Ep 43 - The Body Keeps the Score: How Grief Shows Up Physically

In this solo episode, I explore a side of grief that is often overlooked but profoundly important: the way grief shows up in the body.We tend to think of grief as emotional or psychological - but our bodies feel it just as deeply. From exhaustion and sleep changes to physical tension, aches, heaviness, digestive issues, and that sense of being stuck, the body often speaks before the mind can make sense of what’s happening.Drawing on personal experience, therapeutic insight, and the somatic wisdom explored in The Body Keeps the Score, Louise gently explains how grief impacts the nervous system and why these physical symptoms are not signs of weakness, but natural responses to profound loss.In this episode, you’ll hear about:How grief affects the bodyStress responses like elevated cortisol, racing heartbeat, and weakened immunityPhysical expressions of grief: tightness, heaviness, insomnia, aches, digestion changesWhy symptoms like globus sensation (a lump in the throat) can appear during griefHow tension, pain, and sensation can reflect emotional statesWhy the body remembers what the mind tries to manageI lead listeners through a gentle body scan, inviting awareness of breath, tension, and sensation without judgment, without needing to fix anything.Somatic tools that help grief moveGentle yoga for grounding, breath awareness, and emotional softeningBreathwork to calm the nervous system and create emotional spaceSomatic therapy to help release stuck griefEveryday movement, as simple as walking or swaying, to help your body process lossI share my own personal experience of using EFT tapping (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and EMDR therapy.Somatic tools that help to regulate the nervous system, release stuck emotion, and reconnect with a sense of inner safety.Recommended Reading:The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der KolkConnect with your host Louise Bates: https://linktr.ee/louisebatesIf this episode moved you, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who might need it.You help this show reach others walking their own path through grief. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.