In this solo episode, I explore a side of grief that is often overlooked but profoundly important: the way grief shows up in the body.

We tend to think of grief as emotional or psychological - but our bodies feel it just as deeply. From exhaustion and sleep changes to physical tension, aches, heaviness, digestive issues, and that sense of being stuck, the body often speaks before the mind can make sense of what’s happening.

Drawing on personal experience, therapeutic insight, and the somatic wisdom explored in The Body Keeps the Score, Louise gently explains how grief impacts the nervous system and why these physical symptoms are not signs of weakness, but natural responses to profound loss.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

How grief affects the body

• Stress responses like elevated cortisol, racing heartbeat, and weakened immunity
• Physical expressions of grief: tightness, heaviness, insomnia, aches, digestion changes
• Why symptoms like globus sensation (a lump in the throat) can appear during grief
• How tension, pain, and sensation can reflect emotional states
• Why the body remembers what the mind tries to manage

I lead listeners through a gentle body scan, inviting awareness of breath, tension, and sensation without judgment, without needing to fix anything.

Somatic tools that help grief move

• Gentle yoga for grounding, breath awareness, and emotional softening
• Breathwork to calm the nervous system and create emotional space
• Somatic therapy to help release stuck grief
• Everyday movement, as simple as walking or swaying, to help your body process loss

I share my own personal experience of using EFT tapping (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and EMDR therapy.

Somatic tools that help to regulate the nervous system, release stuck emotion, and reconnect with a sense of inner safety.

Recommended Reading:

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

Connect with your host Louise Bates: https://linktr.ee/louisebates

If this episode moved you, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who might need it.

You help this show reach others walking their own path through grief.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I speak with Vanessa May, a London-based writer, holistic grief coach, and certified grief educator.

As a bereaved mother and widow, Vanessa has endured more loss than most could imagine in one lifetime, yet she’s transformed her pain into purpose.

After losing her son Harry, her husband Anthony, and her father in quick succession, Vanessa dedicated her life to helping others navigate the landscape of grief.

Known for her raw honesty, compassion, and wisdom, Vanessa embodies the 'wounded healer', reminding us that grief isn’t something to get over, it’s something we learn to live alongside.

This episode dives deep into the spiritual beliefs that continue to support her, including soul contracts and signs from the other side.

Other topics mentioned in this episode include:

Books:

Finding Meaning by David Kessler

Journey of Souls by Michael Newton

It's OK That You're Not OK by Megan Devine

Groups:

The Compassionate Friends: https://www.tcf.org.uk/professional/

Therapy:

Havening: https://www.havening.org/

EMDR Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing

Breath Work

Yoga for grief

Connect with Vanessa:

Author website: https://www.vanessamay.co.uk/

Holistic Grief Coaching: https://wellbeingandnutrition.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/may.wellbeing.griefsupport/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holisticgriefsupport

When Grief Takes Everything: A Survival Guide To Devastating Loss:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1068196106/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FTjfx4BGEGh5OtMwWsPp3QyzSIQ13pdbJDMjYetAwlXGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.oR8DgquK--qkSNuoU9m646vmb259bZaIqyEVSJyWt8c&qid=1760187628&sr=1-1

Connect with your host Louise Bates: https://linktr.ee/louisebates

If this episode moved you, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who might need it.

You help this show reach others walking their own path through grief.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of A Gift For Grief, I'm diving into a question many people who are grieving may think about: "How do I know if what I’m feeling is grief, or if it’s depression?"

Both can feel heavy, isolating, and overwhelming - but they’re not the same thing.

I'll talk through some of the ways grief shows up differently from depression, where they sometimes overlap, and why it matters to understand the distinction.

This isn’t about putting labels on your pain, it’s about giving yourself language, compassion, and clarity. My hope is that by the end, you’ll feel less alone in whatever you’re experiencing, and more supported in finding the help you need.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your grief is “normal,” or worried it might be something more, this episode offers gentle guidance and reassurance.

In this episode, I’ll talk about:

•What makes grief unique.

•What sets depression apart.

•The places where they overlap.

•And most importantly, how to recognize when it might be time to reach out for extra support.

Connect with your host Louise Bates: https://linktr.ee/louisebates

If this episode moved you, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who might need it.

You help this show reach others walking their own path through grief.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.