My Story
+ why I am so passionate about my work
My journey started when I was struggling with my own menstrual cycle and suffered from cystic acne in my teens. My doctor put me on the heaviest birth control pill -- which relieved my acne a little but created a whole cascade of other symptoms: cramps, bloatedness, severe anemia and nutrient deficiencies.
At age 21 I shifted birth control pills because I had read heavier pills could be dangerous. I changed these pills right before I would travel to the jungle in Colombia. My first morning there I woke up not feeling my leg and got so scared. I contacted my own doctor and he told me to immediately stop taking my birth control pills -- as the numbness in my leg was potentially a side effect of my pill.
A year later I started a new pill because I was accepted in an exclusive exchange program at UCLA and I did not want my period to bother me while studying. Once more, a cascade of side effects hit me hard and was desperate for relief. My OBGYN on campus told me I just "had to deal with the side effects".
And that's when I had enough. I quit the pill and was determined to find another way. I read everything I could about women's cyclical health in the UCLA library, started visiting an acupuncturist. This is when things started to improve. And I felt so empowered to take the health of my cycle and body into my own hands.
I became passionate about cultivating a relationship with my body & cycles.
When I started to feel better, had regular cycles after quitting the pill and experienced ZERO discomfort during my periods, I felt this deep calling and urge to share with the world how liberated I felt.
I started do more research and kept on wondering WHY
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nobody told me there was another way?
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so many people are unnecessarily suffering during their periods and we are told this is "normal"?
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education about our cyclical bodies is basically non-existent?
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our life cycles and the fluids that flow from our body are still taboo?
I was determined to start speaking about all of this and it became my mission to make sure that NO ONE would feel as alone in their journey as I did.
The more I shared, the more people wanted to know
I started talking about my cycles and periods more and more online and it became clear that people are hungry to learn about their periods, hormones, and cyclical health.
Today, I have thousands of followers on social media and hundreds of clients + students who are working with me 1:1 or are taking my signature course BODY & BLOOD - a menstrual cycle foundations course of which I wish someone had shared it with me when I was struggling with my menstrual cycles.
I believe you are here for a reason and I really want you to know this:
You are not alone. I am here to hold your hand along the way. I am also here to tell you that there are SO MANY tools and evidence-based practices that can support you. Your body and cycle are not broken. They are just trying so very hard to communicate with you through symptoms. I can help you to learn the language of your body and find out what your body is trying to tell you. We got this!
All my love,
Iris Josephina xo
Start your cyclical journey
Professional Bio
Iris is a certified Hormonal Health Coach, Functional Hormone Specialist, Orthomolecular Advisor and Birth Worker with an academic background in medical anthropology & women's studies. She also qualified in holistic women's health, traditional midwifery practices, and trauma informed coaching. Her work revolves around our menstrual and life cycles from periods to postpartum. In all her work, the main focus lies on getting to know our bodies (gaining body literacy), sharing tools to make informed body choices and cultivating a sense of body belonging throughout all changes and cycles our bodies move through.
She holds space for people to come home to themselves through embracing their bodies and cycles, practicing cyclical living and being in flow with their cycles instead of going against them. Iris supports cyclical beings through online coaching, courses & classes, circles and retreats.
She is also the creator of the Planting Seeds Podcast.
You can find more about Iris and her work on www.cycleseeds.com.
Relevant Trainings & Certifications
Completed trainings:
Orthomolecular Advisor training with SOHF
Functional Hormone Specialist Certification with The International Association for Functional Hormone Health
Women's Hormonal Health Certification Program with Nicole Jardim
Well Women Yoga with Birthlight
Yoga for Pelvic Health with Birthlight
Fertility Yoga with Birthlight
The Pelvic Jaw Connection with Liz Koch
Restoring Resilience & Healthy Sexuality with Ariel Giaretto
Bodyfulness with Christine Caldwell
Embodied Social Justice Summit by The Embody Lab
Honouring & Celebrating Women's Life Cycles - Angelina Martinez-Miranda
Certificated Foundation Rebozo Training - Angelina Martinez-Miranda
Menstrual Education: #periodpositive & The Gender Respect Project - Chella Quint
Breathe To Heal - Max Strom
10 Steps of iRest Yoga Nidra - James Reeves
Doulas & Midwives - Ramiro Romero
Four Bloods - Ramiro Romero
Healthy Pregnancy - Ramiro Romero
Gate of Life & Death - Ramiro Romero
BSc in Cultural Anthropology, with specialization in Medical Anthropology at Utrecht University
Anthropology Major at University California Los Angeles (LA)
MA in Gender Studies at Utrecht University
Business & Contact Information
