My Los Angeles Postpartum Doula Feature In Bold Journey Magazine

https://boldjourney.com/meet-tnah-louise/

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tnah Louise a Postpartum Doula and Ceremonialist from Los Angeles. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tnah below.

Tnah, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

Throughout my life, I have felt more led than anything else, guided by an unseen force, an inner knowing, and the wisdom of my ancestors. My purpose was not something I went searching for, it unfolded before me, revealing itself in moments of deep connection.

For the past 13 years, I have devoted myself to supporting families through life’s sacred passages, particularly in the tender postpartum period, but also in the many rites of passage that shape us. Whether it be birth, loss, transition, or healing, I have been called to create ceremonial spaces that honor these profound moments. My work encompasses the art of holding space, weaving rituals, and guiding individuals and families through life’s thresholds with reverence and intention.

This work is deeply purposeful because it is rooted in something much larger than myself. It is an honoring of the ancient ways, a continuation of traditions that acknowledge the sacredness of life’s transitions. Through nourishing foods, healing touch, and sacred ceremonies, I help families walk through their most profound moments with grace, support, and a sense of belonging.

Being of service is what gives my life meaning. I find fulfillment in witnessing the transformation that happens when people feel seen, supported, and held in sacred space. My journey has been one of answering the call, stepping into this role with surrender.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I touched on a lot of this in your previous response, but I will try to go a bit deeper.

I have always been led by a calling to serve, to nurture, and to honor life’s sacred transitions. My work is rooted in the understanding that birth, death, and the many rites of passage in between are not just personal experiences, they are profound, transformational moments that deserve to be witnessed, held, and honored with reverence.

This understanding became deeply personal through my own birth experiences. In 1995 at the tender age of 22, I gave birth to my first son on the beach in Costa Rica, an experience that forever shaped my perspective on birth and the power of surrender. Later, I went on to have a free birth and other water births at home, to my three other sons, each one deepening my trust in the body’s innate wisdom. These experiences taught me that when we are allowed to birth in our own way, without unnecessary interference, we tap into a level of strength and intuition that is nothing short of divine. They were initiations that not only transformed me as a mother but also set me on the path to becoming a guardian of these sacred transitions for others.

Through my business, A Sacred Passage, I provide postpartum care, ceremonial services, and guidance through life’s major transitions. I help mothers move through the sacred journey of the fourth trimester, offering postpartum nourishment, placenta encapsulation, Bengkung belly binding, healing touch, and ceremonial practices that support a mother’s recovery and emotional well-being. 

But my work extends beyond postpartum care, offering rites of passage ceremonies for fathers-to-be, coming-of-age rituals for young women, ancestral honoring ceremonies, and, more recently, support for those transitioning through the threshold of death.

What excites me most about my work is the opportunity to bridge ancient wisdom with modern needs. The traditions I weave into my offerings are drawn from my Mexica/Yaqui and Irish lineage, as well as the teachings of midwives, healers, and wisdom keepers from around the world. These rituals, whether they involve herbal healing, sacred drumming, or storytelling are not just traditions of the past. They are timeless, vital, and deeply needed in today’s world, and I am so glad to be able to offer these services to future generations.

Right now, I have some exciting things coming up and that I am expanding on. I will be leaving to Egypt + Turkey this March and will learn some additional postpartum food traditions to share with my clients located in the greater Los Angeles + Ventura Counties.

Last year I had the opportunity to open the Netflix show Fatherhood With My Father in their first episode where I developed a Closing of the Bones-inspired ceremony for fathers-to-be, with the comedian Jack Whitehall from Travels With My Father that I share in a blog on my website,
I continue to create personalized rites of passage for individuals and families and will be traveling to Santa Cruz to officiate a Hand Fasting Ceremony ( A Celtic wedding tradition) this summer.

Now that my four sons have made it safely to adulthood, I will take this year to continue my studies and deepening my work to include death doula services services as I organically have now helped a few cross the veil. I think it is only natural to add supporting families in honoring their loved ones during their final transition. At the heart of everything I do is the belief that we are all part of a greater cycle, one of birth, transformation, death, and rebirth. My role is to guide, to nurture, and to honor these sacred transitions.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Deep Listening & Intuition
One of the greatest skills I have honed over the years is the ability to listen deeply, both to others and to my own intuition. Whether it’s a postpartum mother, a father stepping into his new role, or someone transitioning through life or death, there is a wisdom beyond words that speaks when we are still enough to hear it. In birth work and ceremonial practices, intuition is a guide that tells us when to step in and when to hold space.

Advice for those early in their journey:

Cultivate stillness in your life whether through mindfulness + meditation, time in nature, or simply being present with others without rushing to respond. Learn to trust your gut feelings. Sometimes the best way to support someone is not by “fixing” but by being a grounding presence.
Surround yourself with mentors, elders, or guides who value intuition and can help you refine this skill.

The Art of Holding Space

Holding space is an essential part of my work. To truly hold space for someone means to create an environment where they feel safe, seen, and supported without judgment or imposition. This skill has allowed me to guide families through profound moments with reverence and care.

Practice active listening without the urge to give advice immediately.
Develop emotional intelligence and self-awareness, understanding your own triggers and biases allows you to hold space more effectively for others. Study different traditions of healing and holding space. Learn from midwives, death doulas, indigenous healers, and wisdom keepers who have carried these practices for generations.

Knowledge of Ancestral & Holistic Healing Practices

A deep connection to ancestral knowledge, holistic healing, and traditional wisdom has been at the heart of my journey. From postpartum nourishment to ceremonial rituals, understanding how our ancestors cared for and honored life transitions has allowed me to weave these teachings into modern practice.

Seek out traditional wisdom whether from your own lineage or other cultures with respect and reverence. One of my maestra’s Dr. Clarissa Pinkolas Estes always tells us to seek our roots out and understand their ways of doing things. Books, oral traditions, apprenticeships, and immersive experiences are all so valuable. 

Learn about herbs, food as medicine, energy healing, and the role of ceremony in different life stages.

Stay open to learning and evolving. Healing is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and integrating different modalities can help you serve in a way that is both ancient and relevant to today’s needs.

The journey of being a birth worker, a ceremonial guide, and a space-holder is not one of certainty, it’s a path of continuous learning, humility, and deep service. If I could offer one piece of advice to those just beginning, it would be to follow the calling, not the title. This work is less about defining yourself by a specific role and more about showing up where you are needed, trusting that your unique gifts will unfold in the right way and time.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

Two works that have profoundly influenced my personal and professional journey are Women Who Run with the Wolves and the audiobook Seeing in the Dark, both by Jungian psychologist Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés who was my maestra for over a few years time. These works have illuminated the path of the “wounded healer” archetype, a concept introduced by Carl Jung, which resonates deeply with my experiences.​

Women Who Run with the Wolves delves into the reclamation of the wild, instinctual nature inherent in women. Through myths and stories, Dr. Estés emphasizes reconnecting with our inner wisdom and embracing our authentic selves. This book has been instrumental in my journey, reminding me of the importance of nurturing my innate instincts and understanding the cycles of life and creativity.​

In Seeing in the Dark, Dr. Estés explores the depths of the unconscious, encouraging us to embrace our inner darkness as a source of profound insight and creativity. She refers to this inner knowing as “the one who knows,” highlighting the significance of trusting our intuition and inner guidance. This audiobook has taught me that by confronting and understanding our own wounds, I have the ability to emerge stronger and more compassionate, embodying the essence of the wounded healer.​

The concept of the wounded healer, as introduced by Carl Jung, suggests that those who have faced and healed from their own traumas possess a unique capacity to heal others. Embracing this archetype has allowed me to transform my own wounds into sources of healing for others, deepening my empathy and enhancing my ability to guide others through their healing journeys.​
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Through these works, I’ve learned that acknowledging and embracing my wounds not only fosters personal growth but also enhances my capacity to support and heal others. They have reinforced the belief that my deepest pains have become my most profound sources of wisdom and compassion.​