Meet Romina
Anak Doula Full Spectrum Birth Services (@anakdoula)
Romina Parungao (she/they/siya) is a diasporic Ilokana-Pangasinese-American/Pinay whose ancestral lineage is rooted in Central Luzon and Illocos Sur; specifically in the Pangasinan and Magsingal regions of the Philippines. Romina currently resides on the lands of the Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo Indian peoples in Northern, CA, also known as Sonoma County. Towards the end of 2023, Romina completed an Ayurvedic clinical foundations course with DeAnna Batdorf of Dhyanna Essentials, being greatly inspired to weave in elemental medicine and ayurvedic principles into her birth practice. She is currently deepening relations with western herbalism at the California School of Herbal Studies.
Anak Doula Services was birthed towards the end of 2020, shortly after my tatang (Ilocano for father) transitioned out of this earthly realm. His spirit along with all the well ninunos (ancestors) are supporting and guiding me throughout this sacred work. Anak (uh-nuck) which translates in Ilocano to "child" or "little one" is what my father would call me ever since I was an infant. Not only does it give reverence to someone who took very good care of me growing up, I thought it was a suiting name since I am supporting individuals and their families throughout the childbirth process.
Since beginning this lifelong commitment around three years ago, my birthwork is much more than “work”, it is an ever-evolving lifelong art form that bridges the past-present-and-future while returning to the belief of kapwa or "shared self"-that you and I are deeply interconnected in which I am not well unless you are well. Rooted in decolonization, my birth practice is influenced by the ancestral, artistic, spiritual, ceremonial/ritualistic, intergenerational, and socio-political parts of myself. Through a decolonial lense, I am constantly re-learning, re-membering, and re-indiginizing forgotten parts of my mind, body, and spirit as I reclaim my Ilokana-American identity while unpacking and understanding my child-of-immigrants experience.
Growing up surrounded by a large family, I have been around babies and children my whole life, always wanting to help my aunties and uncles take care of their little ones. From witnessing my family dynamics, I have come to understand the importance of the village mentality where everyone helps each other - from home-cooked meals, assisting each other when in need, and spending quality time- they have shown me the true embodiment of wellness, sustainability, and reciprocity. From a young age, I learned that I was a caretaker at heart, naturally helping others whenever I could. Eventually, this translated to helping families through nannying for over 10 years+ and eventually developing and establishing my birth practice.
Every time I deepen my relations with this birth practice and ancestral healing journey, I find myself truly coming home, connecting me back to long lineage healers, midwives, plant medicine makers, hilot practitioners, artists, knowledge barriers, wisdom seekers, caretakers, weavers, farmers, and of course, doulas that practiced and embodied how to be in right relations with community.
Sama sama sa hirap at ginhawa
Togetherness in good and bad times
Everything begins at birth. I give many thanks to all my creators that have brought my brother, niece and I earth-side, my beloved parents, Romeo Leal Parungao and Basperina Udarbe Parungao. I also give thanks to the many grandmothers and great grandmothers in my ancestral lineage, Lilang Peregrina Udarbe, Lilang Tomasa Bosillos Leal, and Lilang Rosalita Leal.
About Mayari Visions Artistry (@mayari.visions)
Mayari Visions Artistry (Tagalog goddess of the moon, night, revolution, and war) is the artwork of Romina Parungao who brings intricate creativity with various mediums ranging from ink pens, henna, beeswax, watercolors, stick and poke tattooing, and dried flora leveraging inspiration from their love of botanicals, nature, and holistic health.
Their creations are inspired by the nature around us, the cosmos above us, and our consciousness within us- exploring topics pertaining to life-death-rebirth cycles, grief, ancestral connection, herbalism, reciprocity, and interconnectedness. Each piece is mindfully crafted with intention, which allows them to freely create art as a form of self expression. With that being said, they communicate their experiences in the world via visual storytelling.
Outside of creating, their other passions include taking care of families as a full-spectrum doula/birth companion, researching plant medicine, diving deep into ancestral work, weaving community as a early childhood Waldorf teacher’s assistant, propagating succulents and cacti, tending to the garden, soaking up the sun with a cup of tea in hand, cooking and sharing nourishing meals, reading, and enjoying the outdoors.
Mayari Visions artwork is currently featured and can be purchased at:
Cypress Gallery Bazaar (Occidental, CA)
Past features:
Cafè Aquatica (Jenner, CA)
Powell's Oddities and Curiosities (Petaluma, CA)
Mas Masa Restaurant (Marin, CA)
Thrive Birth Center (Santa Rosa, CA)
Naked Sol Apothecary (Sonoma County, CA).
As a settler on stolen land, 10% of all monthly purchases made are donated to the Shuumi Land Tax ~ From the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust's website, "The Shuumi Land Tax directly supports Sogorea Te’s work of rematriation, returning Indigenous land to Indigenous people, establishing a cemetery to reinter stolen Ohlone ancestral remains and building urban gardens, community centers, and ceremonial spaces so current and future generations of Indigenous people can thrive in the Bay Area."