For as long as I can remember, I was taught to view our genes as a fixed blueprint that would determine the course of my life. I fully bought into that idea. Growing up, I experienced symptoms I was told I would inevitably have because it "runs in the family". I handed my destiny over to this idea, often saying, “That’s just the way I am because of my genetics.”

But then, something shifted in me. 

After plant medicine cracked me wide open, I began to question everything I had once accepted as truth. I realized I didn’t want the same genetic outcomes I had witnessed in my family. I wanted something different for myself and for my children. And I knew that I wasn’t willing to let my genes dictate my future so, I started searching. That’s when I discovered epigenetics.

Epigenetics is the study of how your environment, thoughts, behaviors, and experiences influence the way your genes are expressed. Dr. Bruce Lipton was the first person I had heard speak about this. He shared a study about foster children who had been adopted into families with a history of cancer. Although these children had no biological relation, they too, ended up being diagnosed with the same type of cancer after living with their new families. This supported the point that our genes do not necessarily determine the outcome, but rather the environmental factors that signal how the genes are expressed do.

When it comes to birth trauma, the body holds onto the experience in ways that go beyond conscious memory, and in many cases (including my own) the trauma will be passed down through generations. Now, if you look at trauma as an energetic response, and acknowledge that energy never dies, then you will come to the conclusion that any trauma experienced in your Mother’s lineage will remain until it has been transformed or "healed." This is why I always ask the women I work with if they know what their mother or grandmother's birth experience was like. Why? Because every woman is born with a finite number of eggs. This means, if your Grandmother experienced birth trauma, you were existing (energetically) within your own Mother's ovaries and that trauma was energetically imprinted onto you in some form.

Now, your Mother may have healed that trauma through her own life experience but if not, it is now your turn to take the opportunity to break the cycle. The womb remembers.

In order to create a new experience for yourself and all the women who come after you, you will need to begin practicing ways to signal genes that will support a new birth experience. You have the power, how cool is that?! 

Here's a few steps you can take today:

• Self Reflection - What situations make you feel out of balance in your life & where in your body do you notice that feeling?
• Environment - What changes do you need to make in your external environment to feel fully supported? What changes can you make in your internal environment?
• Beliefs - What belief system do you currently hold that does not align with your birth desires?
• Habits - Are your daily habits helping you thrive or holding you back?

Mindfulness Exercise:

• Sit with yourself for 10 minutes in complete silence. Do not have any distractions present. Observe your thoughts. Are they benefitting you & helping you align with your dream birth experience?

Through my own experience, I have learned that none of us is a victim to our genes. We are in a relationship with them. And through that relationship, we hold the power to signal safety, to promote healing, and to create a new experience within our body—one grounded in pure bliss. 

Note: The views expressed here do not exclusively represent the views of Materia+ and governing entities.