Member Spotlight: Jalayah Jeff

This member spotlight was written by Ollie Turner, a college student at University of Colorado Boulder and intern with REACH Women's Network. This blog post was part of her project to conduct information interviews with REACH members.

Jalayah Jeff is a holistic doula and owner of Ase9 Womb & Yoni Steam Spa in Winston-Salem. Her work centers around supporting women whose lives involve the “three M’s”: motherhood, menstruation, and menopause.

Jalayah became interested in doula care after she gave birth to her daughter in 2020. During her birth experience, she had a doula who provided her extra support, and following the positive experience of having a doula present for her own birth, Jalayah knew that she wanted to advocate for women's health in some shape or form.

A typical day for Jalayah involves creating a space for women who are experiencing pregnancy, birth, postpartum, motherhood, or hospice situations. In her health spa, Jalayah will hold consultations for clients as well as perform yoni steaming. She says that every day is about empowering the women around her. Jalayah describes yoni steaming as intentional self-care, and it falls within the reproductive wellness realm. Within the spa, she researches and creates custom herbal blends tailored to each client based on their wants and needs.

For Jalayah, the best part of her work is seeing the transformation of a woman who feels truly seen and supported within the space that she works to create. She says that women's reproductive health is too often overlooked, minimized, or met with invasive surgeries without considering other options. Because of this minimization, women often feel uncomfortable or ashamed to discuss their own reproductive and menstrual health, which only feeds into the stigma and continues the cycle of shame. Jalayah works to normalize these important discussions, especially because reproductive health has such a major impact on the entirety of a woman’s health system. 

Jalayah’s biggest piece of advice to anyone considering entering the holistic doula field is to stay rooted in evidence-based education and local community. It’s not just about practicing the proper techniques, but about holding a safe and welcoming space for the women who are choosing to entrust you with their bodies and care. 

Jalayah is new to REACH. She learned about the organization through a friend who saw her passion for women’s wellness and recommended that she join a group of women who were equally passionate about female advancement. What Jalayah values most about being a REACH member is the sense of community and shared purpose that she has found within the organization. The opportunity to connect with other passionate women is a reminder that we are stronger together.