Hey Reader,
Welcome to our community! Whether you’re new or a longtime reader, I’m so glad you’re here. Together, we’re redefining what it means to live fully in midlife and beyond—embracing embodiment, empowerment, and body liberation, free from the constraints of diet culture and ageism. All bodies are celebrated here as we build our truly unique community for those in midlife and beyond. Thank you for being part of this journey!
I don't know about you, but I am feeling mighty dysregulated and anxious these days. Considering we are in the final days heading into the election and one month since the devastation of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, of course we're feeling it! Our bodies sense the feeling of being threatened more than we realize sometimes. So, I am offering some practices to help you feel more regulated and grounded as the world swirls around you. This newsletter is an invitation to pause, nourish your body, and return to your center as much as you are able.
One of the most profound lessons I’ve learned, professionally and personally, is the healing nature of an embodied pause. Unfolding in real-time, feeling the ground beneath my feet and the elusive balance of effort reminds me that I am safe in my body in this moment.
I feel nourished by a forward fold that returns me to my center following a back bend. I imagine my inhalation brings fresh new energy, and my exhalation helps me let go of what is no longer helpful.
I remember the lessons of watching geese in flight-
effort, effort-ease.
It's worth mentioning that diet culture, ageism, and the body hierarchy we live in leave us at risk of a chronically dysregulated nervous system. This includes your story about your body, your relationship with your body, and how you nourish and move your body. I wrote a blog about this last year if you want to hear more.
A Well-Fed and Rested Body
There are nutritional triggers for dysregulation, too. Not meeting your body's energy needs or undereating/restricting calories and carbohydrates contributes to nervous system dysregulation.
Your body perceives being underfed as a threat (because it is). This is especially true if you’ve experienced periods of hunger or food insecurity. Your brain uses 20-25% of your calories and requires carbohydrates to function optimally. Deficiencies in certain nutrients essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system, such as B12 and omega-3 fatty acids, may also contribute to dysregulation. It's important to note that we are all unique and have diverse nutritional needs based on our medications, disease processes, histories, and genetics.
So, one of the most important things you can do right now is allow yourself to be well-fed and rested. Nourishing and resting your body means:
- Your body feels safe
- your nervous system has a greater capacity for resiliency
- your brain is less reactive
- your brain has greater access to executive functioning and, therefore, is more capable of responding rather than reacting
In addition to being nourished and rested, what about practices that support you in developing embodied pauses in your daily life?
✨ Embodiment Glimmers
Glimmers, a term coined by trauma specialist Deb Dana, LCSW, are the experiences in your day when you may notice an accompanying sense of ease, connection, pleasure, and safety. These experiences support regulating your nervous system and access to feeling grounded and connected to yourself and others. These moments are noteworthy because they offer a big payout, such as bringing you joy, happiness, peace, or gratitude, although they are simple and exist as an aspect of your everyday life.
Glimmers activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which supports your ability to “rest and digest.” Embodied Glimmers also invite you to connect with your body. Some examples of embodied glimmers include noticing the feeling of a cool breeze on your neck, getting a warm hug from a beloved, feeling the warmth of a mug of tea in your hands, or noticing the warmth of the water on your back in the shower.
Pausing for the Glimmers in your day and reflecting on the Glimmers of your day at bedtime may be one way to care for your nervous system during these dysregulating times.
I hope this helps!
And if you are in the US, please VOTE 🇺🇸!
As always, I am so glad you're here!
With love and gratitude,
Deb❤️
P.S. November is here! If you wish the holidays were easier on you and less overwhelming, I'm offering a free online webinar
Navigating the Holidays for Your Well-Being in Midlife & Beyond
Thursday, November 21st
9 am PT, 12 pm ET
You'll learn-
- Strategies to create a pace that supports your whole-person well-being through the holidays
- Practices that keep you focusing on your priorities for well-being through the stress and busyness
- How to set boundaries that protect you from ageism and diet/wellness culture mess
When you register, you will receive:
- The Zoom Link to join us live
- Recording of the workshop if you can't make it
- Generous time for Q&A with me (my favorite part!)
- Be the first in line for the early bird deal of my next small group coaching program, Aging with Vitality and Body Liberation.
P.S.S. I'm so excited to announce that dates have been set for the New Year's cohort of Aging with Vitality and Body Liberation , my small group coaching program designed just for you as a woman in midlife and beyond who is interested in nourishing and caring for your body while breaking free from the limiting beliefs of ageism and diet/wellness culture.
In the program, you’ll get personalized support from a coach who understands the pressures on us in midlife+, and you'll meet other women who "get" your experiences. You'll learn
- to recognize and dismantle your internalized ageist beliefs about your body
- empowering ways to mend your relationship with food, eating and your body and eating- free of diet culture mess
- how to use practices and rituals to apply these ideas to your daily life so you experience true change
- all while being supported by amazing women like you!
The next cohort starts on January 7th, with early bird registration opening on November 21st. Reply to this email if you have any questions.
I've put my heart and soul into this program❤️🔥. I love it and the women who join us. I would be thrilled to have you as a part of this!
2422 Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27106
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