Born Free Method: The Podcast

FOR THE DADS is a series of podcasts that will provide helpful insights to current or soon-to-be fathers! Cal and Peyton Callahan have become dear friends. I invited them on the podcast for a variety of reasons. They model the tribulations of conscious partnership and child-raising, and they have also created an e-book titled "She BECOMES: A Dad's Guide to His Developing Daughter", which provides information and language for fathers to become involved in their daughters' experiences in developing from adolescence through puberty into womanhood. We also get into the weeds on home birth, fear, issues within the medical industrial complex, birth as the re-birth of a woman, from maiden to motherhood, and the cycles of life. This interview brought tears to my eyes...I know you'll enjoy![13:30] - A love story: growth through partnership[26:30] - Cal was present at a mass shooting[30:00] - Finite versus infinite games[40:00] - A birth story: things get shaken up by kids[49:00] - Mothers are born through birth[55:00] - Home birth: "don't suck from the fear teat"[01:10:00] - Getting dad involved in puberty and fertility awareness (Peyton's e-book)[01:30:00] - Transitions in life / life cycles[01:39:30] - Q: "What is the role of a father?" A: "Be vulnerable"Links from the show:Peyton's free ebook, "She BECOMES: A Dad's Guide to His Developing Daughter"Peyton and Cal on InstagramCal's podcast: The Great UnlearnThe Business of Birth Control (film) (Code BELOVED50 gets you 50% off!)Try Feel Free (Code BELOVED40 gets you 40% off!)Finite and Infinite Games, by James CarseMy online store (discounts on many products mentioned in the show)Find me on Instagram @nathanrileyobgyn and my practice at: www.BelovedHolistics.comSponsored by:FullWell Fertility - Use code BELOVED10 for 10% off the best prenatal vitamin on the market (and check out their vitality and nerve support tonic!)Fit for Birth - With this link, you'll save 20% on personal prenatal exercise coaching (for individuals) or courses to improve your coaching practice (for coaches)!Music by: Labrinth and Preservation Hall Jazz Band--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theholisticobgyn/message Get full access to Born Free Method: The Podcast at nathanrileyobgyn.substack.com/subscribe

When a baby presents in breech presentation (butt down instead of head down), the general recommendation is c-section. Why? Well...it's complicated. For decades, the perception that vaginal breech birth was inherently dangerous has grown quite strong. In 2000, the Term Breech Trial sealed its fate, and education on how to relieve dystocias like nuchal arms and hyperextended necks for both midwives and OBGYN residents came to an abrupt halt. In parts of the world where vaginal breech is still (somewhat) regular, it's far less dangerous than your doctor would lead you to believe. But now that birthworkers in North America aren't learning these techniques, birthing a breech baby vaginally may, in fact, be more dangerous than it was in the past. In this episode, Rixa Hayes, PhD, and David Hayes, MD, OBGYN, the primary instructors at Breech Without Borders, discuss the history, "safety" data on vaginal breech birth, and the maneuvers that their organization is promoting to re-skill the birthworker community of North America to revive and preserve the lost art of vaginal breech birth. Links from the show:Breech Without BordersRixa Freeze, PhD on Instagram (and her website)My other interview with Rixa Freeze (more on breech)My online store (discounts on many products that I recommend to my family and clients)Find me on Instagram @nathanrileyobgyn and my practice at: www.BelovedHolistics.comSponsored by:FullWell Fertility - Use code BELOVED10 for 10% off the best prenatal vitamin on the market (and check out their vitality and nerve support tonic!)Fit for Birth - With this link, you'll save 20% on personal prenatal exercise coaching (for individuals) or courses to improve your coaching practice (for coaches)!Music by: Labrinth and Preservation Hall Jazz Band--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theholisticobgyn/message Get full access to Born Free Method: The Podcast at nathanrileyobgyn.substack.com/subscribe

Another short essay with this one, this time conjecturing on what sets physicians like myself apart from the rest - for better or for worse. Our society has become consumed by "truth". Truth in this sense is not a reflection on consensus reality but rather personal truth, which might otherwise be called "intuition". We can reduce the human experience to the sum of our organs, but this compromises the richness of the full experience that comes with an honoring of the subtle energetics of life, earth, and universe. This approach is confronting for many, but it's also why my clients keep finding their way back to my practice. Stay curious...My online store (discounts on many products mentioned in the show)Find me on Instagram @nathanrileyobgyn and my practice at: www.BelovedHolistics.comSponsored by:FullWell Fertility - Use code BELOVED10 for 10% off the best prenatal vitamin on the market (and check out their vitality and nerve support tonic!)Fit for Birth - With this link, you'll save 20% on personal prenatal exercise coaching (for individuals) or courses to improve your coaching practice (for coaches)!Music by: Labrinth and Preservation Hall Jazz Band--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theholisticobgyn/message Get full access to Born Free Method: The Podcast at nathanrileyobgyn.substack.com/subscribe

Mimi and Chase have a wild story. They met young, then divorced, then reunited. In their time apart, they worked on their own "s**t", making it possible to reimagine their love story and become a dynamic force of nature as a couple. On their podcast, The Medicin, they discuss everything and anything pertaining to health of self and our relationships. In this episode, we focus on their product AHCC Immune Intel®, a natural remedy to support salutogenesis and integrate the lesson of HPV and prevent cervical cancer. This is an critical look into a variety of factors impacting health, especially if you've got a cervix (or a beloved partner)![00:15:00] - AHCC Immune Intel®: what is it? how does it work as an agent of salutogenesis[00:25:30] - The value of yoni steaming[00:30:00] - Combing the physical with the energetic in clearing HPV and achieving optimal wellness[00:35:30] - The gifts of COVID and the importance of pursuing your dreams[00:41:00] - The impact of our relationships on health[00:55:00] - Mimi and Chase are dedicated to helping couples find optimal vitality[01:00:00] - The gifts of divorce[01:07:00] - Babies are wise little buddhas[01:15:00] - Pregnancy is not a diseaseLinks from the show:The Medicin PodcastChase and Mimi on InstagramAHCC Immune Intel® (Use code BELOVED10 to save 10%)Sign up for early VIP access to their Mushy Love lattee mix! (It's stinkin DELICIOUS!)The Women's Wheel of Life, by Elizabeth DavisMy online store (discounts on many products mentioned in the show)Find me on Instagram @nathanrileyobgyn and my practice at: www.BelovedHolistics.comSponsored by:FullWell Fertility - Use code BELOVED10 for 10% off the best prenatal vitamin on the market (and check out their vitality and nerve support tonic!)Fit for Birth - With this link, you'll save 20% on personal prenatal exercise coaching (for individuals) or courses to improve your coaching practice (for coaches)!Music by: Labrinth and Preservation Hall Jazz Band--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theholisticobgyn/message Get full access to Born Free Method: The Podcast at nathanrileyobgyn.substack.com/subscribe

Kyle Thiermann is a surfer turned activist turned podcaster turned writer...and he embodies the rare capacity of doing them all really well. His focus at present is on political activism for the sake of the planet. When I was a young lad, I was less cynical about our political system, and Kyle is the first person in a while to perk my hopes that our antiquated, bi-partisan system may actually be able to right the ship as we veer towards ecological catastrophe and pathophysiologic meltdown. Kyle is an optimist, and I think we need more optimism in the world, which is why I asked him to come onto the show. This wide-ranging conversation flows from Big Banks, to medicine, to personal responsibility, to psychedelics, and it takes a few pit stops along the way. I hope you'll be as hopeful as I was after speaking with him...Enjoy!9:30 The MotherFucker awards: celebrating the winners of global ecological catastrophe18:00 “Tone” is the most critical factor for success in activism26:00 Can statism solve corporate corruption, medical, ecological, or otherwise? (A civil disagreement)…LOTS covered here, including the role of personal responsibility, courage, activism, and corporate/government restructuring54:30 Integrity in journalism60:00 Fast track to enlightenment through psychedelicsLinks from the show:Kyle Thiermann (website, Instagram, Twitter)Kyle's blog ("Trends with Benefits") at MUD\WTRThe MotherFucker AwardsTry MUD\WTR, the world's best coffee replacementGriftopia, by Matt TaibiMy online store (discounts on many products mentioned in the show)Find me on Instagram @nathanrileyobgyn and my practice at: www.BelovedHolistics.comSponsored by:FullWell Fertility - Use code BELOVED10 for 10% off the best prenatal vitamin on the market (and check out their vitality and nerve support tonic!)Fit for Birth - With this link, you'll save 20% on personal prenatal exercise coaching (for individuals) or courses to improve your coaching practice (for coaches)!Music by: Labrinth and Preservation Hall Jazz Band--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theholisticobgyn/message Get full access to Born Free Method: The Podcast at nathanrileyobgyn.substack.com/subscribe

Devi has a hell of a story. She is the founder of The Institute of Authentic Tantra Education, but her journey to this incredible educational platform was by way of housekeeping, then stripping, getting heavily into the rave scene, then transitioning to monkhood and ultimately finding her place amongst the most important teachers of authentic tantra in North America...if not the world! At one point in the interview, she shares the bliss that many of us have experienced through MDMA, then later found that she could achieve this same bliss - LASTING bliss - from within through focused meditation and tantric principles. This episode was a wild ride, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Save $50 on Devi's Tantric Mastery Online Course using code NATHAN at checkout. [8:15] - Tantra is a spiritual science[17:00] - 5 elements and poisons of Buddhist tantra[25:00] - Devi’s journey from housekeeping to stripping to monk hood[31:00] - Healing trauma (and the yoni) through tantra[35:00] - You ARE Buddha[40:00] - You aren’t ready for tantra until you’re ready to change your story[46:30] - Pleasure as medicineLinks from the show:The Institute of Authentic Tantra Education: Website, Instagram (Check out their free video series!)Devi's website (Her book is very worthwhile!) and podcastMy online store (discounts on many products mentioned in the show)Find me on Instagram @nathanrileyobgyn and my practice at: www.BelovedHolistics.comSponsored by:FullWell Fertility - Use code BELOVED10 for 10% off the best prenatal vitamin on the market (and check out their vitality and nerve support tonic!)Fit for Birth - With this link, you'll save 20% on personal prenatal exercise coaching (for individuals) or courses to improve your coaching practice (for coaches)!Music by: Labrinth and Preservation Hall Jazz Band--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theholisticobgyn/message Get full access to Born Free Method: The Podcast at nathanrileyobgyn.substack.com/subscribe

In this solo-cast, I read an essay that I wrote back in the early phases of the COVID situation. When we approach life (and medicine, policy-making, etc.) with the goal of merely prolonging or avoiding death, we compromise richness in experience. That's not to say that we should all merely throw caution to the wind, of course. But when we myopically focus on just avoidance of death in birth, for example, we compromise other important aspects of the physician-patient relationship. For example, if we try to justify non-consensual vaginal exams or poorly consented c-sections with "We need to make sure the baby is safe...", we inadvertently traumatize the person who matters most in this equation: the woman giving birth. The same faulty - and dare I say, dangerous - logic is destroying our planet, communities, end of life care, and maternity care in the United States. Enjoy...this one is from the heart! My online store (discounts on many products mentioned in the show)Find me on Instagram @nathanrileyobgyn and my practice at: www.BelovedHolistics.comSponsored by:FullWell Fertility - Use code BELOVED10 for 10% off the best prenatal vitamin on the market (and check out their vitality and nerve support tonic!)Fit for Birth - With this link, you'll save 20% on personal prenatal exercise coaching (for individuals) or courses to improve your coaching practice (for coaches)!Music by: Labrinth and Preservation Hall Jazz Band--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theholisticobgyn/message Get full access to Born Free Method: The Podcast at nathanrileyobgyn.substack.com/subscribe

Mark started in finance then totally shifted his focus to consciousness research after an awakening of his own brought forth through practiced meditation. He has written three books - all are AMAZING - though his latest, An End to Upside Down Liberty, is a must-read for anybody who is thoughtful about helping me usher in a new earth. And Mark takes the conversation around governance to another level, incorporating his research on consciousness and mentation into how we perceive and manage risk and our connection to others. This interview is packed with insight for anybody who cares about we show up as birthworkers and members of changing society on behalf of women...Enjoy![12:00] - Mark’s awakening came through meditation[16:30] - What do consciousness and liberty have in common; metrics versus experience[21:30] - Near death experiences[30:30] - The juice is worth the squeeze when it comes to spiritual growth[35:00] - Sigh…COVID and the distortion of truth[45:30] - Absolute versus relative reality; good versus evil[56:30] - The two poles of governance: voluntarism versus statism[1:08:00] - The blessings of a “pandemic”[1:13:00] - Sovereignty in pregnancy and deathReferences from the Show:Mark's website and InstagramMark's books: An End to Upside Thinking, An End to Upside Living, and An End to Upside Down LibertyMark's podcast: Where Is My Mind?My interview with Kelly Brogan, MD on The Holistic OBGYNMy interview with Edith Ubuntu Chan, L.Ac on The Holistic OBGYNDavid Hawkins, MD, PhD (author)My online store (discounts on many products mentioned in the show)Find me on Instagram @nathanrileyobgyn and my practice at: www.BelovedHolistics.comSponsored by:FullWell Fertility - Use code BELOVED10 for 10% off the best prenatal vitamin on the market (and check out their vitality and nerve support tonic!)Fit for Birth - With this link, you'll save 20% on personal prenatal exercise coaching (for individuals) or courses to improve your coaching practice (for coaches)!Music by: Labrinth and Preservation Hall Jazz Band--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theholisticobgyn/message Get full access to Born Free Method: The Podcast at nathanrileyobgyn.substack.com/subscribe

Alvey and I got to know each other through Runga, a wellness retreat hosted a few times per year in Austin. At first glance, you wouldn't think that Alvey and I had a lot in common, but you'd be wrong! We have both lost a parent before we knew we were ready, and that rebuilding process can go one of two ways: make you or break you. In Alvey's case, losing his mother was hard but also forced deep self-reflection, prompting a journey that has transformed him into a deeply spiritual and effective health coach. I loved this conversation, as subtle shifts in the masculine can provide a great deal of healing to our feminine as well as to those energetic bodies of the men and women that we are for in this world. [15:00] - Seeking external validation is equitable to giving your power over to somebody else[22:00] - Love languages[26:00] - The pain teacher cometh[30:00] - Vulnerability precedes connection[39:00] - What does "holistic" mean?[47:00] - "Fitness" depends on your goals[50:00] - Is humility always a virtue? (And some notes on self-love...)References from the Show:Alvey's website, Instagram, and bookMy online store (discounts on many products mentioned in the show)Find me on Instagram @nathanrileyobgyn and my practice at: www.BelovedHolistics.comSponsored by:FullWell Fertility - Use code BELOVED10 for 10% off the best prenatal vitamin on the market (and check out their vitality and nerve support tonic!)Fit for Birth - With this link, you'll save 20% on personal prenatal exercise coaching (for individuals) or courses to improve your coaching practice (for coaches)!Music by: Labrinth and Preservation Hall Jazz Band--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theholisticobgyn/message Get full access to Born Free Method: The Podcast at nathanrileyobgyn.substack.com/subscribe

Abortion is one of the most controversial issues in our country. It's never an easy decision for a pregnant client to pursue abortion, even if your judgment tells you otherwise. Beyond merely desiring an abortion due to psychosocial or financial constraints (or if the pregnancy was the result of a rape), there are a variety of true medical reasons that may present a desire or need for 1st or 2nd trimester abortion. In the 2nd trimester, abortions are more challenging and more dangerous, so I am recycling this podcast summary from my old podcast, The Obgyno Wino/Beloved Holistics Radio, to help practitioners and lay people understand the delicacies of this topic. Please do your best to listen with an open mind and an open heart. I realize that this topic can be confronting...[12:25] - Legality of abortion and access issues[15:30] - There are a variety of reasons or condition for which a woman might desire 2nd trimester abortion[17:20] - Medical versus surgical options for 2nd trimester abortion[25:00] - Risks of abortion and diagnosis/management of complicationsMy online store (discounts on many products that I recommend to my client's)Find me on Instagram @nathanrileyobgyn and my practice at: www.BelovedHolistics.comSponsored by:FullWell Fertility - Use code BELOVED10 for 10% off the best prenatal vitamin on the market (and check out their vitality and nerve support tonic!)Fit for Birth - With this link, you'll save 20% on personal prenatal exercise coaching (for individuals) or courses to improve your coaching practice (for coaches)!Music by: Labrinth and Joaquín Cornejo--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theholisticobgyn/message Get full access to Born Free Method: The Podcast at nathanrileyobgyn.substack.com/subscribe