111:: Your body keeps the score on grief (why your body grieves before your brain!)

Grief isn't just an emotion — it's a full-body experience. In this episode, Dr. Kelsy Vick (board-certified Doctor of Physical Therapy and pelvic floor specialist) breaks down what's actually happening in your brain and body when you're grieving — and why that chest tightness, exhaustion, and brain fog are real physiological responses, not weakness.We cover the neuroscience of grief (what happens in your amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and reward circuitry), how grief impacts your immune system and hormones, why grief disrupts your sleep more than you realize, and the surprising overlap between Western neuroscience and Traditional Chinese Medicine's ancient understanding of grief living in the lungs.In this episode:What grief actually does to your brain (the neuroscience)Why grief feels like physical pain in your chestThe immune and hormonal impact of grief on your bodyWhy grief disrupts your sleep — and why that mattersWhat Traditional Chinese Medicine has known about grief for thousands of yearsEvidence-based, gentle things that actually helpIf this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to leave a review — it helps another woman who needs to find this podcast.62:: Dr. Felice Chan, a Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor, talks hormonal balance, anxiety, gut health, and skincare from a TCM perspective 96:: The overnight system In charge of cleaning your brain (& how to stop getting in its way!) 5:: spring cleaning:: brain detox! spring cleaning part II (the little-known glymphatic system, sleep hygiene, & sleep checklist) Fr. Mike Episodes:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sunday-homilies-with-fr-mike-schmitz/id273537688https://open.spotify.com/show/1CK5AHgLneCo2sE17UOfdVloving the pod? click the follow button, & we'd love if you could leave a review! thank you x 1000 :)sign up for the free Smart Girl Newspaper!insta:: @dr.kelsyvickdpt & @wellnessbigsispodyoutube:: @dr.kelsyvickdpttiktok:: @dr.kelsyvickdpt & @wellnessbigsispodSources:Statharakos, N. (2025). Unraveling the Neurobiology of Grief: Insights into Brain and Behavior — Narrative Review. Brain Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.26599/BSA.2025.905001Systematic review of neuroimaging studies in grief and bereavement (2025). ScienceDirect. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0149763425005366Knowles, L., O'Connor, M.F., & Ruiz, J. (2019). Bereavement and immune function — review of 41 years of research. Psychosomatic Medicine. https://news.arizona.edu/news/four-questions-how-grief-affects-immune-systemSeiler, A. et al. (2020). The Psychobiology of Bereavement and Health. UCLA Stress Lab / Frontiers. https://www.uclastresslab.org/pubs/Seiler_Frontiers_2020.pdfUniversity of Utah Health (2024). The Physical Domain of Grief. https://healthcare.utah.edu/the-scope/womens-7/all/2024/03/e45-physical-domain-of-griefMDVIP — How Grief Can Affect Our Health. https://www.mdvip.com/patients/resources/how-grief-affects-our-health-and-how-manage-itSleep disturbances in bereavement: A systematic review (2020). ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079220300745De Lang, T.A. et al. (2024). Trajectories of insomnia following bereavement. Sleep Medicine, 114, 159-166.O'Connor, M.F. — Sleep Troubles May Complicate the Grieving Process. University of Arizona. https://news.arizona.edu/node/23963Blue Note Psychotherapy (2026). Grief, Trauma, and REM Sleep: How the Brain Processes Emotional Pain During Sleep. https://www.bluenotepsychotherapy.com/blog-1-1/when-grief-disrupts-sleep-and-why-that-matters-for-healingWilliams, J. et al. (2021). Can Physical Activity Support Grief Outcomes in Individuals Who Have Been Bereaved? A Systematic Review. Sports Medicine — Open. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8028581/Leong, J., Tan, L.L., & Goh, C.C. (2025). Profound Grief and Pulmonary Fibrosis — A Case Report. BJPsych Open. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12260628/Giovanni Maciocia (2021). Stagnation of Lung-Qi and Heart-Qi in Chinese Medicine. https://giovanni-maciocia.com/on-stagnation-of-lung-and-heart-qi/Encircle Acupuncture (2026). The Emotions and Traditional Chinese Medicine. https://encircleacupuncture.com/blog/emotions-and-tcmKara Acupuncture and Wellness (2025). The Metal Element in Traditional Chinese Medicine. http://www.aculaura.com/blog/2024/10/4/the-metal-element-in-traditional-chinese-medicine-what-it-means-to-youMeine TCM (2025). Understanding Grief with Chinese Medicine: Lung and Letting Go. https://www.meine-tcm.com/en/mourning-in-chinese-medicine/