14/05/2026
When What You Carry Weighs You Down
I'm going to tell you the story about a recent experience, an epiphany, a moment that blew my mind
I have always believed that our bodies are incredible
Its entire job is to keep you alive. At all costs.
Every compensative movement, every bodily 'dis-function', every cough or sneeze, every frozen shoulder .... is a form of keeping you protected - from something or another.
So it is with weight gain or loss - our body is keeping us alive in ways that we might not ever realise.
Our body is saving us daily from toxic substances (including hormones), or from our own toxic thoughts, or even our own grief
And that's where my story lies...
Since I turned 50 and went into menopause I have been struggling (as women do) with some extra weight sitting around my middle. More so in the past 6-12 months
As per my usual style I have dived into as many pathways as I could to discover what was behind my shift.
Many would say "Menopause is the obvious contributor" and move on. They haven't met me yet!!
So.... I moved to a higher protein intake, more weights work, lymphatic brushing, supplements, HRT, prioritising time for me ....
NOTHING shifted the needle
Not one iota
In fact, it seemed to worsen
In the past few weeks a couple of "external" things have shifted in my life
Changes in environment
Things seemingly out of my control
The day following one such change - I woke up and noticed my usual morning belly was different. A change in shape.
I had done absolutely nothing physically differently EXCEPT there had been a shift in my psyche
I realised what I had been holding on to regarding that situation
The situation changed. My psyche shifted. Weight shifted.
The other day I met a friend for a bodywork session
We unpacked all the layers that have been overlapping lately
She reflected back all the things. Cutting through the noise and bringing clarity in her true style
We talked about grief and how it shows up in the body
Congestion, stuck-ness, pain, stiff joints, lung issues, constipation, weight gain or loss, heart issues
These are the layers of grief that come from a normal functioning life - where you grieve:
the things that you no longer have
the things that will never be
for people who have been significant in your life, and are no longer here
the person you used to be... and so much more
When you throw in some grief that eats you to the bone and erodes part of you the body will do what it can to protect you from your own grief, your own self.
After my session with Bec I got up and needed to hoist up my pants for the rest of the day. More of the weight of the world had been let go of from my body!
THIS is why working with your nervous system is key for any health issue
Looking beyond the symptoms and considering the whole of your life is also key
In my practice I had a person come and see me for their physical symptoms
We ended up writing a timeline of their life on a very large whiteboard
Mapping out all of the significant life events
We even mapped out what was going on in their parent's lives before they were born
Their eyes opened very wide as they said "See, Im not as crazy as everyone has said I am" Needless to say there were tears of relief
A weight lifted off them that day
They practically skipped out of my room
When I checked in a week later, they were still buzzing from their realisations
Their physical symptoms had reduced by half and they said their weight had reduced without doing any other things.
If your body is sending you messages that it is shielding you from pain, toxin or grief, I encourage you to find a practitioner who has the skills to look at all the aspects of health.
If you have experienced significant trauma it is even more important to find a practitioner who is gentle and understands the involvement of the nervous system
I trust you find some lightness in your life
Reach out if you want to dive a little deeper
Sparkle on friends 💖
