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Somatic Birth Preparation

Trauma-aware somatic 

Mamashanti, founded by Nina Isabella, offers transformative Womanly Yoga deeply rooted in the feminine experience—blending rhythmic movement, breath, acupressure, and trauma‑aware practices to nourish your nervous system, bolster pelvic integrity, and foster grounded confidence. Programs are available online, in Melbourne, Daylesford, Kyneton, and surrounding regions

Nina Isabella brings over two decades of practice as a trauma‑aware childbirth educator, doula, holistic somatic counsellor, and somatic pelvic floor practitioner. She integrates neurobiological, polyvagal, and psychological frameworks to help remove blocks guiding you toward bodily freedom and cohesive mind‑body alignment. She coined the term Womanly Yoga in 2005 to describe this lush, empowered practice grounded in lived feminine embodiment.

Soulful Birth Preparation

Flexible pathways to reclaim your birthing agency through options like:

  • Breathe for Birth – A six-part immersive yoga and childbirth prep program or tailored private sessions

  • Birthing Partners – Workshops designed to strengthen partner support during birth and early parenting

  • Active Birth Clinic – Personalised one-on-one birth prep for your unique anatomy and journey

  • Continuity of Care Package – A cohesive bundle for the deepest level of birth preparation

  • Perinatal Counselling – Gentle, trauma-informed somatic therapy for the shifts of matrescence

  • Trauma-Informed & Embodied: Practices are gentle, intentional, and informed by polyvagal and somatic principles.

  • Holistic & Inclusive: Integrates emotional, energetic, and physical care in a welcoming, non‑judgmental space.

  • Flexible Access: Participate through live workshops, on-demand online modules, or private one-on-one sessions tailored to your rhythm.

  • Grounded in Feminine Wisdom: Designed to empower you through connection, embodiment, and self-trust.

My practice is warmly inclusive, compassionate and boundlessly respectful of the glorious diversity of humanity. I have decades of grounded experience in working ethically with clients of diverse backgrounds. It's an honour to walk alongside clients of diverse ability, age, spirituality, religion, ethnicity, linguistic background, gender identity, sexual orientation and neurodiversity.

I take a client-centred approach, tailoring my services to my client’s needs; taking every measure possible to ensure clients can access and fully participate in services I offer. My practice is a safe space, free from discrimination and bias often faced by people who do not align with the dominant cultural paradigm. 

I acknowledge the value of our differences and respect varied perspectives.

Somatic practices bring you into relationship with your own body. They lead you towards embodiment, towards knowing and being with what the body knows of itself. Somatic practices are about getting to know yourself more intimately; entering a safe and informed practice that responds to ever-changing needs as dynamic organisms; reclaiming the ability to make your own choices about your body.

When we engage with our practice somatically to listen and to feel to our unique way of being; we practice personal agency, becoming empowered to know that we have choice and that we each know our experience and our body better than anyone else.

I have been teaching trauma-informed therapeutic yoga for twenty years. It is an approach that is profoundly nourishes your nervous system. Therapeutic yoga is less about attempting to successfully copy astonishing body shapes and more about experiencing the intimate integration of mindful breathing practices with mindful body awareness and nurturing movement for increased vagal tone, stress reduction, and trauma recovery. 

Benefits of Trauma-informed therapeutic yoga transcend the mat into everyday life and can include a clearer sense of connectedness to self and others; sense of agency and bodily autonomy; self-compassion; increased mind-body awareness; improved emotional stability; capacity to contain unhelpful thought patterns and improved physical health.

Wellbeing is a state of feeling happy and healthy; being productive and being able to perform at our best. Holistic wellbeing considers you as a whole person - your emotional resilience; physical wellbeing; your relationships; work-life balance; sense of identity and purpose.

When was the last time you had the opportunity to pause and reflect on the wholeness of your wellbeing?

For Emergency Response (24/7) -  000
Lifeline crisis support (24/7) - 13 11 14 

Hold On To Life @ the Australian Suicide Prevention Foundation (24/7) -  1800 HOLDON - 1800 465 366

Suicide Helpline - 1300 651 251

Suicide Callback (24/7) - 1300 659 467 

PANDA National Helpline - 1300 726 306 (Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm AEST)

Holistic Women's Counselling & Somatic Psychotherapy Appointments:

Macedon Ranges & Telehealth

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The Womanly Counsellor

Dedicated to supporting women and gender diverse folk navigating life's transitions. From the tender days of matrescence; to and beyond the tectonic upheaval of menopause; through life-altering chronic health conditions; shifts in identity, orientation and sense of purpose and every step in between.

I acknowledge the traditional owners of this beautiful, fertile land on which I live and practice - the Wadawurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung and Taungurung people. I pay my respects to all first nations people and elders, both past, present and emerging. I recognise sovereignty of these lands was never ceded.

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© 2025

Nina Isabella

womanly counsellor

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