Honoring the Loss: Herbs, rituals + care for your whole self after abortion with India Elyn

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Let's be honest, there's a gaping hole in our society around caretaking ourselves after loss of any kind. But most especially around pregnancy loss, and even more so around the experience of abortion. 

It's interesting to consider how quick we are to express our opinions about abortion rights (no matter where you are on the spectrum of choice), but how very rarely we ever talk about what it really means to choose to end a pregnancy. 

I know this is a tender topic. It's not something we're used to openly talking about. 

Which is exactly why I invited India Elyn, author of the book 'Honouring the Loss: A holistic guide to healing with ritual and herbal medicine' to come and share about her embodied experience and professional offerings supporting folks to navigate the abortion journey. 

From the contemplation phase, through the active abortion process (medication or otherwise), and healing afterwards (even many years later), herbs and rituals can offer beautiful adjunct support. 

This conversation is honest and explores the depths of emotions that can show up on this journey that most of us keep hidden from the world. May this interview be a gift to your heart and your womb.

Listen to the episode to learn:

• how India came to write her book (her personal story)
• why it can be helpful to honor your loss, even if it was decades ago
• about the lack of support and healing resources around abortion 
• how to begin to engage with your own healing + grief
• some herbal allies that may be especially supportive for you
• the importance of ritual + some ideas of simple rituals to explore

Resources:

• Today's shownotes: Get the links to India's book and work with her
• Episode 22: Herbal spotlight on nettles
• Episode 24: Reproductive sovereignty (+ nuanced thoughts on herbal approaches)
• Episode 32: Herbal spotlight on motherwort
• Episode 34: What if your womb was an altar?
• Episode 49: How to create "a sacred window" in transitional times 

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdom. 

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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 health concerns.

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