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Wholeness
Menstruation to Motherhood
In our Western Culture Menstruation is often viewed as shameful, dirty, and something to be secretive about. This narrative sets the scene for other major life transitions that women move through including their fertility & conception journey, pregnancy, birth & motherhood. In this episode, we explore the narratives around these life transitions and how they impact our relationship with our body. We highlight how each of these phases offers women an invitation to deepen their relationship with their body and provide practices that can help us to embody our innate wisdom.
To accompany each episode of this series we offer some reflective questions to contemplate. Reflecting upon your relationship with your cycle:
- What was my introduction to my cycle like? Was there openness & celebration? Or was it thought to be shameful/dirty/something to be quiet about? How did this impact my relationship with my cycle?
- What stories do I have about my menstrual cycle? Are they my own? If I was to choose a different story, what would it be?
- How do I experience my cycle now? Do I see it as inconvenient? Powerful?
- How do I embrace my body’s rhythm by responding to my cycle?
- How do I try and dull down my body’s needs? (eg medication, contraception)
- How do I feel about my cycle?
- How would I like to feel about my cycle?
- If I was to more fully embrace my internal rhythm what would I do? What would I stop doing?
- How is my body calling me to heal any shame associated with my menstrual cycle?
The questions below are designed to help you tune into your body at different phases of your cycle OR if you are not currently menstruating over the different phases of a lunar cycle.
· How am I feeling physically in my body?
· How do I feel emotionally?
· How do I feel energetically?
· What would feel nourishing?
Links to practices:
To access a range of practices that can support you in connecting to your body & your cycle visit https://soundcloud.com/divinefeminineflow
Connect with us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholenesspodcast/
Website https://www.womenswholeness.com.au/
More episodes
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Welcome to Wholeness
14:16||Season 1, Ep. 0Welcome to Wholeness - A Podcast for Women In this episode, we take the opportunity for a quick intro. Get to know Women's Yoga Therapist Kate Payne & Women’s Physiotherapist Taryn Gaudin gain some insight into who this podcast is for and why we created it. Welcome Welcome Welcome!2. Creativity for Women
41:19||Season 1, Ep. 2In this episode, we explore creativity and sacred art. We dive into: Defining Creativity and the many forms of creative expressionHow we lean into creativity from an intuitive sense, for the purpose of self-expression and self-reflection and how this looks and feels different from creating for the purpose of a particular outcome.How embracing our innate creative nature can lead to expansive self-expression in all aspects of our life.What sacred art is and how the process of creativity looks and feels different when we are embracing our feminine and masculine nature. What stifles our creativity How disconnecting from our creative nature stops us from fully expressing ourselves in our lifeHow the process of creativity gives us clarityHow we can use creativity and sacred art as part of our healing journeyQuestions for reflection:Do I believe myself to be creative? Why or why not? If I could shift my perspective on what creativity is, could I sense my creative nature more powerfully?How do I express myself creatively?What feminine qualities do I embrace in being creative?What masculine qualities do I embrace in being creative?How do I weave my masculine and feminine essence throughout my creative process? What would I like to invite more of when it comes to creative expression?How do I suppress my creative nature? OR How have I disconnected from my creative nature?If I gave myself full permission to be creative in an intuitive way, for the purpose of self-expression how would I create? What would I create? Links to practices:To access a range of practices that can support you in connecting to your body & your creativity visit https://soundcloud.com/divinefeminineflowConnect with us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholenesspodcast/Website: https://www.womenswholeness.com.au/3. Reclaiming Sovereignty
45:53||Season 1, Ep. 3This is a conversation that is so close to our hearts. In this episode, we dive into:What sovereignty means How we finely tune our awareness of self so that we can feel fully sovereign across all aspects our lifeHow it feels when we align to our sovereignty, & how we can identify when we are stepping out of this space of personal powerHow we create intentions for living from a space of body wisdom, rather than from an intellectual spaceThe effects of trauma, childhood development, social conditioning and our environment on our ability to tune into & trust our intuitionHow we can begin to trust our intuitive inner knowing more deeply & confidently Sovereignty in the context of femininityQuestions for reflection:What does sovereignty mean to me?How do I know when I am embracing my sovereignty? How does it feel?How do I know when I am not fully embracing my sovereignty? How does it feel?Where in my life have I handed over my personal power?Where in my life am I fully embracing my sovereign nature?Where would I like to step more into trusting myself & my wisdom? How would I take back my personal power? What would that look like? What would that feel like? What would I be doing more of? What would I stop doing?Links to practices:To access a range of practices that can support you in connecting to your body & your creativity visit https://soundcloud.com/divinefeminineflowConnect with us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholenesspodcast/Website https://www.womenswholeness.com.au/4. Sex & Sensuality - Part 1
56:27||Season 1, Ep. 4This was such a dynamic topic of conversation that we had to spread this conversation over two parts. In part 1 of Sex & Sensuality we talk about: The interconnectedness of how women experience their bodies sensually and sexually - how our our relationship with our body and our self, affects our experience of sexSexual and sensual energy, how they are different, and why connecting to your sensuality lays the foundations for better sexSensuality and pleasure & exploring pleasure & joy within your bodyHow women would like to experience sex & the divide that can exist between how we are actually experiencing sex & how we would like to experience sexExploring your own values and beliefs around sexFinding safe spaces to explore and connect with our sensuality and sexuality How we can feel more comfortable in our communication about sex with our partnersThe cyclical nature of women, and how our experience of sex can be different across different phases of our cycleSex and intimacy during different phases of our life cycle - menstruation, conception, pregnancy, motherhood & beyond. To accompany this 2 part episode we offer you the following reflective questions that come straight from Taryn’s book Body Conscious: A Woman’s Guide to Holistic Pelvic Wellness & Feminine Embodiment available directly from Taryn https://taryngaudin.com/body-conscious-book/ or via Amazon for anyone outside of Australia. Do I take time to connect to myself sensually? How do I experience joy and pleasure in my body?What does that look like for me? How do you feel when you connect with myself in this way? How does that change my experience of life?How does that change my experience of sex? How do I explore my own body and self-pleasure? What are my thoughts around self-pleasure and sexual self-pleasure? What does sensual energy look like + feel like to me?How am I expressing myself sensually?What brings me pleasure & joy in my life?Where in my life would I like to explore a deeper sense of sensual connection? What would that look like? Sex in RelationshipHow do you communicate with your partner your needs/desires regarding sex?Is there a conversation you would like to open more dialogue around?What would help you to feel safe to have this vulnerable conversation?How do you feel about asking for what you want during sex? How do you feel about asking for what you want in other parts of your life?Are there similarities between your willingness to ask for what you want during sex, and in other parts of your life?How is asking for sex different from asking for what you want in other areas in your life?Why do you think/feel this is?Would you like to be more willing to give direction during sex and intimacyLinks to practices & workshops:Sex & Sensuality Workshop - Enjoy more conversation around Sex & Sensuality PLUS enjoy a guided womb connection self-massage Stand-alone Pelvic & Womb Massage Guided Practice Intuitive Movement is a beautiful way to connect with your sensual self. In this video learn more about Intuitive Movement - what it is, how it is different from typical movement/exercise, & its healing benefitsIntuitive Movement Workshop For a range of practices to help you connect to your body & sensual self head to https://soundcloud.com/divinefeminineflowConnect with us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholenesspodcast/Website https://www.womenswholeness.com.au/6. The Normalisation of Pelvic Pain
01:08:35||Season 1, Ep. 6Have you experienced pelvic pain? Period pain? Hormonal Headaches? Pain with Sex? In this episode, we talk about the normalisation of pelvic pain and how women are often taught to expect that pain is a natural part of being in a Woman’s Body. We talk about specific types of Pelvic Pain, the challenges around finding the root cause of pelvic pain, the multidimensional aspects of pelvic pain, and taking a more holistic/integrated whole body to heal pelvic pain. We also share 2 beautiful and simple practices for you to explore. Alongside this episode, we invite you to contemplate these Pelvic Health reflective questions that come straight from Taryn’s book Body Conscious: A Woman’s Guide to Holistic Pelvic Wellness & Feminine Embodiment available directly from Taryn https://taryngaudin.com/body-conscious-book/ or via Amazon for anyone outside of Australia. How do I feel about my Pelvic Health?Do I ignore Pelvic Health concerns? Why? How do I tend to my Pelvic Health? When I tune into the energy of my Pelvic Bowl, what is present for me?What aspects of my feminine body do I feel: Disconnected to? Shame around? Inconvenienced by?What aspects of my feminine body do I:Celebrate?Feel a deep sense of connection to?Embrace?If I was to embrace my feminine essence, honour my pelvic bowl, and tend to my pelvic health in a way that feels connected & celebrates being a woman:What would that look like?How would that feel?What would I do more of?What would I stop doing?Links to practices:Pelvic Health Workshop - Learn more about a holistic approach to Pelvic Health + Pelvic Anatomy + ScienceDeep Core + Pelvic Floor Embodied Exploration - Connect with your deep core + pelvic floor in this 1 hour guided simple movement practice & womb meditationPelvic Floor Relax & Release practice - For women who experience pelvic pain, have pelvic organ prolapse, participate in high-intensity exercise, or who simply want to enjoy optimal pelvic healthPelvic Motion Practice - Connect to your pelvic region through movement. For a range of feminine body connection practices head to https://soundcloud.com/divinefeminineflowConnect with us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholenesspodcast/Website https://www.womenswholeness.com.au/7. BONUS EP - Cycles & Seasons
45:11||Season 1, Ep. 7In this bonus episode, we share with you an audio recording of our Cycles & Seasons Wisdom Offering from our Into The Wild Immersion. In this episode, we share the transitions a woman moves through across the life cycle & the wisdom we gain as we move through these phases. Kate talks specifically to Yogic Philosophy & the understanding of The Feminine Siddhis including:Menarche & Menstruation,Sexual awakening & female orgasm, Conception, pregnancy, & miscarriageLabour & BirthLactationMenopauseWe also share our own personal experiences of moving through some of our most challenging life transitions as women, what these experiences taught us, and how our relationship with ourselves & our world has changed because of them. As this is an excerpt of our Into The Wild Immersion, we make reference to other resources that are included in the program. For more details on the Into The Wild Immersion visit: https://higherstatesofyoga.com/wildwoman/ To accompany this podcast episode, we offer you the following questions for reflection:What rhythmic patterns can I see in my life?What links might there be between my current stage of life and the experiences of other women close to me now?What does the idea of female siddhi mean to me? How have I welcomed my female siddhis into my life so far? How have I neglected my female siddhis in my life so far?Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum will also reveal SO much about your relationship with your body, here are some questions for reflection.For Pregnancy:How do I feel about my body? In particular, how do I feel about the changes in my body?· What changes do I feel inconvenienced by? Ashamed of?· How does this reflect my overall relationship with my body?· How could I be kinder & more patient with my body?· If I were to embrace the changes in my body during this transition, what would I do more of? What would I stop doing?Birth:What did my birth teach me? What wisdom did I receive?How do I feel about my birth?Where have I shared my birth stories?If I haven't shared my birth experience & my feelings about my birth, why? Would I like to? With who? How would I like that experience to look like?How would I like to move through my birth experience?What would have me feel safe and supported to do that?Motherhood:What are my biggest challenges in motherhood right now? What are they offering me? What are they teaching me? How do I give back to my own self as a mother?How could I be more gentle/kind to myself as a mother?What stories do I have about being a Mother? How does motherhood feel? What a mother's body is like? What life looks like for mothers? What my capacity is? What I am capable of? Are these my own? If I could write my own story, & create my own belief systems about motherhood, what would they be? If I was to integrate motherhood into my whole life more, how would that look? How would that feel?Menopause:How am I dulling the experience of Menopause?How am I honouring my body during this time?What is my body teaching me?If I was to absorb + embrace this wisdom, by embracing my inner rhythm at this time what would I do more of? What would I stop doing?OR, for women not yet experiencing perimenopauseWhat beliefs do I have around menopause?How do I invite women who are experiencing menopause to share their wisdom with me?How do I offer space for women who have such wisdom to offer?Moving through my life phases and towards menopause, how would I like to embrace these transition phases? How would I like to honour my body?Links to practices:Deep Core Connection Mini Workshop:In this mini-workshop:- Understand the muscles of the deep core & pelvic floor & their function- How you can connect to your deep core through movement- The energetic core & its power- How you can connect to your energetic core- Connecting to your body's unique language & your own natural rhythmTo access a range of practices that will help you tune into your unique feminine rhythm head to https://soundcloud.com/divinefeminineflowConnect with us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholenesspodcast/Website https://www.womenswholeness.com.au/5. Sex & Sensuality - Part 2
01:00:47||Season 1, Ep. 5This was such a dynamic topic of conversation that we had to spread this conversation over two parts. In part 2 of Sex & Sensuality we dive into:How a woman’s experience and views of sex & sensuality change over the lifecycle. How we can change our relationship to sex & intimacy. The effect of trauma (birth trauma, surgical/medical trauma, sexual trauma) and how we can regain our connection to our body so that we can feel more present and safe during sex. How connecting with your body personally can change your experience of sex with a partner. How we can step into deep acceptance and celebration of our sensual and sexual self. To accompany this 2 part episode we offer you the following reflective questions that come straight from Taryn’s book Body Conscious: A Woman’s Guide to Holistic Pelvic Wellness & Feminine Embodiment available directly from Taryn https://taryngaudin.com/body-conscious-book/ or via Amazon for anyone outside of Australia. Do I take time to connect to myself sensually? What does that look like for me? How do you feel when you connect with myself in this way? How does that change my experience of life?How does that change my experience of sex? Have you explored your own body and self-pleasure? What are my thoughts around self-pleasure and sexual self-pleasure? What does sensual energy look like + feel like to me?How am I expressing myself sensually?What brings me pleasure & joy in my life?Where in my life would I like to explore a deeper sense of sensual connection? What would that look like? Sex in RelationshipHow do you communicate with your partner your needs/desires regarding sex?Is there a conversation you would like to open more dialogue around?What would help you to feel safe to have this vulnerable conversation?How do you feel about asking for what you want during sex? How do you feel about asking for what you want in other parts of your life?Are there similarities between your willingness to ask for what you want during sex, and in other parts of your life?How is asking for sex different from asking for what you want in other areas in your life?Why do you think/feel this is?Would you like to be more willing to give direction during sex and intimacyLinks to practices & workshops:Sex & Sensuality Workshop - Enjoy more conversation around Sex & Sensuality PLUS enjoy a Guided Womb Connection Self Massage to connect with your sensual selfPelvic & Womb Massage guided practice Intuitive Movement is a beautiful way to connect with your sensual self. In this video learn more about Intuitive Movement - what it is, how it is different from typical movement/exercise, healing benefits & how you can begin.For a range of practices that will help you to connect with your sensual self head to https://soundcloud.com/divinefeminineflowConnect with us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholenesspodcast/Website https://www.womenswholeness.com.au/