Journey to Womanhood: The Stories We Wish We Knew

Sian's journey

In this episode, I speak with Sian, who shares her experience of growing up without any preparation or conversation around her menstrual cycle. There was no guidance, no explanation, and no sense of celebration, only silence. For a young girl, this meant confusion, fear, and learning to hide something natural.
Although Sian comes from a Ghanaian family, where a girl’s first bleed is traditionally honoured as a rite of passage, this cultural acknowledgement was absent. Instead, menstruation became something unspoken,  a silence passed through generations of women, carrying shame rather than reverence.
Raised as a young Black girl in a predominantly white environment, Sian also learned to make herself less visible. We explore how this shaped her sense of identity and worth, including the difficulty of being seen, receiving compliments, or believing she was enough.
Our conversation gently unfolds into how early shame impacted her relationship with her body, pleasure, and intimacy. Sian reflects on patterns of self-abandonment, where love was sought through giving herself away rather than being rooted in self-connection. In trying not to be abandoned, she repeatedly abandoned herself.
Now, as an adult woman, Sian is in a process of healing, learning to feel safe, to receive love, and to choose herself. She shares what it has meant to step into a loving partnership for the first time, one grounded in compassion, safety, and self-honouring.
Sian shared the following letter:
“I’ve had to unlearn the idea that I have to earn love.That I need to prove I’m enough to deserve it.For so long, I bent myself to fit into people’s worlds —just to feel accepted.Now, I’m learning to listen to my own voice.To say no.To rest.To choose me, even if it disappoints others.Loving myself has become less about confidence and more about compassion.It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being honest with myself.And that honesty feels like peace.”

Heidi

This week, I sit down with my sister and discover parts of her journey to womanhood that I never knew. From the surprise of starting her period at school to how she’s now guiding her daughter with openness and honesty, she shares with such vulnerability and strength.We dive into the innocence of early discoveries, the shame that can come from how we’re taught to view our bodies, and the impact of growing up with early exposure to sexuality. Together, we explore how these experiences shape intimacy, confidence, and the choices women make for themselves.It’s a raw, honest, and inspiring conversation about reclaiming innocence, redefining pleasure, and creating a new path for future generations.

Lila's journey

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Lila shares her story as a woman of mixed Portuguese and Cuban heritage, offering insight into her unique path to reclaiming the feminine. She reminds us that education around womanhood, particularly menstrual and body literacy, is just as vital for boys as it is for girls.
Lila reflects on a childhood marked by neglect and abuse, and how, in the absence of nurturing care, she has learned to mother herself. Through reframing the menstrual cycle as something empowering and nourishing, she has been able to access a healing quality of the feminine that she never received growing up. She speaks of hormones not as chaotic or inconvenient, but as catalysts for a new phase of empowerment.
Her words highlight the profound human need for a mother’s love. She explores the lifelong journey of searching for the love we didn’t receive in childhood, sometimes finding glimpses of it in romantic relationships, but ultimately learning to give ourselves the inner loving mother and father we lacked.
Lila also speaks candidly about the shame and fear that accompanied her early experiences of pleasure- feelings shaped by religious messaging and a lack of privacy.
Growing up in a predominantly white Portuguese community, she faced internal conflict around identity. Her story of reclaiming and celebrating her African roots, both physically and spiritually, is a moving and important message for any young person of mixed race struggling with visibility and belonging. Her journey toward self-acceptance stands as a powerful reminder that true belonging begins within.

Petra

In this interview, Petra reflects on her evolving body awareness over the years and wonders if this process could have been accelerated with the right education at an earlier age. She opens up about an early sexual experience and discusses the subconscious impact it has had on her. Petra also delves into her exploration of the "inner masculine," and how intimacy can be influenced when there is a lack of this inner strength to guide decisions and take action when needed.
The conversation also touches on the challenges of parenting a teenager, particularly dealing with the continuous "no" to everything- a struggle many parents can relate to. Petra also shares the painful experience of seeing her teenager look outward for answers, rather than recognising that everything they are searching for is already within them.

Ana S

In this touching interview, Anas discusses the unique challenges of navigating the two worlds of menopause and coming of age, which at times can feel like two opposing journeys. She opens up about her own early experiences with loss and health struggles, which significantly shaped her personal path into womanhood. Ana also reflects on how these experiences have influenced her concerns for her children’s futures.
A key takeaway from the conversation is the importance of having a strong, loving, and supportive woman in a teenager's life as they transition into adulthood. Ana emphasizes the critical role of a trusted figure who can offer advice, be a safe space for sharing, and provide emotional support. In the absence of such a role model, she encourages us to actively seek out the support networks that will empower and guide young women through these transformative years.

Linda

In this episode, we sit down with Linda to explore her journey into womanhood. She reflects on how her faith shaped her experience of sexuality—both positively and negatively—and how, despite floating through her teenage years with a sense of ease, she now recognizes what was missing: a deeper connection to her body.
We also discuss how media and societal expectations for women have evolved over time. While Linda’s generation may not have been as directly impacted by social media and beauty standards, she shares how she now feels pulled into society’s expectations of what it means to be a beautiful, powerful woman—and questions whether that truly leads to happiness.
For younger listeners, this episode offers a powerful opportunity to pause and reflect on your own relationship with your body. If unrealistic media standards and outside pressures didn’t exist, how would you feel about yourself?Imagine how much easier it would be to grow up without constantly comparing yourself to filtered images or expectations of perfection. What would it be like to simply be at home in your body, without judgment?
This conversation is a reminder that self-acceptance is a journey—and that true embodiment isn’t about meeting an outside standard but learning to trust, love, and live fully in your own body.

Gaynor

In this episode, Gaynor shares her personal journey with pleasure and sexuality from a young age, as well as the challenges she faced in integrating that pleasure into intimate connections later in life. We explore the cycle of protection and resentment that many women experience after years of disconnecting from their bodies and needs—often losing themselves in the masculine-driven pursuit of orgasm as the ultimate goal.
We touch on Tantra and how it can help women reclaim their authentic and ever-changing experience of connection by embracing slowness and gentleness. We also begin to explore how we can better prepare younger generations for intimacy, empowering them to move at their own pace, express their needs, and set boundaries with confidence.
Looking back at our first experiences with intimacy, who is teaching who? Why is it that, more often than not, girls are the ones adapting to what feels right for the boys? Is it simply because they don’t know any different? These are the questions we need to start asking if we truly want to shift the narrative around pleasure, connection, and consent.
Gaynor also reflects on the book 'The Clan of the Cave Bear' by Jean M. Auel, that portrays the intitiation of a young women in an Ice Age clan tribe.

Roxana

I’m starting this series by sharing my own early stories- my first period, first experiences with pleasure, body image, and intimacy. I’ll explore my journey of learning to embrace authenticity and let go of external expectations. It’s been a deep, ongoing process, but I’m grateful for the challenges that shaped me. My hope is to inspire the younger generation with a different way -one that feels easier, more beautiful, and truly connected.
A big theme for me has been about returning to authentic pleasure. For many years, I associated pleasure with outside images, which created a disconnect from my body, my boundaries, and my authentic desires. It shaped how I saw myself- looking at my body from the outside instead of truly inhabiting it from within.
These experiences are why I feel so called to remind the younger generation to disconnect from the external noise, the endless images drilling into us what is “sexy” or “beautiful”, and instead stay rooted in themselves. When we can connect to our bodies and our truth at a young age, we don’t have to spend years in silent suffering, abandoning ourselves while the world around us tells us how open, beautiful, or desirable we must be. Instead, we can grow into womanhood with wholeness, trust, and self-love.

Genevieve

In this episode, Genevieve shares candid reflections on early life, periods, body image, and sexuality, offering a down-to-earth, practical perspective.
Coming from a scientific family grounded in facts, she brings an honest and balanced voice, reminding us how natural it is to feel at home in our bodies when we feel safe.
Her wisdom is reassuring and empowering, making this a must-listen for navigating the journey to womanhood.

Kalyani

Kalyani shares her early experiences, including her positive views on body image and intimacy. She reflects on the lack of guidance from women around her and why it's time for change. She also shares 3 books that shaped her growth: 'Wild Feminine' by Tami Lynn Kent, 'The Thirteen Original Clan Mothers' by Jamie Sams, and 'If Women Rose Rooted' by Sharon Blackie.