She is Ashley Oros, also known as Mama Yum. Above all, Ashley is a heartful mother to two spirited boys, dedicated to parenting with intention and integrity to contribute to healing our world.
She proudly wears the badge of a professional nurturer, drawing upon 13 years of expertise in Holistic Child Development. Holding a Teaching Credential in Early Childhood Education, Ashley brings a wealth of knowledge from 20 years in the Healing Arts. Her diverse skills include being a bodyworker, meditation teacher, ceremonialist, and Advanced Theta Healing Practitioner. Additionally, Ashley is an Integrative Trauma Coach, Certified Innate Traditions Postpartum Care Practitioner, Ayurvedic Doula, and Community Supported Postpartum Facilitator.
Ashley’s focus revolves around mothers and their cherished ones, as she strives to create a nurturing space for healing and growth in the journey of motherhood.
Find out more about this fascinating person in the latest MysticMag interview.
Can you explain your approach to trauma-informed care and how it informs your practice as an Integrative Trauma Coach? How do you tailor your support to meet the unique needs of each client, particularly during the postpartum period?
As a Professional Nurturer and Holistic Educator who specializes in working with mothers, my approach to trauma-informed care is at the core of my practice. I have been working as a professional in the Healing Arts for nearly 20 years and have supported hundreds of people through various forms of trauma. Trauma-informed care is a framework that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma on individuals and seeks to create an environment of safety, trust, and empowerment for clients. I prioritize their unique needs and work collaboratively to facilitate their healing and growth, especially during the postpartum period, recognizing that this is a particularly vulnerable and transformative time for mothers.
My work is unique because I focus on high nurturing and integrative healing arts. I try to harness a resonance of Divine Love and serve from a very intentional place. The first 3 years after having a baby is still considered early postpartum and can be the most sensitive time in a woman’s life. Most people are inquisitive when I tell them that I am a Professional Nurturer in response to their asking if I am a postpartum doula. I have spent many years working in the realm of birth and many birth doulas still assume postpartum doulas are baby-centric and are gratified domestic helpers. This work is greatly underappreciated in the States, whereas it is seen as common practice and an essential component of the community in most other cultures. I have many years of specialized education and experience under my belt and my work includes body-based integrative practices that range from mindfulness and meditation to somatic and subconscious work known as Advanced Theta Healing, which creates rapid shifts in perspective and creates a container of peace.
I got my start in postpartum care while volunteering for a non-profit that provides comprehensive aftercare for survivors of human trafficking. This experience greatly informs how I show up for my clients. I do not make any assumptions, I ask quality questions, and practice deep listening. I offer traditional hands-on healing, nourishing the senses and providing compassionate care, much like the practices and wisdom shared with each of our inherited lineages. The grand majority of us came from complex childhoods and many people are interested in re-parenting themselves as a part of their healing journey. I have never had a client who did not love receiving a feminine touch from someone that they felt they could trust. It can be deeply reparative for those with major trust fractures or attachment issues. I love to feed people, cook meals from scratch, and also make my herbal medicines. Many underestimate how important this gesture is when you cook from your soul to nourish others.
When we carry life, give birth, and raise our children, there are a lot of feelings of undersupport and overwhelm that loom on top of all the burdens that are invisible to the external world. Birthing or caring for an infant strips you to your core. We meet triggers that we didn’t expect to face and it can bring up many undesirable emotions and be straining on mental health. Issues that we might have been ignoring, denying, repressing, dissociating, numbing, or avoiding can creep up to the surface after having children. Our wombs/pelvises hold many imprints and inform our subconscious beliefs, biases, and behaviors. The energy of our “root” holds our feelings of safety and security, and sometimes fears, doubts, and insecurities are passed on from intergenerational patterns through epigenetics or our childhood imprints, conscious or unconscious.
It seems like a cosmic joke to try to be our “best self” when holding all the demands of motherhood, the societal pressures of the modern woman, and tending to relationships and careers when we are still working out how to re-parent ourselves. I am guessing that the vast majority of us were not mothered in a way that feels archetypal. Most holistic mothers/parents desire to parent from a selfless place, but it ends up being “self-last” and can feel extremely lonely, and isolating, often to the point of pondering a downward spiral of existential questions. My teacher, Rachelle Garcia Seliga, says the health of the child/family is only as healthy as the mother, which determines the health of society. There are many bright lights in the world working to refocus our energies on what is essential in life. Caring for new life (infants birth-3) and their Mothers with dignity and reverence should be non-negotiable.
I offer a course called Family SOUL-ution that empowers Mothers through personal development, holistic child development, and lineage tending to generate a Legacy of Love. I was fortunate to have been an Early Childhood Educator, specializing in holistic child development when I became pregnant with my first son. Though I was trauma-informed and well-educated on human development, nothing could have prepared me for the developmental trauma that my son experienced in utero and the lasting implications and imprints that we still experience daily. He is 6.5 years old now and there are many complications that we are still working through. I have also experienced complex trauma which led to chronic health issues and had to navigate having Lyme while pregnant and nursing two children barely 20 months apart. My personal experiences of healing allow me to be a much more empathic, loving, and understanding practitioner. Here are a few ways I incorporate trauma-informed care into my work:
I begin by recognizing that trauma can take many forms, including physical, emotional, energetic, or psychological experiences. I spend a great deal of time educating myself about the complexities of gestational/birth imprints, developmental trauma, intergenerational patterns, attachment theory, re-parenting needs, mental and emotional health, and their potential effects on mothers during the prenatal, postpartum, and parenting phases.
I prioritize creating a safe and non-judgmental space for my clients. This means actively listening to their stories and experiences without making assumptions or imposing my judgments. I live in the US and I find that we are the only industrialized nation that does not support the family dynamic. I call this spiritual bankruptcy. Every other culture on the planet has systems in place to support new parents and infants with education, paid family leave, paid quality childcare (if desired), and socialized health care for all. In addition, there are Universal practices to care for Mothers for the first 6 weeks after birth, where the community takes care of all the responsibilities so the mother and baby can bond. I have plenty of my ideals but we have to meet reality where it is and change it from the inside out. This starts with education and compassion, not judgment.
I emphasize the importance of client autonomy and empowerment. I encourage my clients to actively participate in their healing process by making informed choices about the support and strategies they feel most comfortable with. In this way, I act as an aunt and gently encourage the family to make healthy, educated decisions, emphasizing our physiological needs.
I am sensitive to potential triggers and understand that certain topics or situations can be retraumatizing for my clients. I strive to use trauma-sensitive language and approaches that minimize retraumatization.
Tailoring support to meet the unique needs of each client is a fundamental aspect of my practice. During the postpartum period, I recognize that every mother’s experience is distinct and that healing is not linear and should not be pathologized without understanding the entire picture. There is no pill to fix what is essentially a massive signal of our culture being out of harmony with our biological design and traditional ways of caring for others in the community. Dr. Darcia Narvez of Notre Dame is pioneering this understanding called the Evolved Nest, providing a baseline for optimizing normal development.
In the role of a Certified Innate Traditions Postpartum Care Practitioner, what are the key aspects of traditional postpartum care that you emphasize? How do you adapt these practices to suit clients from diverse cultural backgrounds and belief systems?
As an Innate Postpartum Practitioner, the nurturing I offer is comprehensive. Rachelle Garcia Seliga is a powerful and wise force in this world. She created this training as a way of “midwifing a cultural shift”. To be the counterbalance to a culture that does not respect the sacredness of the “primal continuum of life” and all it encompasses. Innate Postpartum Care for mothers ensures a thriving life for humanity. The 9-month program is unlike any other course I have ever experienced and felt like a rite of passage in itself. As women, we learn not only how to be fully human, but how to be in the right relationship with life and how to be in service from this wholeness, aligned with our physiologic design. The beautiful thing about postpartum care is that there are universal principles that are found in every culture that address intentional healing rituals in the first 40 days after birth or roughly 6 weeks.
If you look at the traditional ways of indigenous peoples you will still find that their ways of caring for new mothers and babies are still alive and well. Traditions such as Sutika Parcharya in Ayurveda, the “Golden Month” Traditional Chinese Medicine, Cuarentena in Mesoamerican or Traditional Mexican Medicine, as well as in the practices of African Wisdom Keepers, and many other first Nations peoples have what are now coined by Kimberly Ann Johnson as the “5 Universal Postpartum Needs”. These are pillars that are commonly found in all parts of the globe. We should give a great deal of honor, reverence, and gratitude to the BIPOC community for all they have always done, to carry this wisdom, despite the oppression and hardships faced against them and the current efforts to decolonize birth and parenting. We should all do our part to place the power back into their hands and support their work in the world as the gap in maternal and infant mortality between white and Black/Indigenous people is deplorable.
How we treat the mother-baby dyad in those first few months plays a huge role in their well-being for life. The majority of my clients know they want to be “held in wholeness” but they have never experienced another human caring for them in this tender, vulnerable, and meaningful way. I make suggestions on ways that I can nurture them through warmth (temperature and chemistry) touch, made-from-scratch nutrient-dense foods and herbal remedies, preparing the environment, and providing essential education as well as simply holding space and listening. Most women are open to being cared for with some encouragement but have difficulty receiving it in our culture. To many, the notion of receiving is almost foreign. I have to work hard to educate on the importance of extended rest because even with having the information on why this is essential (the first pillar) many new mothers will still be getting out of bed to do housework. Our cultural messaging tells us to “bounce back” and be a “warrior” which is programming for “you have to do everything all at once or you are not good enough” and by the way, “ the capitalist machine waits for no one”.
Many of our Mothers and even Grandmothers were conditioned to believe that they had to do it all on their own, so in essence, the majority of us have lost the models that demonstrate how to honor this time as a sacred portal to access our power. When properly cared for, we increase our wellness in body, mind, and soul and that fuels our paths as intentional parents. This should not be taken for granted because we can rapidly shift the consciousness of the planet by how we treat birth and beyond.
How do you adapt these practices to suit clients from diverse cultural backgrounds and belief systems?
No matter how our birth unfolds, how we are supported after birth offers a time to lay a healthy foundation for the well-being of ourselves and our children; essentially, how we can show up and care for the next generation. Through reclaiming the ways of our collective ancestors, we are ushering in the revolution we all desire. When working with various cultures and backgrounds, I do my best to be culturally informed and provide ritualistic ways that are in alignment with their lineage. If they are disconnected from their roots, I do the research and at least try to offer some traditional foods or even write a blessing to the baby in the language of their known ancestors. I am keen to ask what they are desiring of me and I am clear about my scope of practice.
I am extremely careful not to culturally appropriate any practices but source ways to cultivate ceremonies that are in alignment with what I call “terrestrial and celestial truths.” I combine energy healing, bodywork, embodiment and elemental rituals, guided visualizations, sound healing, and herbal wisdom into my offerings. If the family has a specific set of beliefs and values, I honor those, educate myself, and always follow the family’s lead. Most of the families I serve, hold core family values that are rooted in harmony with the Earth (natural ways of living) and seek me out because I share this value. For many folks, ceremonial arts are relatively unknown but tremendously appreciated.
Can you describe your experience in facilitating postpartum support within a community setting? How do you create a supportive and inclusive environment for new mothers and families within a community-based context?
I have facilitated Community Supported Postpartum Groups, modeled after Kerry Ingram of Village Tenders as well as mini retreats for Mothers, and group ceremonies. These groups have been open to anyone who desires to connect with other mothers as my work is mother-centered. I provide a sliding scale model and scholarships and many have been pampered for hours with no financial or energetic exchange. We have some supporters who desire to simply provide care for other mothers in need. These groups have included women who are not biological mothers themselves and have various views on pregnancy, birth, and parenting. Compassion and care are universal needs and “mother” is an archetype.
When I am facilitating, I am not in the role of the educator, I am providing care through rituals and embodiment practices, not focused as much on teaching. There is plenty of space for the attendees to share openly about their stories and experiences. What many people are seeking is the community and being seen, heard, and understood when they feel the opposite of that in their personal lives. Motherhood can feel like a thankless job. I feel the pains of this along with the wrath of my children because they do not have the cognitive capacity or the life experience to understand all we do and sacrifice for our families. This connection that we find in the circle of other kindred spirits and the stories we share, can feel revelatory and provide a balm for those feeling the overwhelming pains of modern parenting.
Communication and empathy are critical in your line of work. Can you share an example of a challenging client situation or experience and how you effectively communicated, provided support, and navigated the difficulties?
I have worked with many people who have been coerced by the medical system and felt that they had their rights or options taken from them when in a hospital setting. There are a tremendous amount of fear-based tactics that are imposed on birthing people. With few exceptions, most of my clients have felt disappointed with how they birthed when they did not have full autonomy. Many desired to have a physiologic (natural birth) with no interventions but felt pressured to accept them which made them feel defeated or powerless. We do not realize that the uterus does not involute (return to its pre-pregnancy state) for about 6 weeks but the average mother in the US goes back to work at 4 weeks. A puppy in this country can not be legally separated from its mother for 8 weeks! Serious problem. The number of cesarean births in this country is overwhelming. I am choosing not to quantify what is an “emergency cesarean”. Healing from this major surgery is no walk in the park and few can take the proper time to fully heal before getting back to reality. The surgeons cut through the abdominal wall and uterus where the yin energy meridian channels are severed. Western Medicine does not acknowledge the energetic meridians of the body though this ancient science has been documented for many thousands of years. Qi (vital life force/etheric energy) is then greatly compromised and can be a root cause of many other health issues later in life. I can help restore the flow of energy in various ways, in partnership with my clients.
Together, we can work on subconscious renegotiation through Advanced Theta Healing. There is no quick fix for trauma but I can honestly say that Theta Healing is the quickest path to real solutions that I have ever found in my 20 years in the alternative wellness industry. Roughly 90% of our emotions and memories are held in our subconscious but most people are trying to address all of their issues by thinking and analyzing but remain trapped in the loop. I commend them for that and there is an easier path where subconscious work can be incredibly complementary to other therapies. Accessing a theta brain wave state through a specialized “road map” technique helps us to gently and rapidly reprogram the mind. And many clients would agree that it can feel like a miracle after even one or two sessions.
We can also do reiki and other hands-on and off-energy work to support the body in its healing as well as work with approved herbal allies. I always recommend a Women’s Pelvic P.T. and encourage each client to utilize all the tools in their tools box including working with a Therapist if Postpartum anxiety or depression is present. Perinatal depressive disorders (mental health issues) among new mothers in the US is extremely high, about half a million each year! This is why caring for mothers and children during pregnancy and birth, and especially in the first year is essential, not a luxury.
When working with new mothers who were survivors of human trafficking, I was keenly sensitive to all they were holding, though I could never truly understand. Many of these women were treated as if they never mattered and they were dehumanized. Many of them were doing their best to be good mothers but had a hard time caring for themselves. The non-profit organization that I was volunteering through, took care of all of the financial support for housing, aftercare, and essentials like food, utilities, and often brand-new baby gear galore. They provided many forms of supportive therapies and that had a tremendous impact on comprehensive recovery. I came in to pamper the survivors, provide essential education on baby care, and provide home tending. Breastfeeding can be complicated in general but when your body has been sold as a commodity, it can trigger complex emotions and even pose psychological and physiological hardship, negatively affecting the bond between mother and baby. I always let the client lead and many truly wanted to share this form of bonding with their children, for others, it was too much. Adding pressure is never beneficial.
If it was a typical client, I would encourage breastfeeding, we are mammals after all and thankfully there is a ton of science to back up why human milk is preferred over formula when possible (no judgment). Navigating difficulties takes patience and a sheer willingness to show up with love, non-judgment, and tenacity. I pray for each of my clients to flourish and I take as many actionable steps as I can to ensure this success. I only take on a few clients at a time so I can be fully present. I remind everyone that they are marvelous and capable of doing hard things and that there are seasons to life. I never say, “This too shall pass”, but I do point to the fact that all things in nature shift and change and that metamorphosis is in process. Within this understating lies the understanding of impermanence. I provide many mindfulness and breathwork techniques to support their nervous systems and try to create several layers of support energetically, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This is the holistic lens.
How do you stay updated on the latest research and best practices in the field of postpartum care, trauma coaching, and Ayurveda? Can you provide an example of a recent development or trend that has influenced your approach to your work?
As far as keeping up on research and trends, I love learning and spend a great amount of time researching, continuing my education through various workshops, courses, and certification programs, reading countless books and articles (kind of a junkie), listening to podcasts and always keeping up with what my teachers and mentors are saying as well as what they are offering. I pay careful mind/ heart to the elders. I am in several online groups that have been created as platforms for healers, birth workers, and intentional parenting groups.
I remain committed to maintaining an open mind and checking my biases as I continue my journey in the field. It’s been both an honor and a privilege to be part of the effort to reshape the way we perceive and address trauma, birth, and parenting in our society. We’ve departed from the wisdom of our ancestors in these aspects.
While there are countless individuals and organizations I’d love to acknowledge for their contributions to this cause, the list is extensive, and I wouldn’t want to inadvertently omit anyone deserving of credit. This path I’ve chosen is not just a career; it’s my spiritual calling, my passion, and my dharma. There’s nothing more sacred than the process of birth, and we must honor the entire cycle of life, from birth to wholeness and the portal of death. My role is to honor life through nurturing.
Despite the complexities and politics surrounding these issues, I am committed to working to reshape our collective understanding, support, and treatment of these processes for as long as I live. It’s a mission that I will carry with me until my last breath.
At Raising Our Rootz, our unwavering mission has always been to protect and preserve the sanctity of childhood. As I transitioned from the classroom to a post-birth guardian, I’ve come to realize that the most profound way to enrich a child’s life is by educating and caring for their mothers, beginning long before conception.
It all begins with the well-being of mothers, not just during pregnancy but throughout their journey as parents. In a world where many aspire to be changemakers, I fervently believe that true transformation and the elevation of global consciousness start with providing mothers and children with the highest level of care and support at every stage.
Our dedication is rooted in honoring the innate, biologically-driven design of motherhood and childhood, one that prioritizes the health and well-being of both mothers and children over modern conveniences. It is my heartfelt prayer that we, as a society, recognize that by empowering mothers and following the natural course of nurturing, we can help our children flourish and create a brighter, more harmonious world for generations to come. All of who I am and what I offer aims to break the toxic cycles of cultural and generational conditioning and help families generate a Legacy of Love.
