From the moment of conception, our earliest experiences shape the foundation of who we become. Yet, much of what unfolds in the womb and during birth remains locked in the body, influencing us in ways we may not consciously recognize. Dr. Cherionna Menzam-Sills has spent over 45 years exploring this hidden realm, guiding individuals toward healing and deeper embodiment. A leading voice in prenatal and perinatal therapy, a Continuum teacher, and a Biodynamic Craniosacral therapist, Dr. Menzam-Sills weaves together wisdom from pioneers such as William R. Emerson, Ray Castellino, and Emilie Conrad. Her work illuminates how early imprints shape our nervous system, emotional patterns, and capacity for presence in the world. Through her books—The Breath of Life, Spirit into Form, and The Prenatal Shadow—she invites us to gently uncover and integrate these deep-rooted experiences. In this conversation with Mystic Mag, she shares insights on the prenatal period’s profound impact, the power of somatic inquiry, and how we can cultivate presence and resilience by tending to our earliest stories.
You talk about all this in the context of the feminine and how it has been overpowered. How is prenatal development an expression of the feminine?
Shadow is a term from Carl Jung referring to aspects of ourselves that we hold in the unconscious because they are considered unacceptable. In our modern world, where masculine principles of linearity, control, and analysis dominate, the feminine with all its biological wisdom and mystery becomes relegated to shadow. This includes the feminine process of gestation and birth. Prenatal development occurs within a feminine body. It is an organic process. Babies are intuitive, sensitive, receptive beings, embodiments of these feminine qualities. Birth is most satisfying and least traumatising for both mother and baby when it is supported within a feminine stance of sensitive, respectful listening, offering layers of support. In that our earliest experience is usually not acknowledged in a world that values what is tangible and measurable, it is relegated to the unconscious shadow. This starkly contrasts the way traditional Indigenous cultures have revered pregnancy, birth, and the feminine as sacred mystery.
What do you see as the key message of The Prenatal Shadow?
The key message of The Prenatal Shadow is that awareness is valuable as a first step in healing and an effective way to prevent unnecessary trauma. Where we have experienced trauma as parents, birth attendants, health or medical practitioners, teachers, etc., we tend to act out our trauma unconsciously. This can pass it on to those around us, including innocent babies arriving into life. Our own prenatal and birth trauma may be expressed as violence towards Mother Earth, as well as to birthing mothers and babies, and people or species we see as different from ourselves. The most important step we can take to interrupt this cycle is to shine the light of awareness on ourselves and our own history. This enables us to make conscious choices and to do repair with those who have suffered because of our early experience.
What type of services do you offer?
My work draws on my varied training and experience in Craniosacral Biodynamics, the mindful movement practice of Continuum, Somatic Psychotherapy, and prenatal and birth psychology. I have offered all these therapies over the years, including supervision and mentoring. At this point, as well as offering classes and workshops in these areas, I offer small womb surround process workshops to facilitate healing early trauma. I also provide training for practitioners in pre- and perinatal therapy. All of these are offered online.
You refer to “original embryological potential” in Chapter 3. What do you mean by that? Why is it important?
We begin life as a unicellular organism, once the egg and sperm have united. This relatively simple organism has amazing potential to develop a complex human body. Little embryos also have remarkable awareness and responsiveness to their environment, which enables them to prepare to live in the world their mother experiences. Imagine if we as adults, usually rigidly set in our ways, could remember and retrieve qualities the embryo exhibits, such as the ability to just be, rather than doing, to learn and adapt to rapidly changing form, and be receptive to the gifts of the present, rather than being stuck in the pain and protection of a traumatic past. When we encounter overwhelming challenges, even as early as in the womb, we may begin to lose touch with the original potential of the embryo, which goes into shadow. We can return to it, when we slow down, listen, and become curious, as we do in meditative practices like Continuum and Craniosacral Biodynamics. We then experience enhanced aliveness, health, creativity, and resilience.
How can such early experience before the brain develops have a profound influence on us?
The brain and nervous system begin forming in the womb. Although we in the modern world are taught that learning and memory depend on the brain, researchers have been refining their methods to demonstrate that memory begins much earlier than we had believed. Newborns have definite preferences for their mother’s smell, face, and voice. They also recognise her language, having heard it for some time before birth. Even before the brain begins developing, the embryo responds to its environment, much as does any cell. If a toxin is added to the solution a cell floats in during a scientific experiment, the cell intelligently contracts, withdrawing from the toxin. The embryo does the same.
Cells also demonstrate memory. Consider the immune system, which functions when its cells recognise a foreign substance, and create a receptor site to catch it if it returns. This is memory, essential for survival. Brain and nervous system development arise from the foundation of cellular intelligence preceding them. Moreover, not all memory requires brain development. There are different types of memory. Verbal, explicit memory needs specific parts of the brain to function. Prenatal, and other preverbal, memory is recorded in the body and emotions. When this implicit memory is triggered by current events, it feels like the trauma or other event from the past is happening now. It is unconscious. We may react to a situation like a helpless baby, feeling fear, grief, or rage, or being too frozen to act. We may go through life being depressed or hyper-sensitive. Life, relationships, and adult functioning can be overwhelming if we are acting out prenatal trauma. Fortunately, acknowledging what has happened in our past can help to liberate us from having to repeat it endlessly. We can then return to our original embryological potential.
