The first week after birth is unlike any other time in a person's life. It is a season of profound openness—when the body, mind, and spirit are especially receptive to gentle, intentional care.
In this conversation, Christine Eck is joined by Charlotte Senseney-Sternkind, founding instructor at the Center for Sacred Window Studies and expert in Ayurvedic postpartum bodywork, to explore the ancient practice of Marma Therapy and why it is uniquely suited to support the earliest days of the postpartum journey.
Together, they discuss how conscious touch can help regulate the nervous system, encourage deep rest, balance the heightened Vata qualities present after birth, and create a sense of safety and grounding during one of life's most transformative transitions. Charlotte also shares how Marma Therapy works with the body's subtle energy points to support healing in a way that is both gentle and deeply restorative.
Whether you're a postpartum professional, birth worker, Ayurvedic practitioner, or an expectant parent wanting to better understand the sacred postpartum window, this episode offers timeless wisdom on the healing power of presence, touch, and slowing down.
In this episode, you'll learn:
• What Marma Therapy is and how it differs from massage
• Why the first week postpartum is an especially important time for gentle therapeutic touch
• How Marma Therapy helps calm the nervous system and support emotional and physical recovery
• The Ayurvedic understanding of Vata after birth and why balancing it matters
• How conscious touch can become a meaningful part of postpartum care for families and practitioners alike
If this conversation inspires you to deepen your understanding of postpartum care, explore the Center for Sacred Window Studies' professional training programs, where Charlotte teaches Conscious Touch for Postpartum, including Marma Therapy, practitioner-given Abhyanga, infant Abhyanga, lymphatic support, and other restorative Ayurvedic bodywork practices.
Because when we honor the sacred first days after birth, we create the conditions for healing that can ripple through a lifetime.
Bio:
Charlotte is a founding instructor of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. She was led to this work by Spirit as she came up with a business name during meditation. The teacher who trained her called one day and said she had been informally calling her students Ayurdoulas. That is how her deeper journey as a postpartum doula began after years of being a birth doula and prenatal massage therapist. She fully believes in supporting the mama and her experience of growing, birthing and nurturing life on this earth. Charlotte loves seeing how even the simplest shift can add sweetness to the mama’s Sacred Window and put a smile on her face in the midst of changes. Charlotte lives in San Antonio, TX. Charlotte retired from teaching at the Center for Sacred Window Studies at the end of 2025. Her impact and her devotion to this Center is ongoing. As we approach our bodywork module this coming fall, we honor her teachings and wisdom.
-
Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom:
https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-cookbook/
-
Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care?
Reach out! Schedule a time with Christine to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path.
Here is thelink to our free class
@sacredwindowstudies
Join our Facebook Group
Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.
