You’ve probably been told that if you want a successful life, you need a routine.
Set your alarm.
Do the thing.
Check the boxes.
Repeat.

I believed it, too. I built a life around color-coded calendars. Every moment of every day was scheduled. I woke before sunrise, juggled all-day meetings in the corporate workplace, family needs, emails, dinner, dishes, deadlines—and somehow still felt like I was falling behind. Then came the burnout. Quiet at first, like a whisper under the noise. Then louder. Until my body, my mind, my spirit—all said “no more.” I felt starving on a soul level. And on a physical level I was totally depleted - utterly uninspired. This went on a for long time. I pushed through until mentally I couldn’t function at nearly the same capacity anymore - until my body was nearly constantly sick - until I was so emotionally dis-regulated I was always irritable and disconnecting from my relationships. At a breaking point I had no choice but to quit my job. That was when I started my blog and began gardening to heal. It was in this self-prescribed recovery I began to listen. Not to experts like a therapist or business coach (from them, I couldn’t ever get real advice that worked for me). But I had the space and time to truly listen to the Earth. To my body. To the rhythms my soul knew but was never taught.

*deep breath* I’m postpartum (again) with nothing to hold in my arms but myself and my grief. After two miscarriages in 9 months, one of them gentle and early, the other late and traumatic, my knees are brought to the earth. As much as it’s been a heartbreaking and physically challenging experience to navigate, there’s wisdom I’ve gleaned. It has pulled me into the depths of a spiritual and physical voyage - the likes of which have enlightened me of the sacred understanding of what it means to be a woman and the gift it is to bear life - and the burden of losing it.

Pregnancy loss and miscarriage (through choice or not) is demanding on the body, mind, and soul. It is no easy task to grow life and then to lose it. Our bodies and souls are never the same after, which brings me to my offering to you today.

I’m sharing the ways I’m holistically nourishing myself during postpartum loss - from nutrition and herbs, to mental and spiritual health rituals, as well as physical recovery exercises. My protocol is guided by my natural midwife and my Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor as well as my own knowledge & experience in holistic wellness. Here’s what I’m doing to care for myself during postpartum loss.