We’re looking forward to introducing you to Eyla Cuenca. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Eyla , it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is a normal day like for you right now?
Lately I’m really all about more slowness & listening. I used to power through so much, and it burned me out. I still wake up before everyone in the house, but I take my time. I pray and meditate. If my body needs rest, I might go back to bed. If it doesn’t I’ll do an hour of movement, usually a walk or yin yoga. Then I’ll write down a list of equal work and pleasure practices. When I wasn’t making enough space for doing things that brought ease and pleasure it really took a toll. So now I prioritize things like drinking tea in my garden for half hour in the middle of the day, whereas before that seemed like a “waste of time” It used to be purely about generating “outcomes” through productivity, but now I understand that nourishment is actually one of the most productive, supportive things I can do for myself, my family & my clients. So now its about balance and listening to what my body needs, not what my mind is commanding. My family eats together and the days follows. I live in a really wooded area of Miami with no traffic and a lot of wonderful wildlife. I love it. Not the kind of wild life you find on South Beach or Design District :). I try to use my hands everyday in an activity that doesn’t involve typing…. like knitting, baking, or gardening. I work with women 1-1, lead large group calls on Zoom, record for the show, and then spend the second half of the day with my daughter. Always doing something a little different.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Eyla Cuenca—a childbirth educator, doula, health freedom advocate, and birth trauma alchemist. I’m the found of Uncovering Birth. My work is rooted in the belief that birth is not just a physical event, but a profound portal that can initiate transformation on every level—personal, ancestral, and societal.
I grew up between Los Angeles and Santa Cruz and studied at Bennington College & the California Institute of the Arts focusing in Cultural Anthropology & Photography. I bring a deep curiosity and critical lens to the systems that shape how we birth and initiate into society. I’ve studied family systems, served as a Guardian Ad Litem for the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida, and attended over 500 births in both hospital and home settings. I trained with the AAHCC, founded by Dr. Robert A. Bradley, and have dedicated a large part of my life to helping women and families reclaim their sovereignty through education and embodiment.
Currently, my deepest focus is leading international trainings for birth doulas, postpartum doulas, and childbirth educators. These programs are more than professional certifications—they’re life-changing rites of passage that reshape how we see ourselves as women, leaders, and space holders.
I also host the *Born To Know* show, where I’ve had the honor of speaking with incredible thinkers like Robert Edward Grant, RC Blakes, and Dr. Jack Kruse. It’s a lot of fun and I enjoy bringing these conversations to people all over the world.
I believe birth is a key to understanding the roots of chronic illness, disconnection, and collective wounding— it is also the map to freedom, wholeness, and true connection. Through understanding birth we can understand ourselves.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
That love is conditional.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
A defining wound used to be that life is not safe. This is what happens often when babies grow up in homes where secure attachment is not established, first in the womb and then into the first seven years of a child’s life. This poor establishment of healthy attachment became an epidemic with Gen X, moreso with millennials and now it’s at an all time high with the youth who have been primarily raised by daycares, technology and absent parents who are working to make ends meet and satisfy the (now dead) American Dream. When parents don’t have agency and awareness of their own nervous system they don’t understand the irreparable damage they are imparting on their children. This is not to say that these children will not grow up to be functional adults able to participate in society and have a seemingly normal life, but its does mean they are often driven by the unconscious belief that life itself is not safe, people are not trustworthy and a whole host of other drivers based on their unique lifescape. These factors can make it very hard for them to have healthy securely attached relationships, success in business and a healthy, honest relationship with themselves. It’s exhausting to live life on guard. The good news is we are in a time with infinite resources and if we are committed to having a better quality of life and health, we can make it happen by integrating our wounds, shifting our beliefs and quitting the lies we tell ourselves.
I’ve enjoyed working with techniques like family constellations, EMDR, Somatic Therapy, Parts work and all types of dance.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
We are 100% responsible for our reality, and every good & bad thing that happens to us.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
Putting off my move to Italy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.uncoveringbirth.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eyla_cuenca_birth/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@eylacuenca
Image Credits
Zura Lugard
Meli Neubek
