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As humans, grief is an unavoidable part of life. Loss, illness, unexpected upheavals internally and externally, in relationship to others, self, the earth, our wombs, the cycles and seasons of life, and on and on.

There's no poverty of opportunities to face grief, but there is a poverty of grief literacy -- at least here in the United States.

Most of us are socialized to contain our emotions and only allow them to flow in privacy. We apologize for crying, we're expected to get back to work and responsibilities weeks or months after an immense and debilitating loss.

Our identities change and we barely acknowledge it.

It's fascinating how absent grief practice has become. Especially when you consider that every single one of our ancestral lineages had ways of navigating the "wild terrain of grief."

Whether through ritual, community space, embodied expression, or just allowing ourselves to fully, deeply feel in whatever unruly ways that might show up. There are many paths to metabolize grief.

Today's guest grief doula + doula activist, Siobhan Azgarzadeh, has devoted her life to navigating and tending grief -- both in herself as a lifelong practice and also facilitating online and in-person spaces to encourage this practice for others.

To, as she puts it, "re-enliven a wailing culture" because in this process, we not only metabolize grief in our personal lives but it also helps us to become more alive and belong together to a world in which we "honor our emotions as holy messengers."

I'm excited to share this conversation with you.

Listen to learn:

• some ideas on what grief IS in a world that wants us to contain it
• the 5 aspects of ourselves that relate to grief totally differently
• how grief encourages us to feel more alive
• the difference between elder and older
• why not all walk with loss are initiations + how grief can be initiation
• the diverse ways our wombs carry grief throughout our lives
• what a "re-enlivened wailing culture" could look like

Resources:

• Today's shownotes: Get links to Siobhan's offerings
• FREE Womb connection and clearing meditation
• Episode 20: Earth, womb + seed connection
• Episode 65: The intersection of grief and pleasure
• Episode 112: How to tend grief w support from the earth
• Episode 121: Navigating heartbreak with Internal Family Systems

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 concerns.

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