Meet Me
My name is Yemaya Emily Rodriguez (sometimes called Yem by family and close friends).
The name Yemaya represents a Mother Goddess, a Goddess of home, love and fertility in Yoruba Mythology.
My lineages of Yoruba, Taino and German are woven in to the fabric of my being as I move through my life as a Mother of four and a steward of love and kindness, here in Wales, UK.
I am a ceremonialist at heart. I believe that all of life is a ceremony, which has a beginning, a middle and an end, and many large and small thresholds peppered in between that must be acknowledged and celebrated, for us to fully benefit from completing each stage while standing fully in our power.
While it may look like I have a few roles, to me they are all sides of one, a Healer. I channel healing through my hands and my voice and that is what underpins all that I offer- whether that is in my roles of Doula, or in my work with plant spirit medicine or as a ceremonialist- even as an OT.
It is my joy and great privilege to walk along side people of all ages, facing all of the transitions and rites of passage innate to our human experience.
My work as a Freedom Doula is all about empowering folk to remember their TRUTH. We usually go through life quite easily until an interruption lands that shakes our foundations and asks us to look deeply into what we have maybe never questioned before. This can be illness, an accident, a life-limiting diagnosis, the death of a beloved, pregnancy, pregnancy or baby loss, loss of a role such as a job, a marriage, children leaving home, or more subtle changes such as menopause and retirement... I am here to work 1-1 and within intimate groups to gently guide you through this rite of passage, maximising the expansion you will experience. My role as a Freedom Doula is also about breaking generational cycles to free our lineages for healthy futures. This work is TRANSFORMATIONAL and truly liberating.
When I work with somebody, I have lots of tools which I use and draw from. Each client I work with, experiences a different unfolding based on the whats moving in their life and the alchemy that happens in our coming together.
My connection to my own innate remembering sees that I flow with the seasons and use earth based and spirit attuned guidance and creativity to support my work in all ways. I hold that magic, collectively with 20 years of experience working closely with people and their families, supporting them within the different roles I have held; a Mother, a Carer, a Nurse, an Occupational Therapist, a Full Spectrum (birth and death) Doula and a Ceremonialist.
I offer holding and ceremony, sometimes assisted by sacred plant or fungi teachers (in physical or spiritual form) which can assist us in stripping back the layers and freeing our voice and body to express our true selves, and help us integrate all that we have learned and continue to learn in our unique journey through this life, back to source.
A few of the plants and fungi I work with are Cacao, Holly, Reishi Mushroom, Mugwort, Fern and Lions Mane Mushroom.
My love for ritual and ceremony, earth based reverence and alternative healing are my own. I feel called to say that I hold no intention of pushing my preferences on to you. I will always be guided by you and I warmly welcome clients of every background, religion, ethnicity, ability, identity and sexuality.
If you would like to set up an exploratory call with me to see how we can work together as a Doula or Ceremonialist, please email me here.