How about we give ourselves permission to dream without limits for a minute?
Take a deep breath...
And imagine how it would feel to…
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Fully embrace your whole self and feel completely at home in your body
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Know how to tap into an infinite wellspring of wisdom and intuition at any moment.
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Gracefully flow through any new chapter of life in full alignment with your soul
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Find your inner compass and trust that it will always guide you in the right direction
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(Re)discover your true, wild essence and live your most vibrant life
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Have the courage and power to speak your truth and express your authentic self
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Know that YOU are your own most powerful healer
Feels exquisite, doesn't it?
That sensation pulsing through you is your inner essence calling to be unleashed and propel you towards your dreams.
Part of you is ready to embark on this journey of self-discovery and reclaim your inner power. And yet you feel held back. Maybe it’s because…
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Work is demanding and you feel obliged to prioritise productivity over your well-being.
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You’re so driven to serve others that you tend to overlook your own needs.
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You struggle to set boundaries and speak your truth.
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You don't trust your inner guidance and get lost over-analysing choices in your head.
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You feel overstretched and find yourself giving away time and energy to things that drain and deplete you. You’re not sure you have the time or energy for inner work.
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You don’t know how to begin to go deeper inward, or it feels overwhelming and scary to do so on your own.
I know how hard this can feel, because I've been there, too.
My vision is for every woman to feel deeply connected to her inner power and in harmony with the sacred rhythms and cycles of the body and nature.
I'm Kathleen
Hi,
I’m a yoga teacher, mother, moon gazer, menstruality enthusiast, and sexual and reproductive rights advocate, living in Dakar, Senegal.
From a young age, I felt called to a path of service. This led me to build an international career promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights, especially for women and girls. Ironically though, until my early thirties, I was unaware of and even denied one of the most important keystones of women’s health and well-being – the power of natural rhythms and cycles.
Like many women today, I was conditioned to prioritise hard work, professional success, and achievement above all else. I pushed myself to try to maintain a constant (and high) level of energy, focus, productivity, and drive - ignoring the cycles in nature and my body that require periods of rest and renewal. In doing so, I became very disconnected from my body and her cyclical wisdom. This exacerbated the internalised shame and trauma I held in my body. For years, I ignored the signs of increasing imbalance in my life – and there were many: insomnia, digestive problems, hormonal imbalances, irregular periods, and fertility problems. This pattern of ignoring my needs is what led me down a descending spiral towards burnout.
Yoga and meditation were lifelines in my lowest moments. When I started practising meditation in 2010 and yoga in 2012, they were an elixir for my body, mind, and soul. But what truly transformed my life was the introduction to cyclically conscious yoga (sometimes called ‘womb yoga’ or ‘well-woman yoga’) and menstruality. With guidance from great teachers, I became aware of how to connect with the rhythms of my body and nature. I learned how to weave cyclical wisdom into my yoga practice and into my daily life. This opened up a beautiful flow in my life and initiated me into a deep and empowering journey of homecoming to mySelf.
Attuning to the natural rhythms and wisdom of my body, nature, and the cosmos has helped me to:
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connect more deeply with my intuition
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unfurl my feminine essence
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reclaim my inner power
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heal from trauma
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dismantle unhealthy conditioning
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tap into the deep innate wisdom that reside within me
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experience pregnancy, birth, and motherhood as a conscious and sacred journey.
Today, it is a true honour and delight for me to guide women to open up to their inner power.
I empower women across different life stages to foster inner peace, clarity and courage during times of change. I do this by weaving together the knowledge and skills I gained from 20 years working in sexual and reproductive health, with wisdom and practices of ancient and modern healing arts. I hold space for my students to unfurl and honour their own unique truth through cyclically conscious embodiment practices (including vinyasa flow yoga, pregnancy yoga, and womb yoga), yoga nidra, meditation, rituals, breathwork, sound healing and menstrual cycle awareness.
My dream is for you to feel aligned with your purpose, to deeply connect to your inner power, and be in harmony with the sacred rhythms and cycles of your body and nature.
My expertise
200-hr Yoga Teacher Training
Himalaya Yoga Valley, India (2017)
40-hr Pregnancy Yoga Teacher Training
Yoni Shakti Womb Yoga, Portugal (2018)
50-hr Total Yoga Nidra Facilitator Training
Yoga Nidra Network, Netherlands (2018)
Total Yoga Nidra Immersion (3-days)
Yoga Nidra Network, Portugal (2018)
30-hr Yoga Nidra Meditation Training
Kristen McCarthy (2019)
Founder of Mare Aura Yoga
Dakar, Senegal (since 2018)
20 years experience working on sexual and reproductive health and rights
Globally and in Sub-Saharan Africa
Masters in Public Health in Developing Countries
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom (Class of 2009)
Bachelor of Arts, International Development Studies
University of Toronto, Canada (Class of 2004)
A few more things about me
I live by the sea in Dakar, Senegal. When I’m not teaching or practising yoga, you can find me…
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Bowing down…
Learning from the humbling journey of consciousness motherhood and exploring life with my daughter and greatest teacher, Keira Mei.
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Opening up...
I love being inspired by books, articles, podcasts and documentaries. I have an ever growing reading/listening/watching list on yoga, spirituality, the Divien Feminine, menstruality, pregnancy and motherhood. Let me know if you have any suggestions to add to my list!
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Looking up ...
Moongazing, contemplating astrology and communing with Venus and the stars.
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Playing in nature...
I’m happiest when I have sand in my toes, sun on my skin and salt in my hair - especially after a great surf session!
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Defending rights...
Through my global health and human rights career, I passionately promote sexual and reproductive rights, menstrual health and justice, and rights-based pregnancy-related care.
