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Amy Davies

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Please reach out if you have questions or would like to discuss working together.

Email: amydaviesyoga@outlook.com

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amydaviesembodiment

✨Somatic healing and compassionate life coaching.
✨Specialist support for burnout, chronic pain and fatigue.

Please know that healing is happening even when it Please know that healing is happening even when it is slow (it often is)

Let me know if this resonates and if there is anything you would add, in the comments below 👇 

Cheering you on and sending lots of well wishes 💚

#mecfsrecovery #longcovid #chronicpain #crps #fibromyalgiasupport #recovery #nervoussystemregulation #somaticpractitioner #embodimentcoach
An observation about the human experience… One An observation about the human experience…

One of the biggest tensions I see is the difference in how we are at any given moment vs how we think we should be.

This can really suck! It isn’t straight forward. Knowing how you actually are underneath conditioned thinking, systems, expectations and hopes can be really hard; particularly if you are a sensitive, reflective and empathic person that can think, see and feel so much. 

Further still, how do we develop the skill to orient to how we are, without judging this, when it is not how you wish it to be?

In my experience, building a closer relationship to your body and felt sense is key here. The mind will often push through into ‘shoulds’ but the body will give clues through things like sensations, emotions or symptoms.

This is brave work and requires support. There is however so much freedom in tapping into our authenticity and feeling safe enough to embrace it.

In the words of @david.bedrick ‘there is so much medicine in being more you’

Let me know how this lands for you in the comments below 💚

#authenticity #mecfsrecovery #longcovidrecovery #fibromyalgiasupport #chronicpain #expectations #comparison #burnoutrecovery #lifechanges #traumawork #shame
One of the biggest stressors that I witness in mys One of the biggest stressors that I witness in myself and others with pain and fatigue conditions, is also one of the sneakiest. It hides in plain sight and often requires a compassionate witness to slowly tease it out, into the light.

Let me know how this one lands for you and if you resonate with feeling the toll of internalised pressure, in the comments below 👇Perhaps this shows up as a sense that you should be further along than you are. That you shout somehow be doing/healing/feeling more or better.

Sending lots of well wishes 💚

#nervoussystem #somatichealing #embodiment #rumination #shadowwork #selfimprovement #overachievers #perfectionismrecovery #mecfsrecovery #longcovidrecovery #burnoutrecovery #chronicpain #fibromyalgiasupport #dysautonomia
When over functioning becomes second nature, it ca When over functioning becomes second nature, it can be hard to see.

Perhaps you mask or somehow hide your authentic self to feel like you belong. 

It may look like the sensitive soul that anticipates the needs and responses of others in order to keep the peace and feel secure.

You may be reliant upon achievement or doing as a way of seeking dopamine or approval. This can create a direct and unhelpful link between performance and self worth. 

All of these habits have a heavy cost. They are exhausting to maintain. They rely upon external factors for safety and take you away from your relationship to self. This makes it difficult to identify and tend to your own needs. Over functioning often requires disconnecting from yourself - your emotions and bodily cues in order to push through and do all ‘the doing’. 

This is all a recipe for self neglect and a breeding ground for self abuse (Anyone else forget to eat, rest, laugh, take some time for themselves, ask for what they actually want or even know what this is etc… whilst being busy doing all these things?)

If any of this resonates, please know I hear you and change is possible 💚

#overfunctioning #burnout #burnoutrecovery #masking #overachiever #helpers #perfectionist #mecfsrecovery #burnoutrecovery #fawnresponse #belonging #fittingin #chronicpain #embodimentcoach #somaticpractitioner #selfneglect
You have experienced your life through your body. You have experienced your life through your body. It doesn’t just ‘keep the score’ but absorbs and shapes so much of your responses and experiences.

Incorporating the body in healing and change is therefore a vital ingredient. This can understandably be difficult when pain, fatigue, trauma and conditioning make it challenging to tune in. Support is vital and incredibly therapeutic in helping to build a kind relationship to your bodily experience.

I currently have availability for new clients. Do reach out if you are curious to hear more about embodiment and somatic healing work 💚

#embodiment #embodimentcoach #somatics #somatichealing #thebodykeepsthescore #mindbodyconnection #traumawork #mecfsrecovery #burnoutrecovery #chronicpainrecovery
Here is a metaphor I use with myself and lots of m Here is a metaphor I use with myself and lots of my clients that have patterns towards perfectionism, over doing/giving and so called ‘type A’ behaviour…

Firstly; get aware of your tendencies and spot when these patterns are coming out to play.

I then like to use the metaphor of a scale that is out of balance. 

If you are a perfectionist - the standard that you set as ok, is probably quite high. Can you adjust and bring this down accordingly, even if it feels uncomfortable (it probably will in the beginning)

Likewise; if you have a tendency to over do it, how is it to reduce what you believe to be enough? 

Think of this as a way of resetting the scale. Over time you may find that you have greater range and choice in how you respond to things rather than always playing out your usual pattern.

Let me know if this resonates and is helpful in the comments below 👇 💚

#overachievers #perfectionism #perfectionismrecovery #changinghabits #embodiment #embodimentcoach #mecfsrecovery #burnoutrecovery #chronicpainsupport
Each stage of recovery from chronic illness has a Each stage of recovery from chronic illness has a mixture of experiences to it.

It can be an interesting time, when you are back at say 70 - 90% capacity. There can be so much joy and appreciation for life and what you are able to do. This can also be a time where deep grief arises as your system now has capacity to feel it. This can be incredibly challenging and requires specific emotional support and holding. It is not enough to say ‘well that it is in the past now’. 

Chronic illness can be inherently traumatic and some of the charge of that can be very alive in your system even when your health is in a much better place. Tending to this somatically, is about noticing and allowing that charge to express and settle. It is in acknowledging, rather than ‘fixing the pain’ or analysing why and what happened. 

This stage of recovery can also bring about lots of choices around how you live life. I often support clients that begin exploring new careers and hobbies. They set up businesses that work for them, rather than following the status quo. Some are navigating dating, moving to new cities or relating to life that from the outside looks similar to before but in completely new ways. This is such exciting terrain but again may feel completely alien.

If any of this resonates, please know that you are doing so well and this often untalked about stage can still feel tricky. If you need some support, I’m here - feel free to get in touch if you would like a free discovery call to see if working together could help at this point in your journey.

Sending lots of well wishes 💚

#mecfsrecovery #longcovidrecovery #spooniesupport #careerchange #nervoussystemregulation #traumawork #somatichealing #embodimentcoach #burnoutrecovery #posttraumaticgrowth
Your sensitivity is not a flaw. It is something th Your sensitivity is not a flaw. It is something that requires space, tenderness, love and care. 

Somatic work can help you heal any shame you feel around your innate sensitivity. It can support you in metabolising trauma responses around perhaps being criticised for being ‘too sensitive’ - something that can feel incredibly hurtful and can become internalised, particularly if this messaging was received from a young age. 

Somatic work also offers practical tools to help you protect and nurture your sensitivity.

Learning to consciously turn the frequency down somewhat at times can be a radical act of self care. 

Feeling into a clear sense of self and resource (things that feel stabilising) can help you regulate your nervous system, identify and express healthy boundaries, communicate and relate clearly and so much more. This all helps you show up authentically for yourself and others. It reduces overwhelm and helps you integrate experiences that have felt too much. 

If this resonates and you are curious about how we could work together to support you as a beautifully deep feeling and sensing human, then do get in touch for a free, no pressure chat to hear more 💚

#highlysensitiveperson #highlysensitive #mecfsrecovery #burnoutrecovery #chronicpain #dysautonomia
Life is always moving. It is better to learn how t Life is always moving. It is better to learn how to find a felt sense of support and then dance with life, rather than aiming for complete control 💚

#mecfsrecovery #burnoutrecovery #control #chronicstress #chronicpainrecovery #somatics #somaticpractitioner #nervoussystemregulation #embodimentcoach
And slowing down can be HARD. Conditioning and upb And slowing down can be HARD. Conditioning and upbringing run deep. Patterns of achievement or pushing through may have served you really well, in the past. They may have become your automatic, go to habit. A default, in every situation.

When survival energies (fight, flight, freeze, fawn) are trigged our systems are mobilised. There is a lot of charge which we may not be able to tolerate or have the support or tools to hold. The thinking mind can get busy trying to intellectualise or solve this. Unfortunately, this often contributes to that energy becoming stuck, rather than supporting it to move. 

Slowing down is simultaneously one of the trickiest and most fundamental steps in any healing journey. It requires time, compassion, support and care. It can bring up such a wide mix of challenging emotions. It can also be a really beautiful journey of restoration alongside tapping into your own inner wisdom and the small, everyday beauties of life. 

And yes, there are still times for speed and getting things done. You have that skill. Learning how to slow down does not eradicate that. It is more a question of utilising energy in a way that is beneficial to you and your everyday life. 

If this resonates, learning how to slow down and tend to your whole system is a key part of 1:1 somatic work. Feel free to reach out, if you are currently looking for this type of support 💚

#embodimentcoach #somaticpractitioner #somatichealing #burnoutrecovery #chronicpainrecovery #mecfsrecovery #spooniesupport #nervoussystemregulation #slowingdown #traumawork
When I first became unwell with chronic pain and f When I first became unwell with chronic pain and fatigue, my fixer part went into over drive. I had an internal narrative that was constantly calculating how long it would take me to get well again.

I look back at this part of me with a lot of compassion. It was a self protective mechanism that was urgently seeking ways to cope with what felt life shattering and overwhelming. Even when a ‘chronic diagnosis’ was made, I set benchmarks for improvements. This was helpful in a way as it kept me from feeling swallowed under by the weight of my experience.

The self imposed healing timelines can however become detrimental when they are too rigid and forceful. When it feels like you are failing, if you have not met some arbitrary benchmark your mind has set. 

The truth is your thinking, logic driven parts don’t really have that much of a say over how long it will take for improvements to show. It is a false illusion of control. 
When these parts are driven by fear and panic, they actually fuel nervous system dysregulation (a key component of pain and fatigue conditons). This is the opposite of safety - the true balm and stabiliser your nervous system requires.

If you do notice yourself clinging onto arbitrary timelines, please know that this is so self protective. Can you offer these parts lots of love and care. They are doing what they can to look out for you. Can you then practise softening a little into the unknown? Take things one day, hour or even moment at a time. Things will improve 💚

#mecfsrecovery #chronicpainrecovery #fibromyalgiasupport #burnoutrecovery #dysautonomia #nervoussystemregulation #somatichealing #embodimentcoach
One of my bugbears in exploring burnout, is when s One of my bugbears in exploring burnout, is when systemic conditions are not acknowledged. 

This could look like:

- Someone working in an organisation or role where being empathetic and attuned to others is praised and allows them to excel for some time. When burnout hits, they are then told that they need to ‘stop being so nice, say no and have better boundaries’. There is value in working on these areas, yet it is inherently shaming the individual and absolving the systems that benefitted from this person over giving or doing. To add further cruelty, the person experiencing burnout will often have to unravel their personal patterns, whilst also fighting the structures and dynamics in the workplace that benefited from their appeasement.

- Likewise, when organisations or employers say that wellbeing is important yet their business and structures do not support this. Sure, it’s great to have an employee assistance programme or weekly workplace yoga, yet this isn’t going to cut it in resolving the stress of being chronically overworked, uninspired or underpaid.

- We all have completely different and subconscious survival strategies, privileges and circumstances. What is easy for one person is intolerable for the next. This is rarely a conscious choice. Everyone has a history (both personal, cultural and intergenerational) on how they relate to authority, power dynamics and achievement. Certain patterns and groups of people are often disadvantaged as they show up in their authenticity whilst others are accepted (e.g. the loudest and bluntest voice in the room often wins, whilst the person who has a system that is more attuned to everyone getting on and reflecting on the issue at hand, is ignored. Neither response is better than the other. They are solely different - both with intelligence, superpower and shadow) 

Cont in comments…
You cannot hate/shame/criticise/force or push your You cannot hate/shame/criticise/force or push your way out of states of chronic stress, overwhelm or shutdown. 

These feelings and the activities they drive are ultimately stressful in themselves.

Instead, compassion is key when learning how to support your nervous system. 

Gentleness is your best friend. 

If you have tendencies towards pushing or overdoing, slowness will be an accelerator 💚

Hate, shame, criticism and force are not sustainable tools for healing. 

Please be kind to yourself when these habits come out to play. Know that there are other ways. You are worthy of so much kindness, ease and grace both from yourself and others.

Sharing this, for anyone that needs it today. Sending lots of well wishes 💚

#nervoussystemregulation #somatichealing #embodiment #mecfsrecovery #chronicpainrecovery #dysautonomia #spooniesupport #longcovid #fibromyalgiasupport
In the words of one of my teachers @joannamiller_h In the words of one of my teachers @joannamiller_healing ‘simplicity is the love language of the nervous system’

When experiencing chronic pain or fatigue it is easy to think you need to be ‘doing all the things’ to heal. You may find yourself watching a plethora of vagus nerve techniques and be contemplating supplements and how to optimise your daily routine. 

The shadow of this is that it can bring about an energy of pressure or force. Pressure is the opposite of safety when it comes to healing work. Slow and gentle is the way to go. 

Learning how to ‘be with’ rather than ‘fix’ can feel like tricky terrain, yet is often the most deeply therapeutic journey. Being compassionate with the part of you that wants to fix, vital. 

If this sort of approach sparks some curiosity, do reach out to find out more about somatic healing and embodiment coaching 💚

#somatichealing #embodimentcoaching #mecfsrecovery #chronicpain #dysautonomia #longcovid #fibromyalgia #spooniesupport #traumawork
Our culture is pretty obsessed with speed. We are Our culture is pretty obsessed with speed. We are constantly being sold how to optimise almost everything. This can lead us to feeling that things are not working or helpless if they take a long time. This can contribute to feelings of defeat or like we are doing something wrong if results are not quick.

Our animal body survival responses and thoughts can also feel incredibly urgent. At a physiological level, we are wired to avoid discomfort or get out of this as quickly as possible when it arises. This makes so much sense and is incredibly self protective.

Both of these patterns can however prove unhelpful when they come into our healing journeys from chronic pain and fatigue.

When our system is in a heightened state of dysregulation and we are experiencing symptoms, our instinct can be to avoid, fight or push through them. Our thinking mind may become overly preoccupied on researching all the ways in which we can heal. This makes so much sense however these are all huge stressors to an already overloaded system. You are likely using energy you do not currently have. At a somatic level, it rejects the messages your body is trying to relay to you through symptoms. This is all a recipe for tension and disconnection.

The messaging that there should be a ‘quick fix’ or the feeling that we are somehow failing if results are not imminent is another set of stressors. This all fuels further dysregulation which can amplify symptoms, decrease mood, motivation and reduce capacity.

So my invitation is to take note of all your small wins. That includes making it through today even and particularly if you have slept, hurt, cried or felt numb through it all.

You are doing a great job. Keep going. Things will change. It takes time. You are not failing. It may feel like blind faith at the moment, yet connecting to that sense of trust is incredibly supportive. You will be able to enjoy so much of life along the way. It is a fallacy (and rare) that results are always quick or instant.

I see all your effort and the beautiful life and relationship to self you are building each step along the way 💚

#mecfsrecovery #chronicpainrecovery #burnoutrecovery
This one may resonate for my fellow ‘recovering This one may resonate for my fellow ‘recovering over doers’ out there…

When I was younger, I was incredibly disconnected from my needs, boundaries and limits. This was often driven by fear and the feeling that I wasn’t enough (and therefore needed to fix that by doing and being more in whatever flavour was currently presenting in life. This often involved work or some form of ‘self improvement’. Sigh) There was a lot of urgent energy present in my body.

This all makes sense. I recognise the strength and quiet desperation of that younger me. She was trying to do things in the only way she knew how - by taking action. Bonus that all the work involved in this endless quest of ‘more’ and ‘without limits’ distracted from sitting with some incredibly uncomfortable feelings. The toll this had on my whole system was incredibly punishing.

A big part of my healing journey has been getting curious about my own limits and not seeing these as a bad thing or defeat. They can be more neutral and also not set in stone. They are ok. They are human. We all have limits and there is deep intelligence in that. 

Noticing them with curiosity and care is acting as a loving support to myself. This is tender and slowly un-shames. It gradually unravels the ‘pushing’ pattern. New things can arise from this place. Paradoxically this is often where capacity grows, in whichever way is most helpful. 

I have also had to break up with the conditioning that human beings shouldn’t have limits. That productivity and optimisation culture is always a good thing. This is tricky. I have to forgive, soothe and return to sitting with discomfort when these ideas seem seductive. 

If this resonates, please know that it is ok to have limits. Tuning into these with curiosity, rather than judgement can be incredibly therapeutic and a beautiful journey of discovering your needs and desires 💚

#limits #boundaries #mecfsrecovery #chronicpain #burnoutrecovery #overachievers #recoveringperfectionist #somatichealing #selfawarenessjourney #embodiment
Long term health challenges impact all areas of li Long term health challenges impact all areas of life. Pain is physical, emotional, mental and relational. It all hurts deeply.

This can be incredibly difficult to make sense of, process and communicate when you are in the thick of it. This can make it even more challenging to feel seen and have your needs identified and met. 

Your experience being dismissed or misunderstood cuts deep. These responses are innately shaming. Inequality and systemic issues can strongly come out to play. Relationships can be rocked along with your sense of self and worth. You may need to grieve the things you cannot do at present. Financial stress may keep you away from the deep rest and convalescence you desperately need.

Pain and fatigue conditions are widely misunderstood. Our culture has a dehumanising focus on productivity. That this is seen as intrinsic to our worth as human beings is heartbreaking. It can feel soul destroying when living to this model is no longer available to you.

I share this not to say that any of this is helpless but in recognition of just how challenging it is and to perhaps help someone feel seen. You might want to show it to a loved one if it communicates things you are struggling to put words to.

Pain is holistic and multi faceted. When treating this we also need support by the same means 💚

#mecfsrecovery #longcovid #chronicpain #crps #fibromyalgia #spooniesupport #medicalgaslighting #chronicstress #traumasurvivor #holistichealth #somatics #embodiment #somatichealing #somaticpractitioner
Life is not purely a task to be completed or a set Life is not purely a task to be completed or a set of goals to accomplish. Human beings are not designed to be ‘achievement machines’ (despite what popular culture and conditioning would have us believe) 

When we live life in an overly outcome focussed way, for too long, we lose so much of the beauty of what it is to be a human being, living a human life. Over time, our bodies and minds will likely rebel. 

It makes sense that this attitude of achievement often leaks through into the healing space. We may wonder ‘how can I fix my symptoms, optimise or speed up the time it takes to get better etc…’. Frustration can kick in when well laid intentions do not come to fruition, despite our hard work. This can be a recipe for more disconnect from your body and a perpetuation of some of the patterns that may be fuelling symptoms. 

If this resonates, you may wish to take a long sigh out and feel the support of the chair against your back.

In my experience healing is about softening the grips of control and achievement. Doing this with compassion and kindness. It is then creating space and support. To do less and feel more. To allow stillness, rest, joy and play. To open up to our beautifully, imperfect human experience. 
None of this is about boxes to be ticked but more about creating new, nourishing ways to be. 

If this approach speaks to you, do feel free to reach out to book a free/no pressure discovery call to find out more about 1:1 somatic work and embodiment coaching 💚

#mecfsrecovery #burnoutrecovery #nervoussystemregulation #somatichealing #embodimentcoach #somaticpractitioner #chronicpain #restisimportant
If you’ve been doing healing work for sometime, If you’ve been doing healing work for sometime, it can feel really frustrating when old scenarios or patterns resurface.

Firstly, this is all natural. It is ok to feel and express that.

At the same time, the narrative that you are somehow failing or that the universe is out to get you, doesn’t have to be true.

Life often works in spirals. When something comes back around, it is more another layer to be explored.

As someone that’s been there, my advice is to try to find compassion and even a little bit of humour (if it resonates) for yourself and these experiences. Remind yourself that you are doing well, life isn’t linear and no one truly has it all figured out 💚

#healingjourney #mecfsrecovery #selfgrowth #practicalspirituality #somatichealing #somaticpractitioner #embodimentcoach #burnoutrecovery #chronicpain #spooniesupport
There is time ✨      A sense of scarcity There is time ✨  
  
A sense of scarcity can crop up in so many ways. The feeling that there is not enough time or that we are not using our time ‘well’ is a particularly sneaky one that can breed fear and fuel nervous system dysregulation and symptoms.

Feeling that we want to use our time wisely makes sense on many levels. There are links to the pathos of the human condition. Asking ourselves how we want to use our time, can offer clarity.  

Our perception of what and how much we should be doing is however often blurred by unhelpful societal narratives and conditioning.   
  
The need to be ‘making the most’ of our time can also be a stress response. The need to do, improve, excel or give, all ways in which our systems seek to comfort or numb:  
  
- Being busy can distract you from difficult feelings. There is ‘no time’ to feel.  
- Achievement is a dopamine high.
- You may build a sense of self based upon accomplishments.

When these patterns become habitual they can lead to feeling that we are not enough unless we are doing, striving, achieving or giving. We live in a sense of urgency. There is never enough time.   
This is an exhausting and unsustainable way to live.

The need to do/achieve/push can show up in our bodies in so many different ways. For example, a feeling of always being on high alert, constant rushing, shallow breathing and muscular tension. You may experience periods of not being able to stop and then heavy exhaustion. You may have found that your body has said no, with the onset of persistent fatigue or other symptoms.   
  
Many years ago a therapist offered me the reassurance that ‘I have time’. The words felt completely alien to me at first. It took some time for them to sink in. They are something I come back to frequently. They still feel like a revelation when tendencies of overdoing come out to play.   
  
I offer this, in case anyone could use this reassurance right now.  
  
If you are open to it, perhaps you can sit down and notice how your body feels as you sink into the support of the chair. You may wish to sigh out your breath through your mouth and then say to yourself:  
  
‘I have time’  
  
How does this feel?
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