Sex Birth Trauma with Kimberly Ann Johnson

Luisa Muhr joins me to talk about her work in Family Constellations Therapy, including intergenerational trauma resulting from the holocaust as well as racial trauma within the United States. We talk about the importance of community space in a therapy setting, why working within an energy field is so effective, and staying somatically engaged while online. What She Shares: What Family Constellations is and how it works The importance of honoring our ancestors and those in our systems How working with the impact of the Holocaust has shaped her work in the world What You'll Hear: Working within an energy field Unwinding old patterns through ancestry work The difference between drama therapy and Family Systems Who is included in our family systems The importance of speaking a story out of secrecy The value of processing within community How working with archetypes can help us process and heal Restoring appropriate predator energy Creating space for healing intergenerational social traumas Weaving Family Constellations into your own work Processing beyond the overt narrative The importance of ritual in healing Connecting into the energy field even when separated by geographical distance Identifying what you need Using technology to continue our somatic practices in community The difference between the outer relationship and narrative, and the internal experience Centering yourself in your own healing work How your healing impacts your children Resources Website: www.familyconstellationsnyc.com Website: www.luisamuhr.com IG: @familyconstellations.nyc Luisa Muhr is a New-York-based artist and healer, specializing in Family & Systemic Constellations. As the descendant of her great-grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, Constellation work has always played an integral part in Luisa's life. She provides group workshops and one-on-one sessions.

Liz Koch rejoins me for a third interview, this time to discuss whiteness and colonization in the body. We explore how those pieces show up in the physical body and sensory systems, why it matters, and the importance of physical movement in anti-racism. What Liz Shares: The interconnection between how we use our bodies and our racialization of bodies Racialized movement patterns Recognizing racialized nervous system responses How the idealized body in fitness is not only white, but also male, and how that impacts female fitness What You'll Hear: Noticing how performative behaviors re-iterate a frozen spine Changing our view to see Body as Process, rather than Body as Object Valuing the expressivity of the human body Re-assessing the idealized human body to include expression Developing your sense of self through knowing primal responses Examining your ancestral relationship with colonization Using movement patterns to re-enforce or interrupt white body supremacy Engaging with your psoas to feel more grounded Letting go of control as decolonization Becoming available for genuine responses rather than socialized reactions Questioning what whiteness looks like in the white female body Tracking subtle whiteness Healing ancestral trauma through owning your Eros Decolonization as an ecological imperative Participating in society as a community member, not as an individual Re-membering into culture and community and out of strategy The more animal you are, the more human you become Animal body as coherence Pre-empting anti-racial work through movement and the sensory system If your body can't move, you can't feel your instincts Resources: https://coreawareness.com/ IG: @stalkingwildpsoas Liz Koch is an international teacher and author with 42 years of experience, focusing on kinesthetic intelligence and somatic awareness. She is the author of "The Psoas Book," "Unraveling Scoliosis," and "Stalking Wild Psoas: Embodying Your Core Intelligence."

-Story of the Apollo/ Artemis birth -The role of twins in mythology- two sides of a coin -Artemis is the goddess of childbirth, when she is born, she immediately midwife's her brother's birth -Artemis- Moon Goddess, darkness, untamed; Apollo- Sun God, bright, civilized -How are these archetypes helpful in birth preparation? -Ordered culture over wild nature -In an Appolonian setting (hospital,) how do you bring Artemis? -Kimberly's birth experience and handing over power in Apollonian way to midwife -Pandemic popped the Apollonian illusion of control and tossed us into Artemisian realm -Children are Artemisian -How do we compromise the Artemisian in Apollonian structure in spite of our ideals? -Parents beating themselves up in pandemic for kids falling behind -The blurring of public and private -Did birth move you to be more Apollonian or Artemisian? -The grief and loss through the pandemic Dr. Britta Bushnell (she/her) is a wife and mother, author of Transformed by Birth, veteran childbirth educator, celebrated speaker, mythologist, and specialist in childbirth, relationship, and parenting. For over 20 years, Dr. Bushnell has worked with individuals and couples as they prepare for the life-changing experience of giving birth. Her work with parents has been enriched by her doctoral work in mythology and psychology, her years spent as former co-owner of Birthing From Within, as well as her dedicated study of solution-focused brief therapy, storytelling, sustaining sexual vibrancy, and helping romantic partnerships thrive even during parenthood.

What Clelia Shares: Her journey with money coming from generational wealth Accepted gender roles within her community and her work with Mama Gena and Barbara Stanny Turning point in her journey about her role as a woman came with having an abortion How she came to terms with money, wanting to enter the "marble hall of the daddies," and getting there What You'll Learn: What gender roles look like in communities with generational wealth System of dependence in humanitarian aid paralleled system of dependence of being wealthy and feeling that you will be taken care of Women are outside of the worlds of money + commerce Revenue - costs = profits Assuming she would have a non-accretive job, and a virtuous, non-threatening in dating Thinking business school was a "world of benevolent daddies" Business school is 75% male, 25% female (the one professional school that remains disproportionately male) What business school is really like The shift to be motivated by money and power Interviewing women in business, and if they'd left, why had they left? Shifting structures and logistics in keeping women in workforce, but there is something much more profound than "solving" the logistical problems Generations and stages of feminism in business, the metaphor of a building Few models for feminine leadership Codeshifting women do in corporate jobs Online businesses are operating outside of the core systems of power that exist (real estate, technology, finance) The US is not a true capitalist country, it is a corporatist country We give corporations (not people ) welfare, with bailouts Market-based system, where both people come as empowered transactors What about reparations- how do we level things so people are empowered transactors? How do we level set the system? What rich people really do or think- are they Democrats or Republicans? Economy managed on merits, based on financial outcomes 2500 years of white supremacist patriarchy that we've lived in, and we are in a transition Developing a vocabulary of collective questioning Being a channel and gauging with her intuition when deciding whether to invest Why it's taboo to state your sex within business, even if that may be informing your communication style Does she look for female-run companies to invest in? Masculine as triangle, feminine as a circle

Kate White is an advanced bodyworker, perinatal educator, and somatic trauma resolution professional. She developed much of her work following the pregnancies and births of her own two children. She is the Founding Director of Education for the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and helps administer an online program for parents and professionals who work with parents, runs a private practice, and offers her own seminars through the Center for Prenatal and Perinatal Programs. What Kate Shares: What prenatal and perinatal psychology are How these fields developed Personal stories about helping clients with difficult birth stories The process of repair What You'll Hear: The importance of including pre- and peri-natal psychology in the gestalt of psychology How neuroplasticity, epigenetics, and attachment play into perinatal psychology The impact of fetal experiences on the adult body- FOADs Understanding that most experiences are repair-able Incorporating mindful exercises around boundaries, differentiation, and connection to help your baby feel secure The importance of restoring intuition Why sleep is foundational to a healthy mother-baby dyad, and why sleep training may be detrimental Bodywork to support babies with tongue tie How Pitocin impacts the birthing pattern The importance of slowing the narrative to resolve traumatic imprints How Supported Attachment can help babies process birth trauma Completing birth impulses Learning how to hear what babies are saying Supporting older children in repairing birth trauma

James Nestor, author of "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art" joins me to speak on all the ways facial structure, nutrition, eating habits, and industrialization have impacted humans' ability to breathe, why it matters, and ways we can get back to the basics. What James Shares: Details of his years-long research into breath How he increased his facial bone density and expanded his airways When the paperback edition is released there will be new material! His creative process for writing What You'll Hear: Reclaiming breath as your own human right The environmental and morphological challenges to breathing well The theory of dis-evolution in the human species How the industrialized diet has impacted face shape and breath efficacy How facial bones differ from other bones in the body How chewing raw food helps kids breathe better Redefining 'healthy' food to include chewability How chewing impacts the nervous system The importance of breastfeeding for long term airway health The potential connection between industrialization and tongue ties Helping your kids build helpful breathing habits The connection between ADHD and breathing The data behind breathwork Why data and anecdotal evidence are both important for changing our minds The connection between the nose and the vagina

What You'll Hear: Definitions of sex + gender +intersex Sex is a functional category defined by the gametes you reproduce. Males produce sperm; females produce eggs. Sex is binary Gender is the social and cultural attributes and rules based on their sex Intersex is a mismatch between phenotype and genotype, or when sex based on observation is not obvious How common is intersex? Ambiguous genitalia is about 1 in 5000. (The origin of misinformation of intersex as 1 in 200, as common as redheads) Evidence of intersex increasing Explanatory power and unifying systems of evolution and astrology Is evolutionary biology equivalent to Darwinism? How evolutionary biology helps us understand female sexuality. How humans differ from animals- brain size, large energetically expensive brain related to the placenta, walk on two legs, intense social nature Are humans monogamous? Or Non-monogamous? Sex for pleasure, social reasons or reproduction Possible immunological benefit to monogamy- preeclampsia study as an example Female as coy, shy strategy waiting for males to come to them. Darwin in Victorian England. Female in estrus are aggressive and search out mates Strip clubs tips change based on where a woman is during her cycle! Role of homogenous spaces, same sex as well as same gender places Females produce a larger gamete, by definition females invest more heavily in reproduction and take on more risk, which presents asymmetry in the sexes. Why doesn't the male get to decide about abortion Role of homogenous spaces, same sex, same gender places Controversy of Vancouvers women's center that is female only Body, felt sense of sex. Our perception of sex is adaptive for coding for "female" and "male" for saefty Preferred gender pronouns and Using respectful pronouns Birth and gender Learning about sexuality through 1st person experience, kids coming to explorations through different avenues. Reductionist biology- we are pieces and parts and can just dismantle and take them apart Human pregnancy is much more expensive and risky than any other species Testosterone has a negative influence on fertility Fertility as an industry, and its impact on women Aquarian battle of the old and new. Futuristic and technological androgynous planet We felt controlled by reproduction and now we want control over it, rather than surrendering to our body Menopause is rare, grandmother investment

What Dwight Shares: Is this the worst, most contentious election in history? What should we do with our emotions during this time? Why is he spending his retirement working as a Mayor of a small town? How to decide where to donate, where to give money or time The historical role of the Supreme Court? What You Will Hear: Historical contention during elections Do emotions belong in politics? Most people agree more than they disagree, when we get beyond labels Orienting to blue within politics How to deal with overwhelm when there is so much suffering Acknowledging what is actually possible What to do when you get into the rabbit hole What about homeless people living in Del Mar? What happened with that? Does your vote matter? Small donations matter because candidates need money but they count the people that contribute Democratic National Committee distributes money to the other causes (Senator and Representative candidates What happens if the Senate goes 6-3? What do you think about extending the number of seats? Supreme Court traditionally was conservative and in favor of corporations and business, against the individual The Warren Court changed the court, and we may be going back to pre Warren Court. Echo chambers of news sources and listening to news on both sides. No common source of information any more Learning how to relate beyond labels The US is partially socialist Should we have hope? Progress is sometimes minimizing backsliding Are the debates important? Does this format work? Trump exemplifying an unhealthy fight response in debate- and how we see authority We've trained ourselves to expect a game show, not a debate Why running a country is not like run a business

What Bethany Shares: Bethany discusses her new book, "Strange Situation", and why understanding attachment is so helpful Her personal journey as a mother and the re-evaluation and renegotiation of her own narrative Bethany gives her thoughts on modern attachment parenting What You'll Hear: Bethany tells us about her book, "Strange Situation: A Mother's Journey into the Science of Attachment" The difference between research and me-search Classical Attachment and Modern Attachment Styles Bethany's journey of renegotiating her past and her narrative through the lens of Mary Ainsworth's research and writings The power of leaving your kids alone Attachment parenting Dr. Sears is public enemy #1 Reflective functioning/ mentalization The struggle to understand the world as a third being when raising your child How being your best and worst self can ultimately benefit your child The secret window of time Being comfortable is key to comforting your child Why attachment is nothing to be afraid of, because we can always move ourselves into more security Summary: Bethany Saltman joins the Magamama podcast once again, this time to discuss her new book "Strange Situation: A Mother's Journey into the Science of Attachment. We talk about how insecurities can devastate your ability to function as an independent adult, and Bethany shares her own story of how she's overcome these difficulties. Bio: Bethany Saltman humbly describes herself as a long-time Zen student who lives in a small town in the Catskills with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. Moreover, she is a renowned author, researcher, and editor whose work can be found in publications such as New Yorker, New York Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, Parents. Bethany has spent years studying the many emotions we feel that make us human. Amongst those emotions, attachment is one that stuck with Bethany, leading her to write her first book "Strange Situation: A Mother's Journey into the Science of Attachment". Resources: https://www.bethanysaltman.com/strange-situation Twitter - @BethanySaltman

What Shannon Shares: How astrological cycles affect our everyday lives Directing our understanding of astrology into personal growth The significance of Mars in retrograde and what we can expect in the coming months What You'll Hear: 2020 forward from an astrological standpoint What is a retrograde? What does Mars represent? How do our actions, as well as the actions of others, exemplify the current solar alignment? Innovation, positivity, and renewal during times of social and political strife Is Mars encouraging us to behave more passionately? Being aware of how you're directing your own personal energy What astrology can tell us about other generations How Pluto returns map onto what we name generations- Boomers, GenX, Millennials and GenZ What can we expect in the coming months? Where does money and economic structure factor into astrology? The importance of writing down our dreams Summary: Shannon Aganza re-joins the Magamama Podcast to talk about retrograde, generational behaviors, and what we can expect to see unfold astrologically over the coming months. It's been a while since Shannon was last on the podcast, so we had plenty to discuss regarding what has happened both politically and socially this year. Bio: Shannon Aganza is an astrologer, a pundit, and a counselor for many based out of San Diego. Shannon has spent over 20 years within the field of astrology, searching and helping others to understand how we are shaped by the universe around us. Shannon specializes in astrological readings, moon circles, and spiritual hygiene amongst many beneficial services. Resources: https://fourmoonsspa.com/shannon-aganza/