She just needed safety: a story of healing from within
This last week I have been going through old images from the past 15 years in my Drive.
Looking at my own younger face made me feel emotional a few times.
She was a girl who struggled in so many ways and who, for such a long time, simply didn't have the right tools to deal with things coming her way.
I do believe everything comes in synchronised timing, and growth is not a linear thing, so I know all of these steps needed to occur for me to stand where I am standing today.
A body disconnect
For the longest time, I didn’t feel at home in my body. As a child, I was misdiagnosed with Perthes disease, which left me in a hospital bed for so long that I eventually lost the ability to walk.
I internalised a deep belief that my body was 'not working properly' — something s bit rigid and dysfunctional. I even thought I might never be able to have children because my hips “weren’t made for that.” Now, looking back, I understand that a seed was planted that disconnected me from my body right there. I started living entirely from my head, treating my body like a tool that just got me places.
Later, I developed OCD and anxiety patterns. Living in my mind was a coping mechanism — constantly thinking and analysing to feel safer in this world. I thought that if I analysed every scenario, I wouldn’t be able to be surprised by hard events in my life. I had many moments where I was in a haze of panic, walking around the house or city trying to calm myself down.
Control also showed up in my relationship with food. I struggled with restrictive eating, later followed by binge eating — both symptoms of the same need to grasp for that safety. I attached so much of my identity to being “thin,” even though my body wasn't getting what it needed.
Collateral beauty
The beautiful thing about deep pain is that it's a great motivator for deep healing. When things come crashing down, somehow the world gets quiet and we are able to see these glimpses of truth in our experience.
I came to understand that healing wasn't just about food; it was about learning how to move beyond the convincing voice of the mind and meet the body’s real needs. I began giving my actions new meaning — small shifts that brought entirely new outcomes.
The thread through all of this?
At every stage, I was called back to my body.
Again and again. I’ve learned that safety isn’t something I can think my way into — I have to feel it. That the body isn’t something to overcome or control, but to live inside.
To trust. To listen to.
And that healing isn’t a straight line, but a return — again and again — to presence and softness.
All of this to say that this is what makes me so passionate about what I am sharing at With Ease. A safe place for everyone to explore safety in our bodies and to be able to cope with both the body and mind, in order to stay in touch with yourself. Working with the body and mind is about returning back to your power. And when we're kind towards ourselves and we know our capabilities, automatically this love is reflected outward to others too.
I would have loved to learn about nervous system regulation earlier in my life.
To understand that my mind works in a way that is not always beneficial, but that I have the capacity to bring myself back to a state where I feel my own inner strength.
To feel calm and safe in this world, because I am the love that never leaves.
Ready to try out Holistic Therapy?
Let’s explore how working with your body can help you feel more grounded, clear, and calm.
Book a free discovery call today and see if it’s the right fit for you.
Read more Stories With Ease
Mastering Stress and Overwhelm while Working - The power of the moments in between
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance that genuinely suits me is nowadays all about "the moments in between." For a long time, I considered this balance in a "work-hard-play-hard" manner…
A Journaling Exercise to Face Your Scariest Thoughts with Clarity and Ease
Today, I want to share a practice that has helped me countless times over the past year in navigating anxiety. Anxiety is one of the most overwhelming emotions I experience, and at times, it feels terrifying to look inward and truly face what’s there…
Our bodies have the innate capacity to shift our state. More and more people are recognizing the significance of taking a holistic approach…
