Magamama With Kimberly Ann Johnson: Sex, Birth And Motherhood

In this episode, Kimberly and Eliza discuss intergenerational relationships, mother-daughter healing, and navigating parent-child dynamics during the preteen and teenage years in order to cultivate more conscious, self-loving, and resilient children. Eliza discusses how she began this work, alongside her mother, Sil Reynolds, as a teenager. They discuss the need for parents to have intergenerational support while parenting and for teens, holding space for rapid developmental changes and intensity through the teen years, and pushing back on negative cultural stereotypes of preteens and teens in order to raise more empowered youth.   Bio Eliza Reynolds is a best-selling author, speaker, and professional mentor. She’s the coauthor, with her mom, Sil, of Mothering and Daughtering: Keeping Your Bond Strong Through the Teen Years. For almost 15 years, Eliza has been facilitating sold-out workshops for thousands of mothers and their preteen and teen daughters, and now offers online and in-person mentorship programs

In the second of two episodes, Kimberly and Stephen discuss the roles of parents, grandparents and godparents in raising children. They attend to what might be some of the consequence of this gross fracturing of a sense of commons in the surge of conspiracy theories. And they wander through the territory of elderhood, grief, and awakening in a hope-free world.      What You'll Here: —The role of parenting —Grandparenting is not elder hood —Elderhood or grandparenting or godparenting —Opioids- the longing after beauty- “anesthetic” —Seeking not after approval but for blessing —If you choose to choose the world or you, give them to the world —Parents are in charge of custodial duties- the janitors —Closeness and intimacy belies the suspicion of distance —What was everyone on about before there was a vaccine —Euthanasia is consistent with death-phobia  —A personal truth? and the I-focus —Conception of God, the serenity prayer —Crisis- the imagined possibilities are frayed and are no more —There’s a clarity come

In this first of two episodes, Kimberly and Stephen look at what happens when we normalize these uniquely troubled times, as well as how we got here. Together they wonder about grief, parenting, elderhood, me-first culture and conspiracies in times of crisis. Stephen places emphasis on how relationship to history informs our present circumstance and meaning making. What do we gain by normalizing times such as these? Where does health come from? How do we reckon with our me-first world in a time so desperate for community and culture?   What You’ll Hear --Plague is not an easy thing to normalize, 1919 is the last time --Spirit work is a response to troubles of the times, not freedom from the troubles of the times --How wisdom is distinguished from prejudice --Our spirit work is our response to the world, not our feeling tone about the world --A puritan about your own fundamentalism --The last thing a conspiracy theorist does is imagine that their conspiracy is conspiratorial --Mania of challenging everything r

In this episode, Kimberly and Gay discuss his revolutionary term “upper limit problem,” which describes when a person’s capacity for feeling positive emotions is immediately followed by conflict or a dip. They also discuss how Gay discovered this phenomena and his life’s work regarding relationship building, aligning oneself with pure consciousness, and his passion for helping people discover their “genius” or true creativity. Gay discusses his experience being a thought leader of transformational psychology early in academia and mainstream culture and his thoughts on being an elder in today’s society.     Gay Hendricks is a psychologist, author of forty books (including “The Big Leap” and “Conscious Loving”), teacher, and therapist on all things regarding relationships and body-mind transformation. He received his PhD from Stanford University in Counseling Psychology and taught for twenty years at University of Colorado. With his wife, Dr. Kathleen Hendricks, he founded The Hendricks Institute where they coa

In this episode, Kimberly and Lisa discuss the lymph system and all its facets. Lisa describes what the lymph system is, what lymph drainage massage is and feels like, and the benefits of lymph massage for total well-being. They also discuss the importance of communication and safety in bodywork and how to perform self-massage on your lymph system. Kimberly and Lisa are going to host an upcoming workshop on lymph massage and listeners can check out Lisa’s new book, "The Book of Lymph" and website below for more resources.    Bio Lisa Levitt Gainsley is a Certified Lymphedema Therapist, Manual Lymphatic Drainage practitioner, Author, Educator, and Speaker. Her work has appeared in GOOP, ELLE, The Hollywood Reporter, Healthline and more. She has worked at UCLA Medical Center and been in private practice for 20 years. She holds a double certification in Lymphedema Therapy and is a member of the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN) and National Lymphedema Network (NLN). Lisa leads workshops acro

In this episode, Kimberly and Joanna discuss Joanna’s upbringing and personal history that ultimately birthed the artwork of The Fourth Trimester Journal. Joanna describes her experience as a Black adolescent growing up in Sweden, her identity as a mother and artist, her participation in Mother Jaguar and MotherCircle, and how she processes experience through her artwork. In addition to Joanna’s insights learned from Mother Circle, they discuss the racial politics of Sweden, performative anti-racism, and making meaningful change on individual and structural levels. They also discuss the importance of Black art, its contributions to the world, and how that influenced the creation and publishing of The Fourth Trimester Journal.   Bio Joanna Johnson is a self-taught artist and illustrator, social worker by trade and single mom from Sweden with roots from both Sweden and Sierra Leone, West Africa. She is also a beloved member of the Jaguar community and the featured artist and illustrator for the newly released T

In this episode, Kimberly and Kathleen discuss branding, identity, entrepreneurship, and privilege. Kathleen explains how her branding business came to be and her philosophy for how to brand oneself authentically. Kathleen describes her business, Braid Creative, and the Braid Method. Kimberly and Kathleen also discuss how to have difficult conversations around race, privilege, and capitalism as white women and entrepreneurs. Kathleen shares her expertise around branding and marketing to discuss tips of branding authentically as well as her perspective of recent politics through a marketing lens.    Bio Kathleen Shannon is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Braid Creative, a branding agency for entrepreneurs, small businesses and organizations. She is the author of “Being Boss: Take Control of Your Work and Live Life On Your Own Terms” and created the Braid Method, a formula for personal business branding.   What They Share  —The branding Braid Method —How to brand authentically —Navigating work and paren

In this episode, Kimberly and Lily discuss issues with conventional nutritional guidelines for pregnancy, which foods provide needed nutrients during pregnancy, and the importance of proper nourishment postpartum. Lily’s research on how food affects pregnancy culminates in her most recent book “Real Food for Pregnancy” which provides evidence-based data on best foods with the most health benefits, meal plans, and nutrient breakdowns for pregnancy and postpartum. Lily and Kimberly also discuss the commonalities between “Real Food for Pregnancy” and Kimberly’s “The Fourth Trimester” which both emphasize the importance of preparation and nourishment for postpartum.    Bio Lily Nicholas is a registered dietician and nutritionist, certified diabetes educator, and has built her career researching real food for pregnancy and gestational diabetes. Her work includes prenatal nutrition public policy, consulting, research, writing, and clinical practice. Her best-selling books “Real Food for Gestational Diabetes” and “R

In this episode, Kimberly and Hala discuss the nervous system’s role in self-regulation and social justice activism. Healing must happen individually and collectively by understanding and regulating the nervous system, establishing and maintaining heart-centered relationships, and working with each other towards liberation. They discuss how to move beyond one’s privilege towards discomfort in order to enact change for the greater good and why trauma-informed spaces are necessary for social justice activists and allies. Hala also describes the process of writing her book “Peace from Anxiety” and why it was written for this time.   Bio Hala is a yoga teacher, somatic counselor, trauma therapist, social justice activist, author, mother, and co-founder of Off the Mat and Collective Resilience Yoga. “Peace from Anxiety: Get Grounded, Build Resilience and Stay Connected Amidst Chaos” is Hala’s latest book which combines somatic experiencing with social justice through an intersectional lens of privilege and power-d

In this episode, Kimberly and Haize discuss Haize’s Get Rooted with Haize Doula Training, Haize’s experience as a doula and mentor, and birth work in relation to relationships, energy, and community-building. Haize describes her experience as a spiritual mentor and doula for birthing families and how her new doula training curriculum came to be. She also discusses how COVID-19 has impacted pregnant and birthing people, causing even more isolation and health risk factors. The pandemic in addition to Haize’s lifelong experiences have re-energized Haize in her trainings to focus on holding space, relationships, and community for birth workers, birthing families, and the community at large.     Bio Haize Hawk is a certified doula, student midwife, spiritual counselor and community leader, mother, and offers full-spectrum doula care. She recently created and runs doula trainings based on her decades of experience in holding birth as spiritual, a rite of passage, and initiation for families. Get Rooted the Haize Wa

Welcome to Jaguar Bites: new solo episodes where I break down big nervous system concepts into bite-sized pieces.   Jaguar Bites are meant to clarify some of the major ideas and misconceptions in somatic experiencing, polyvagal theory, sex education, as well as the birth world.   These podcast episodes are for you. They are also for anyone who you don't think will take a course or read a book; but who you really want to hear about how trauma works, how we heal from it, how the body is involved, and why it matters so much (especially right now in the world).

In this episode, Kimberly and Livia discuss Livia’s latest book “The Somatic Therapy Workbook” and how it came to be during a difficult marital separation. Livia shares how writing her book was an anchor in the midst of relationship chaos, all while mothering and how to co-regulate with children at developmentally appropriate ages. Livia walks us through her ultimate decision to separate from her ex-partner as healthy self-preservation, as well as the difficulties of doing so within a family unit.      Bio Livia Shapiro is a mother, long time yoga practitioner and teacher, somatic psychotherapist and author. Livia writes on the intersection of yoga, somatics, and psychology. She is the author of “The Somatic Therapy Workbook: stress-relieving exercises for strengthening the mind-body connection and sparking emotional and physical healing.” Her article “Yoga-Based Body Psychotherapy” is published in the International Journal of Body Psychotherapy and is a tool for weaving yoga and psychotherapy into a seamless

In this episode, Kimberly and Marisa Meltzer discuss body image within diet culture and the politics of food. Marisa discusses her latest book, This Is Big: How the Founder of Weight Watchers Changed the World -- and Me, which describes her relationship with food, her body, and dieiting. Feminist politics complicate how many women experience body image and dieting; additionally, food is largely cultural which further complicates how women navigate eating, weight, and their bodies within an ever-changing landscape. Kimberly and Marisa both discuss their personal experiences with their bodies and aversions to diet culture.     Bio Marisa Meltzer is a journalist based in NYC. She has written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The Guardian, New York Magazine, Vogue, and more. She has authored How Sassy Changed My Life and Girl Power: The Nineties Revolution Music, as well as her latest book This Is Big which discusses her personal relationship with weight, the founder of Weight Watchers, and die

Welcome to Jaguar Bites: new solo episodes where I break down big nervous system concepts into bite-sized pieces.   Jaguar Bites are meant to clarify some of the major ideas and misconceptions in somatic experiencing, polyvagal theory, sex education, as well as the birth world.   These podcast episodes are for you. They are also for anyone who you don't think will take a course or read a book; but who you really want to hear about how trauma works, how we heal from it, how the body is involved, and why it matters so much (especially right now in the world).

In this episode, Kimberly and Joan discuss how to develop resiliency and gracefulness in stressful times. Joan describes the mind-body connection when experiencing stress as well as how to embody bravery through connecting with others, music, nature, exercise, and more. Resilience and bravery are learned characteristics which require embodied acts to cultivate within oneself as part of living an authentic life.   Bio New York Times best-selling author,Dr. Joan Borysenko, is a world-renowned expert in stress management and mind-body medicine. Her training as a psychologist and cell biologist combined with her grace, sense of humor and ability to combine the latest neuroscience with mindfulness and personal stories, have made her a popular teacher worldwide. Enjoy this excerpt from her book, It's Not the End of the World: Developing Resilience in Times of Change.     What They Share  -Transforming stress to resiliency as a rite of passage -Mind-Body connection during stress -Socializing, nature, music, exercise

Welcome to Jaguar Bites: new solo episodes where I break down big nervous system concepts into bite-sized pieces. Jaguar Bites are meant to clarify some of the major ideas and misconceptions in somatic experiencing, polyvagal theory, sex education, as well as the birth world. These podcast episodes are for you. They are also for anyone who you don't think will take a course or read a book; but who you really want to hear about how trauma works, how we heal from it, how the body is involved, and why it matters so much (especially right now in the world).

In this episode, Sheri and Kimberly discuss female anatomy and arousal. Sheri shares that breathing, sound, and engagement of pelvic floor muscles enhance altered states of pleasure, similar to the experience of birth. Sheri shares the importance of how understanding female anatomy enhances arousal and the sexual experience in both child-bearing and post-menopausal years.    Bio Sheri Winston is a wholistic sexuality teacher, award-winning author, and medical professional. Her celebrated books Women’s Anatomy of Arousal: Secret Maps to Buried Pleasure and Succulent SexCraft: Your Hands-On Guide to Erotic Play and Practice share her medical knowledge in relation to sexuality. Additionally, her Wholistic Sexuality™ curriculum has over 50 classes covering subjects such as orgasmic abundance for men and women, integral genital anatomy, expanded arousal, sex and relationship skills, and holistic sexual and women’s reproductive health.   What They Share  Similarities between birth and sex Female anatomy during ar

Welcome to Jaguar Bites: new solo episodes where I break down big nervous system concepts into bite-sized pieces. Jaguar Bites are meant to clarify some of the major ideas and misconceptions in somatic experiencing, polyvagal theory, sex education, as well as the birth world. These podcast episodes are for you. They are also for anyone who you don't think will take a course or read a book; but who you really want to hear about how trauma works, how we heal from it, how the body is involved, and why it matters so much (especially right now in the world).

An excerpt from the Jaguar Mother 2021 course, Metzli discusses the postpartum experience according to the Mexican Indigenous tradition in which she was raised. She describes the baño pos-parto (postpartum ceremony) as a rite of passage from birth to motherhood, where women are cared for by the community with sobada (massage), rebozo (binding), herbs, baths, and other spiritual rituals. Postpartum is a sacred time not only for the baby but for the mother as well.   Bio Metztli Lopez Torres is a sobadora, doula, childbirth and lactation educator, anthropologist, feminist, mom, sister, daughter, friend, advocate of women's rights and environmentalist. Growing up in Mexico, she learned traditional ways of healing for pregnancy and postpartum, and after completing her bachelor and master degrees, began providing services during all stages of women's lives through her company Luna Mama.   What They Share  Metzli’s personal postpartum experiences for each of her babies Details of bano-post parto (postpartum ceremo

Kimberly and Alisa discuss female biohacking as an under-researched field, leaving many women feeling that they aren’t meeting society’s demands. While culture largely operates according to the 24-hour cycle (circadian), the 28-day cycle (infradian) significantly impacts women’s energy, productivity, and overall health. Alisa demonstrates the importance of women understanding their menstrual cycles in relation to food, fitness, and time management to sustain optimal health and vitality.   Bio Alisa Vitti is a woman’s hormone and functional nutrition expert and founder of FLO Living Hormone Center in Manhattan. A graduate from Johns Hopkins and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, she is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, and Harper’s Bazaar. She is the author of the best-selling books WomanCode and In the Flo and the creator of MyFLO, the #1 paid period app on iTunes and the first and only period tracking and cycle syncing app. Her work helps women understand the biochemistry of their