Episode #17 The Messy Middle: Why All Real Transformation Lives in Discomfort with Guest Sara Nelson

3 Things You WIll Learn in this EpisodeGrief lives in your body, and why feeling it is the only real path forward.You're either going to feel it now or feel it later... our relationship to discomfort and leaning into hard feelings is what actually unlocks transformation.Real change starts with you, and it starts small. It begins with one committed act, repeated.Episode DescriptionSarah Nelson shares how postpartum depression after her second child’s birth and the sudden loss of her 16-year-old niece in 2015 led her from trying to “outrun” pain to discovering embodiment and healing through yoga, trauma-informed training, and holding space for others in grief and life transitions. Sara discusses how grief is stored in the body, why emotions must be felt rather than numbed, and how grief is non-linear, as well as the importance of simply showing up for people instead of trying to fix them. The conversation highlights the power of women’s circles, community, and small daily commitments as catalysts for transformation, along with reflections on death, loss, and self-responsibility in healing. Sarah describes her work through The SOL Journey and co-founding the nonprofit Meet Us on the Front Lines to connect people to causes and organizations creating change.Ways to connect with Sara:Email: [email protected]: http://www.thesoljourney.comWebsite: http:// www.Meetusonthefrontlines.comTimestamps00:29 Meet Sarah Nelson01:27 Blueprint Life Cracks01:58 Postpartum and Tragedy02:41 Yoga Room Breakthrough03:35 From Fixer to Guide05:15 Holding Space for Grief07:07 Kids and Pet Loss09:29 Talking About Death12:37 Grief Has No Timeline17:29 Messy Middle Growth20:06 Women Circles and Change21:20 From Healing to Activism22:39 Own Your Healing23:05 Power of Women Circles24:08 Friendship Over Fairytales25:09 Dating Triggers and Wounds26:49 Embodiment and 90 Seconds28:05 Yoga Tears and Self Priority30:19 Tiny Habits That Stick32:48 Journaling and Ten Images35:02 Capturing Real Family Moments38:01 Feel It Now Not Later40:41 Work and Ways to Connect42:56 Closing Gratitude and Goodbye