Sacred Window Podcast: Nurturing Awareness in Postpartum Care

Christine Devlin Eck
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Alternative Health

The Sacred Window Podcast is a voice for change and growth in shifting the current paradigm in postpartum care. We discuss a variety of topics that range from abortion to eating in postpartum. We are a community passionate about bringing awareness to all aspects of the emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing during the postpartum time. This podcast is created by the Center for Sacred Window Studies, an organization that trains current and aspiring doulas and other birth professionals in conscious care for the sacred postpartum window. Visit www.sacredwindowstudies.com to learn more.

  1. Jul 22

    Marma Therapy and the Sacred First Week Postpartum with Charlotte Senseney-Sternkind

    The first week after birth is unlike any other time in a person's life. It is a season of profound openness—when the body, mind, and spirit are especially receptive to gentle, intentional care. In this conversation, Christine Eck is joined by Charlotte Senseney-Sternkind, founding instructor at the Center for Sacred Window Studies and expert in Ayurvedic postpartum bodywork, to explore the ancient practice of Marma Therapy and why it is uniquely suited to support the earliest days of the postpartum journey. Together, they discuss how conscious touch can help regulate the nervous system, encourage deep rest, balance the heightened Vata qualities present after birth, and create a sense of safety and grounding during one of life's most transformative transitions. Charlotte also shares how Marma Therapy works with the body's subtle energy points to support healing in a way that is both gentle and deeply restorative. Whether you're a postpartum professional, birth worker, Ayurvedic practitioner, or an expectant parent wanting to better understand the sacred postpartum window, this episode offers timeless wisdom on the healing power of presence, touch, and slowing down. In this episode, you'll learn: • What Marma Therapy is and how it differs from massage• Why the first week postpartum is an especially important time for gentle therapeutic touch• How Marma Therapy helps calm the nervous system and support emotional and physical recovery• The Ayurvedic understanding of Vata after birth and why balancing it matters• How conscious touch can become a meaningful part of postpartum care for families and practitioners alike If this conversation inspires you to deepen your understanding of postpartum care, explore the Center for Sacred Window Studies' professional training programs, where Charlotte teaches Conscious Touch for Postpartum, including Marma Therapy, practitioner-given Abhyanga, infant Abhyanga, lymphatic support, and other restorative Ayurvedic bodywork practices. Because when we honor the sacred first days after birth, we create the conditions for healing that can ripple through a lifetime. Bio: Charlotte is a founding instructor of the Center for Sacred Window Studies.  She was led to this work by Spirit as she came up with a business name during meditation. The teacher who trained her called one day and said she had been informally calling her students Ayurdoulas. That is how her deeper journey as a postpartum doula began after years of being a birth doula and prenatal massage therapist. She fully believes in supporting the mama and her experience of growing, birthing and nurturing life on this earth. Charlotte loves seeing how even the simplest shift can add sweetness to the mama’s Sacred Window and put a smile on her face in the midst of changes. Charlotte lives in San Antonio, TX. Charlotte retired from teaching at the Center for Sacred Window Studies at the end of 2025. Her impact and her devotion to this Center is ongoing. As we approach our bodywork module this coming fall, we honor her teachings and wisdom. - Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom: https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-cookbook/ - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

  2. Jul 16

    Integrating Postpartum Caregiving With Social Services: A Roundtable Discussion with Brooke Conroy and Ayana Muhammad

    What becomes possible when we begin to see postpartum care not as a luxury, but as an essential part of community health? In this thoughtful roundtable conversation, Christine is joined by Conscious Postpartum Caregivers Ayana Muhammad and Brooke Conroy to explore how ancient postpartum wisdom can work alongside modern social services to better support mothers, babies, and families. Together, they reflect on their experiences serving diverse communities, the gaps that exist in postpartum care, and why so many families are left to navigate one of life's greatest transitions without meaningful support. They discuss the opportunity to weave holistic postpartum care, rooted in Ayurveda and the Universal Mother Principles, into systems that already serve families through social work, nonprofit organizations, and community-based programs. This conversation is an invitation to think beyond individual caregiving and toward collective transformation. If we want healthier families, stronger communities, and more resilient generations, postpartum must become part of the conversation wherever care is offered. Whether you are a social worker, birth professional, nonprofit leader, healthcare provider, or someone who simply believes every family deserves to be supported after birth, this episode offers both inspiration and practical possibilities for the future of postpartum care. In this episode, we explore: Why postpartum planning is so often overlooked despite careful birth planning.The unique role social workers and community organizations can play in postpartum healing.How Ayurvedic postpartum care complements existing support systems.The importance of culturally responsive, relationship-centered caregiving.Serving families through collaboration rather than isolated services.Building stronger communities by honoring the sacred postpartum window. At the Center for Sacred Window Studies, we believe that when we care for mothers with presence, nourishment, and consciousness, we change far more than one postpartum experience. We strengthen families, communities, and future generations. Thank you for joining us as we continue expanding awareness, education, and access to informed postpartum care worldwide. If this conversation resonates with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who is helping shape the future of family care. Panelists: Christine Eck, Ayana Muhammad and Brooke Conroy Ayana Muhammad and Brooke Conroy are passionate mothers and postpartum caregivers with a background in social services including WIC and Healthy Families. They are part of the Sacred Window Studies professional community. - Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom: https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-cookbook/ - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

  3. Jul 1

    Preparing for Birth Beyond the Physical with Marissa Mignone

    What if preparing for birth meant more than packing a hospital bag or creating the perfect birth plan? In this heartfelt episode of the Sacred Window Podcast, Christine Devlin Eck welcomes postpartum doula, childbirth educator, prenatal yoga teacher, and infant loss doula Marissa Mignone for a conversation about the deeper dimensions of birth preparation. After supporting families for over a decade, Marissa shares how becoming a mother transformed not only her personal experience of birth and postpartum, but also the way she supports others. Together, they explore how preparing the mind, heart, body, and community creates a foundation for navigating birth with greater trust, resilience, and openness. This episode offers thoughtful insights for expectant parents, birth workers, and anyone seeking a more holistic understanding of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. In this episode, you'll learn: Why birth preparation extends beyond the physical bodyHow emotional resilience supports the birth experienceThe importance of nervous system regulation during pregnancy and postpartumWhy community is essential for birth and healingHow surrender and trust can transform the unknownThe role of rituals, storytelling, and mindfulness in preparing for birthHow motherhood reshaped Marissa's work as a birth and postpartum doula Whether you're preparing for your own birth, supporting growing families, or deepening your caregiving practice, this conversation offers gentle wisdom on embracing birth as a profound rite of passage. ✨ Connect with Marissa Mignone and learn more about her offerings: Marissa is a Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Educator, and Prenatal/Postnatal Yoga Instructor based in Truckee, California, where she serves families throughout the surrounding Tahoe communities. Her love of birth began in childhood, and she has spent the past ten years honoring that calling by supporting parents through pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum window. After discovering the world of doula work in 2012, Marissa trained through Birthing From Within's Doula and Mentor program. She has since deepened her education with Jane Austin's Prenatal/Postnatal Yoga Level 1 and 2 certifications, Spinning Babies workshops, Birth Story Listening, and an Ayurvedic Postpartum Doula training with Sacred Window Studies. In 2024, she completed a miscarriage and infant loss doula certification through The Miscarriage Doula Collective. Her style is loving, compassionate, grounding, and dynamic. Marissa helps families understand their options, make empowered decisions, and find solutions in the moment, while also guiding partners and fathers in how to best support the birthing person. At the heart of her work is a simple devotion: to walk alongside parents, hold space through doubt and difficulty, and lovingly support each family through their unique journey into parenthood. You can learn more about Marissa's work at her website, www.mountainblessingsbirth.com - Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom:https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-... - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

  4. Jun 24

    What Postpartum Trainings Don't Prepare You For

    Many postpartum professionals complete their training feeling excited and equipped with practical skills, only to discover that some of the most challenging aspects of the work emerge once they begin supporting families in real-life situations. In this solo episode, Christine Devlin Eck explores five important areas that many postpartum trainings don't fully prepare caregivers for: holding emotional and mental health weight, managing their own nervous system and burnout, navigating boundaries with clients, witnessing trauma without absorbing it, and building confidence in the business side of postpartum care. Drawing from over a decade of experience as a postpartum doula, educator, and mentor, Christine shares how Ayurvedic postpartum care and the Universal Mother Principles offer practical frameworks for creating sustainable, grounded, and compassionate caregiving practices. Whether you're a postpartum doula, birth worker, caregiver, or someone considering entering the field, this conversation offers valuable insights into what it truly takes to support families while also caring for yourself. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why emotional and mental health challenges can feel overwhelming for new caregivers• How understanding scope of practice helps prevent burnout and compassion fatigue• The role of Ayurveda in supporting both caregivers and postpartum families• How healthy boundaries create stronger client relationships• Ways to witness trauma without carrying it as your own• Why community and professional networks are essential in postpartum work• How self-trust and confidence develop through clarity, mentorship, and experience• The importance of creating a sustainable and balanced caregiving business If this episode resonates with you, share it with a fellow postpartum professional or someone passionate about supporting families during the Sacred Window. - Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom:https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-cookbook/ - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

  5. Jun 17

    Soft Discipline: Finding Ground Through Nature’s Rhythms with Clementina Consens

    What if discipline didn't have to feel hard? In this episode of the Sacred Window Podcast, Christine Devlin Eck sits down with Clementina Consens, founder of Earth to Clemi, to explore the practice of soft self-discipline and the profound wisdom available when we begin listening to the rhythms of the natural world. Together, they discuss how small, consistent acts of self-care can create lasting transformation, why honoring our personal seasons matters, and how reconnecting with nature can help us cultivate greater trust in ourselves. This conversation offers a gentle alternative to the pressure of perfectionism, inviting us to move through life with more presence, self-compassion, and awareness of our own unique timing. Whether you're navigating a season of transition, seeking more balance, or longing to feel grounded in a fast-moving world, this episode is a reminder that meaningful change often begins with the smallest daily practices. In This Episode, You'll Discover: • What soft self-discipline really means and how it differs from traditional ideas of discipline• The power of small daily rituals and cumulative change• How nature's cycles can teach us about rest, growth, and transformation• Why trusting your inner wisdom is an essential part of well-being• Ways to cultivate greater presence and connection in everyday life• How honoring your own season can reduce overwhelm and support sustainable growth Guest: Clementina Consens Clementina Consens is a Toronto-based artist, program designer, and environmental scientist with over eight years of experience at the intersection of climate literacy and intentional living. Through her brand Earth to Clemi, she develops workshops, seasonal tools, and creative frameworks that help people build habits in rhythm with the natural world. Soft self-discipline is their wellness practice for embodied responsibility to themselves and their communities, a devotional approach to rituals aligned with nature's cyclical cues. She has just released the Earth To Clemi Field Guide — a seasonal guide to living in right relationship with nature and yourself, launching this fall. Link: Clementina Consens Connect with Us - Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom:https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-... - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

  6. Jun 10

    Healing After Birth Through Food with Cherie Calbom

    In this nourishing conversation, Christine Eck sits down with nutrition expert, bestselling author, and "Juice Lady" Cherie Calbom to explore one of the most important questions of the postpartum journey: What should we eat after birth? Together, they bridge Ayurvedic postpartum wisdom and whole-food nutrition, discovering that while their traditions may use different language, they share a common foundation: simple, nourishing foods that support digestion, healing, and vitality. They discuss why postpartum nutrition doesn't need to be complicated, the importance of digestive health, how warming foods support recovery after birth, and why slowing down at mealtimes may be just as important as the food itself. Cherie also shares insights from her latest book, The Truth About Seed Oils, offering practical guidance for reducing inflammation and making more informed food choices in a world filled with processed options. More than a conversation about nutrition, this episode is an invitation to consider nourishment as a whole-life practice—one that includes rest, connection, purpose, joy, and the wisdom to listen deeply to what our bodies are asking for. Whether you are a new mother, a postpartum caregiver, or someone seeking a more conscious relationship with food, this episode offers grounded wisdom for healing one meal at a time. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why simple, whole foods remain the foundation of postpartum healing• The connection between digestion, nourishment, and recovery after birth• How Ayurveda approaches food during the postpartum window• The role of warming foods, soups, broths, and healthy fats in recovery• Practical ways to reduce inflammation through everyday food choices• Why mindful eating, chewing, and slowing down support better digestion• How to balance healthy habits with flexibility, joy, and real life• The deeper relationship between nourishment, purpose, and emotional well-being Resources Mentioned: • Home - The Juice Lady, Cherie Calbom, MS• The Truth About Seed Oils - The Juice Lady, Cherie Calbom, MS If this conversation resonates with you, we'd love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could benefit from a gentler, more nourishing approach to postpartum healing. Healing happens meal by meal, breath by breath, and day by day. ⟡ CONNECT WITH US Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom:https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-... - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

  7. Jun 4

    42 Days for 42 Years: How Postpartum Nourishment Shapes a Lifetime of Presence, Trust, and Becoming

    In this heartfelt solo episode of the Sacred Window Podcast, Christine reflects on a teaching that has guided her work in postpartum care for nearly two decades: 42 Days for 42 Years. As her oldest child prepares to graduate from high school, Christine looks back on her own postpartum journey and explores how the care she received during those first sacred weeks after birth continues to shape her life today. Through the lens of Ayurveda and the Universal Mother Principles, she shares three profound ways postpartum nourishment creates lasting ripple effects: cultivating discernment, deepening trust, and expanding our capacity for presence. This conversation moves beyond practical postpartum care tips and into the deeper question of what it means to become. How does the way we are cared for in the vulnerable postpartum window influence the way we navigate motherhood, relationships, life transitions, and our connection to the sacred years later? Whether you are currently postpartum, supporting new families, or reflecting on your own motherhood journey, this episode offers a gentle invitation to slow down, notice the qualities present in your life, and reconnect with what truly nourishes you. In This Episode, We Explore: ✨ The meaning behind the phrase “42 Days for 42 Years”✨ How Ayurvedic wisdom teaches us to recognize and balance the qualities present within us✨ The lifelong gift of discernment developed through postpartum care✨ Why nervous system regulation is connected to trust, surrender, and spiritual unfolding✨ How postpartum nourishment supports our ability to connect with the sacred✨ The role of presence in parenting, healing, and daily life✨ Reflections from nearly 20 years of motherhood and personal growth✨ The enduring impact of receiving care during life's most transformative transitions If this episode resonates with you, share it with a mother, caregiver, or practitioner who could use a reminder that the care we receive today has the power to shape the person we become tomorrow. Join us for the Sacred Summer Study! We’ve created a beautiful, free Sacred Summer Study Guide to support your journey. https://sacredwindowstudies.com/sacred-summer-study/ https://sacredwindowstudies.com/sacred-summer-study-guide/ - Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom:https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-cookbook/ - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

  8. May 20

    The Spiral Framework for Creating Nervous System Regulation and Healing Trauma Responses with Lauren Tobey

    In this episode of the Sacred Window Podcast, Christine Eck sits down with writer and speaker Lauren Tobey for a deeply honest conversation about nervous system healing, trauma responses, identity shifts, and the spiral nature of transformation. Together, they explore what happens when life dismantles the roles and identities we once relied upon — through divorce, burnout, postpartum, grief, career changes, or spiritual awakening — and how healing asks us to meet ourselves with compassion rather than perfection. Lauren shares her Spiral Framework, a trauma-informed lens that helps us understand healing not as a straight line, but as a cyclical and embodied process. Christine weaves in reflections from Ayurveda, conscious caregiving, and the sacred postpartum window, offering a grounded and nourishing perspective on regulation, safety, and self-trust. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt exhausted from trying to “fix” themselves, anyone navigating transition, or anyone longing to feel more connected to their body, their truth, and their inner steadiness. Inside this conversation, we explore: • Why healing is rarely linear• The connection between trauma responses and nervous system survival patterns• How perfectionism, control, over-functioning, and shutdown develop as protective strategies• What nervous system regulation actually means• The role of embodiment in trauma healing• Why community and safe relationships matter for regulation• The postpartum window as a portal for healing and transformation• Creating new neural pathways through presence and compassionate awareness• Returning to ourselves beneath survival patterns and social roles This conversation is a gentle reminder that healing is not about becoming someone new. It is about learning how to walk the spiral with greater tenderness, awareness, and trust. Connect with us: - Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom:https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-... - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

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The Sacred Window Podcast is a voice for change and growth in shifting the current paradigm in postpartum care. We discuss a variety of topics that range from abortion to eating in postpartum. We are a community passionate about bringing awareness to all aspects of the emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing during the postpartum time. This podcast is created by the Center for Sacred Window Studies, an organization that trains current and aspiring doulas and other birth professionals in conscious care for the sacred postpartum window. Visit www.sacredwindowstudies.com to learn more.

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