Hello Dear Ones,

I would like to invite you in supporting me to attend a mayan womb apprenticeship and mayan abdominal womb massage training with mayan elders and midwives in Guatemala starting April 10th.

This opportunity feels edgy, exciting and scary to enter into this sacred work as I know I will be forever charged by this experience and know the deep impact it could have on the ones in my community as well. It feels edgy because I know it will require me to go deep and be vulnerable and to feel truly supportive, requires me to ask for financial support.

Yes, I could go it alone and put the extra on a credit card and yet, knowing this is collective work, I desire to lean into the opportunity to be open to receive, knowing that these sacred practices are needed in our communities.

I have learned in order to fully hold others, we also have to learn to be vulnerable enough to let ourselves be held by others. Most of us struggle with being held as it might not have felt safe growing up and over time we learned to be the strong ones and hyper independent. We need each other especially now as we are slowly learning to let ourselves be witnessed in our authenticity. So this is me learning to put my lessons into practice, even if it's scary.

I have been on a journey with my own body, womb and cycle for the last 5 years after realizing how disassociated and disconnected I was from my body, especially my womb. I have noticed how much shame and grief is held tightly in this space. I know I am not alone in this experience, especially with those of us that have experienced sexual abuse.

As I started pelvic floor therapy last winter, I realized I longed for a more nourshing way to connect & heal these muscles that have been contracted and causing me pain other than in an office doing softening and strengthening exercises twice a week. I decided to start researching mayan abdominal massage and find a way to learn and experience it as close to the source as I could.

After a rabbit hole of research I found these amazing women in Guatemala at https://www.rukuxkawoq.com.

The offerings of the Ecology of Women allows us to live in community with mayan elders and midwives, to forage, create, to be held in ceremony and learn from women who have passed down this knowledge for centuries. It allows us to show up for our own work before holding that space for others.

After this apprenticeship I will have a few days to integrate before I step into the Mayan Abdominal Womb Massage "Sobata" training, where we learn the anatomy, the flow and practice on of this sacred practice on each other to become proficient so we can offer it to our communities. We will use the balms and medicines we created and gathered during our immersion for this massage training.

The cost for both of these trainings with airfore and lodging is $4200-$2700 training/ $1500 air fare + lodging + travel.

It starts in less than a month, on April 10th and i plan on flying out on April 8th. I have about half of the money right now. Extra support would allow me to attend this training with less credit card debt and have money to pay for a place to live when I come back to Grand Rapids the beginning of May. My intention is to have the resources for a grounded container to see clients from after this training and mentorship.

Also 13 percent of the $2700 goes directly to help build and construct a mayan birthing home in Guatemala for this community.

It's my desire to offer mayan womb massage to my community in addition to the body and energy work I already practice. There are very few women who know these sacred practices in the US and I consider it a honor to be gifted with the opportunity to learn from women who have passed down this knowledge for generations.

I am half Hispanic (Spanish & Mexican) on my mothers side and this practice was most likely something my great grandmother received in Mexico and it feels extra special to be able to offer this supportive medicine to my sisters, cousins and friends in the future.

I am offering 13 percent off of any future sessions to those who want to pay in advance towards working with me or off future products I may create. Note *future sessions* on donation.

I am also open to receive without expectations, if you would like to support me in attending this training and immersion. All gifts will be received with deep gratitude and love.

You can also send funds to my venmo at shannon-underwood-9,

cash app at $shannonu29.

In times like these, it feels imperative to connect to community, to our roots and truth, to remember our creative power and lean into showing up and creating space for collective joy, rest and nourishment.

Thank you for being a part of my journey and for your support. It's a honor to be in community with you.

In love,

Shannon Underwood