About

Hi, I'm Hilary Rudenauer, the face behind The Mindful Mama. I'm so happy you found your way here! Let's get to know each other. 

I've spent much of my life on a healing journey. After experiencing a series of traumatic events as a young person, I struggled to feel at home in this world and at home inside my body. I looked for help in all the traditional places, but eventually found solace in peer communities and spiritual practices. I began to work at the intersection of mental health and holistic healing. I felt like I had found my calling.

When I became a mom in 2019, I found myself at a crossroads. I felt alone, overwhelmed and racked with mom guilt. I was over-the-moon happy to be a mom, and I also felt uncertain about my new role and identity. How did my career fit in? How would I balance it all? Would I ever have time for self-care again? Did other moms feel triggered by their kids too? 

Connecting with other mothers and learning more about pregnancy, birth, and postpartum helped me to make sense of many things. Motherhood still feels just as challenging as it is beautiful and rewarding, but it’s easier knowing I’m not alone. 

These experiences motivated me to become a postpartum doula. This work solidified for me the importance of mother-to-mother connections for myself and for all mothers. It also helped me to come back to the knowing that my truest purpose is supporting individuals who are healing from trauma. This is something I’ve done in the past through my work in the mental health system, it’s something I’ve done as a doula, and it’s something I continue to do as a healer and teacher. 

I believe everyone experiences trauma. Although many people hear the word trauma and think of things like abuse, war, natural disasters and other life-changing events, trauma is anything that overwhelms our ability to cope. So while trauma may be these types of events, it can also be something less 'severe,' but still impactful. These past events can affect the way we see the world, the way we handle stress, the way we relate to others, our pain levels, our digestion, and so much more. They can inhibit our ability to feel passionate and joyful. They can keep us from living life to the fullest. 

I believe we all have the wisdom, courage, and natural healing abilities required to find freedom from the impacts of chronic and traumatic stress, to face life's challenges, and become our truest selves. We all deserve to experience physical and mental health. We deserve to feel good and enjoy life. 

As a healer and a teacher, I'm here to remind you that healing is possible. I'm here to help you feel safe and seen. I'm here to give you tools and practices that can support you and enhance your life. I'm here to illuminate the path until you can light the way for yourself. I'm here to remind you that you already have everything you need and you are enough just as you are.