Welcome to today's episode of Unclassified Woman. As we conclude Season 3, it seems fitting to share this conversation with Jody Day, who was the first ever interviewee on Unclassified Woman a few years ago.

How do you combat society’s ideology about those who are on the “outside”? It’s not an easy task, but one that a few brave people are called upon to challenge.

Today’s show is all about how we approach taboo topics, the dominance of pro-natalistic thinking and current trends in the way families are formed. Don’t miss this eye-opening conversation!

"I found myself in midlife as part of the 'out' group because of something that was not of my choosing."

Today, we’re catching up with Jody and finding out what’s been happening in her work in the past few years. Jody is the founder of Gateway Women, the global friendship and support network for childless women and the author of Living the Life Unexpected: 12 Weeks to Your Plan B for a Meaningful and Fulfilling Future Without Children. 

Jody’s a thought leader on the topic of women's involuntary childlessness and a founding member and former board member of AWOC, Ageing Without Children. She’s a former Cambridge Business Fellow in Social Innovation, a TEDx speaker, and a psychotherapist-in-training. She’s a very busy lady who takes great pleasure in helping childless women get their groove back and find their tribe via the Gateway Women workshops’ online communities and social meet-ups that happen all around the globe. 

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The update on the last four years: Jody’s blog, the feedback from her work, and finding her tribe.
• In the UK, 1 in 5 women reach midlife without having children.
• The difference in the UK and the US as far as making an impact.
• How Jody developed and branded her blog so that women can identify with it and not feel alone in their experience.
• How the topic of childlessness is a combination of taboo, painful subjects like grief and infertility.
• How millennials view childlessness, both chosen and involuntary.
• The changing narrative around discussions about our bodies, sexuality, and childbearing.
• One area that still needs a dramatic shift in openness---menopause.
• Another taboo topic is abortion and its accompanying shame, guilt, and grief. Something we need to discuss more openly...
• Why Jody says she talks about her personal abortion experience at every opportunity--simply because it’s a taboo topic.
• Jody’s studies that are ongoing so she can graduate next Spring.
• In 2016, the 2nd edition of her book came out, with many interviews with childless women and men.
• The next stages of the social change that will take place and how legacy will play into the grieving process.
• Legacy can be a lifetime of moments of connection and empathy
• What “Plan B” looks like and why it doesn’t always mean something different than what you already have.
• Jody’s fantasy and what it meant about her value of motherhood and the validation of her mother’s heart.
• The compassion Jody feels for all disenfranchised groups of people.
• How her eyes have been opened to those who have been judged for something they couldn’t control.
• Jody’s Fertility Fight Club talk at Fertility Fest (find it at www.fertilityfest.com).
• The pro-natal ideology: the belief that you are a more important person because you’ve had children. The message is that if you are a parent, your life has more value.
• The prediction for Australia that by 2030 there will be more non-traditional family units without children than with children.
• 25% of the adult population will age without having children, but often this sector of the population are ignored.
• The huge need for reorganisation in our social systems.
• The future of Gateway Women as they tackle two main issues: pro-natalism in the workplace and getting stories of childlessness into the mainstream with humour.
• The difficulty in challenging and changing belief systems: how do we get the rest of the world to understand us and shift their thinking?

Resources:

www.gateway-women.com

Find Jody on Instagram and Twitter: @GatewayWomen

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help more women access these stories, then please subscribe and leave us a review or rating on Itunes. For information about more episodes go to: michellemariemcgrath.com

I would love to hear what you found most helpful about this interview. Thank you.

Welcome to today's episode of Unclassified Woman. Today I'm speaking to Shanghai based Keturah Kendrick, who shares her perspective on being childfree by choice.

Whose voice do you listen to most? When it comes to marriage and having children, it seems that everyone has an opinion regarding how YOU should live your life. Today’s show is all about listening to YOUR voice and making the choices that make YOU happy.

Keturah Kendrick is an American writer, blogger and podcaster who has lived on three different continents and travelled to more than a dozen countries.

For years she has written about her life as a single woman who sees being unmarried as a lifestyle choice like any other, as opposed to an “illness from which I must be cured.” She also writes about her lifelong disinterest in motherhood, critiquing the cultural expectation that black women, in particular, are destined to birth and raise children.

An English teacher by trade, she has discussed her favourite books with her students in New York, Rwanda, and Shanghai. Her debut collection of essays, No Thanks: Black, Female, and Living in the Martyr-Free Zone, will be published in June 2019. Keturah enjoys food and travel, specifically, eating her way through her favourite countries---and who can blame her?

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Keturah calls New York and New Orleans home. She needed a break and wanted to travel, so spent 2 years in Rwanda teaching English and then found a position in Shanghai.
• Her not having a child is “absolutely by personal choice”---she always knew that motherhood would never be “her thing”.
• How she has felt the pressure just beneath the surface and has been told she is being silly, selfish, and must be a broken woman to not want children
• The mockery she felt when she voiced her desire to never have kids.
• How she was raised that the only thing that validated a woman's life was to be someone’s wife and mother.
• The subtle influences that she was “being unfair to her phantom husband” by not wanting children.
• Where is the logic in anyone trying to convince another person to have a baby?
• Why Keturah has become more vocal in her writing and her podcast.
• Why parenting should be a lifestyle choice that some people make and shouldn’t be tied to your gender.
• Many women around the world don’t have a choice and don’t have access to contraception.
• Why there should be tolerance for everyone’s right to individual choice about their roles.
• How Keturah uses her creative energy in her blog, writing, and being with other people.
• How she’s always been true to herself about what she wanted--”When I look back, I see that everyone was wrong but me.”
• The ways we encourage and blatantly tell young women that every other voice but their own is important.
• Why Keturah is glad she trusted in her own instincts and didn’t let anyone convince her to go against what she knew was right for her.
• How Keturah approached the topic of children with a longtime partner, who believed he may want children.
• The conditioning by society to fit the dominant narrative and how this plays out in relationships.
• Keturah’s advice: “Ignore everybody’s voice but your own, including your mother and your man. I want absolute joy and fulfilment for everyone. If motherhood is that for you, then do it, but if not, then listen to your voice until you make a decision.”
• Parting words from Keturah: Don’t get off the fence if you are undecided! Don’t be afraid to tell people to mind their own business! Listen to no one’s voice but your own!

Find out more about Keturah and her work at

www.keturahkendrick.com

Find her on Twitter: @HappySingleGal

Find Keturah’s blog: www.yetanothersinglegal.com

Find Keturah’s podcast: www.unchainedandunbothered.com 

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help more women access these stories, then please subscribe and leave us a review or rating on Itunes. For information about more episodes go to: michellemariemcgrath.com

I would love to hear what you found most helpful about this interview. Thank you.

Welcome to another great episode of Unclassified Woman! Today, I'm speaking to the lovely Kate Powe.

Many people make assumptions about others without even realising it. We see a woman in her 40’s without children and assume she is selfish or too career-oriented to take time to raise children. Often there are circumstances playing out behind the scenes that we just aren’t aware of. Today’s show focuses on the problems that endometriosis can cause in terms of fertility and family-building and the need for women to have the knowledge about their bodies to make empowered choices. Imagine if we learnt about these subjects in school....

Kate Powe is an amazing naturopath based on the Northern Beaches area of Sydney, Australia. Kate has a passion for helping women balance their hormones and create happy, powerful lives. By integrating evidence-based medicine with mind-body principles and addressing underlying causes of cycle and hormonal disruption, Kate aims to support women mentally, emotionally, and physically to feel balanced and in control of their bodies, moods, and energy.

Kate holds a BA in English from the University of Sydney, an Advanced Diploma of Naturopathy from Nature Care College, and a Diploma of Advanced Metaphysics from Chiara College. Kate’s a member of the Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS) and regularly furthers her education in naturopathic medicine, particularly in women’s endocrinology, including thyroid disease, endometriosis, and PCOS. She has contributed to many podcasts on endometriosis and written articles on the topic for numerous magazines. She has an obsession with all things Italian and sneaks to Italy and the UK as often as possible. Who can blame her! 

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How both circumstances and choice played into Kate’s not having children. As one of six kids, she always assumed she’d meet a partner and have children---but it just didn’t happen
• How she suffered from endometriosis and adenomyosis during her reproductive years, which complicated matters and impacted her fertility.
• The factors involved when your life doesn’t follow the assumed “pattern” and the judgments that people make about you about being selfish and career-driven.
• Endometriosis is a real issue and taboo topic as a condition that impacts fertility and causes painful periods. Lesions, scar tissue, and inflammation impact the reproductive organs.
• Adenomyosis affects the muscle wall of the uterus and contributes to painful flooding periods.
• These conditions can take 7-13 years to correctly diagnose because everyone assumes having painful periods is completely normal. It isn't....and women should not suffer in silence.
• Both endometriosis and adenomyosis are not isolated conditions, but part of a larger inflammatory process in the body that can have a genetic component.
• Women in the past dealt with these conditions in silence, not knowing how to treat them. They weren’t aware of what was happening in their bodies and their doctors weren’t concerned.
• The cost of treating endometriosis can be higher than treating diabetes!
• Two keys to know about endometriosis:
  • The only way to accurately diagnose it is with surgery--not a scan;
  • It’s a moveable disease with sometimes silent and inconsistent symptoms.
• Endometriosis presents a wide variety of symptoms, including heavy and long, painful periods, pain in legs, discomfort after sex, and a connection with yeast infections.
• Now we know that endometriosis is a systemic inflammatory condition around an immune disregulation in the peritoneal fluid and much more than simply a reproductive issue.
• Naturopaths look at diet and lifestyle approaches to remove inflammation, detox the liver, and keep regular bowel function
• A key in endometriosis treatment is to guard against toxins in personal care products.
• How education can revolutionise women’s health, especially now that the driving force behind the push for more information is coming from women
• The old treatments for endo included “go on the pill” or “get pregnant”. Not very helpful is your endometriosis is causing infertility!
• The way Kate deals with grief now in her 40’s differently than in her 20’s and 30’s when there were lots of questions, suffering, symptoms, and surgeries.
• Dealing with the implication from others that “something must be wrong with you if you don’t have children”.
• How Kate has dealt with awkward social scenarios and the crazy assumptions people make about your personal life.
• How women can assume many different roles in life around caring and nurturing that don’t involve having a biological child.
• The added challenges for Kate in not having a partner and not feeling supported in that way.
• Statistics show that by 2030 in Australia, there will be more family units without kids, a changing family dynamic, and more global consciousness around “community”.
• Why “the pill” is not a good choice because it shuts down the female cycle, but women aren’t taught to question its use.
• Most of Kate’s clients are having post-pill problems and hormonal imbalances.
• How Kate shows creativity in her passion with women’s health, her energy medicine, and cycle essences to help women connect with their cycles.

Find out more about Kate and her work at www.katepowe.com

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help more women access these stories, then please subscribe and leave us a review or rating on Itunes. For information about more episodes go to: michellemariemcgrath.com

I would love to hear what you found most helpful about this interview. Thank you.

Welcome to another episode of Unclassified Woman. Today I'm delighted to share my conversation with Adebisi Adewusi, based in Nigeria. 

How much courage does it take to REALLY go against what society deems the norm? As far as women’s rights and feminism have come, we sometimes forget that there are places in the world where women don’t have independence and are truly stigmatised for making 'unusual' choices. Today’s show is about someone who walks her own path and shares her own truth with immense courage. 

What was even more humbling is how modest she is about her choices. I truly hope you enjoy today's conversation with the inspiring Adebisi.

"African tradition teaches that if someone doesn’t have a lineage to pass on then their life has no meaning or purpose."

Adebisi Adewusi of Nigeria is a rockstar photographer, writer, and content consultant from startups in Israel to multi-million dollar companies in America. She’s helped various companies across the world improve their content strategy and marketing. Besides helping businesses succeed, Adebisi uses her skills to bust myths about women and bring issues that African women face to the forefront.

Through her writing, Adebisi explores issues connected to feminism, gender, and other topics with strong social and political context. She’s written about child marriage in Uganda, ending sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, gender stereotypes at work, and other spaces. She’s been featured on numerous international platforms, including the Huffington Post, She Thinks, BBC’s Why Factor, African Feminism, and many others.

Adebisi also runs a gender advocacy blog, The Female Orator, where she educates non-profits on how to get funding and interviews subject experts in the non-profit sector. She’s a feminist raised by women who climbed trees and spoke their minds when it wasn’t fashionable to do so. Adebisi’s feminism is shaped by the past and sustained by the present.

What you’ll hear in this episode: 

• How Adebisi made the choice to be a writer and do her work--without being a mother.
• Adebisi’s path is VERY unusual for a Nigerian woman and some of her family think it’s odd to not have children.
• Breaking through traditional boundaries and creating her own path--and being at peace with it.
• How she handled the topic of children with her boyfriend, who was fine with the decision (even though men are expected to pass on their lineage).
• How African society’s attitudes dictate that marriage and having children is normal and not having them is not.
• How people believe that a childless women may be a witch.
• The connection between religion and African tradition in having children.
• If you speak openly about not wanting a child, people just assume you must be crazy. It is just not acceptable.
• Not having children is taboo and like placing a curse on yourself.
• The pressure for women of colour compared to a white woman--”It’s a grievous offence.”
• Being a role model for other young African women.
• Women in African culture are bound to the husband to do what he wants, so it takes an open-minded man to be OK with not having children.
• Adebisi is from an open-minded, educated family who understand her choices.
• Women who can’t have children will even buy them on the black market to avoid the stigma of being childless. Even though this is officially illegal, the buying and selling of babies happens more frequently than many realise.
• Adebisi is a strong voice who writes what she wants to, even about taboo topics, and she doesn’t care what other people think.
• How Adebisi is fulfilled by her writing, mentoring young women, and telling stories through photography.
• Adebisi’s words of encouragement: “It’s OK not to have children and to make choices about your own body. It doesn’t make you less of a woman. You can nurture other people and there are other women who will support you on your journey. It's also important financially support yourself, so you are not dependent on a man and can make your own decisions."

Find about more about Adebisi and her work: 

www.thefemaleorator.com

Find her on Twitter: @biswag

Email Adebisi: adebisiadewusi@yahoo.com

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help more women access these stories, then please subscribe and leave us a review or rating on Itunes. For information about more episodes go to: michellemariemcgrath.com

I would love to hear what you found most helpful about this interview. Thank you.

Are you content with the way things have turned out in your life? Some people spend too much time and energy living with regret or wistfulness for what they WISHED would have happened. Today’s show is about embracing what life gives you and running with it to follow your personal path to gratitude, satisfaction, and peace.

Fiona Ferris lives in beautiful Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. She writes about living a simple, beautiful, and successful life and believes you don’t have to spend a lot of money to do it. Through her books on Amazon and her popular blog, How to be Chic, Fiona provides thousands of women from all around the world with the tools and inspiration to elevate the everyday from mundane to magical. She lives with her husband, Paul, two rescue cats, and two rescue dogs. 

"We can’t imagine our life any other way than it is. We are grateful for that and for the way things have worked out perfectly for us. We feel like the luckiest people in the world."  - Fiona Ferris

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• For Fiona, it was both circumstances and choice that have led to her not having a child.
• She married her husband in her mid-30’s and they tried to conceive for a couple of years. When it didn’t happen, they decided not to pursue it further and steer their life in a different direction.
• Does Fiona have regrets? No--she is grateful and happy with how things have worked out and feels lucky to have permission to live in an exciting and non-traditional way.
• How she feels a small amount of grief in feeling like they will miss out on certain life experiences as parents, but she says that’s only about 1% grief compared to 99% happiness!
• The assumption that people make that EVERYONE wants to have children and that you can’t be happy and complete without them.
• The myths that people say about not having a child, having an only child, and not having someone to care for you when you’re elderly.
• A dream came true for Fiona when she published her first Kindle book that was a collection of her blog posts, Thirty Chic Days, in 2016.
• How publishing her first book gave her the confidence in her writing and her ability to teach others how to do it.
• Her home in the country on four acres with her pets, cows, and sheep.
• Her five books that are available online and a couple are being translated and published in other countries.
• Taking control with self-publishing: 75% of Fiona’s sales are Kindle books and 25% are print copies.
• How she helps others with their writing through her 6-week e-course, Create Your Dream Life, and her Writer’s Encouragement email newsletters.
• Why we should view writing as sharing personal experience and inspiration ---it’s a shame to keep it to yourself!
• How writers share their tone and voice and actually become a friend to their readers through their books.
• Using nurturing qualities in her writing and work instead of raising children--if her life had taken a different turn.
• How we each express creativity in many ways that show we value our strengths.
• All the “shoulds” that burden our days if we don’t “let them go”.
• Why it's better to attempt to not to be overly influenced by other people’s opinions, but stick with what aligns with our personal life path.

Resources:

Find Fiona’s books on Amazon

Check out her blog at www.howtobechic.com

Visit her website: www.fionaferris.com

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help more women access these stories, then please subscribe and leave us a review or rating on Itunes. For information about more episodes go to: michellemariemcgrath.com

I would love to hear in the comments below what you found most helpful about this interview? Thank you.

Welcome to another fascinating episode of Unclassified Woman. It's a biggie so grab a cuppa and a journal ;-)

Today I'm speaking with a treasured mentor of mine, Seren Bertrand. It's always such a pleasure to speak to her as she weaves together so many colourful threads of wisdom in what she shares.

What do mermaids, swans, Isis, harps, and Cornwall have in common? You might be surprised---and you’ll never know if you don’t listen to this amazing conversation in today’s show.

We’re talking about feminine consciousness, Celtic traditions, the interconnectedness between the human body and the earth, how we tell our stories from generation to generation---and much, much more. Get ready for some major “Aha” moments!

Seren Bertrand is a womb mystic and midwife of feminine consciousness who has been a visionary leader in women’s empowerment for over two decades. She is the co-founder of The Fountain of Life Feminine Mystery School and the co-author of Womb Awakening: Initiatory Wisdom from the Creatrix of All Life, which has been described as a revelation and a masterpiece. It’s an amazing book and I highly recommend that you get yourself a copy! 

"Often we are called to a lineage or a place and we don’t know why. We just have to surrender, listen and travel with it." - Seren Bertrand

Seren graduated with a degree in English Literature and Modern Philosophy before embarking on the twin paths of a career in writing as well as journeying deeply into the spiritual feminine traditions. Her writing on female Tibetan refugees was nominated for an Amnesty International Award for human rights reporting.

She is passionate about the practical embodied awakening of women and men in a mystical yet no-nonsense way which calls us into our true feelings, brings us back into the body, and roots us into the wisdom of the earth. 

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How the book-writing process felt like a pregnancy with a gestation of more than five years---and then a birth.
• Receiving the Silver Nautilus Award for the book, which covers many topics that were considered forbidden and heretical for thousands of years: menstruation, lunar consciousness, and birthing wisdom.
• For Seren, the book’s release has brought deep feeling states of the feminine consciousness.
• Allowing yourself to become the container for the primordial birthing energy in every part of nature.
• The next book that she and her partner, Azra are already working on and how it feels like a continuation of that birthing process.
• The academic reading and research that goes into the writing journey.
• Listening with your entire body and not just your mind and ears and how oral traditions factored into ancient Celtic Shamanism.
• Plans to create an audiobook version with harp accompaniment.
• How a book is connected to your voice and vibration, which is connected to your womb, transmitting waves of energy and sound.
• Discovering the path of the swan priestess in Celtic mythology
• The cellular memory in Seren’s DNA of the Druids and Celtic traditions.
• The tradition of the prehistoric, feminine, Shamanistic, earth-centric womb religion of the faery folk and their history.
• Stories as a connection and an intimate weaving of “patchwork consciousness”.
• Seren’s interest from a young age in having a great love for the land and a feeling that different places have different personalities and characteristics.
• The significance of Cornwall as a sacred site.
• How to explain ley lines, womb awakening, and the gift of the human body.
• Understanding that the human body is more than a “mechanical lump of flesh” and why it’s a sacred landscape.
• The benefit of spiritual lineage in how they transmit through an unbroken thread in epigenetic memory.
• The calling in Seren’s life of the harp and how she learned to play and find her teacher.
• Why womb consciousness is the key to all creation.
• The story of Cygnus and its significance, Seren’s “Star Swan” name, and the swan connections to ancient Celtic traditions.
• One of the foundations of womb witchcraft: developing a lineage with the earth.
• Why the swan is the symbol of feminine Shamanic traditions in cultures across the world.
• The portals of life and death and the common threads between the mermaid and the swan.
• The mermaid and the swan priestess: not just symbols, but the legacy of real-life women who are our ancestors who are transmitting to us.
• The significance of the 11th day of the 11th month in Pagan worship and the swan feast, which is based on the migratory patterns of the swan.
• The interconnectivity of each of us to the earth and the celestial realm.
• The importance of taking guidance from our ancient ancestors: “You have to connect backward before you can move forward.”
• How stories can find a voice to reveal themselves in succeeding generations, even in trauma: “If we don’t tell the story, then we pass it forward to the generations after us.”
• The courage that comes in the gift of going through the shadows

Resources:

www.thefountainoflife.org  - For more information about Seren and her work.

Find Seren’s book at www.innertraditions.com or www.amazon.com  : Womb Awakening: Initiatory Wisdom from the Creatrix of All Life

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help more women access these stories, then please subscribe and leave us a review or rating on Itunes. For information about more episodes go to: michellemariemcgrath.com

I would love to hear in the comments below what you found most helpful about this interview? Thank you.

Welcome to Unclassified Woman and today's episode features the very inspiring Azraella Raphael, a native of New Zealand, who is based in Sydney, Australia.

Azraella is an angelic healer and activator of angelic consciousness. She began her journey many years ago when seeking fulfilment in life in understanding why she’s here, what purpose she offers, and with asking herself, “How can I serve others?” 

Azraella’s journey began when she activated her own angelic consciousness and connected to her higher-knowing self to bring through a different set of life skills, using healing and reading sessions to support herself and humanity with growth and evolution. Azraella offers these sessions worldwide online, by phone, or in person, supporting those who have lost their way to align themselves to their highest path of potential purpose. Azraella also offers a range of healing and activation work in groups and is a mentor of the Divine University, offering happy life sessions, and provides charitable service to one of her deep loves that supports humanity: the Sirius Library project. 

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• It was personal choice that led to Azraella’s childfree life, even though she always thought she would eventually have children. “Through walking my path of my divine consciousness, I came to this conclusion."
• Azraella’s divine path with two choices, the “crossroads”: she had the choice to become a divine healer OR become a family-maker. She has no regrets about the choices she’s made.
• Why she chose the path of bigger service to the planet, rather than service to her own children, and she gets to use her work to help women align to their higher purpose.
• The science of life is to love yourself and your purpose first and THEN love another, instead of thinking that finding a life partner is THE answer and will guarantee lasting fulfilment.
• A void and emptiness can eventually occur over time, when you keep yourself so busy with career and family, at the expense of focusing on any personal fulfilment.
• Why looking inward for answers goes against the cultural pressure we feel from society to follow the “normal” script for life and its purpose.
• Why it’s not impressed upon young people to look inward for their purpose, but to be constantly be distracted by the external.
• When Azraella experienced the deepest amount of hurt and pain in a relationship, but never became “desperate” to have a child.
• Having “the best of both worlds” occurs for Azraella as she enjoys a special relationship with her two nephews. “Not having children doesn’t mean that you don’t have children in your life.”
• The sudden loss of her sister last year catapulted her into a special mothering role for her nephews, being the bridge between them and the spirit world and their mother.
• Her role as aunt has changed, even though it’s a temporary change, but it’s one she couldn’t throw her full self into if she was mothering her own children at this time.
• Motherhood may be calling to you in a way much different than actually giving birth to your own children. We can 'mother' in many different ways, that we hadn't foreseen.
• Why there are many paths to fulfilment, and sometimes we don’t know what lies ahead or how circumstances may be working out for our good, even though it may not seem that way at the time.
• Azraella expresses herself creatively constantly, creating her healing programs and workshops. “I’m in constant creation mode.”

To connect with Azraella and find out more about her work go to www.azraellaraphael.com

f you enjoyed this episode and would like to help more women access these stories, then please subscribe and leave us a review or rating on Itunes. For more episodes go to michellemariemcgrath.com

I also would love to hear in the comments below what you found most helpful about this interview? Thank you.

Welcome to Unclassified Woman and today's episode is with another wonderful lady, Therese Shechter, whom I could have spoken to all day!

How many people have children because it seems “the thing to do”? Most of us grow up with the pressure to follow what society deems “normal.” My guest today, Therese Shechter, was 40 years old when she realised she really could make her own decisions and follow her own path, and for her, it was feminism that helped her figure out what she wanted in life.

Therese Shechter is a filmmaker, writer, and multimedia storyteller from Brooklyn, New York. Her work fuses humour and personal storytelling to disrupt what’s considered most sacred about womanhood. She’s currently writing and directing My So-Called Selfish Life, an in-progress documentary about women who choose not to have children in a culture where motherhood feels mandatory.

Her previous documentaries include How to Lose Your Virginity, about the myth and misogyny around our most precious gift. She also curates the interactive crowd-sourced story collection, The VCard Diaries, which was recently exhibited at the Kinsey Institute. Her films, including the award-winning documentaries, I Was a Teenage Feminist and How I Learned to Speak Turkish, have screened in festivals, college classrooms, and on television from Rio to Seoul to Istanbul.

Therese’s work has been covered in the Atlantic, Salon, Elle, Jezebel, The Guardian, and the Jakarta Globe, amongst others. In her spare time, she co-hosts Downton Gabby, a podcast that discusses media by and about women.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why it was a personal choice for Therese to not have children, to the point of her being vocal about it in high school.
• How Therese explored beliefs and desires that were very different than her sister’s about marriage, career, and family.
• How every woman feels the pressure to follow what the outside world thinks should be a woman’s identity.
• The liberating clarity and realisations at age 40 that she could create her own path.
• How Therese felt no pressure from friends and family as such, but felt pressure more from society and media about how she 'should' live her life.
• How feminism helped her figure out what she wanted in life.
• How a 70’s TV show defied all conventional wisdom and blew her mind with possibilities.
• The push to make My So-Called Selfish Life.
• The backlash and conversations that occur when people feel free to open up about their stories around motherhood.
• Why we should question society’s norms about womanhood. How womanhood and motherhood are NOT equivalent.
• How our economy, history, and the media perpetuate beliefs about what is “normal and accepted”.
• Some sensitive topics covered in the film are sterilisation, regret about motherhood, and fertility treatments.
• The messages sent to young women by cultural and religious groups and how limiting and damaging these can be.
• Why there is more than one path in life, but society presents only one that’s deemed “normal”.
• How talking about our beliefs provides a sense of community--”Telling the truth about our lives keeps us from feeling lonely.” said Sheila Heti.
• The film’s projected release date: August 1, 2019--and why that date is significant.
• How Therese shows her creative expression (and gains MUCH satisfaction) through singing show tunes, baking, paper engineering, graphic design, writing, and her podcast.
• Why not everything in life should be attributed to a “thwarted maternal drive”.
• Why it’s OK to be ambivalent about motherhood and to have a conversation with yourself about what you truly need and want
• Even skin colour affects the pressure we feel, because not everyone has the same privileges and some women don’t have the same level of control over their lives.
• The myth of “the urge of the biological clock”--”The desire for children is NOT innate within every woman.”
• The bottom line: We won’t all agree, but we need open and meaningful conversations about these topics.

 Resources:

www.myselfishlife.com

www.trixiefilms.com

A book we discussed, Motherhood by Sheila Heti

Free to Be You and Me TV special: www.freetobefoundation.com

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help more women access these stories, then please subscribe and leave us a review or rating on Itunes. For more episodes go to michellemariemcgrath.com

I also would love to hear in the comments below what you found most helpful about this interview? Thank you.

Welcome! I'm delighted to share another great episode of Unclassified Woman. Today I'm speaking to the inspiring Dr Kimya N Dennis in Salem, North Carolina, USA.

How much actual freedom are you willing to give people in their beliefs? Most people fall into the trap of trying to impose their beliefs on others in some way. Liberals, for example, will speak of freedom in many areas of life, but they still hold onto pro-natal opinions about people having children. My guest today explores with intellect, experience and research the topic of being childfree by choice.

Dr. Kimya N Dennis is a consultant, speaker, community advocate, educator, and researcher who works with organisations and community members in the areas concerning mental health, suicidal self-harm, reproductive freedom, and being childfree by choice.

Between 2013-2016, she conducted the first known study solely related to immediate African diaspora people who identify permanently as childfree by choice. There were 62 respondents, with 59 women and 3 men across the US, Canada, England, Kenya, Sweden and Switzerland.

Dr. Dennis created and teaches the first known college course of its kind: The Childfree, about reproductive freedom and being childfree by choice. Her research and course are featured on sites such as werenothavingababy.com, lauracarroll.com, and thenotmom.com. Dr. Dennis is an associate professor and the creator and coordinator of the Criminal Studies program in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Studies at Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

"There are people who believe that women exist only to reproduce, so those who are infertile are seen as failures. Those who are childfree by choice are seen as failing on purpose." - Dr. Kimya N Dennis

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Kimya’s decision to be permanently childfree, because she never wanted to have a child.
• Why her work addresses cultural variance because being childfree by choice impacts different cultures and communities in different ways.
• Why it is much less common to find black and Hispanic women who are not having children than it is for white women.
• African women are told that if they aren’t reproducing, that they are helping to “ethnically cleanse” their people.
• Why your beliefs are manifested in behaviour when you vote and in the policies you vote for.
• How most liberals are pro-natalists in their views.
• The definition of “childfree by choice”--those who have decided to not have biological or adopted children.
• “Bingos” and what that means.
• The best “bingos”---”Why do you exist?” and “Just have a child anyway, and others will help you take care of it.”
• Why pro-natalism is based on a trap and is used to prove male dominance.
• How to look at being childfree without “pros and cons”.
• How Kimya’s family is accepting and respectful of her decision, even though she is the only daughter in a family of boys.
• Kimya’s work and the way it is reaching across the nations
• Why child-free men are under-represented.
• Some ethnic groups see “childfree” as having a viewpoint that challenges your culture.
• Being childfree shouldn’t feel “lesser than” or like losers, or that their voice doesn’t matter.
• The hurtful comments that are directed at childfree people.
• Why most people have a narrow view and perspective of what love and family look like.
• We say we want freedom and equality, but that must include reproductive freedom for all women.
• How Kimya shows her creative expression and purpose: “I love being able to do what I want and have my own peace every day, doing my community work, working with my students, and living with my life partner.”
• How we can release the taboos connected with not having children and having reproductive choices

To find out more about Kimya and her work:

www.kimyandennis.com 

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help more women access these stories, then please subscribe and leave us a review or rating on Itunes. For more episodes go to michellemariemcgrath.com

I also would love to hear in the comments below what you found most helpful about this interview? Thank you.

Welcome to another great episode of Unclassified Woman! 

Can one person really make a difference? So many times, we resign ourselves to the fact that “it is what it is.” We want society’s perceptions or opinions to change, but what can we do to affect the change?

In today’s show, you’ll meet a woman who decided to use her talents to create a film to help build awareness---and hopefully, change the narrative around living as a woman without children. 

"Having a child is one of the most beautiful experiences a woman can have, but it is not the ONLY experience a woman can have." - Jennifer Miller

Jennifer Miller is a writer and filmmaker who lives in California. I watched her film, A Womb With a View, which is available on Youtube, and I knew I had to talk to her.

Jennifer grew up in New Jersey and worked in various positions throughout her corporate career, which took her from New Jersey to Wisconsin to New York. She moved to California in 2002, where she later married her husband, Peter.

In 2012, Jennifer completed her first feature-length documentary film, which was screened at several film festivals, including the 2012 Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

The film explores the lives of many women who either chose or evolved to not have children, and how that impacted their lives. Her second film was Hair Therapy, which she wrote and directed about the relationships between hair stylists and their clients. The film highlights how that relationship transcends other relationships for many people. Today, Jennifer is doing a lot of writing and is currently working on her novel. 

"I had to look deep within myself because I felt very worthless. So much of my self-worth was tied to my ability to create another life."

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• As one of five children, Jennifer absolutely expected to have children, but in her 30’s, she wondered if would ever happen. She battled uterine fibroids, which required a hysterectomy, so after this operation, she knew she would never be a mother.
• How she wasn’t prepared for the unexpected grief that took over her life and left her feeling worthless.
• How a comment from a complete stranger prompted her to say, “I need to change this dialogue.”
• Why she decided to make a film, interviewing 28 women who didn’t have children for various reasons. She calls it a “gentle conversation” and “a cathartic experience.”
• How she endured the horrible periods and much pain for years before letting go of her uterus----which meant also letting go of the pain.
• How she took control of the emotional grief and didn’t let it control her.
• How different cultures around the world view childless women with disdain, pity, ridicule, and judgment.
• How Jennifer wanted to redefine the conversation because there is SO much more to women than whether or not they have a child.
• Judgment vs. Wonderment
• The sweeping generalisation and common perception that if you don’t HAVE children, that you don’t LIKE children.
• The feedback from the film: that the women in the film were selfish because they chose another path for their lives.
• Why people make the decision to have an abortion or to have or not have a child, like finances, the responsibility, relationships, and more.
• The common thread with the interviews for the film: Several of the women had been told that they “would never know true love without having a child.”
• Supporting children in other ways, and how Jennifer likes to give an alternate perspective other than a parent would give.
• Creating other things besides children and giving beautiful gifts to people, showing that a woman’s worth is SO much more than having children.
• Why we have to debunk the myth around motherhood and womanhood.
• The courage it takes to say no to motherhood---we may never know the reasons behind the decision or the circumstances.
• You can never really know someone’s story unless they share it, but we are all too quick to make assumptions about other people.
• Why Jennifer “owns” herself a lot more at her age and holds her head up high and doesn’t need anyone’s approval.
• What she offers is different and unique compared to what society expects.
• The gift that these women can take away from a conversation--compassion in the approach to a stranger.
• Why the dialogue needs to change and how the numbers of women without children are increasing.
• Some women around the world don’t have birth control available to them.
• Besides the Hair Therapy film, Jennifer’s creative projects include writing a TV series and writing a novel.

You can watch Jennifer's film 'A Womb with a view' on Youtube at her channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZmEeAXqCoI

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help more women access these stories, then please subscribe and leave us a review or rating on Itunes. For more episodes go to michellemariemcgrath.com

I also would love to hear in the comments below what you found most helpful about this interview? Thank you.

Welcome to today's episode of Unclassified Woman. Today I'm speaking to one of my all time favourite bloggers and all round lovely lady, Susannah Conway in London, England.

Just so you know there is much giggling and we discuss all sorts from tampons and technology -  to dating apps! Grab yourself a drink as this is a long one. ;-)

How does it feel to approach mid-life realising that motherhood will never be yours? Would you have regrets? My guest today shares how her life’s path has taken her to places she never imagined, proving there is so much that we cannot control. The key is to enjoy the experience where you can, find peace with it, and use your journey to inspire others. 

Susannah Conway is a photographer, writer, and teacher who has been sharing her heart online for over a decade. She helps people know, trust, and express themselves by sharing what has healed her own heart. Her work is steeped in self-compassion, kindness, and practicality, and her courses have been enjoyed by thousands of people from over 50 countries around the world.

Her first book, This I Know: Notes on Unraveling the Heart, hit bookshelves in 2012. Her most recent book,  Londontown: A Photographic Tour of the City’s Delights, was published in 2016. I can personally highly recommend her courses, as I’ve taken a few of them. The first one was Blogging from the Heart that I enjoyed several years ago. She shared behind-the-scenes insights as to how she puts together her blog, ideas for blog topics and writing, and I was so inspired.

You must also grab her amazing free PDF that she shares at the end of every year (something I’ve shared with many others) called Unraveling the Year Ahead, in which she teaches you to reflect on the past year and look to what’s ahead. It's an essential end of year ritual so definitely check it out at www.susannahconway.com

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• It was a combination of circumstances which have led to Susannah being childless. At 45 now, she’s had 3 serious relationships, one of which lasted 10 years and a year of that was spent trying to conceive.
• A few years ago, Susannah had fibroids removed from her uterus and the surrounding area. 
• Even when women are unsure or ambivalent about having children, society conditions us to feel a certain way and to follow a prescribed timeline or 'the script'.
• The “joy” of being a woman, growing up with little to no sex education. We discuss the joys of tampons and sanitary towels ;-)
• Why it’s important to Susannah to understand and honour her cycle.
• How being a “mother” can take many forms other than giving birth to a baby.
• When you feel like “time is running out” and you wonder if a child is even a possibility.
• Becoming an auntie to her nephew--how it changed everything
• The disaster of pursuing a relationship solely for the purpose of having a baby, and how a partner usually feels in that position when they can feel that desperation.
• Being a mother for Susannah would have to be her biological child with shared DNA--there was no other option that felt right.
• “If it had been my soul path to be a mother, then it would have happened by now.”
• Why having her two nephews and sharing their lives is a reason she’s OK with not being a mother: “There are two little beings that have me forever.”
• Why you shouldn’t ask questions or make assumptions about the marriage or motherhood status of others--don’t show judgment and a lack of sensitivity.
• Why we are hyperconnected to technology, even to the point of ignoring the people around us, but we are constantly disconnected from each other.
• The difficulties of using dating apps when you’re in your 30’s and 40’s and how the subject of having children is approached when trying to meet someone. Always an interesting topic!
• Why Susannah doesn’t really want to have a relationship with someone who already has kids, but what she really demands is upfront honesty and transparency about the topic.
• How Susannah fills her life with passions and hobbies and does her journaling and photography all the time as she is “'livin’ the dream!”
• The “acorn” of dreaming of furnishing her hew home the way she wants, in a way that brings her peace, and how this can help to alleviate stress and anxiety of life.
• When she hits 50--and later, 60--she will reflect upon the fact that she hasn’t had children or grandchildren.
• “I know there will be a little piece of me that acknowledges what I didn’t have.”
• When your parents have to deal with the fact that they will not have grandchildren.
• The topic brings up a lot of reflection on our lives and our choices.
• The crazy ingrained standard in society of the glorification of motherhood, reflected particularly in celebrity lives.
• The extremes of the representations of womanhood presented in tabloids and online media: either you flaunt your body or you’re a mother.
• The growing demographic: in the last 10 years, the number of women over 40 without children has doubled, and that will only increase in the future.
• Why some people are intent on always adding more children--”Why would you have more than you can carry?”
• Remembering the obsession of trying for a baby for a whole year, after having an abortion with the same partner 10 years prior at age 21---no regrets!
• Why the decision to have a baby should be a conscious one.
• The myriad of thoughts and feelings - and coming to a place of awareness and acceptance, understanding the sadness in life is constantly changing and evolving.
• Looking forward to devoting time and care to her next loving relationship, and creating this very special connection together.
• Apparently The Guardian Soulmates is where it's all at for online dating in the UK ;-)

 Find out more about Susannah's wonderful work at:

www.susannahconway.com

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help more women access these stories, then please subscribe and leave us a review or rating on Itunes. For more episodes go to michellemariemcgrath.com

I also would love to hear in the comments below what you found most helpful about this interview? Thank you.

Welcome to today's episode of Unclassified Woman. Today I have the pleasure of talking to Faith Agugu.

Do you ever wish you had a crystal ball that could show you the future? Often the decisions we make today might be different if we knew what was around the bend for us. Finding real peace, though, means coming to terms with the past, including the decisions we’ve made and the way those circumstances have grown us into who we’ve become today. My guest bares it all to share her story and how it didn’t quite turn out like she had expected. In spite of it all, she is thankful for the path she’s taken and the impact she can have on other women in the world.

Faith Agugu has always been motivated by service. Her first job after leaving school was with a not-for-profit organisation in London, working with children from troubled backgrounds. She then discovered the bright lights of the fashion industry and worked as a catwalk model for over five years before she left London for the sunny shores of Sydney, Australia.

Faith landed a job with one of Australia’s leading fashion houses, and continued to advance her career as a model, and then launched her own fashion business--Raw Fashion Agency-- in 2004. Representing local fashion designers as a PR and sales agency, Faith also began teaching at FBI Fashion College in 2006, mentoring the next generation of up-and-coming fashionistas. 

"I thought it would be irresponsible of me to hand my child over to this man every weekend if I chose to carry on with the pregnancy." - Faith Agugu

After 25 years in the fashion industry, and approaching her 50th birthday, Faith felt the call to return to helping others and took time out to study for a bachelor’s degree in social science, majoring in counselling. Faith launched her new business, The Healing Process, where she offers counselling, energy healing, and mindfulness coaching to women tackling the challenges of mid-life. She also runs regular workshops to assist her clients to work through issues of self-esteem, relationships, and addiction.

Faith also has a particular interest in balancing the disadvantages experienced by the indigenous community. Faith is a passionate, motivated, and driven entrepreneur, and through her private practice, she seeks to help women find their voice and claim their place in society. She is a very inspiring lady, indeed. 

What you’ll hear in this episode: 

• The circumstances that led to Faith’s child-free life. In her 20’s, she thought she would definitely be a mother by age 30 and she assumed the man she was in a relationship with would be the father of her children
• That relationship ended, and she met another man and actually got pregnant at age 31, but she knew there was no way the relationship would last or that she could share a child with him
• She made the decision to terminate the pregnancy, never realising at the time, that it would be her one and only opportunity to be a mother.
• Why many women don’t talk about the topic of abortion and terminations, because of the shame, guilt, and pain.
• Why Faith felt an urgency with every ensuing relationship to have a child, even rushing the relationship along to accomplish her “agenda”.
• The desire to have a child felt natural for Faith. She had a strong sense of it that she took for granted, and it never occurred to her that it would NOT happen.
• The difference in cultural expectations for women of colour or certain ethnicities around the topic of childbearing.
• How Faith’s mother had to “come to terms” with the idea of Faith--and some of her siblings--NOT being parents and giving her grandchildren: this affected Faith profoundly and made her feel “less of a woman” at the time.
• The estimated facts are that by 2030 in Australia, there will be more family units without children than with them---there are BIG changes occurring!
• How Faith felt judged and “less than” when compared to other women who had children.
• The deep grieving process it takes to “let go of the dream”.
• For Faith, the best tool for getting through the grief was therapy. It helped tremendously to talk about the grief she felt each week with a therapist.
• There are different ways to find meaning and purpose through nurturing. Faith resonates with what Melanie Notkin says in using the word "child-full" in that she has children in her life, but they are just not her own. Faith finds fulfilment in her close relationship with her godchildren and her hands-on work as a case worker and counsellor for girls ages 18-27. Ironically, this is the age that her daughter would be today if that pregnancy had continued.
• Faith is grateful for the chance to “mother” and mentor other women, to hold space for them, and to nurture them. “I’m at peace with my soul’s choice.”
• Faith expresses her creative energy and essence in cooking as a way to show love and intentionality in a purely meditative process that transforms people that receive it.
• Faith’s also currently works with daughters on the powerful healing journey for the mother-daughter relationship. This of course impacts all of our relationships with women and how we perceive ourselves as women.

You can find out more about Faith and her work at 

www.thehealingprocess.com.au

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help more women access these stories, then please subscribe and leave us a review or rating on Itunes. Thank you so much for your help. Much appreciated. 

For more episodes go to michellemariemcgrath.com

Do you have regrets about the choices you’ve made regarding having or not having children? Many people make a decision and then wish they had made a different choice, but not my guest today. She made the conscious decision to NOT become a mother and to pursue her own dreams in life.

Yamini Toohey is based in Sydney, Australia, and is an astrologer, educator, entrepreneur, and the founder of Global Woman. One of her favourite things in life is seeing women get energised about stepping into their power, finding a life that’s theirs, and living revolutionary lives. She believes that this time of personal, cultural, and planetary change is the time to bring forth new ways of living, relating, and economy.

Yamini started Global Woman because she wholeheartedly believes that the revolution will be feminist-connected and global. Every day she goes to bat for her Global Woman sisterhood, helping them to call on their intuition and hustle, slashing through obstacles fearlessly, boldly, and powerfully.

Yamini’s soul work champions women to explore, evolve, and embody boldness, fierceness, creativity, power, and ambition, which are universal themes in every woman’s life. I can highly recommend Yamini’s work!

"It took me a long time to love and understand my menstrual cycle and realise that it is a creative act. It helped me be curious about the world and want to create." Yamini Toohey

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• As one of eight children, Yamini saw that mothering was hard work and caused her mother to give up a lot of herself.  She chose to be childfree, saying, “There is no way I could do this.”
• How she felt pressure, not from her mother, but from others who would say, “Your time is running out!” Complete strangers would pass judgment on her fertility, but she never waivered about her decision.
• How she made unconscious decisions to have relationships with men who were NOT interested in having children.
• How she became pregnant once, but then miscarried, which was the best thing that could have happened. It taught her that she couldn’t be carefree about birth control if she clearly didn’t want children.
• Having and raising a child is serious business and should not be taken lightly.
• How some men assume that EVERY woman’s dream is to have a child, even though many mothers say, “I want my life back”.
• The mixed feelings and envy that some women have who are busy raising children, compared with the perceived freedom possessed by those who don’t have children.
• The ambivalence that many women feel toward motherhood, but they don’t talk about it.
• The myth that every woman feels the need to procreate, because it isn’t true!
• How she loves children, but that’s not the same as having what it takes to be a great mom or wanting that permanent responsibility.
• How Yamini shows the nurturing qualities in her life through creativity and curiosity.
• Her work with the Goddess asteroids and how they tell the story of relationships, autonomy, and gender roles.
• How do we “mother” the earth for sustainability?
• How small changes can make an impact on the planet and its resources.
• How we are individual activists with the choices we make each day.
• Yamini’s advice to women to find a life that’s theirs--”Work with your menstrual cycle." We also discuss what you can do if you are no longer menstruating.

Find about more about Yamini and her work at www.globalwoman.com

I really hope you enjoyed this episode. Please subscribe and I would also be so grateful if you would leave us a rating and review.
For more episodes go to michellemariemcgrath.com

How are you supposed to deal with the intense grief that accompanies the disappointment and shock of an unexplained infertility diagnosis? What if you’ve finally found the one person with whom you REALLY WANT to have a child? Yvonne’s story covers these emotions and more as she shares the circumstances that have transpired to alter what she thought was her perfect life.

After taking a break to move back to the UK after 20 years living in Australia, I’m back with the podcast, sharing the stories and the healing experiences found in the lives of unclassified women. My guest today is Yvonne John, who is based in the UK and the author of Dreaming of a Life Unlived, the stories and portraits of women who are childless by circumstance. The book highlights women who are coming to terms with their grief and moving toward fulfilling lives without children.

"I was the person sitting with my head down, feeling embarrassed and ashamed and not worthy to belong. I then became someone who has been accepted now for everything I am. It’s just fantastic."

Yvonne was never sure if she wanted children, but she knew there was the expectation that she would get married and have a family, in that order. Somewhere between her dreams of travelling and experiencing what life had to offer, she wished for the perfect family, which for her would be comprised of a husband and four children. By the time she reached her 30’s, this dream had lost its momentum, and when she reached her mid-30’s, she’d given up on this dream of being a wife and mother. Because of her past, Yvonne decided it was now time to live by her choices. She believed the opportunity to become a wife and mother had passed her by, so it was now time for her to move on to something new. However, it wasn’t until she met her husband at age 38 that her faith in love was reignited. Maybe she could have a family after all?

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Yvonne’s background: married for 8 years and tried to conceive for 3 years, and then an unexplained infertility diagnosis, with a the distressing conclusion: there's no obvious reason why you can't have children.
• "I was surprised at how emotional I got at the “unexplained infertility” diagnosis. My heart sank and I knew that I wasn’t going to be a mum. I went home and cried and I couldn’t even talk about it."
• She had been ambivalent about having children until she met and married her husband, finally realising that they wanted to share a child together.
• The emotional heartbreak when she realised her dream was NOT going to happen. She couldn’t be around children or those who were pregnant. She blamed herself, carried immense shame and guilt, and couldn’t make sense of it all.
• Since Yvonne had also experienced two abortions in her 20’s, she thought her infertility was a result of those choices she had made back then.
• How she felt the pressure from friends and family and the difficulty in explaining what was happening. Explaining her situation was hard because it opened the door to those emotions for others.
• It wasn’t just the difficulty of wanting to have a child, but wanting to have a child with the husband she had finally found later in life.
• The emotional journey when people would say, “Why don’t you ‘just adopt’?”---like that’s an easy process to go through
• How she found Gateway Women to be a helpful place to accept and normalise what she was feeling, even though she didn’t at first understand the emotions as GRIEF.
• How the grief in telling your own story gives others permission to share and opens doors to the healing process.
• How Yvonne wrote a letter to her younger self and gave permission to forgive herself.
• The common threads of the stories in her book: why she wanted each woman to have a voice and be heard in a deep and powerful way, giving a platform and courage and control over infertility.
• The commonalities of grief and sadness for all women who go through these experiences.
• The differences Yvonne noticed between hearing white women talk about grief and how women of colour discussed the topic.
• The Reignite Weekend, for women of colour, whose grief is represented in a different way, mostly because of the culture they were brought up in, especially because of the language used about “God’s will”.
• Why Yvonne felt the hurt, thinking that God didn’t love her enough or think she deserved to be a mother---that she wasn’t “good enough”
• Yvonne’s greatest gifts that she's now experienced to heal her grief: public speaking opportunities, self-expression, love, kindness, and acceptance from other women.
• Through what she found at Gateway Women, women can be with others in the same places of grief and find the light at the end of the tunnel.
• We also discuss abortion - another taboo subject that we need to discuss more openly.

Resources:

Find Yvonne John at her blog:

https://findingmyplanb.wordpress.com/about/

Find Yvonne's book on Amazon at:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dreaming-life-unlived-Yvonne-John/dp/1526201216

I do hope you enjoyed this episode and would be so grateful if you could subscribe on Itunes and leave a review so that more women can find this podcast. Find more episodes at: www.michellemariemcgrath.com

Welcome to a special episode of Unclassified Woman today with the inspiring Clare Dubois.

Clare is the founder of TreeSisters, which is a feminine nature-based organisation inspiring the world’s women to take shared leadership around tropical reforestation.

TreeSisters reflects Clare’s exploration of the links between feminine consciousness and nature’s intelligence. She and her team experiment overtly to figure out how to call forth the unique capacities and creativity of women on behalf of trees. They aim to be funding ONE MILLION trees per month by the end of 2017!

Clare is known for her direct catalytic energy, her whole systems approach to behavioural change and her unending loyalty and love for the natural world. 

There is only one truth - and that is our indivisibility from nature - Clare Dubois

For two decades, Clare created behavioural change processes within the personal growth and social change sectors and volunteered for three years as the UK coordinator for a massive agro-forestry initiative in southern India called Project Greenhands. Her aim in life is to reclaim balance, rediscover freedom and health, and to be walking permission for those who are fed up with being held back and just want to “have a go.”

I believe that Clare is a great example of this and a role model for us all. She’s someone who has thrown herself into her life mission, and for me, she explains eloquently how female leadership and eco-revolution are a natural partnership.

"I had a complete mind-bending experience realising the depth of ecological destruction that we’re in. I knew it was bad, but I had an educational experience that floored me. I knew I had to do something." Clare Dubois

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Clare’s background as a business coach and intuitive, working in education and living her passion for consciousness and helping people find liberation;
• How she went to India to find enlightenment and found Project Greenhands;
• Why we must realise that our planet is in peril;
• The combination of spirituality, social justice, and ecology;
• What it will take to wake up humanity;
• Clare’s car accident as a catalyst and the personal message she received about reforesting the tropics through the women of the world;
• The link between women and reforestation within the female receptive space;
• How today’s people are stealing from future generations;
• The process of discovering how to engage and encourage;
• How we live as humans and as women;
• Embodying the intellectual changes that must come as we deepen our understanding;
• Cooling the planet by reforesting: all because of CO2 absorption;
• The mycelial network that links all the trees in a forest;
• The Amazon rainforest: it’s the size of the moon, but 40% degraded;
• The rising and falling of water vapour: the heartbeat of the forest that has disrupted the rainfall;
• Things that happen because of trees:
• • Trees absorb CO2 and trap the heat that causes global warming.
  • If the trees aren’t there, the CO2 dissolves in the oceans and harms the food chain there.
  • We need kelp and trees because they are most effective at sequestering carbon.
• Why we need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels;
• Why staying plugged into technology means you can’t listen to your intuition;
• Clare’s 9-day nature awakening trip and its benefits and correlation to womb awakening;
• The reality of the blessed life of Western women compared to most women around the world—all amidst the destabilisation of our planet;
• Clare’s damage from childhood abuse;
• Yearning to be pregnant, but not wanting a child;
• Why TreeSisters is everything parenting is about; 
• The profound privilege of women in giving back;
• Exciting upcoming focus for TreeSisters.

Humanity is running out of time, but it’s not over yet. It’s going to take everyone rising to the challenge to get through what is coming. "The single greatest threat facing humanity is fear of failure, but you can call everything you do 'an experiment'. You can’t fail at an experiment; you can only learn."

Resources:

www.billiontrees.me

www.treesisters.org

I do hope you enjoyed this episode with this important message from Clare. Please join us and become a Treesister!

To help spread this message please leave us a review or rating on Itunes and share with your friends. Let's be more conscious of the future we are creating.

For more episodes go to michellemariemcgrath.com

My guest today is the inspiring Flora Bowley, a painter, creative pioneer, gentle guide, and author of two books: Brave Intuitive Painting and Creative Revolution.

Flora blends over 20 years’ experience as a yoga teacher instructor, healer, and lifelong seeker. She passionately believes creative expression is waiting to unfold within every person who is brave enough to trust, let go, play, and explore. How good does that sound?

Flora’s soulful approach to the creative process has sparked a new holistic movement in the intuitive art world, empowering thousands of people to courageously pick up a paintbrush.

She encourages this creative expression through her intimate, in-person workshops, books, and online courses. Flora lives with her partner, Jonathan, his son, and their dog, Pearl, in Portland. Her own vibrant collection of paintings can be found in galleries, shops, and printed on unique products around the world.

Newsflash: I’m also delighted to share that Flora has VERY generously offered listeners an amazing discount on her upcoming Creative Revolution e-course happening in October, so listen in and you can apply the coupon code on her website.

Join me for this amazing conversation with Flora!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Flora’s unconventional, winding path in life.
• Everything Flora has created in following her dreams and implementing her “out of the box” belief system.
• “A blessing in disguise”---NOT getting into the art schools she thought she wanted.
• Positive results that come from “just creating”.
• The wounding from people telling us we “aren’t good enough”.
• Healing, empowering, and practicing ways of being through creativity.
• Your soul’s calling and your creative offerings to the world.
• “Intuitive wandering” exercise and how to implement it.
• Dropping into your intuition and finding wisdom there.
• The flow that happens when you engage in the creative process.
• Simple, accessible exercises to get your creative flow going.
• Flora’s biggest inspirations.
• Staying present and being open to focus on what IS working.
• Teaching a workshop including “all the beautiful parts of myself”.
• Moving forward for Flora: collaboration with others and co-mingling their creations through workshops.

Resources:

www.florabowley.com Find Flora’s courses, workshops, videos, and products. Use the coupon code Flora shares towards the end of the episode to receive 30% off Flora’s Creative Revolution course!

I do hope you enjoyed this episode and invite you to share with a friend. For more episodes go to michellemariemcgrath.com

I would be so grateful if you would leave a rating or review on Itunes. Thank you! 

My guest today on Unclassified Woman is the fabulous Mary Reynolds, who is based in Ireland, one of my favourite places in the world. (I am 3/4 Irish so slightly biased!). 

Mary lives and breathes her work as a landscape and garden designer, teaching others how to connect with the land beneath our feet and have a nurturing relationship with it.

Her gorgeous book that is about much more than mere gardening. It's a call to action for all of us. The Garden Awakening highlights her role as “a guardian rather than a gardener.” She believes in cultivating a relationship with the land and working in harmony with Mother Nature.

She views being a gardener/land owner as someone who is like a parent guiding a child. In creating vibrant and magical spaces, she displays her creative spirit where gardens are a partnership between sensitive souls and the earth that nurtures us.

I highly recommend Dare to be Wild, a film inspired by a period in her life, when she became the youngest woman to win the gold medal at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show. (Download after listening to this podcast on Google Play Movies). 

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why Mary is a “custodian of the land” and a “creature of the forest”;
• Feeling at home and strongly connected to nature;
• A strong childhood memory of a field, sunshine, and butterflies;
• Belonging to the family of plants and creatures;
• Different places, different vibrations, and unique personalities;
• Our connection with places and bodies, mirroring the earth;
• Working in harmony with the land;
• Our role as guardians and light holders of the woodlands;
• Abuse of the land reflecting the abuse of women;
• How we treat the earth with industrial farming and chemicals;
• The synchronistic system between us and the earth;
• How Mary communicates with the earth, the plants, and the creatures;
• Her advice? Find some land to work with in your community;
• The unfair distribution of land;
• “Dismantle the ego-self and create the eco-self.”
• Evolving in the future and what's next for Mary;
• How the film came about;
• Remembering what’s important and finding your way home;
• How working with the land heals your heart.
  
  Order Mary's book: here:https://www.michellemariemcgrath.com/garden-awakening-designs-nurture-land/

 To follow Mary on her journey as she works her gardens and her land, you can visit her website: http://marymary.ie

 I do hope you enjoyed this episode and would be eternally grateful if you left us a testimonial or rating on itunes. Please subscribe and share with a friend who would enjoy.

For more episodes go to michellemariemcgrath.com

How do you feel about the power of the womb, menstruation, and the mystique of the Divine Feminine? Today we are going to dive in.

You may not have given much thought to these concepts, but they are pivotal in so many areas relevant to understanding our bodies and souls.

My guests today will enlighten you in many ways. Today’s episode is more of a pilgrimage than it is an interview!

Womb Awakening is a pre-historic tradition that has risen to popularity again in our modern culture. Everything old is new again! Come with me as we open the doorway to this magical, mystical journey.

Dr. Azra Bertrand and Seren Bertrand are the founders of The Fountain of Life Grail Mystery School. They are teachers and mentors of mine who have so much wisdom to share. 

Much of the visionary work they share about Womb Awakening came through direct gnosis in Sacred Union during the ‘Gateway into the Feminine Dimension’ in 2012. This was a period where the new wave of feminine Womb Consciousness birthed onto the planet. This experience fused all previous studies into a clear essence, and impassioned them to offer their lives to the embodied rebirth of our world, and to support men and women to meet in love again.

NY bestselling authors have described their ground-breaking new book as “a masterwork of beauty, power, and mystical truth, a magical sacred feminine transmission, and a Mystery School in a book.”

Azra graduated from the prestigious Duke University School of Medicine and has been a pioneering doctor, alchemical scientist, and spiritual guide for 20 years. Seren is a womb intuitive and channel of the Sacred Feminine mysteries and has been immersed in Womb Awakening practices for more than a decade. 

Together, they are evolutionary enchanters, dedicated to helping women awaken their womb power and assist the rebirth of the masculine into his true gifts, uniting them both in Sacred Union. As midwives of the return of womb consciousness, they draw rich veins of wisdom from many traditions and have assisted over 25,000 people to heal on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level for over 20 years. 

After having worked with them both personally and in group consciousness, I agree with those descriptions. They both bring lightbulb moments to every conversation.

We hear much talk about the Divine Feminine and Rising Feminine consciousness, but there can also be much superficiality. These two embody this consciousness and are way-showers to teach us to dive deep into the wisdom of our own bodies and souls.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Their background and how they came to their fascinating work today;
• The synchronicity of mermaids, the upcoming solar eclipse, and the Feminine traditions;
• Significant energies and events in 2012;
• The return of the Sacred Feminine and what it means for women and men;
• Dr. Azra’s work as a primal healer;
• How the doors of the great Cosmic Womb opened with their love;
• The vast umbrella of motherhood;
• The link between Mary Magdalene (“magical doorway”) and the womb mysteries;
• The divinized womb priestesses of every tradition;
• The Divine Harlot/The Holy Whore;
• Ancient symbols of the womb mysteries;
• The lost tradition of women rulers, oracles, and healers;
• The body as the vehicle of awakening and heaven on earth;
• Seren’s awakening experiences on a beach in Thailand: finding ecstasy within;
• Advice to start diving gently into womb consciousness;
• Symptoms expressed as divine communication and the pathway to true healing;
• The soul of the womb, its gifts, and painful memories;
• Feedback from people on the womb awakening path;
• Why men actually menstruate too!
• The Womb Circle and oracular awakening around the world;
• When it’s time to rest and receive;
• Why the book carries the frequency of lunar consciousness and what that means.

Your womb has sacred power and a divine purpose and is the thread that connects you to the Universal Womb and the Source of Creation. You can call it whatever you want - Divine  Mother, Goddess, God - but her power is undeniable. You do not need to have a physical womb for this to be the case.

Awakening your womb is a transformative experience and it can alter your earthly life in ways that you can’t imagine. It reconnects your lost femininity and heals your disconnected masculinity.

This is an important step in embracing your multi-dimensional humanity. To continue this magical journey of healing, connect with Azra and Seren at www.thefountainoflife.org

Order their book via this link with free worldwide postage:
https://www.michellemariemcgrath.com/womb-awakening-initiatory-wisdom-creatrix-life/

If you have enjoyed this episode then please share with another woman who would enjoy! 

I would be so grateful if you are able to leave a rating or testimonial for the show on Itunes. Thank you!

For more episodes and information go to michellemariemcgrath.com

Do you ever feel judged by others because you’ve not had a child? Not surprisingly, many women feel this judgment of “assumptions” behind the choices or circumstances that have determined their situation.

One woman decided to take on those judgmental scenarios, so she did something about it. She wrote a novel which explores many of the situations that women find themselves in with family, friends and colleagues. I was really interested to read this book as whilst there are many non-fiction works about the topic, it's not the norm to find many novels.

My guest today is Jane Doucet, a Canadian writer based in Halifax - and she knows that feeling of being judged all too well. Since 1993, Jane has worked in various capacities for national magazines in Canada. As a freelance writer since 1998, she has written dozens of feature articles on health, parenting, gardening, entertainment, education, business, and other diverse topics for award-winning Canadian magazines and newspapers.

In 2003, Jane wrote the first draft of her debut novel, The Pregnant Pause. She wrote the book that SHE wanted to read, one that sent a positive message to women who assumed they’d have children, but for whatever reason, have not. Following a negative experience with a literary agent in the UK, Jane shelved the manuscript for 14 years.

Fast forward to 2016, when Jane dusted off her manuscript and self-published her book, in order to maintain creative control. The story is loosely based on her own experiences but is also representative of many women’s journeys.

Having read the book myself, I could relate to the situations, commentary, and assumptions that people make when you arrive at a certain age without offspring in sight. I hope you enjoy my wonderful conversation with Jane about her fascinating novel! 

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• What led Jane to write The Pregnant Pause
• An inspiration for the book at the time? Bridget Jones’ Diary
• The uncomfortable and unfortunate experience with a literary agent in London
• The misassumptions people make about a woman with no children
• Addressing the topic with a light and humorous work of fiction
• How books and articles helped her write the book
• Changes in women’s friendships around having/not having children
• Different ways to “mother” without having a biological child
• How statistics around the world support the growing demographic
• Why Jane’s book is not “just for women”
• How the book includes relatable experiences for almost everyone
• Why Jane speaks for the silent voices
• How labels limit women
• How writing brings creative fulfilment
• Ideas for Jane’s next book!
• Every woman’s story and perspective is valid and unique
• The main message of the book: “Don’t judge someone whose journey is different than yours, as you never know the full story."

You can find out more about Jane and buy her book at

www.thepregnantpause.net

If you enjoyed this episode then I would be so grateful if you would leave a rating on Itunes and subscribe.

For more episodes go to michellemariemcgrath.com 

Hello! Today is a little bit different with a short personal episode from me and some words that came to me in the early hours of the morning, whilst I was jetlagged. I sent out in an email to my newsletter loves and was overwhelmed by the response. So I felt drawn to speak aloud and share here with you. 

Does any of this resonate with you? I would love to hear from you if so.

The Doorway of Not Yet

Standing at the doorway of not yet – so what now?

What if in the ‘meantime’ really means in the ‘me-time’ and is an invitation to go deep, right into ourselves?

The blank page of not-yet-ready-to-be-seen.

What if these in-between times are invitations to reveal to us what we are made of?

Who we really are.

When all is flowing smoothly, it’s easy to take it all for granted, become complacent or write in your gratitude journal.

What if these uncomfortable twisty-turny lanes are where we need to do a 20-point turn to be redirected onto our true paths?

Maybe this is what is meant by the path less travelled.

If the path is clear and well-trodden then it’s NOT our true path.

The difference between a leader and a follower.

Surely ‘our’ path is wild, uneven and and unmarked as no-one has been that way before?

What if the fact that you have no clue what you are doing – means you are totally, certainly, absolutely, exactly right on track?

You are at the beginning of an adventure into who you are being called to be – a more expanded version of yourself, vastly different from the shiny, social media image.

Where is the uncomfortable achy-ness, heavy uneasiness leading you?

Which rock are you being asked to overturn, to seek the treasures underneath?

Which secret doorway may be hidden from view until you STOP. PAUSE. BREATHE and look around for a moment, and say the Abracadabra of our times “I surrender“.

What if when we reach for the lifejacket and say “I’’m drowning here in overwhelm and cannot see due to the fog of uncertainty” is the moment that we receive the support we need?

What if the friction, the uneasiness, the discomfort, the terror and the feeling of not fitting right here in this spot, in this place, with these people, are merely birthing pangs?

Maybe this is THE sign you were waiting for, that means ‘hey you’’ve outgrown this space’’ but the next one is still cooking in the oven of your dreams.

What is yearning, burning, to be noticed in your merry-go-round of ‘doing’ and ‘busy’?

Hiding just of reach from you, like the moon shielding her luminosity from view.

A nervous Dame about to go on stage, taking a few deep breaths, shaking behind the curtain, before……

The hush…..the chills, the anticipation, a clearing of the throat before declaring the next words; the words that could change everything. Everything.

What if this limbo-land awkwardness is course-correcting you to go where you’ve never gone before, to lead you into who you REALLY are?

Beckoning you forward like a guiding mother, anxiously watching her baby take those first shaky steps.

What if this is your opportunity to break out of your comfort zone of complacency, of scrolling, of ‘observing’ what others are doing, of ‘liking’ but not really, passionately, fervently forging into pastures new of your own creation?

What if?

If you enjoyed this episode then I would love you to subscribe and leave us a rating on Itunes ;-) Thank you so much and for more episodes check out michellemariemcgrath.com

Welcome to Unclassified Woman. Today's episode is one that I know are you going to enjoy so much. Filled with so many nuggets of wisdom, so you may even want to grab a notebook!

Laura Hollick is an award-winning Artist, Shaman, and Visionary Guide based in Canada. After walking 10,000 km on a vision quest, Laura clarified her purpose and dove headfirst into realising it and making it a reality. She is the founder of Soul Art Studio Inc., a business devoted to circulating love around the planet with creative inspiration and unique artistic creations.

Laura’s life and art have been featured in a documentary produced by Bravo TV called "The Artist's Life: Laura Hollick. She’s hosted and produced over 500 radio shows, and given an inspiring TED talk called "You are the Art". She inspires audiences all over the world with global events that feature her art and insights, such as the upcoming International Soul Art Day (25th May), the Global Vision Quest, the Yoni Art Project and the nü Icon Movie.

Do you yearn for more connection with your feminine energy? Women have the ability to harness that energy to express their creativity in so many ways, and Laura is an expert on the topic.

She shares what she’s discovered about the connection between the menstrual cycle, sexuality, money, creativity, art, and the moon cycle. You don’t want to miss our fascinating conversation, that weaves together so much feminine wisdom! I had so many aha's listening to Laura.

"There’s a changing point in the consciousness right now. Women are recognising their roles as not just being a wife and birthing babies, but that they have the capacity to create in wonderful ways."

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Your “Yoni”: the spiritual centre and sacred gateway to Divine Feminine energy;
• Laura’s background: how feeling a disconnection as a child, inspired her imaginative art and a way to bring these dreams into her physical life;
• Art as a “home for the soul”;
• The body’s physical connection to the energy of creation;
• A woman’s role—NOT just to create babies and how we can work with the womb energy to create anything and everything;
  Childless and childfree women can still harness this energy to create too.
• The biggest block in connecting with creative power can often be unresolved trauma of the past;
• Why we often can’t handle the healing required to create a “safety container” at certain times;
• What do you need to feel safe in your soul to have clarity in your life?
• The fully expressed woman in desire and truth;
• Connecting through orgasmic pleasure;
• Learning your unique seasons and rhythms;
• The menstrual cycle:
• • New moon, day 1—higher levels of insights and visions that fuel action
  • Full moon—ripening and receiving energies
  • Waning moon—darker reflective energy
• Gleaning the nutrient energy of the life-giving menstrual blood and how to use this to support our creations. How Laura works very consciously with this energy.
• Connection between sex, money, and menstrual blood;
• How our energy moves in its natural flow of circulation;
• Either you’re on your true life-track or you’re not;
• An exciting time for women to be anchored and grounded;
• International Soul Art Day, May 25: a global event with virtual connection to women everywhere! Join this Soul event, wherever you are in the world!

Resources:

www.laurahollick.com (Learn more about Laura’s work and art, and don’t forget to take the Yoni Personality Quiz!)

 Thank you so much for listening in. If you enjoyed this episode then please leave a review, subscribe and share with another woman who would love!

For more episodes check out michellemariemcgrath.com

Today’s guest is Jules Galloway, who lives in Australia, while working as a passionate naturopath, speaker, podcaster, and recipe creator. Jules hosts a podcast, Shiny Healthy You, and loves surfing, hanging out with her husband and elderly rescued dogs, and walking the famous Byron Bay lighthouse track. 

Jules recently returned from working as a volunteer at a refugee camp in Greece. She was drawn to this work and feels that her childfree entrepreneurial lifestyle allowed her the freedom to pursue that dream and fulfil that desire. 

Jules knows all too well the toll that unhealthy living can take on mind and body. She went through a challenging childhood and youth, and then lived a party lifestyle for over a decade. She ditched the stressful city life for a fresh start and a peaceful setting in beautiful Byron Bay. After being diagnosed with Pyrrole disorder, adrenal fatigue, and a gene mutation, Jules learned the importance of nourishing herself with whole foods, supplements, happiness, gratitude, and a good sense of humour. With 10+ years of clinical experience as a naturopath, Jules has made it her mission to help women find their SHINE again through her work and her e-courses. Do you need help finding your SHINE? Join me to hear more from Jules!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How both choice and circumstance have led to a childfree, 17-year marriage.
• Thoughts of having children were put on the back burner until she was about 30.
• Six months of trying for a pregnancy, and then a hiatus to buy a house.
• Busy with careers, and then a diagnosis of endometriosis.
• The pushy doctor who said, “Don’t wait until it's too late!”
• More health issues for Jules: adrenal fatigue, Pyrrole disorder, hormone issues, and a gene mutation problem.
• The move to Byron Bay, hoping for a quieter life and restored health
• Perfect house (for kids), perfect yard (for kids), perfect place (for kids)—but no kids!
• Weighing the pros and cons of what it would take to get pregnant.
• How friends influence the pressure you feel to have or not have kids.
• Dealing with family pressure, especially from a mother-in-law who desperately wants to be a grandmother.
• How to cope when those little moments of grief come?  Refocus on the joys and benefits of a child-free life:
• • More time to focus on entrepreneurship.
  • Freedom for surfing and other enjoyable activities.
  • More time and attention to focus on husband, marriage and friendship.
  • Never forgetting to be grateful for the freedom
• How Jules focuses her creative energy on a nurturing force in her business and with her clients.
• NOT having to decide who to focus energy on EVERY moment of EVERY day
• Being able to drop everything and go to a friend in need.
• The “Spare Auntie” who can help and support other mothers.
• Indirect pressure from friends.
• How Jules feels about parenthood in light of her personal childhood experiences.
• Respecting the different path and journey of every woman.
• Why fear of regret is NOT the best reason to decide to have a baby.

Resources: 

www.julesgalloway.com

www.shinyhealthyyou.com  

The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware

I loved this conversation with Jules and I hope you do too! Please subscribe for more inspiring real-life stories from amazing women around the world. If you enjoyed this episode then I would be so grateful if you left a rating. 

For more Unclassified Women, go to www.michellemariemcgrath.com

Have you ever wanted to get more in tune with your body’s natural rhythms? For women, one effective way is by acknowledging the seasons that are within the monthly cycle. Even if you don't bleed any more, this is still relevant for you.

My lovely guest today will have you throwing out the scales, booking the flight, launching the blog, and falling back in love with your life. She knows the missing key when it comes to women’s wellness, and she wants to share it with you! Listen with us to learn about harnessing that creative wisdom within our bodies as we align ourselves with our natural rhythm.

Claire Baker is an Australian women’s coach and writer currently based in London. Through her popular e-books, blog, online courses, and live workshops, she teaches self-care, creative rekindling, how to live life aligned with your menstrual cycle, and how to be kind to yourself and the world. Join us now!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why Claire’s interest in the menstrual cycle stemmed from her own problems with her cycle.
• Letting go of the idea of having any control over your cycle.
• How contraception interfered with her self-esteem and self-awareness.
• The sacrifices women make with long-time contraception usage.
• Re-attuning to your body’s natural cycle:
• • Clean up your diet with healthy food and supplements
  • How Chinese medicine can help
• An overview of the seasons mirrored within your cycle, through the follicular phase, luteal phase, and post-ovulatory phase.
• Relating feminine archetypes to the female cycle.
• Mothering yourself with an internal focus.
• Nurturing energy for yourself instead of always for others.
• Craving the connection with the natural world.
• Using the different energies of the seasons to tap into creativity.
• Feminine and masculine balance.
• Creativity when you feel blocked or stuck.
• In Italy: days of leave for women around their menstrual cycle?
• Structuring days and lives around cycles.
• When you should pull back and let things go.
• A song that embodies the energies of each season of the cycle: How Claire aligns herself with music!
• • Spring: Work by Rihanna and Drake
  • Summer: Milkshake by Kelis
  • Fall: anything by Alanis Morissette
  • Winter: Anything by Annie Lennox

Resources:

www.thisislifeblood.com  (Look for Claire’s e-books, courses, workshops, and her blog)

I do hope you enjoyed today's episode, rich with valuable content from Claire. For more powerful sharing please subscribe.

I would be eternally grateful if you leave a rating or testimonial on Itunes. Thank you!

Are you struggling with the decision whether or not to have children? If you are feeling pressured to make a choice, based on someone else's feelings, you will benefit from listening to today's guest, Karin Rahbek, author of "Do I Have To Be A Mother? A Childfree Woman's Honest and Unspoken Thoughts and Feelings."  Karin's hope is that this book will help other childfree women to understand and accept their feelings and be happy in who they are (and not focussed on the mother they could have been).

Karin spent several years looking for precisely the book that she ended up writing for herself. The book describes in a potent and personal manner, the thoughts and feelings that are associated with not wanting to have children at all, in a society that views motherhood as the most natural part of being a woman.

It is Karin's hope that by reading and talking openly about the doubts felt by other women, that women can become more honest with one another. She intends to help make the decision about motherhood less fraught with taboo. Listen in today - this is such an emotive topic! 

“You define your own femininity and feel beautiful and valuable and loved as the woman you are and not the mother you could be.”

Today, Karin talks to Michelle about: 

• Her choice to not have a child, even with the pressure of family and friends, who were all becoming parents.                                                                 “The feeling that motherhood is not for me has been with me for as long as I can remember.”
• How Karin's book came out of some deep thinking about motherhood and the different facets involved in making this kind of choice.                                 Karin notes:” I didn't know any parents who actually had a life I would want to swap for." (Very thought-provoking).
• The difficulty in making a choice contrary to that of most of the people in your life, with all the pressure that goes with that, to conform.                          Karin says: “Yes, it definitely takes courage to choose a life without children.”
• How many women feel pressured to have a child, even after having previously made it clear that they have no desire to be a mother.                                   Karin says: “When you say that you don't want a child, many people hear you say 'I don't want a child right now'.”
• She highlights: if it's the man's choice not to have children, they often get the same type of pressure to conform.                                        
  “There was a man writing to me that the exact same story, just the opposite... he didn't want to have children..... after a while his partner said the same thing 'you must have the urge to have kids now?”
• How she got the idea to start a dating network for childfree people.            Karin says: “My husband and I saw a program with a guy creating a dating network for people who really wanted to have children.”
• The reason that she started her network.                                                    She says:  “I thought why can't these two people meet, they need another person that doesn't want to have children either and that made me start the network.”     
• Karin finds it interesting and special about women who choose not to have children - is that they know exactly what they want.                                       ”Some people will just go along with the desire of their partner, because they don't really know what they want.”
• How different people make the choice with different levels of certainty.        Karin says: “There are different levels of having this feeling I don't want kids because some people are kind of indifferent.” (Ambiguity is a huge topic).
• Some of the beliefs and questions that Karin explored around the time that some of her family members changed their minds. It made her question why she didn't want to have a child when everybody else had that desire.
• The number of women not having children in Denmark is increasing.  
  “Not only in Denmark, but in all the Scandinavian countries.”
• Her interview with the BBC about her book and also about the paradox that the Danish population is in decline, while the market for Danish sperm donation is booming!
• What she's had to deal with in terms of pressure from family and friends, to change her mind.                                                                                     She says: “I think I felt the pressure within myself.”
• A TV show she was interviewed on about choices that people make around having children. Karin says: “They don't really understand the term 'childfree'.”
• Karin discusses how she uses her energy to create in other ways and how important it is to her, to help and give to others.

Links: 

Karin's site www.childfreewoman.com

Karin's book is available from Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/lcpvsfb

I do hope you enjoyed this episode. It's fascinating to hear perspectives from various countries and cultures to understand what the differences AND the similarities are, no matter where you are in the world. 

Please share this episode with another woman who would benefit and of course eternal gratitude if you would subscribe and leave a review. Thank you!

For more episodes go to michellemariemcgrath.com

Welcome to today's episode of Unclassified Woman and today we have a special episode for moon lovers! It seems very apt with today's full moon.

If you'd like to understand more about how the phases of the moon can affect your mood, mind, body and soul, join Michelle and her guest, Dr. Ezzie Spencer, with today's show. 

Today we're going to be talking about Ezzie's new book, An Abundant Life, Flourishing With The Cycles Of The Moon, which is her concept of Lunar Abundance and also her personal practice. This practice partners intellect with intuition and it has helped many women throughout the world, through one to one coaching sessions and through the support of Ezzie's flourishing online community at Lunar Abundance.com

Ezzie has trained as a lawyer, worked in government non-profit and research sectors and earned a Ph.D in Women's Wellbeing and Justice After Violence. As a result of feeling that something elemental was missing in the intellectual world of law, Ezzie began to explore the correlation that she noticed between her feelings and the phases of the moon. Listen in... I know that you're going to love this magical topic!

On today's show, Ezzie and Michelle discuss:

• Ezzie's book- Ezzie starts out by giving a summary of the subject at hand, as in her book. 
• She says: “It's a step-by-step guide to working with the moon cycles, to be able to create your best version of your life - and it's really practical.”
• How it stood out for Ezzie in her cultural research, that different cultures, in their beliefs about the moon, would view it as either a Goddess or as a God.        As she says: “Often times we think about the moon as feminine and indeed it is Goddess-related in many cultures, but in other cultures, it may viewed as masculine.
• Ezzie's favourite phase within these cycles, with the understanding that things are constantly moving within the different stages and cycles of the moon, going between the yin and the yang.  She says: “I would find that those yin phases would really be welcome and really my favourite phases throughout the month- although they had their own sets of challenges.”
• Michelle and Ezzie discuss a particular time that people tend to struggle with the most during the cycle. People are familiar with the obvious setting of intentions at the new moon and the dramatic and visible impact of the full moon, but there's a lot more to working with the moon!                                 Ezzie says: “I would say that the number one phase which women tend to struggle with in the practice, is the Gibbous moon phase- a few days before the full moon.”
• The daily practice which is necessary to develop the awareness within you to assist you through the transitory phases, which may be really intense.        Ezzie says: “Just following that constant practice over time will render really great results and change.”
• Whether this is yet another example of how we have become disconnected from the cycles of nature. Ezzie says: “You're hear anecdotally all the time, even from people you wouldn't expect about the impact of the full moon...”
• The original meaning of lunacy, according to the Greek Triple Moon Goddess. Ezzie says: “Hecate was a very powerful Goddess and she was one of the very senior priestesses (or patron of priestesses, or patron of witches in Ancient Greece) and she represented wealth and magical powers.” 
• Whether Ezzie has found, in her working with women with her Lunar Abundance Practice, that they have become more in touch with their menstrual cycle. Ezzie says: “I would say that it's one of the things that women are most interested in with the moon work.”
• What is the best approach when working to deadlines, when one feels that the current moon phase is counter productive to what needs to be done?               “It's about working with these two principles (yin and yang) in tandem and harmony.”
• Working with non-negotiable principles and values during the moon cycles. Ezzie says: “To find those pockets of agency you have to be able to be very intentional about how it is that you live your life.”
• Ezzie shares some wonderful advice for those women who are still challenged with learning to receive.                                                                                “There is a whole chapter in the book on receiving and it is correlated in the Abundance Practice with the sixth of the eight lunar phases.”
• How working with the lunar cycles can have a really positive effect on your level of productivity.                                                                                       Ezzie says: “The yin cycle is key to being, I feel, highly productive, highly effective, but doing it in a way where you're really able to take care of yourself.”
• The greatest gift that Ezzie feels she's received in practising Lunar Abundance. She says: “I feel like...this sense of relaxing and being able to enjoy life a bit more has been central to my life now, vs my life before this practice.”  

I hope you love this episode. Find out more about Dr Ezzie Spencer's work and her book at www.lunarabundance.com and for more episodes of Unclassified Woman with Michelle, please see www.michellemariemcgrath.com

If you enjoyed this episode please share the love (and abundance) and leave us a rating or testimonial on Itunes, so more women can receive this valuable sharing. 

Thank you!