Show Notes
This week I'm joined by Naomi Gale, a pelvic health educator, former teacher and author of two books. Naomi specialises in nervous system-led holistic pelvic care, and we cover a lot of ground, from why we should all be using the proper anatomical words to what vaginal steaming actually involves. We talk about the pressure women are under to say yes when our bodies are saying no, why your symptoms might be feedback rather than a problem to fix, and how Naomi's first book ended up shadow-banned on Amazon. I loved this conversation, and I hope you leave it feeling a little more connected to your body. Key Takeaways
Use the proper words. Knowing the difference between your vulva, vagina, labia and clitoris helps you explain what's going on to a doctor, and helps the next generation feel less shame. Learn what your body's "yes" and "no" feel like. Many of us are conditioned to say yes, in relationships and in medical settings, even when our bodies are bracing. Get curious before you label. Naomi's approach is that your body is responding intelligently to an overwhelming world. Before assuming a symptom is "just perimenopause", ask what else has been going on. Keep cycle tracking simple. A pen and paper is a great place to start. Naomi cautions against relying on apps whose predictions are based on other people's data, especially when it comes to avoiding pregnancy. Small practices count. Breathing light from your heart down into your pelvic bowl, or standing barefoot on the grass, are simple ways to start reconnecting.
Episode Highlights
01:00: Meeting Naomi, and what holistic pelvic care and working with the fascia within the vagina actually involves 04:00: Why anatomical language matters, from talking to doctors to talking to our children 08:00: Vaginal steaming explained, and why Naomi sees it as a ritual of self-mothering 13:00: Conditioned to say yes: consent, smear tests and learning to feel your body's no 19:00: A simple practice to try at home, plus Naomi's free meditations on Insight Timer 32:00: Why Naomi believes the body responds intelligently, and why curiosity beats assumption 41:00: Naomi's two books, and what happened when Amazon removed the first one
About the Guest Naomi Gale is an author and guide whose work lives at the intersection of women's bodies, folklore, and the gendered stories that have kept women estranged from themselves. She works with undermothered women, holding them as they return to safety in their bodies, and particularly in their pelvis where creativity, grief, instinct, motherhood and identity converge. Her work draws on nervous system science, body-based practices, myth, and the long tradition of what culture has done to women's inner lives. Through writing, speaking and education she creates pathways back to embodiment that are both practical and deeply personal– translating complex ideas into grounded language and narrative that makes women say: this is me. Mentioned in the Episode
Ground Floor the Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1066910901 The Community Circle: https://thisisnaomigale.co.uk/vagina-workshop/ My website: https://thisisnaomigale.co.uk/homepage/ Insight Timer for free meditations and specific one Ground Floor, the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ground-floor-on-vaginismus-vulvodynia-and-other-ways/id1498365947 Vaginal Steaming reviews here. HPC
End Credits This episode was written and recorded by me and produced by Lucy Lucraft (lucylucraft.co.uk). If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!
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