This Is Body Grief: Finding Peace, Power, and Joy

In this deeply personal and illuminating conversation, Meghann is joined by disability advocate and eating disorder recovery coach Jayne Mattingly, author of This Is Body Grief. Together, they explore the complex and often overlooked emotional experience of body grief—the mourning that arises when our bodies don’t or can’t function the way we hoped they would.Jayne shares her journey from early body image struggles and an eating disorder to being diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder, undergoing 19 surgeries, and ultimately building a new relationship with her body and identity. Her story invites listeners to reconsider how they view healing—not as a final destination, but as a continuous and compassionate practice.Meghann and Jayne talk candidly about:How body grief shows up across different life experiences, from puberty to chronic illness to agingThe toll of internalized ableism and perfectionismLetting go of hustle culture and learning to rest without guiltThe power of naming systems of oppression (ableism, racism, sexism) in the healing processReframing the question from “Why is this happening?” to “What now?”Creating space for both joy and grief in the same momentJayne’s insight offers language for emotions many struggle to name—and reminds us that choosing compassion, rest, and community can be powerful steps toward healing.🔗 Links & Resources✨ Join the Messy community on Instagram: @BecomingIsMessy✨ Follow Meghann for more real, raw, and messy wisdom: @MeghannDawson✨ Explore coaching, workshops & more: www.meghanndawson.com (sign up for Meghann's weekly email)✨ Shop the Messy Collection: www.meghanndawson.com/shop🌿 Connect with Jayne Mattingly @ https://www.jaynemattingly.com/📖 Buy a copy of This is Body Grief! https://www.jaynemattingly.com/the-book💛 Loved this episode? Hit follow, leave a review, and share it with a fellow Messy who needs to hear it!#BodyGrief #BecomingIsMessy #JayneMattingly #ChronicIllness #DisabilityAwareness #EatingDisorderRecovery #YouAreNotTooMuch #SelfCompassion #RestIsResistance #HealingIsNonLinear #ThisIsBodyGrief #MakingPeaceWithYourBody #MessiesUnite #WhatNow #ReclaimYourWorth Get full access to The Unperfect Life at theunperfectlife.substack.com/subscribe