive
• how gender is based on cultural conditioning, not a cross-cultural fact
• a little about the normalized "third gender" in Oaxaca, Mexico
• that biological sex is NOT as simple as we were taught it was
• about how relatively common (as in not actually rare) intersex folks are
• that our cells can actually be different genders from each other and how that impacts things like sex hormones in our bodies
• how folks with wombs exist across the gender (and sex) spectrum

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Go check out the NERDY REFERENCES & SHOWNOTES for some of the science
• Plan your garden with the GARDENING FOR YOUR MENSTRUAL HEALTH guide

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend or on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom.  And leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating & write a review! Thank 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.

Click here to send me a quick message :)

What does hormone balancing even mean? It's a term that's thrown around all over the internet without a whole lot of specifics. 

People might be talking about hot flashes or heavy bleeding, PCOS or endometriosis, mood swings or menstrual cramps. Or even thyroid imbalances. 

It's pretty much a catch-all phrase that relates to anything that could go wrong with the magical symphony of chemical messengers in your body that are... hormones. 

And while it can be helpful to know specifically what your symptoms are to explore ways to address those with a a more individualized approach, clinical herbalist and nutritionist Heather Luna shares all about her very whole-body, whole life-perspective based in  the therapeutic paradigm of vitalism, which is the foundation of her longstanding clinical practice. 

Listen to this episode to learn:

• what vitalism is and how it differs from other approaches
• the basic foundational building blocks that can encourage optimal hormonal health
• how deficient most of us are in nutrients like magnesium, healthy fats, & vitamin D
• why sleep is essential to hormonal health, and how to make yours better
• how protein can help you deal with stress more effectively
• some herbal allies for painful menstrual cramps (both for immediate use and longer term preventative support)

Resources from this episode:

• SHOWNOTES & LINKS TO ACORN HERB SCHOOL for you to review some basics from the episode or connect further with Heather Luna
• Gardening for Your Menstrual Health Guide (free) to get started with 13 easy-to-grow herbs for your hormonal health (including black cohosh, raspberry leaf and nettles, which Heather mentioned in the episode)
  
  

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend or on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom. Or  leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review! Thank 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.