📝 Episode Title

Near Death Experience, Chronic Illness & Somatic Healing with Dawn Christensen

✨ Episode Description

What if illness wasn’t your body failing—but your body speaking?

In this deeply moving episode of Rewriting the Illness Story, Paula sits down with somatic healing practitioner Dawn Christensen to explore a powerful journey through trauma, chronic illness, and spiritual awakening.

After surviving a near-fatal car accident at 19, Dawn experienced a profound near death experience that reshaped her entire life. From years of intense physical recovery to being diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and later navigating long COVID, her path has been anything but linear.

Through it all, Dawn discovered something life-changing: the body is not the enemy—it’s the messenger.

This conversation dives into somatic healing, nervous system regulation, creativity, and what it truly means to rebuild a relationship with your body rooted in safety, trust, and inner guidance.

If you’ve ever felt disconnected from your body, stuck in chronic illness, or searching for deeper meaning in your healing journey—this episode will meet you exactly where you are.

🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• What a near death experience can reveal about purpose and healing
• How chronic illness can become a doorway to transformation
• Understanding Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and its impact
• The connection between trauma, the nervous system, and physical symptoms
• Why “the body is the messenger” (and how to start listening)
• How somatic healing creates safety in the body
• The role of creativity and expression in healing
• Navigating long COVID and rebuilding from the inside out
• Letting go of hustle culture and reconnecting with your truth

🌿 Key Takeaways

• Healing is not linear—it’s layered and deeply personal
• Your body is always communicating, not betraying you
• Safety in the nervous system is the foundation for real healing
• You don’t need to earn your worth—you already have a seat at the table
• Slowing down and listening inward is where transformation begins

💬 Memorable Quotes

• “The body is not the enemy. The body is the messenger.”
• “Healing is not linear.”
• “You already have a seat at the table—there’s nothing to earn.”
• “We’re not broken—we’ve just been disconnected.”

👤 About the Guest

Dawn Christensen is a somatic healing practitioner, expressive arts counselor, and writer whose work is rooted in lived experience. After surviving a near-fatal accident, navigating chronic illness, and healing through long COVID, she now supports others in reconnecting with their bodies through nervous system regulation, creativity, and deep self-trust.

🔗 Connect with Dawn

• Substack: New Dawn Healing Arts https://substack.com/@dawnchristensen
• Facebook: Dawn Christensen
• New Book

You can find me at:

https://www.instagram.com/rewritingtheillnessstory?igsh=MWEzZDc2bWFyaXpyZg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

OR

rewritingillness@gmail.com

Music: Island Glow by Dirk Dealer

Book with Meditation: You Are Not your Pain Book by Danny Penman and Vidyamala Burch (on Amazon). https://amzn.to/3PIT118

Cathy Heller https://cathyheller.samcart.com/referral/thisabundantlifebycathyheller/bT7E7mYq6rPBaJ9g