Herbal Womb Wisdom

Kay'aleya Hunnybee

Curious about herbal and holistic approaches to womb wellness (i.e. periods, infections, libido, pleasure, pain, PMS, hormones, body confidence, fertility, PCOS, cycle irregularity, etc)? No matter what phase of life you are in, or what you've been told is - or isn't - possible, if it's related to your wombspace, it's covered here. Clinical herbalist and integrative health educator Kay'aleya Hunnybee will guide you through a range of topics by combining traditional wisdom, embodied practice, and modern science. With her years of experience as an herbalist and history as a student midwife, doula and massage therapist, she brings a broadly integrative perspective. Expect inspiration, stories, research, some interviews, plenty of plant talk, occasional humor, a whole lot of being real, and a compassionate heart. You'll leave every episode with actionable steps to enhance your menstrual, sexual and hormonal health and enrich your life.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    The 4 P's: Plants, planets, p***y & personal agency with Tere Marie

    Click here to send me a quick message :) When cycle alchemist, Tere Marie Martini, first proposed speaking to the 4 P's (plants, planets, p***y & personal agency), I was already ALL IN. By themselves, each of these topics is compelling, but when we combine them to explore how they can support us to become "whole ass human beings" it gets even more interesting. What brings each of these seemingly divergent topics together is their cyclical nature. I would also say in general, the way they help us both learn about and become more fully ourselves. Bridging the worlds of cyclical living, herbalism, astrology and self-awareness and growth together really isn't that far fetched, and is likely something many of us are already practicing in some way. Tere speaks to how she sees these weaving together, and drops some gorgeous wisdom gleaned from her own womb stories and life journey that have helped her surrender to the will of life, alongside powerfully creating transformational events and spaces. We talk all about this and more. I really loved this conversation, and hope you find some inspiration in it too! Resources: Free guided womb connection meditation and clearingToday's shownotes: Get links to all of Tere's offerings!Episode 83: What is astroherbalism? w Andrea WebbEpisode 197: Somatic practices for healing childhood wounds w Kristen StakeEpisode 216: How does the moon affect your hormones? 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.

    1hr 2min
  2. 12 MAY

    The woven tapestry of pelvic fascia: Why the feet, belly, breath & jaw matter in pelvic healing

    Click here to send me a quick message :) Fascia is an extraordinary substance in our bodies that supports both structural integrity *and* fluidity. And it is a web that weaves throughout our entire form. It has more nerve endings than our skin, responds to our hormones, tenses and relaxes, hydrates and dehydrates and can be a root of chronic pain and/or stuck energy. It lines all of our organs and muscles and bones! And our endopelvic fascia (the fascia in our pelvis) has direct relationships all the way up to the ribcage. Our breathing, belly and feet all have clear connections to what Julie Hammond calls the Pelvic Diaphragm (instead of the pelvic bowl).  And even our throat and jaw can have fascial impact on tension or relaxation of the muscles or tissues in our pelvis.  I talk about all of this and more (you'll hear my excitement) on this week's episode. Resources: Free: Gardening guide for menstrual healthBook: The Pelvic Diaphragm by Julie HammondEpisode 22: Stinging nettles loveEpisode 77: Myofascial release for pelvic bowl and chest/breasts with Lindsay CourcelleEpisode 160: How to nourish fascia with Lisa Masé 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.

    59 min
  3. 5 MAY

    Where nourishment meets earth connection in the sacred windows of our lives with Ashley Winkelspecht

    Click here to send me a quick message :) The sacred windows of our lives, whether postpartum or perimenopause or menarche or any significant transition, are portals of extra sensitivity. In some ways, they are a gift in that we can almost recreate ourselves from the ground up, renewing, and discovering a new version of ourselves. In other ways, they are tender, even vulnerable, times that require extra care and deep nourishment to replenish and rebuild from what is often more Vata dominant (from the Ayurvedic lens). But what can that nourishment look like? And how can relationship to the earth, seasonal cycle and local food play a role?  This week's guest, "nurturer" Ashley Winkelspecht, bring all of this together in her work and practices where she tends and nourishes both postpartum mamas as well as her rural community in the form of meal prep (and growing and sourcing local food).  She also layers on additional practices to enhance the prana, vitality and healing potential of the nourishment she brings.  Listen in to hear all about it. Resources: Free guided womb connection meditation and clearingToday's shownotes: Get links to Ashley's offeringsEpisode 49: Sacred windows of our lives with Ashlee Sakaishi WilkinEpisode 139: Cultivate resilience in Vata season w Molly McConnellEpisode 156: Universal Mother principles w Christine EckEpisode 182: Deeply replenishing postpartum care with Coco Genevieve 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.

    56 min
  4. 28 APR

    Yin warriorship, leading emergently & where grit meets eros with Jaye Marolla

    Click here to send me a quick message :) In these wild times, so many of us are seeking meaningful ways to engage with our emotions in generative, life-giving ways.  As women and female-bodied folks, we have commonly been socialized to dampen our intensity, our ferocity, our tenacity.  To sit in patriarchal spaces that center the power of a leader on a pedestal versus the power of the circle itself. But what can a different way look and feel like? In today's rich conversation with qi gong and martial arts teacher Jaye Marolla, we dig into these questions. She shares about the practice she calls yin warriorship, what that means and can look like in a martial arts training space or in the world, and how needed it is. And she also shares all about  the practice of leading and teaching emergentlyhow she crafts containers that are not "safe" but supportedhow intimacy and eroticism are woven into this workwhy she doesn't ascribe the the idea that trauma is the issue in our tissues (and what she sees this phenomena as instead)ways to explore your personal "yes" and "no"and more!There is SO MUCH depth and wisdom here. I hope you love it. Resources: Free guided womb connection meditation and clearingToday's shownotes: Get links to Jaye's work!Episode 140: Mugwort herbal spotlight & my initiation into plant medicine  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.

    1hr 12min
  5. 21 APR

    The healing practice (& power) of embodied presence in the wild terrain of these times

    Click here to send me a quick message :) I had a conversation with a friend recently, and the topic of presence came up. Not from the lens of meditation so much as from the lens of what's helping us move through the wild terrain of life these days.  We talked about how easy it is to get drawn into the past - distractions, addictions, spirals of longing, attachment to old stories, replaying what's already happened - or the future - worry, fear, anxiety, concern, responsibilities to come etc. And how easy it is to go entire days, weeks even, without true embodied presence. How often are we really, truly, present... in our bodies, in a moment? Isn't it interesting though, how time can bend? When we are falling in love, or meditating, or maybe even trying hard to get words on to paper, it can feel like 5 minutes is forever. But most often, it's all moving so swiftly, we barely catch a glimpse of what's happening. Distractions and stimulation is EVERYWHERE, and more so now than ever before. But the truth is, healing and the possibility of new healthier pathways, ones that include conscious choice of something generative versus destructive, of a world we believe in even, is all only possible when we release the past and the future and cultivate more relationship with the present. And not just the present moment mentally, but even more powerfully bringing our awareness into our bodies for somatic experience of embodied presence. I riff on this and share a guided practice to embodied presence in this week's episode. It feels like needed medicine for so many of us right now.  Resources: Free: Womb connection & clearing meditationToday's shownotes: The healing practice (& power) of embodied presenceEpisode 77: Myofascial release for pelvic bowl and chest/breasts with Lindsay CourcelleEpisode 219: What are spring tonics?Episode 220: The ancestral medicine of reciprocal relationship w Kendra Hoffman 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.

    58 min
  6. 14 APR

    Deep postpartum nourishment: Blending Traditional Chinese Medicine & embodied wisdom with Madeline Ishmael

    Click here to send me a quick message :) From the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) lens, the first 40 days postpartum are a key time to deeply tend the body, mind and spirit after birth.  According to today's guest, Madeline Ishmael, this time is characterized by a need to replenish both the blood and qi -- and while there are a number of ways to do this, she focuses largely on deeply nourishing foods in her practice. She blends her western medical background as a public health professional and registered nurse with her training in both functional medicine and TCM to offer a truly integrative approach to this tender time. This conversation is deep and rich and embodied. She tells her own story of how it was the process of weaning her first child that alerted her to the lack of actual postpartum care in the more conventional medical environment, where she was essentially dismissed rather than listened to. These stories are so common. And unfortunately we still don't have enough people offering the level of truly restorative care in this foundational time that can have an impact on the coming decades in our lives. Maddy shares about what to focus on food-wise so you'll definitely receive some practical wisdom from this conversation, but she also shares about the deeper reasons this is all needed. And how her newest offering - postpartum meal delivery - emerged almost alongside her most recent babe, during the early postpartum window itself. We speak to all of this and so much more. I'm excited to share this conversation with you! Resources: Today's shownotes: Grab links to Maddy's IG and email!Free guided womb connection meditation and clearingEpisode 25: Immediate pp care the herbal way w Liz PhilbrickEpisode 148: 5 key herbs for every mama's apothecary w Mel MutterspaughEpisode 152: The power of "two-eyed seeing" w Amy EldredgeEpisode 182: Deeply replenishing pp care the Ayurvedic way w Coco Genevieve 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.

    1hr 13min
  7. 7 APR

    The ancestral medicine of reciprocal relationship with the earth with Kendra Hoffman

    Click here to send me a quick message :) So many of us feel deep grief, overwhelm and even lost in the midst of the ecological and upheaval we are facing collectively. It's not easy to know what to do, where to turn, what actions are meaningful and worth our time.  The truth is our nervous systems are not made for the level of constant stimulation and overflowing awareness that we are being exposed to. We need to honor our capacity, and yet it is so hard to look away. So what can we do? What can help the earth around us, our communities, ourselves? We chat all about this - from an ecological lens Kendra Hoffman calls EarthCare - on today's episode. She's developed a framework including 4 core principles and practices that align with the directions and the seasons, and are really accessible to help begin or deepen your reciprocal relationship with the earth and other beings around you.  We chat about traditional ancestral lifeways and how returning to the roots of our roots is needed in these times, and how you can explore this no matter whether you live in a city, the suburbs or a more rural place. There's so much embodied earth wisdom in this one, I'm excited for you to hear it. Resources: Today's shownotes: Grab links to all Kendra's offerings + resourcesFree visualization: Womb Connection & Clearing meditationSong by Mo Washburn on YouTubeEpisode 41: Nature connection as stress relief (science & more) with Efan Hsieh 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.

    1hr 12min

About

Curious about herbal and holistic approaches to womb wellness (i.e. periods, infections, libido, pleasure, pain, PMS, hormones, body confidence, fertility, PCOS, cycle irregularity, etc)? No matter what phase of life you are in, or what you've been told is - or isn't - possible, if it's related to your wombspace, it's covered here. Clinical herbalist and integrative health educator Kay'aleya Hunnybee will guide you through a range of topics by combining traditional wisdom, embodied practice, and modern science. With her years of experience as an herbalist and history as a student midwife, doula and massage therapist, she brings a broadly integrative perspective. Expect inspiration, stories, research, some interviews, plenty of plant talk, occasional humor, a whole lot of being real, and a compassionate heart. You'll leave every episode with actionable steps to enhance your menstrual, sexual and hormonal health and enrich your life.

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