When the Body Responds: Bleeding, Release and Listening Closely

Sovereignty Over Urgency: Riding the Fortnight Instead of Reacting

In this episode, I reflect on the first full two-week stretch after moving to fortnightly sessions. The first half of the fortnight felt steady. Energy was good, inflammation stable, pain levels consistent. Nothing dramatic and that in itself is something worth noticing. Then, around day six, bloating and inflammation began to rise again. Not a collapse. Not a crisis. Just signals. This episode isn’t about the symptoms. It’s about noticing, recognising, and resisting urgency. It’s about not reacting to temporary discomfort with panic-driven decisions. It’s about making choices from safety and knowledge rather than fear and guilt. It's also about how difficult that can be. Listener giftAs a thank you for listening, you can download my Endometriosis Empowerment Workbook completely free using the podcast listener link here [https://sales.naturalendometriosisexpert.com/endometriosis-empowerment-workbook/?coupon=ENDOPODCAST]. Theme musicChris Collins – https://indiemusicbox.com [https://indiemusicbox.com] Medical herbalistZoë Wild – http://ofthewillow.com [http://ofthewillow.com] Work with me 1:1 programmes (in person or online), clinic in Leyland (Lancashire), small group programmes, self-guided online programmes and corporate women's health training & support https://halcyonwomenshealth.com/women [https://halcyonwomenshealth.com/women] Get full access to Halcyon Days at www.blog.halcyonwomenshealth.com/subscribe [https://www.blog.halcyonwomenshealth.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

When the Body Responds: Bleeding, Release and Listening Closely

This episode marks a grounded point of arrival within my healing journey - not an ending, but a calm check-in from inside the process. My period arrived, and I share what unfolded with care and curiosity. As the bleed progressed, it shifted into healthy, fresh red blood. On day three, I noticed dark, structured, stretchy tissue - often described as “clots”, but not actually clots at all. I explore the difference between coagulated blood and organised uterine tissue, and why this distinction matters for how we understand our bodies. I reflect on what may have passed, what has shifted around my cysts and endometrioma, and why reduced pain matters more than absolute certainty. This episode is about learning to read the body with nuance, trusting what changes, and staying curious rather than reactive as healing continues. * Theme music: Chris Collins – https://indiemusicbox.com * Medical herbalist: Zoë Wild – http://ofthewillow.com * Koo at Luna Sound & Healing (Reiki): https://lunasoundtherapies.co.uk * Me! https://halcyonwomenshealth.com/women Get full access to Halcyon Days at www.blog.halcyonwomenshealth.com/subscribe [https://www.blog.halcyonwomenshealth.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

When Life Expands and the Body Has to Catch Up

This episode explores what happens in the body when something deeply right arrives alongside increased demand — and how expansion can affect symptoms just as much as stress. I share the story of opening my new clinic space, an idea that arrived suddenly in early December and unfolded with surprising clarity. While the clinic appeared to close over Christmas, there was significant activity behind the scenes: preparing the space, replacing equipment, moving in, and readying myself to welcome both new and returning clients. Alongside this, I returned to my part-time role at the local college - a role that involves long periods of standing and brings its own physical demands. I reflect on how these layers of responsibility showed up in my body, particularly for a system already navigating change. A central moment in this episode is my first Reiki treatment in some time, where deep grief - particularly around my little pooch - was released, alongside other old emotional layers that were ready to move. The physical and emotional shift afterwards was tangible: a lighter abdomen, a softer nervous system, and a renewed sense of myself. I then explore what followed - losing my voice, developing a cold, and needing to cancel clinic appointments just a week into opening a new space. I reflect on immune response, emotional release, seasonal vulnerability, and the inner work required to rest without slipping into guilt or shame. Despite illness, my pelvic pain shifted significantly — becoming quieter, more localised and familiar. This episode is about honouring the body’s intelligence, understanding that healing and vulnerability can coexist, and learning to say no even when life is expanding. * Theme music: Chris Collins – https://indiemusicbox.com * Medical herbalist: Zoë Wild – http://ofthewillow.com * Koo at Luna Sound & Healing (Reiki): https://lunasoundtherapies.co.uk * Me! https://halcyonwomenshealth.com/women Get full access to Halcyon Days at www.blog.halcyonwomenshealth.com/subscribe [https://www.blog.halcyonwomenshealth.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Betwixtmas: When the Body Needs Quiet and the World Wants Performance

Episode 4.4 - Betwixtmas: When the Body Needs Quiet and the World Wants Performance In this episode, I reflect on the often-overlooked impact of the Christmas and New Year period on women living with endometriosis and chronic symptoms - a time that asks us to be cheerful, present, sociable and energetic, even when our bodies are quietly asking for calm, space and less. After closing the clinic over Christmas and New Year, I followed the same guidance I offer my clients: listening closely to the body, planning self-care gently, and allowing flexibility rather than forcing momentum. On the surface, things slowed down. Beneath that, my notes reveal just how challenging it was to truly rest in a season full of expectation. I share how my symptoms responded during this liminal time - a relatively straightforward bleed following the previous episode, subtle improvements that didn’t fully stabilise, and then a flare around ovulation when the rest my body needed didn’t quite materialise. I talk honestly about body swelling, food and alcohol choices during flares, using Reiki and reflexology when touch tolerance was low, and the cumulative effect of not quite getting organised enough to counter known triggers. The episode closes with a moment of deep listening - when my body gave a very clear no, and I chose rest over attendance. A gentle reminder that symptoms are responsive rather than permanent, and that shifts in state - emotional, nervous-system and energetic - matter. Get my Endometriosis Empowerment Workbook for free here: https://sales.naturalendometriosisexpert.com/endometriosis-empowerment-workbook/?coupon=ENDOPODCAST [https://sales.naturalendometriosisexpert.com/endometriosis-empowerment-workbook/?coupon=ENDOPODCAST] Theme music: Chris Collins – https://indiemusicbox.com [https://indiemusicbox.com]Medical herbalist: Zoë Wild – http://ofthewillow.com [http://ofthewillow.com] Get full access to Halcyon Days at www.blog.halcyonwomenshealth.com/subscribe [https://www.blog.halcyonwomenshealth.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Bonus Episode — What This Journey Is Showing Me So Far

This bonus episode steps out of the week-by-week timeline to reflect on what this client journey has revealed over the last few weeks. Rather than focusing on improvement or outcomes, I explore the quieter truths that have emerged so far: what happened to the podcast schedule and what I have taken from this. This episode weaves together themes of rest, expansion, anxiety, immunity and timing — and how progress often shows up sideways, in moments of relief, clarity or confidence rather than dramatic change. It’s an episode about listening more closely, softening the lens we use to assess our bodies, and allowing healing to be responsive rather than prescribed. A pause to integrate what’s already shifted, and to reaffirm that this journey is not about fixing, but about coming back into dialogue with the body — again and again. Get full access to Halcyon Days at www.blog.halcyonwomenshealth.com/subscribe [https://www.blog.halcyonwomenshealth.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]