One of the most empowering things in life is choice. Choice allows us to tune into our values and decide what's right for us at any given time. Birth control is one of many areas of our lives that we are fortunate enough to have many options, whether we're talking the pill, shots, IUD's, condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, herbal contraceptive allies, vasectomies, fertility awareness, and more!So many choices. And honestly, most of us don't even know about all of them. But one of the most common forms of contraception prescribed and used worldwide is "the pill" (the birth control pill). And that's what herbalist and fertility awareness educator Gabrielle Claire Jansen shares all about on this week's podcast. Listen to the episode to learn:how the birth control pill actually workswhy ovulation is important for our overall health a bit on the history of "the pill" how the pill actually doesn't resolve underlying symptomswhen and why you might want to choose the pill (or not)why pill shaming is NOT helpfulnutrients you can support yourself with if you're on the pillways to support yourself when you're transitioning off the pillResources:Get all of Gabrielle's book, film + resource rec's + links on the shownotes page.Learn to track your cycle, see if and when you're ovulating, and even practice natural contraception with fertility awareness: Track Your Cycle (without an app) free guideEpisode 17: How Stress Messes with Your Hormones + Menstrual CycleEpisode 7: Natural Contraception? All About Wild Carrot with Mischa SchulerEpisode 5: Are You Ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)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.

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 nettleswhat I mean when I say nettles is a "gateway plant"ways to start working with nettles in your own body or clinicallytraditional actions and uses of nettles throughout historyexplorations into current scientific research on nettle leaf, root, and seedspecific reasons to incorporate nettles into pregnancy, postpartum, endometriosis, PCOS and overall support during menopauseResources mentioned in this episode:Current episode: Shownotes + Nerdy ReferencesFree guide: Gardening for Your Menstrual HealthEpisode 2: What is Herbal Medicine?Episode 4: Herbal Spotlight - Tulsi/Holy BasilEpisode 12: The Simple + Sacred Practice of Making Medicinal TeasEpisode 15: What's a Plant Ally (and how to find yours)Buy bulk organic herbs: Mountain Rose HerbsIf 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)

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 parasiteswhy fear of food (or obsession around food) can lead to many health issueshow hormones and ovulation are impacted by chronic illnesswhat a truly integrative healing path can look likeherbs and foods that can be supportive for intense anxiety around foodhow traditional ceremonies or rituals might be helpful how mindful eating practices and meditation can be transformationalRESOURCES:Episode (this one!) shownotes: for links to Lisa's  website, membership + socialsEpisode 5: Are you ovulating? How to tell (and why it matters)Episode 10: Traditional Womb Healing with Sondra HamiltonEpisode 17: How Stress Messes with Your HormonesTrack 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.

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 naturehow our bodies mirror our landscapeshow important it is to allow our emotions to flow through ustraditional ways of honoring menstruation and gathering with otherswhat 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 ConnectionEpisode 1: What is Womb Wisdom?Episode 13: The Vitalist Approach to Balancing Your Hormones with Heather LunaEpisode 19: Pelvic Health & Liberation - The Importance of Softening with Chaya Leia AronsonIf 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.

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 pelvishow to tell if you might have some imbalances going onsome potential causes of things like incontinence, prolapse, painful sex, etcwhy 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 wayhow to begin to relax your psoas muscle, and what that has to do with pelvic healthsome practical steps you can take to start enhancing your pelvic healthRESOURCES:Find links to learn more from Chaya, get her barefoot shoe company recommendations + Liz Koch's article on the psoas:  Episode ShownotesEpisode 9: Your Vaginal MicrobiomeAre you starting an herbal garden this year? Download the free Gardening for Your Menstrual Health GuideIf 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.

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 isthe difference between emmenagogues and uterine tonicswhy the word 'tonic' is sometimes confusinghow uterine tonics can be worked with as overall caretakers of your womb and/or for specific conditionssome examples of uterine tonic herbs and a little about each of them ways to work with each of these plantsResources mentioned in this episode:Getting started with Gardening for your Menstrual Health guideEpisode shownotes to review today's topic:  Uterine TonicsEpisode 12: The Simple & Sacred Practice of  Medicinal Teas Episode 17: How Stress Messes with Your Menstrual CycleIf 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.

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 responsestories about how stress causes irregular cyclesthe physiology behind how stress causes hormonal imbalanceswhat allostatic load is and why it mattershow your stress response might be linked to your time in your mother's wombhow chronic stress can suppress ovulation and fertilitysome nerdy research that talks about what kind of stress is linked to everything from short cycles to hirsutism to PCOS to lower fertility to amenorrheasome quick lifestyle, dietary and herbal tips on modulating your stress responseResources mentioned in this episode:Free resource - Track your own cycle, easily, naturally, without an app.Today's podcast show notes & nerdy referencesEpisode 5 - Are you ovulating? How to tell (& and why it matters)Episode 10 - Traditional Womb Healing Practices with Sondra HamiltonEpisode 13  - The Vitalist Approach to Balancing Hormones with Heather LunaEpisode 15 - What's a Plant Ally? ...and how to find yoursIf 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.

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 disordercommon signs of narcissistic abusehow to gain the strength you need to leave the abusive situationhow the intensity of this kind of situation can lead to hormonal imbalance (in Amy's case, hyperthyroidism)what resources are helpful in the transition processherbal support (and practical support) for the initial transition how to regain your strength and vitality after leavingherbal remedies and other healing modalities for the ongoing recovery processinspiration on becoming a vibrant version of yourself againResources from this episode:Links to all of Amy's classes, clinic, and her socials on the SHOWNOTESIf you need immediate help or are in an unsafe situation, seek support. Here's a link to the National Domestic Violence HOTLINEOffering 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 MEDITATIONIf 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.

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 onea variety of different ways to help you find yourswhat you can do to cultivate a deeper relationship with your allyhow you may have already had plant allies without even knowing ita 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 hereGet 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 HERBSIf 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.

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 exclusivehow gender is based on cultural conditioning, not a cross-cultural facta little about the normalized "third gender" in Oaxaca, Mexicothat biological sex is NOT as simple as we were taught it wasabout how relatively common (as in not actually rare) intersex folks arethat our cells can actually be different genders from each other and how that impacts things like sex hormones in our bodieshow folks with wombs exist across the gender (and sex) spectrumResources mentioned in this episode:Go check out the NERDY REFERENCES & SHOWNOTES for some of the sciencePlan your garden with the GARDENING FOR YOUR MENSTRUAL HEALTH guideIf 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.