Meet
Shani Belle
A perinatal professional specializing in "village-care" ("high risk") pregnancy, maternal advocacy for racialized and marginalized people, radical childbirth and a return to ancestral practices in childbirth education.
Hola!
I'm Shani and I am your perinatal homie behind Jewel Child Doula Collective/MotherLand BirthRights; childbirth support for BIPoC communities and nonprofit services for marginalized families, respectively and Wild Birth Sacred Birthkeeping; workshops, private care and apothecary. I'm mother to 4 amazing children, I've been married, divorced, a single mother and married again, living happily with my beautiful blended family.
I'm the daughter of a talented, entrepreneurial woman who hails from the 'isle of spice', Grenada. We're descendants of the Caribbean Indigenous Taíno people, with Afro-Cuban blood flowing through our veins. I've dedicated this work, the work of my abuela; to reconnecting with my ancestors and rekindling all of the traditions and ceremonies that were stripped away from them when they encountered Columbus. We Taínos are not extinct, we're still here, we just look a bit different now.
My work is focused in Mesoamerican Indigenous practices of Mayans and Andean Indigenous who I've had the honour and privilege of learning from firsthand— traditions that are linked very closely to that of the Taíno people.
I'm a completely open book, I believe the school of life has given me textbook after textbook's worth of tangible experience; a lifetime of knowledge crammed into a few decades.
So behind this smiling face there's... a lot... (scroll over the pic for the deets and find more personal life stories in TiNF! my blog and podcast— THIS is NOT FICTION)
Outside of trials and tribulations I love to cook, bake, sing and dance. I owned an eclectic resto/cafe called Mad Hatter Tea Co. for several years as tea sommelier, herbalist and chef, offering a tantalizing menu featuring all things tea based— jasmine tea salad dressing, smoked black tea based soups, high tea flipped on its head, you name it, we tried it. But when life changed, so did my priorities.
Over the eight years of Mad Hatter I maintained my status as a doula but was less active with hands on work and more active in supportive care through plant medicine, a curandera of sorts, following in the footsteps of my grandmother. When life changed so did my focus and I dove deep into discovering the blueprints of my ancestors buried deep within me and cultivated a beautifully holistic and Indigenously grounded perinatal practice, focused solely on breaking free of the chains of fear based birthing experiences, patriarchy and constricted parenting beliefs. I decided to decolonize my thinking, decolonize my last two births. As a single mother I opted to live wild. My motto became:
meaning 'more life...less, less' but I like to think of it as 'more life, less strife!' it sounds better right? And even though my life has since drastically changed, the motto has stuck.
When I got remarried and pregnant with my last two children I decided to birth wild as best I could outside of the system...within the system (since my chronic illness diagnosis) and this has since been my mission. How can we turn a sterile hospital room into a sacred birthing space? Mamí, I've got it covered, trust me!
I approach maternal care with a “love first” mindset. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, what your age, nationality, beliefs or background is: We are kin, I will love and support you first! I believe that even the most minor acts, when done in love, make the most significant impact on the world.
I am truly grateful for every family that invites me to witness them grow, and should you invite me to be a part of your story, it would be an honour and a privilege to serve you.
I currently serve the GTHA and beyond (through the help of the technology gods) and I'm really looking forward to connecting with you soon to talk birthy things!
abab
(abrazos y besos)
con amor,
Shani
mas vida, menos menos
PLEASE NOTE: All classes and private sessions are on hold until March 2024 as we're welcoming a new baby boy to our pack in January 2024. This mamí has a 40 day postpartum curantena plan! Ask me about it in March!!
My Mentors, Educators & Training
These are some of the great minds and schools of training that have greatly influenced my work. I continue to learn from some of these mentors and expand my awareness and knowledge to provide the best integrated and holistic services to the families I support personally and through Jewel Child Doula Collective and our Doula school.
-Birthing Advocacy Doula Training
-DONA
-Doula School
-Halton Diabetes Program
-Indigemama Ancestral Healing
-Partera di Anaku Indigenous birthwork and plant medicines
-Toronto School of Alexander Technique
-Wombs of the World
-Worts & Cunning Lunar Apothecary
#ShaniBelle
Journey with me!
