Reclaiming your Birth Story
A 2.5-hour somatic healing workshop to process your experience of giving birth
So we know birth doesn’t really go as planned.
As long as our baby is healthy (eventually), that’s what matters, right?
That’s what we so often tell ourselves, especially in those early, blurry days when it’s all we can do while trying to care for this tiny new human. As time goes on, and some things settle, we start to figure out this parenting thing a little bit, we try to move on, move past, focus on the now.
Then…
…you look at your child and feel overwhelmed by grief of what you lost.
…your friend tells you about her amazing birth experience and you can’t be happy for her.
…you’re pregnant again and plagued with fears that it’ll all happen again.
…you try and celebrate your child’s first birthday but you find yourself plunged back into the memories of the birth.
There is a heaviness we can't seem to move on from. It may be the weight of violation. The pain of negligence. The indignity of feeling like an object. The disempowerment of not being listened to.
It may be trauma that overwhelmed you, even fearing for your life or your baby's.
And it may be a lingering grief you can’t even name.
Because it WASN’T okay. And as much as we try and tell ourselves it was or just move on, we know in our bodies it was not.
We can’t change what happened. And we can come back to what our bodies continue to hold and reclaim the experience. We can heal what we have been carrying. We can feel complete and stronger. We can celebrate our child’s birthdays and also honour ourselves.
This is what the Reclaiming Your Birth Story workshop holds space for.
How this work is different
We often try to process things, including our birth experience, by thinking about it or talking it through. Sometimes it can feel helpful but often doesn’t feel like enough.
That’s because so much of these experiences, especially of trauma, are held in our bodies.
The somatic processes in this workshop work at the level of the body and nervous system, which we can’t fully access through talking alone.
Instead of focusing on the story, we focus on changing how the experience is held in your body. More than thinking about your experience differently, it will feel different. This work will support you in reclaiming your experience as one that feels more life-affirming and empowering.
What we’ll be doing
The 2.5-hour workshop weaves together somatic exploration, reflection, and optional sharing.
You will be invited into:
Body-based awareness and grounding
Gentle, intentional movement to access and shift held experience
Structured reflection and writing
Optional, supported sharing
Integration and closing
Who this space is for
This workshop is for you if:
You have given birth
Your birth experience still brings up emotion, discomfort, or unease
You avoid thinking about it or feel stuck when you do
You find yourself minimising it or telling yourself you should be over it
You want a body-based way to process, not just talk about it
You are months to years postpartum, including many years later
When the workshop may not be a fit
You are in the early postpartum period
You are currently in acute distress or crisis, or actively experiencing postpartum anxiety or depression
You are looking for a purely educational class or only want to talk about things
This workshop is specifically focused on processing one’s own birth experience. It is not designed for partners, support people, or those processing related but different experiences.
*If you are newly postpartum or needing more individualised support, one-on-one work may be more appropriate (if this is something you’re looking for, please do get in touch to find out about working together or finding appropriate resources).
** In order to ensure the safety of participants and their children, this is an adult-only space. Babies and children are not able to attend
About the facilitator
This workshop is guided by Twyla Kowalenko, MSW PhD, an experienced facilitator with a background in somatic, body-based work, perinatal mental health, and group facilitation. With over 25 years of facilitation experience, Twyla helps women reclaim safety, agency, and embodied wellbeing. Twyla is the founder of Soma’ing and creator of Inside Mothering, a holistic community for pregnant and new mothers. Twyla is a mother of three and teaches at York University and in the community.
“Even though my first birth didn’t go as I’d hoped, I thought I was one of the lucky ones to have a completely healthy baby. But there was so much more there. I’m grateful I was able to work through the pain and grief I continued to hold in my body before I gave birth to my second and third children. A bit about my story.”.
Workshop details
Date: September 20, 2026
Time: 3-5:30pm
Location: Bain Community Centre
Duration: 2.5 hours
Group size: Limited to 12 to maintain a supported space
Cost
Early bird: $75 (until September 8, enter EARLYBIRD at checkout)
Regular: $90
*If this work resonates and the price is prohibitive, please reach out. I never want cost to be a barrier.
Testimonials
“The birth healing workshop gave me the time and space to bring attention to the events of my daughter's birth in a safe environment among other women who understood me in a way others had not. Through Twyla's prompts and through personal journaling in session, I felt safe enough to face realities I had been avoiding and the feelings associated with them. The space to process and to be witnessed by others has given me a lasting sense of peace that I am very grateful for.” ~Alison S.
“I think the workshop really lifted a lot of grief I have been carrying in my incision. I didn't realize how afraid I have been to touch my scar, for fear of it splitting open all over again. Trying to pry open that stone at the crease was such a pivotal point. Since the workshop I have been taking time to massage my scar and remind myself that it has healed over and I am not harbouring infection anymore. The danger has passed and I am releasing the fear.
The time and space, with your guidance, to really look inwards and explore what I have been suppressing felt quite profound. Words and images poured out of me in a way I haven't experienced in a long time. It felt like coming home to a part of myself I have been denying.
Thank you so much for offering such a powerful, meaningful workshop. I am very grateful to have been a part of it. Motherhood can be such an isolating experience and birth trauma really compounds that, so being seen, felt, and heard is such a special experience.” ~Tara
“Twyla created a very supportive and comfortable environment. I found that it really helped me process my birth experience and the hard feelings associated with it that I had pushed to the side. It was emotional at times and it helped to be with a group of women who understood, without having to actually share the specifics of my experience. I highly recommend Twyla and this session.” ~Anna M.
Before you register
This workshop is designed to be a guided and supported process, not an overwhelming or uncontained experience.
You will not be asked to relive your birth.
You will be supported in staying connected to yourself throughout.
You are always in control of your level of participation.
Anything else you want to know about me or about the workshop? Or know if it’ll be a safe space for what you need?