An Ecology of Living
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eco- Latin oeco, Greek oikos
:habitat :environment :household
:of the domicile and all the relationships therein
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As in ecosystem
:an interconnected system of elements, formed, cultivated and sustained by the interaction of living organisms with their environment
Jessalyn Ballerano, Creator
Writer, Doula, Childbirth Educator, Sustainability Seeker, Holistic Nutrition Advocate, Researcher, Vocalist...
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HEARTHWELL integrates my passions, combining offerings of birthwork, writing, nutritional support, and more towards the cultivation of (w)holistic wellness for self, community and planetary family.
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Why? Because I never would have found one path without the other; because my love for learning, writing and exploring became my curiosity about sustainability and "eco-consciousness" as a cultural phenomenon, which inspired my revelation that it all starts at home, in and with the ways of relating - to ourselves, Earth, and one another. Ways that we learn, model and and cultivate as families of all kinds.
And...
Because we need one another's help, especially in the realm of reproduction and health.
The U.S. has some of the worst infant and maternal mortality rates among Western developed nations, and chronic and mental illnesses are on the rise. As a global economy and rapidly evolvoing technological integration changes the landscape of commerce, connection and communication, we are faced with challenges of disconnect, imbalance and destruction that show themselves both at the grandest scales, and in the most mundane, yet meaningful, intimate moment of our lives.
Connection, nourishment, and education are major pieces of a puzzling solution. Here at Hearthwell, I offer what I've learned over a decade of studying birth, a lifetime of peer and patient advocacy, and a pure and humorous joy for cultivating - and sharing - the simplest pleasures of being human.
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Jessalyn (she/her/they) is a certified SMC Full-Circle Doula, a CAPPA-Certified Childbirth Educator, and received a full scholarship to the University of Rochester, where she completed an Honors Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology. She is a lifelong advocate, activist and wordsmith, and recently moved to Central Oregon from Oakland, CA.
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She blends her private practice with programming support as an assistant at The Oakland Better Birth Foundation, a grassroots organization dedicated to addressing racial disparities in maternal, infant and family care and bringing awareness to reproductive justice realities. She also serves the OBBF board as the Communications Administrator.
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See more details of Jessalyn's birthwork experience here.
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