Sacred Window Podcast: Nurturing Awareness in Postpartum Care

Christine Devlin Eck

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. 3D AGO

    Ayurvedic Approach to Mental Health, The Heart as the Seat of the Mind with Carrie Lavie

    There are moments in a woman’s life that shape her quietly, permanently. Birth is one of them. In this episode, we explore the truth that how we birth matters — not just in outcome, but in experience. Not just in safety, but in imprint. Birth is more than a clinical event. It is a rite of passage. It is an initiation that touches the nervous system, identity, embodiment, and the bond between mother and baby. And when that initiation is rushed, over-managed, or unsupported, the body remembers. We speak about the subtle but powerful imprint of birth — how women internalize whether they felt heard, whether they felt safe, whether they felt like participants in their own becoming. We reflect on how these early experiences shape postpartum healing, maternal confidence, and even generational patterns. Because birth does not end when the baby arrives. It continues in the sacred postpartum window. This window is not simply about recovery. It is about integration. It is where warmth, nourishment, rest, and conscious care help a woman metabolize one of the most significant thresholds of her life. When we protect this time, we protect the mother’s nervous system. We protect attachment. We protect the emotional tone of a family. And when it is not protected, many women carry stories that remain tender for years. In this conversation, we also speak to those who feel called to serve in this work. Many caregivers come to postpartum support because of their own experiences — because something in them knows that it could have been different. That it should have been different. That we can do better for women. This is not about blame.It is about remembering. Remembering that birth is sacred.Remembering that postpartum is foundational.Remembering that conscious caregiving shapes generations. If you feel something stirring as you listen — a memory, a longing, a quiet yes — we invite you to stay with that. Often the call to this work begins as a whisper. At the Center for Sacred Window Studies, we are devoted to restoring reverence, nourishment, and embodied wisdom to the postpartum time through Ayurveda and the Universal Mother Principles. We train heart-led women to offer conscious, grounded postpartum care that bridges ancient tradition and modern understanding. This work is practical.This work is embodied.This work is deeply needed. You are not alone in feeling the weight and beauty of it. In This Episode We Explore: • Why the way we birth leaves a lasting imprint• Birth as rite of passage, not just medical event• The connection between birth experience and nervous system regulation• The sacred postpartum window as a time of integration• How conscious caregiving supports generational healing• The quiet call many women feel toward postpartum work About Carrie: Carrie Lavie is a Clinical Nutritionist and certified Ayurvedic Practitioner from London, Ontario, who has dedicated three decades to the study of healing arts, including specialized training in perinatal Ayurvedic protocols through The Sacred Window. She brings together traditional Ayurvedic wisdom, modern nutritional science, and an intuitive, caring approach to support women through all stages of life... from menstruation through the sacred postpartum window and into the transitions of perimenopause and menopause. 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.

    58 min
  2. FEB 18

    What Western Medicine Misses: Ayurveda's Whole-Person View of Postpartum with Christine Eck

    At six weeks postpartum, many mothers are told they are “cleared.” Cleared to exercise.Cleared to return to work.Cleared to resume life as it was before. But what if postpartum isn’t something that ends at six weeks? In this episode, we explore what Western medicine often overlooks — and why the Ayurvedic understanding of the sacred postpartum window offers a deeper, more complete view of healing. Through the lens of Ayurveda and the Universal Mother Principles, I share: Why postpartum is a year of transformation, not a brief recoveryThe meaning of “42 days for 42 years”The difference between pathology-based care and prevention through nourishmentHow depletion in early postpartum can echo for decadesWhy the nervous system, digestion, and emotional integration matter just as much as physical healingThis conversation is not about rejecting modern medicine. It is about restoring reverence to a threshold that shapes a woman’s life for years to come. If you are a mother, a birth professional, or a woman quietly feeling called to support families in deeper ways, this episode will speak to that knowing inside you. Postpartum is not simply a medical event.It is a sacred window of becoming. You are not meant to walk through it alone. 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.

    20 min
  3. FEB 4

    Tending the Storm: What Crisis Asks of Us as Caregivers with Chloe Charbonneau

    In this deeply resonant episode of the Sacred Window Podcast, host Christine Eck sits down with birth and postpartum doula Chloe Charbonneau to explore the quieter, often unseen experiences of crisis that many families face during the postpartum period. Together, they discuss the unique ways postpartum crisis manifests—often slowly, silently, and unexpectedly—as well as the importance of grounding, validation, and nervous system regulation in supporting new parents. Chloe shares powerful insights on: ✨ The subtle signs of crisis in postpartum✨ How caregivers can hold a calm, steady presence✨ Supporting partners and fathers through their own transition✨ The healing power of routine, bonding, and community support✨ Why caregivers must stay resourced and in balance✨ The role of collaborative care and knowing when to call in additional support This episode is a heartfelt, practical guide for doulas, birth workers, new parents, and anyone committed to conscious postpartum caregiving. In this episode:– What postpartum crisis actually looks like– How crisis in postpartum differs from birth emergencies– Nervous system regulation for parents and caregivers– Supporting partners who feel overwhelmed or disconnected– Building meaningful bonding rituals with baby– The importance of resource networks for families– Caregiver sustainability, boundaries, and community support Guest:Chloe CharbonneauBirth & Postpartum DoulaServing Tompkins County, NY + The Berkshires, MA Follow Chloe’s work on social media for compassionate, educational postpartum support. About Chloe: Chloe is a certified birth and postpartum doula and the founder of Stepping Stone Doula Care, serving families in Tompkins County, NY and The Berkshires, MA, with online consultations available for families beyond those regions. She views her role as a doula as offering balance, rest, and renewal—acting as a stepping stone for parents as they navigate the  profound transitions of birth and postpartum. Chloe's work centers on creating environments that prioritize the mental and emotional wellbeing of parents and caregivers, whether through birth planning support, newborn care, feeding guidance, or compassionate education and resources. She believes deeply that each family's path is unique and walks alongside them with honor and presence.   Links: website: www.steppingstonedoula.com instagram: @‌steppingstonedoula 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.

    36 min
  4. JAN 28

    Held by Generations: Receiving Ancestral Postpartum Wisdom with Angela Vargas

    In this episode of the Sacred Window Podcast, Christine is joined by birth and postpartum doula Angela Vargas for a heartfelt conversation about generational postpartum care and the profound impact of being deeply held after birth. Angela shares her experience of giving birth in Colombia and receiving postpartum care from her mother, grandmother, and family—a form of care rooted in culture, warmth, nourishment, and collective responsibility. Together, they reflect on how ancestral postpartum wisdom supports nervous system regulation, emotional safety, and long-term wellbeing, and what is lost when this care is absent. This episode explores postpartum as a sacred window—not bound by timelines—and how being cared for during this vulnerable transition shapes how we parent, heal, and show up for others. Angela also speaks to how her own experience informs her work today as a postpartum doula supporting families navigating isolation and limited resources. A tender reminder that postpartum care is not a luxury—it is foundational.And an invitation to become part of the village. About Angela: Angela Vargas is the founder of The Maternity Angel, a certified Birth Doula, certified Body Ready Method® Pro, and Evidence Based Birth® Instructor serving families with compassion and evidence-based care. As a Latina mom and wife, Angela brings lived experience and cultural awareness to her work, tailoring each of her offerings to meet the unique needs of the families she serves. Her approach is  rooted in kindness, compassion, and the belief that every birth journey deserves individualized, informed support. Links: Website: certified Birth Doula , EBB®️Instructor CERTIFIED BRM®️ PRO Instagram: @‌thematernityangel 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.

    32 min
  5. JAN 14

    Building a Practice That Honors Rest - Why the Ayurvedic Approach to Postpartum Care is Different (And Why That Matters for YOU)

    We speak often about rest in the postpartum period.But rarely do we ask who is holding that rest—and at what cost. In this episode, I reflect on the deeper layers of postpartum care and caregiving through the lens of Ayurveda and lived experience. We explore why so many caregivers, doulas, and mothers find themselves depleted even as they are offering support, and what it might mean to rethink the very model of care we’ve inherited. This conversation is an invitation to slow down and look beneath the surface. To consider postpartum healing not as a six- or twelve-week timeline, but as a process that unfolds in the body, the nervous system, and the subtle layers of integration that take time and presence. I share from my own experience of preparing deeply for birth, yet arriving in the postpartum window without the knowledge or support I needed to heal with ease. From there, we explore what makes Ayurvedic postpartum care different—why digestion, nourishment, and rest are not small details, but foundations of healing. This episode is also for the caregivers. For those of us navigating many kinds of transitions—motherhood, menopause, grief, change, or reorientation—and wondering how to offer care without losing ourselves in the process. We speak about rest as an active principle, about reciprocity in caregiving, and about building practices and lives that are both meaningful and sustainable. This is not a conversation about doing more.It is about listening more closely to what the body, the work, and this season of life are asking of us. If you feel the quiet knowing that care can be different—slower, more grounded, more reciprocal—you are not alone. 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.

    38 min
  6. JAN 7

    The Universal Mother Principles—Why Conscious Caregiving Changes Everything (Even If You Never Attend a Birth)

    What if the way we care for a mother after birth is the same way we are meant to care for ourselves and one another through every transition in life? In this episode, Christine Eck reflects on how conscious postpartum care extends far beyond the early weeks after birth and into the fabric of daily living — parenting, partnership, caregiving, work, and personal transformation. Drawing from lived experience, she explores the Universal Mother Principles as an embodied framework for how care is offered, received, and integrated. This conversation is not about doing postpartum care “right.” It is about presence. It is about the inner state of the caregiver. And it is about remembering that the sacred postpartum window is a microcosm of all human becoming. This episode is for mothers, caregivers, birth and postpartum professionals, and anyone sensing that care is not just a role or a skill set — but a way of relating to life itself. In this episode, we explore:– Why postpartum care is a blueprint for navigating all life transitions– How embodiment and presence shape the experience of care– The Universal Mother Principles as a lived, relational practice– Why caregivers must be included within the circle of care If you are feeling the quiet call toward conscious caregiving — or if you are longing for a slower, more nourishing way of living — this conversation offers a place to rest, reflect, and remember. Thank you for listening. 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.

    46 min
  7. 12/31/2025

    From Quiet Longing to Living Your Purpose—Why Your 'Calling' Needs More Than Passion

    There is a quiet longing many of us carry—a knowing that something essential has been lost in the way we support families after birth. In this episode of the Sacred Window Podcast, Christine Eck reflects on how that longing can become lived purpose. Drawing from years of postpartum caregiving, Ayurvedic wisdom, and lived experience, this conversation explores why postpartum care has been diminished in modern culture—and how it can be reclaimed through conscious presence, community responsibility, and remembrance. This episode speaks to those who feel called to care: postpartum caregivers, birth workers, mothers, partners, and anyone who senses that healing is not meant to happen alone. We explore the difference between awareness and action, the role of fire and determination in living our purpose, and why conscious caregiving is not limited to a profession—it is a cultural practice that begins within families and extends outward into community. In this conversation, we explore:– How longing becomes purpose through conscious action– Why postpartum care is a cultural responsibility, not an individual burden– The loss of traditional support systems and what it means to rebuild them– How caregiving begins with presence, trust, and relationship– Creating a culture where families are held, not left to navigate fragility alone This episode is an invitation to remember that when care is present, the postpartum window becomes a space of integration rather than trauma—and that each of us has a role in restoring this way of caring. 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.

    19 min
  8. 12/24/2025

    The Burnout Epidemic No One is Talking About—And the Inner Solution Hiding in Plain Sight

    In this solo episode of the Sacred Window Podcast, Christine Eck offers a quiet, steady reflection for caregivers who are holding more than most people can see. Recorded during the season of darkness and light, this conversation emerges from an awareness that burnout has become almost synonymous with caregiving—especially in postpartum care, birth work, and family support. We name it, we expect it, and often we carry it alone. But burnout is not a personal failure.And it is not the price of meaningful work. Through the lens of Ayurveda and the Universal Mother Principles, Christine explores caregiving as a reciprocal process—one in which the caregiver must also be held, nourished, and resourced from within. She speaks honestly about motivation, depletion, inner fire, and the quiet self-judgment that can arise when we feel we are never doing enough. This episode is an invitation to step back from the pressure of productivity and return to what truly sustains us. To remember that while we may not be able to do everything, we can tend the center—one moment of presence, one connection, one intentional pause at a time. This conversation is for:Caregivers feeling stretched thinPostpartum and birth professionals navigating exhaustionMothers and family caregivers longing for restorationAnyone questioning how to stay in service without burning out Rather than offering fixes or formulas, this episode creates space for reflection—asking you to consider your own story of depletion, and the possibility of restoration that still lives within you. Care was never meant to flow in only one direction.You are part of the circle, too. We’re grateful to walk this path together. 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.

    32 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

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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