In honor of Women’s History Month, rolling out is honoring women who are making history in the lives of others in the wellness space. Amber Wood, a holistic practitioner and herbalist has set her sights on helping women navigate the loss of an unborn child and overcome the devastation of pregnancy loss.
As a pregnancy loss practitioner and spiritual transformation coach, Wood supports women in these difficult circumstances and specializes in guiding them to align with their inner wisdom to help them heal from mind, body, and spiritual perspectives.
What led you to do this work?
My husband and I experienced multiple losses when we began trying to have children shortly after we married and were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. I also experienced some additional challenges, including sciatica and neuropathy. Medical professionals were unsuccessful at uncovering the causes of my issues, so I transitioned my lifestyle to focus more on health and wellness to heal holistically. My purpose and my company, Scales & Alchemy, were born from those experiences.
How important do you think it is for Black women to have a voice in this health space?
It’s extremely important for black women to have a voice in the holistic and wellness space because we’re more likely to experience discrimination due to the institution of racism that exists within the healthcare industry. This paradigm encouraged me to seek holistic wellness knowledge and granted me the gift of lovingly refining my health, particularly through the use of protocols suited for melanated people. It also sparked a curiosity and desire to lean into all the various ways I can enhance my self-care practices. When such wisdom is shared, it opens the pathway for black women to reclaim our birthright and influence others.
How has doing this type of work changed you?
Doing this type of work has strengthened my connection with my body, and the overall mind, body, and spirit connection. I’m more sensitive to what my body is communicating, which inspires me to act in support of her needs and observe her resiliency. It has shed an introspective light on the reality that my body wants to be in a state of homeostasis, all of our bodies do. If we listen to them, we can discern how they need and desire to be cared for, and yielding to this knowledge creates space for self-healing to occur.
Do you feel this work is serving your purpose and what does that mean to you?
Purpose is the “why.” I believe it’s the reason one was created or perhaps [it’s] something intended to be pursued at some point along our Earthside journey. I’m living my purpose and it’s liberating to honor my existence through authenticity and truth. I spent almost 16 years as a sales professional within the medical industry and while I’m grateful for that experience, I resigned to pursue this work. Never in a million years could I have predicted the life I’m living, and it feels like the reward for heeding the call.
What next for you and your practice?
Scales & Alchemy will soon launch a collective healing journey that offers the framework for practically applied ancestral healing modalities to women who want to move beyond grief and realign their identity after multiple experiences with pregnancy loss. From a joint venture perspective, I co-founded Agbara Retreats with one of my spiritual sisters from college – delivering total body healing retreats in Costa Rica, where we both reside. We have four retreats planned this year and also offer private custom retreat experiences.
