“Within the embryo, mind and body aren’t separate.”

Cherionna Menzam-Sills, PhD began teaching Embodied Embryology through somatic movement in 1997 as part of her doctoral studies in Pre- & Perinatal Psychology, which led to her teaching at Naropa University and the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute. She has taught and facilitated Pre- and Perinatal Psychology/Therapy, Continuum (a mindful movement practice), and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy internationally, often with her husband, Biodynamics pioneer Franklyn Sills. She currently offers post-graduate training for practitioners to enhance their skill in recognizing and meeting prenatal and birth material arising in session work, as well as small womb surround process workshops, for which she is an approved facilitator through Castellino Trainings. Her background includes extensive study with Pre- and Perinatal Psychology pioneers William Emerson and Ray Castellino, and Continuum founder, Emilie Conrad, who authorized her to teach Continuum in 2007. Cherionna has authored three books, The Breath of Life: An Introduction Craniosacral Biodynamics, Spirit into Form: Exploring Embryological Potential and Prenatal Psychology, and the forthcoming Birth as Shadow: Shining Light on our Prenatal and Birth Experiences. Cherionna is committed in her work & life to embodied presence. 

In this episode, we talked about:

• Cherionna has a desire to distil complicated themes into simple and accessible ideas. Her book ‘Spirit into Form’ was inspired by her doctoral studies in pre- and perinatal psychology, which included exploration of embryology.

• She realised the importance of embryology, with the developing psyche in utero intertwined with the developing body- a time of constant change.

• She has an MA in Somatic Psychotherapy and  Dance Movement Psychotherapy

• Susan Aposhyan , a teacher of Body-Mind Centering.

• Cherionna described trying to read embryology books in her study groups, and using diagrams and mind maps and exploring through the body and movement.

• “Within the embryo, mind and body aren’t separate.”

• Cellular learning and remembering

• Continuum is a mindful fluid movement approach developed by Emilie Conrad

• Continuum takes us into the direct experience of embryological states and our original potential through the use of sounds and movement.

• By slowing down, we come into a more fluid state, akin to an embryo. This is more of an experience of being rather than doing state.

• “We can be seen as a fluid unfolding of an innate in intelligence. It's the same intelligence that created the membrane of the first cell, the intelligence that moves Galaxies and iguanas we inhabit the sea of intelligent life becoming us to enter.” Emilie Conrad.

• Somatic Embryo Explorations - a new book that Cherionna is working on.

• Fluid in the cosmos meeting. 

• Life on Land by Emilie Conrad

• “The embryo is spiralled water. The cosmos is spiralled water”. Emilie Conrad.

• Water is a highly resonant element.

• In Continuum, there is an opening to source - something vast and energetic. 

• Fluidic expression- described as the primordial anatomy - where there is more sense of the whole of us and everything is connected . When there is further slowing, there’s a more energetic, suspended state that is nourishing and spacious.

• “We’re spirit, cosmos, spiralling into form”. 

• The body is still here, waiting for us to remember.

• Embodiment is a grounded state. By remembering to stay in our own bodies, we don’t get lost ‘out there’

• The difference between a madman and a visionary is relevance.

• Midline through the spine and energetically as an antenna - experience roots going deep down 

• Little one consciousness - where the mother’s experience is translated to the baby. 

• Research shows that the mother’s stress impacts the baby. The baby is sensitive to the mother’s psyche, as they are preparing to go into the mother’s world. They can’t differentiate between the mother’s stress and their stress.

• When working with babies, they can express their experience of being in the womb and being born

• Relational support . awareness of experiences . not everyone has access to therapeutic support but it’s possible to use resources such as books and podcasts.

• Birth as Shadow: Shining Light on our Prenatal and Birth Experience 

• APPPAH - birthpsychology.com 

• The many feelings and challenges of pregnancy and the need for support.

• Education around the sensitivity of babies - being able to differentiate for them.

• The importance of repair for things we might have missed eg saying “I’m sorry that was hard for you”.

• Pre and perinatal psychology is the time before and around our birth, and how that affects us throughout our lives. It’s a relatively new field but Freud recognised the impact of birth issues and early experiences. 

• With pre and perinatal experiences, they are rarely acknowledged and may even be dismissed. When the memories aren’t reinforced, they fade away.

• Intrauterine and birth trauma is relatively common.

• Acting out and language can be indicative of what’s happened before, eg recurrent bangs to an area of the head where there has already been birth trauma, or saying phrases such as “I feel so stuck”.

• It’s helpful to slow down when doing trauma work.

• Many people have lost a twin before birth and this isn’t always known by others. This can be a profound and unacknowledged loss. It’s particularly common with assisted fertility. There may be a representation of this loss shown in a child’s play or interactions.

• The importance of acknowledging the baby’s presence when working with a pregnant woman/ person.

• The developing nervous system requires slowing down to process all the new things that are being experienced. 

• They need to be welcomed - during the pregnancy as well as after the birth - to let them know that they are safe.

• Giving a heads up when a procedure is being done, eg a caesarean birth or forceps delivery, or even in some assisted fertility techniques such as ICSI (where the sperm is injected directly into the egg) - to reduce shock and acknowledge the path that was taken.

• Heart connection - placing a hand on the heart and listening. Sense of breath moving in and out. Resting in the heart with unconditional acceptance. Visualise the little one within us with the heart beating. Welcoming and holding them in our heart. Gratitude and letting them know we’ve made it.

You can learn more about Cherionna and her work at:

www.birthingyourlife.org – Cherionna’s website

www.resourcingyourlife.org – online school of Cherionna and Franklyn Sills

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