Jacci Gruninger Reynolds, MS, ERYT, RPYT, YT is striving to use yoga and all its tenets on and off the mat to be fully awake and alive by seeing the extraordinary in every day. Jacci is a Senior Pranakriya and Kripalu yoga instructor and leads a variety of yoga teacher trainings around the country including:…
Cissy DeLuca has a number of years of experience in international development. She worked in public health for 2 years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Ghana. After Ghana, she worked briefly in finance in San Francisco before moving to Indonesia to manage partner operations for Kiva.org. While in Indonesia, she started a social…
Dr. Aumatma is a board-certified Naturopathic Doctor, trained at the University of Bridgeport, College of Naturopathic Medicine. She graduated in 2006 with a Master’s in Nutrition, in addition to her Naturopathic Doctorate degree. She also has extensive additional training in homeopathy and herbal medicine, and has been in practice since 2006. In 2012, Dr. Aumatma…
The Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) is a way of observing and charting fertility signs to determine fertile and infertile days during the menstrual cycle. This information can be used to either avoid pregnancy, achieve pregnancy, or to monitor gynecological health. FAM is an effective, well-researched method for determining fertility and infertility. It is also an…
In this interview with Sarah Kraft, Robbie David Floyd, PhD shares the incredible role that babies play in finding their way out of the womb, and the strength they have to find their way to the mother’s chest for their first sip of milk. Robbie points out that these amazing abilities are only available to…
Each culture and country’s challenges around birth vary, but in nearly every pocket of the globe the majority of women are faced with disrespect, coercion, and even abuse during their birthing times. Many families turn to the doctor in the white coat to ensure what has become the only measure of success – a breathing…
Bangladesh has one of the highest incidences of maternal mortality and obstetric fistula in the world, leaving many Bangladeshi families and communities to suffer life without mothers. HOPE Foundation is a charitable organization based in Bangladesh that offers obstetric fistula repair surgery and is training anew workforce of midwives who will help mothers not only…
In many cultures around the world, ancient healing traditions such as those used to support pregnancy and birth are passed down through generations of shamans. The Maya tradition of abdominal massage is an age-old technique that has become a well-respected method for adjusting and balancing a woman’s uterus, maximizing its ability to function. In this…
As birth workers, we understand the importance of bringing sanctuary, authenticity and open-heartedness to the birth room. We know the importance of holding space for women to come into their full power, and we do it with compassion. As we focus on birth, many of us forget that the same space is useful for supporting…
In ancient times, the now resort-laden island of Cozumel, Mexico served Maya women as a sanctuary, pilgrimage, school of midwifery, weaving and sacred mysteries. In this piece, Rosita Arvigo, naprapathic physician, herbalist, and teacher of Maya medicine, shares her knowledge of this incredible monument to women, fertility and the sacred profession of midwifery, which have…