When I was first diagnosed with endometriosis, I felt overwhelmed. I wasn’t sure what I needed to do to get better.
The guidance I received from my doctors was limited to hormones, pills and costly surgeries. I’d been down that road and I didn’t want to continue that way.
The other suggestion was to get pregnant as soon as possible. I was told that pregnancy would help or possibly remove the symptoms I had from endometriosis.
But years of trying to conceive soon proved that pregnancy was not that easy with endo. The infertility factor added stress to my life of a whole new level.
This Idea of Whole Healing
Shortly after my diagnosis, I sought out help from a naturopath and was told that she couldn’t help me.
“Endometriosis is too complicated,” she said.
Complicated indeed.
As a natural researcher and forever student, I spent the next five years absorbing as much as I could about health and wellness. I became fascinated by the workings of the human body and its ability to heal itself.
I became drawn to teachings in Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Integrative and Functional Medicine, because they addressed this idea of whole healing.
While the primary symptom of endometriosis is painful periods, it encompasses so much more than reproduction. It’s a systemic condition and needs to be addressed that way.
Willing to Try Anything
I was willing to try anything to feel better and I tried many things. Diet. Supplements. Cleansing (A lot. Too much).
I was confused by all the varying nutritional ideas. I started to worry about everything! We are living in such a toxic world!
It STRESSED me out.
I wanted so badly to figure out how to get better, but I realized that all the research and trying to figure it all out was stressing me out worse.
A-HA moment.
After indulging in books, articles and courses on hormone balancing and self-healing, and going to school at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I kept coming back to this consistent factor in chronic illness: STRESS.
And it was more than just the emotional stress but also physical and emotional stress that wears out our bodies.
When your body is constantly under alert, then it doesn’t have a chance to rest and repair itself.
Learn more about the stress effect and endometriosis here.
Finding Calm Amidst the Storm
But, I pulled the stress factor together too late. I was burnt out. Exhausted.
So, I took a break.
Rested. Meditated. Slowed down. Swapped my health books for fiction.
I stopped beating myself up about the recovery time I needed to take.
And in this space, amazing things started to happen.
I started to feel better. More energized. Focused. Mindful of the present and the feelings that came up: good or bad.
I became the calm amidst the storm of endometriosis. Grounded. Alive again.
In this space of calm, I was better able to handle and manage the pain.
Stress Throws Everything Off
I finally held the missing link that pulls it all together. I finally figured out what I needed to focus on to get better: STRESS.
Stress truly throws everything out of whack.
This goes back to your master hormone, cortisol. Cortisol competes with progesterone and cortisol wins every time.
If your progesterone levels are lowered further by stress, then this exacerbates the much needed balance between estrogen and progesterone. This is an issue with endometriosis, an estrogen dominant condition.
Ever noticed how endo pain gets worse during stressful times?
Lowered progesterone levels also makes it harder to conceive, if that’s your goal.
In This Place There is Healing
If we are to find balance in our bodies for healing, we must calm things down. With calm there is peace and in this place there is healing.
This is one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned on my road to healing endometriosis and is the driving force behind my continued commitment to help others find Peace With Endo too.
Once I gave myself space to rest, creativity started to flow and I pulled together a beautiful creation that I’m so EXCITED to share with you.
Stress-Less, Balance & Heal
I’m hosting an online course filled with tools to help you stress-less, balance and heal. This is information that I’ve gathered over the past five years on my journey to self-healing.
This could be just what you need!
Over six weeks you will be guided step-by-step on how to naturally reduce stress in your body, mind and environment through simple, cumulative food and life style changes.
Even if you don’t have a ton of time, these small changes can add up to transformation.
At the end of this six-week course you’ll come away with tips and tools to:
- Eliminate stress and manage that which is out of your control.
- Reduce pain and inflammation in your body.
- Gain more energy.
- Improve your sleep.
- Maintain balance, so that even in stressful times things don’t get out of control.
- Establish harmony with your hormones, mood and energy levels.
What’s Included?
The course includes weekly instructional videos, handouts, exercises and weekly group coaching calls with me.
It’s a complete collection of everything I’ve learned about stress and self-healing, with recommendations and support to set up a healing environment in your body.
Connect with other ladies in the course in the online course platform, group-coaching calls and/or in a private Facebook group, where I’ll be available to answer questions and offer further support.
It can be hard with an invisible illness for others in your life to understand, and they’re never truly going to get it. This is your chance to collaborate with other endo sisters who do understand.
I wish that something like this was available when I was seeking out a way to feel better. That’s why I’m super excited to share it with you 🙂
Registration closes on April 17th, 2016 and space is limited.
Interested? Find out more and register here.
On the Positive Side?
Once I put focus on handling the stress in my life, I found great results. I felt more balanced and able to handle much of what comes my way in a calm manner.
Truth be told, the stress is not going to go away. It’s a part of life.
But we can take steps to manage what we can, and let the rest go. It’s not worth being weighed down by that which is out of your control.
I want you to find peace and calm amidst the chaos of life with endometriosis. It is possible. I hope to connect with you further in the online course!
If you have any questions please get in touch with me or drop a comment below.
Love love love!! Just set you an Instagram pm. Thank you for this wonderful resource. Hoping to connect soon.
Thanks Natalie. Much LOVE.