Ep.13 / Menstruation, Birth, and Womanhood with Marilyn Matthews
HELPING WOMEN RECLAIM THEIR CYCLES AND THE BIRTH PROCESS
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Marilyn Matthews is an artist whose work is devoted to helping women reclaim their cycles and the birth process. In this conversation, we discuss Marilyn’s experience growing up with an extreme form of endometriosis and how that shaped her view of not only menstruation but womanhood in general. She shares her journey of using art as a way to express the pain and grief that she felt, and ultimately to alchemize her suffering into what has today become a beautiful relationship with herself, her body, the earth, and being a woman.
We also discussed the cultural constructs and norms around menstruation that lead so many women to have a similar experience of negativity & disdain for their period, and how we can be part of a movement to shift that narrative to one in which we honor, respect, and even celebrate the menstrual cycle.
Not surprisingly, pregnancy and birth carry a parallel perspective in society. Although having children is celebrated, the experience of birth is usually referred to as being painful, terrible, gross, and even scary. And just as women carry shame about their period, it’s also heart-breakingly common to carry shame about their pregnancy, birth, and post-partum experiences as well. We not only touched on this topic at large, but also dove into Marilyn’s personal experience with her recent transition into motherhood – covering her pregnancy, birth, and her early reflections on the postpartum experience.
I hope that you find this episode to bring you hope, light, and healing in your own relationship with your menstrual cycle, birth, and womanhood. Marilyn is a gift in my life and I’m grateful to be able to gift her to you, too.
Our affirmation deck: https://www.reconnectcollective.com/shop/p/affirmationdeck (get 15% off with the code PODCAST)
Marilyn’s pregnancy deck: https://www.studiomarilyn.com/shop/p/birth-pregnancy-affirmation-deck
Marilyns other artwork: https://www.studiomarilyn.com/shop
Follow Marilyn on Instagram: @studiomarilyn
Follow Tara on Instagram: @tarakemp_
FREE Facebook group for plant-based women: https://urlgeni.us/facebook/reconnectcollectiveplantbasedwomen
Reconnect Academy: https://www.reconnectcollective.com/reconnect-academy
Daily Affirmation Club: https://go.reconnectcollective.com/dailyaffirmationclub
