Community Highlights: Meet Emily Harrison of Citizens of Nature, LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Harrison.

Hi Emily, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
For 10 years of my adulthood, I was fortunate enough to travel and live abroad. During that time I was exposed to several different systems of medicine. Because I often found myself in locations that lacked modern medical care I began researching natural remedies and disease prevention. Without reliable medicinal facilities nearby, prevention became the best option for staying safe and healthy. When I heard about Ayurveda, it made so much sense. I tried to teach myself but it was too complex to learn without the guidance of a true teacher. After living between the Caribbean and West Africa for 10 years, I moved back to the States and pursued a formal education in Ayurveda.

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When I found the Practitioner program at Ayurved Sadhana in Superior, Colorado, founded by Dr Bharat Vaidya and his wife Anupama Vaidya, I signed up immediately. This was a pivotal point in my life. After the first class, I cried on the drive home. I felt like I was on a path of purpose. Ayurveda puts health back in the hands of the individual. It empowers us to make diet and lifestyle decisions that yield powerful results, without being a slave to lifelong medication. It gives us the tools we need to heal naturally and it looks at each person as a unique being, rather than just a set of symptoms.

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As I continued my eduction, I began to feel a strong pull toward birth work – specifically Postpartum Care. Venturing down this path, the lack of support for this Sacred Window became immediately apparent. The minimal resources available combined with unrealistic expectations putting stress on mamas and families lit my soul on fire. The work has been so eye-opening and humbling. Not only have I had the opportunity to support families in Northern Colorado, I have been invited to Costa Rica, St John and St Thomas USVI, Florida, California, and Connecticut to serve families who specifically sought out the transformative power of Ayuvedic Postpartum Care. Recently, my husband and I started our own family. We were fortunate enough to hire an Ayuredic Postpartum Doula and experience, firsthand, the Postpartum Care that I provide for other families. My focus moving forward will be close to home; supporting my community and expanding the awareness for better Fourth Trimester Care for our local mamas and families.

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Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has not been smooth, but it has been interesting!! Because Postpartum is such a private and chaotic chapter in a family’s story, it is rarely talked about. The lack of conversation creates a lot of unknowns. It is hard building a business around unknowns. Postpartum is full of moments where you don’t know you need help until you need help; especially for new families. A lot of what I do is help prepare families for the “what ifs”, anticipating what they will need the most, depending on their unique family dynamic and other support they may have available. Some families have support with meals, childcare, home support, etc., some do not. Some Mothers really need the bodywork and herbal support that I offer, while others may need help with nutrition. I create custom packages to meet families where they are, in order to provide exactly what they will need.

Often times, a lot of emphasis is placed on pregnancy, labor, and birth. By the time the Postpartum chapter arrives, families are tapped out physically, emotionally and financially. Many families do not plan for what happens after the baby is born. This leaves potential for slow healing, feeding frustrations (for both mom and babe), crippling sleep deprivation, short tempers, partner disconnect, interrupted bonding between parent(s) and baby, overwhelm, anxiety, depression, and other things that can creep in and cast a shadow over a time that should be really sweet and precious. So, Postpartum preparation becomes critical. It cannot continue to be left out of the conversation.

Sometimes I face challenges when explaining exactly what I do and how I am different from other providers out there. I am not a standard Postpartum Doula. My focus is on proper Postpartum nutrition, traditional bodywork to restore the nervous system and heal the body (full body oil treatments, sitz baths, vaginal steaming, belly binding, etc), and herbal support to address sleep, mood, lactation, digestion, etc. I do offer some home support, but my main focus is to heal the Mother, so she can return to her family quickly and wholly.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Postpartum Nutrition and Support Specialist, here to hold you during your Sacred Postpartum Window. I offer a variety of services and packages, customized to fit your needs and the needs of your growing family. I specialize in medicinal meal deliveries (catered to your personal recovery), full body warm oil treatments (known as abhyanga), education for parent-led warm oil treatment for baby, belly binding, custom herbal preparations to address your healing, ongoing emotional support and new mother education, Placenta Encapsulation and honoring, in-home support (including professional non-toxic cleaning services, laundry, dishes, errands, meal prep, pet care, etc), and facilitating Closing of the Bones Ceremony.

I have a Doctoral Certificate in Āyurveda and practice according to this Traditional Wisdom. I also offer services to support healthy conception, birth, nutrition, and bodywork during pregnancy; as well as general health services for non-pregnant individuals.

Āyurveda translates to “the science of life”. It is an ancient medical system that promotes each individual’s ability to thrive naturally and completely. In Āyurveda, the emphasis is not on diseases or a set of symptoms, but on supporting optimal health of the body, mind, and spirit.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
Well, this is one that pertains specifically to my career:

When I was young I randomly asked my mom if we could go to the doctor. She asked what was wrong, and I said “nothing, I just want to make sure nothing is *going* wrong”. She explained to me that we only go to the doctor when we are sick. Even at a young age, that didn’t make sense to me. We should have a way to access information about our health and correct things that are going wrong, before they manifest into full-blown sickness or disease. This is why I love Ayurveda (and other Traditional health systems) – these systems give us a framework for understanding the many ways our body communicates our current state of health, long before a doctor or prescription is needed…

Pricing:

• Postpartum packages and prices are customized based on client needs.
• All service prices are listed clearly on the website.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.citizensofnature.org/
• Instagram: em_m_harrison
• Facebook: emily.a.kernen
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-harrison-a89a8050