In this interview with Elizabeth Theriault, ASW, MPH and perinatal ceremonialist from Petaluma, California, we discuss how the enormity of growing a life and the grief of not being met or supported by our culture called her to the inner connections and community that ceremonies offer. She describes how her husband who was a ritualist designed a blessing ceremony for her and the power the altar that was created by her friends had in their lives up to 2 years after the birth. We also discuss the kinds of ceremonies we can do with our children and how open they are to this.

The following are more of the nuggets we discuss:

• Deciding to become a mother and feeling the enormity of growing a life in her, the grief of there not being a lot of holding or container to hold, meet the feelings I was holding inside about this. The mismatch and isolation between the culture and our own inner experience as moms.
• Pregnancy/ Birth Blessing ritual and altar, her husband a ritualist and her 16 women friends wove for her and the power of it for her and them during birth and after for years.
• She had low milk supply, reached out on fb and 25 other moms immediately responded forming a support community for all of them and experiencing being witnessed.
• The ceremonies and need for community to witness us during the transitions from pregnancy ~ beginning change to developing pregnancy ~ between the old and new self forms to after birth ~ completely new and transformed and needing to be seen in all these stages and welcomed back after the birth experience. Being recognized for how far we traveled.
• Sitting in the ceremonies and circles with honoring the sacredness allows the women to align with what they actually experience!
• Elements of Ceremonies, the glow after ceremonies, easy ways to practice ceremony with your children and so much more!

Website: https://ritesofpassagepostpartum.com/

In this conversation with Gena McCarthy, RN, Perinatal Psychotherapist, Certified EMDR provider, community organizer and developer of integrative health programs and networks for nearly 40 years, we explore the importance of spiritual and psychological preparation to move powerfully through the transformative initiatory experiences that pregnancy and birth and motherhood offer. Gena shares compassionate practices and insights that honor our sacred feminine power, connect us with the Great Mother, and support healing from a difficult or traumatic pregnancy, birth or postpartum.

Some highlights:

How she was able to move ‘under the radar’ as an L&D Nurse and offer guided visualization for women on bedrest in the hospital with challenging health complications, and frequently saw symptoms subside.

The influence of several books and teachers in informing her growth personally and professionally; The Tibetan Art of Parenting by Anne Maiden Brown, the writings of Sobonfu Some, respected teacher of African spirituality, and Angeles Arrien, cultural anthropologist.

How her birthing experience informs her work and community ceremonial practices, The experience that brought her into knowing that we are capable of experiencing enlightenment and pleasure in birth.

The importance of safety in ceremony for overcoming fear and healing trauma. Gena shares several EMDR tools and practices for grounding, what to do if you are triggered, and healing trauma without having to feel the trauma.

For information on Gena’s workshops and sessions: www.birthspiritualityandhealing.com

Sandra Lloyd is a Shamanic Hypnotherapist, birth worker, and ceremonialist. She received expert training in Depth Hypnosis, Shamanism, Buddhist Psychology, Energy Medicine and Hypnotherapy at The Foundation of the Sacred Stream in Berkeley, CA. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Sociology.

Sandra's path of healing service has been informed by two separate diagnoses and recoveries from cancer, as well her work since 2004 providing hands-on, unconditional support and advocacy for pregnant and birthing women navigating the complexities of the initiation of birth and passage into motherhood. Energetically "holding space" in the birth environment, and grounded in her connection with spiritual allies, she has been privileged to assist the safe and empowering passages of hundreds of new lives into this world.

We take a powerful journey starting off with the story of how ceremony came into Sandra's life. Meeting her first shamanic teacher and how she began her shamanic practice. Sandra also shares insights p but into weaving the work of being a birth worker and a ceremonialist, creating a power filled and protected energetic field for the birthing mother and the sacred practice of connecting to the Great Mother. Plus so much more!

To find out more about Sandra and her powerful work you can go to her website https://www.sandralloyd.net/ or follow her on Instagram @lloydlibra.