Episodios

  • Transformation Boundaries: Protect Energy And Design A Purposeful Life with Didi Selwa

    Transformation Boundaries: Protect Energy And Design A Purposeful Life with Didi Selwa
    Dec 11 2025
    "Move forward, take action. It may happen, it may not, but it's just about putting one step in front of the other— doing that is so important. When you go forward, you realize, 'oh, that's not for me', but in the process, you discover what is." —Didi Selwa Drop the guilt of being stuck and discover a movement that meets your body where it is. Press play to hear how embodiment, faith, and small practical steps shift shame, chronic illness limits, and stalled dreams into forward motion. Didi Selwa went from a 25-year banking career to a Certified Transformational Life Coach and Level Two TranscenDance Facilitator by following a mix of mindset training, embodied practice, and faith-guided risk-taking. Her work blends mind-body-spirit coaching with guided movement to help women reclaim confidence and take consistent action. Press play to hear a grounded conversation about how to make affirmations actually work, how movement becomes a tool for trauma release, and why tiny actions matter now. What transcenDance movement is and how it differs from a dance class How to use embodied movement to release shame and trauma Practical mindset tools to turn affirmations into real habits and visioning practice Adapting transcenDance for chronic illness and low-energy days The role of faith and spiritual practice in coaching and embodiment How small, repeatable actions build confidence and creative momentum Connect with Donna: Website: https://www.donnapiper.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnapiper Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedonnapiper Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedonnapiper YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedonnapiper Episode Highlights: 02:38 Meet Didi— From Banking Grind to Life Coaching 05:49 True Change— Faith + Mindset 10:52 Why Transformation Feels Uncomfortable 14:31 Breakthrough Tools 18:16 TranscenDance— Healing Through Joyful Movement 24:40 Breaking the Mold— Trusting Your Body 31:05 Breaking Old Beliefs and Celebrating Yourself 36:07 How Affirmations and Manifestations Really Work 42:36 Creativity for Healing and Growth 48:53 Confidence, Action, and Letting Go X: You're allowed to celebrate even the smallest wins—celebration rewires shame into momentum. Hear this episode for baby-step tools, repatterning, manifestation, and mind-body movement as Donna sits with Dream By Design Coaching Founder, Didi Selwa. #DearBodyImListening #MCAS #Lymphedema #Lipedema #ChronicIllness #mindset #selfcare #movement #transcenDance #transformation #confidence Quotes: 03:52 "Our purpose is there, we just don't uncover it. It's there speaking to us, and we're not listening." —Didi Selwa 09:01 "You have to find what works for you, what speaks to you and your soul, in order for it to actually have a transformational impact in your life." —Didi Selwa 12:19 "With transformation, it has to have an anchor— and it's uncomfortable." —Donna Piper 13:05 "Just being you and being authentic makes people feel safe to do the same." —Didi Selwa 25:26 "Transcendance is about moving to honor how your body wants to move in that moment. By doing that, you get more in touch with your body to what they need." —Donna Piper 35:50 "Honor and love your body where you are and yourself where you're at, still giving yourself that freedom to transform it as well." —Didi Selwa 36:17 "Affirmations and what you tell yourself 100% affect how you do your life. However, just by saying certain things doesn't always make them come true." —Donna Piper 37:46 "There's more to manifesting than just saying these things and putting them up on your vision board. And what it really comes from is our energy, becoming a vibrational match to that affirmation. So, it's not only saying the words, but also envisioning it." —Didi Selwa 44:18 "I like to tap into the creative aspect, because spirit loves fun, our body loves fun, our mind loves fun. And a lot of times, we don't really give ourselves enough time to do that creative expression." —Didi Selwa 50:38 "Move forward, take action. It may happen, it may not, but it's just about putting one step in front of the other— doing that is so important. When you go forward, you realize, 'oh, that's not for me', but in the process, you discover what is." —Didi Selwa Connect with Didi: Didi Selwa is a Transformational Life Coach and Certified Level II TranscenDanceTM Facilitator in Los Angeles, California. Her life-changing workshops and programs help women break through their limiting beliefs, achieve greater results, and learn to live with passion and purpose. Website: https://dreambydesigncoaching.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/didi-selwa/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/didiselwa/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachdidiselwa
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    54 m
  • The Science of Feeling Safe: Gentle Practices to Regulate Chronic Stress with Ann Diment

    The Science of Feeling Safe: Gentle Practices to Regulate Chronic Stress with Ann Diment
    Dec 4 2025
    "We are the experts in our well-being and our own bodies, and it's important for us to advocate for ourselves. We're not defined by our past. Our past is gone. It's in the past, and the beliefs we formed about ourselves based on what we've been told by other people or experienced in the past aren't necessarily true." —Ann Diment Some seasons of life push us past our limits, and the body keeps score long before we understand why. Many of us try to outwork the chaos, yet the real shift begins when we finally question the version of resilience we were taught to admire. There is a quieter kind of strength that lets us breathe again and rebuild without losing ourselves. Anne Diment learned this after years in science, health and safety, caregiving, chronic burnout, and a late ADHD diagnosis that reframed her entire story. Her work now blends coaching, EFT tapping, and creative practices to help people unlearn survival mode and create space for healing that feels humane and sustainable. Press play for a grounded conversation that meets our whole humanity, not just our symptoms. In this episode, we explore: • burnout that hides in plain sight • late diagnosis and the emotional impact of reframing a lifetime • ADHD, menopause, and the biology that shapes daily capacity • creative practices that regulate the nervous system • EFT tapping for stress, hypervigilance, and chronic pain • safety, acceptance, and the beliefs that keep us stuck • the pressure of productivity and the truth about energy budgeting • purpose, identity, and the healing power of creative community Connect with Donna: Website: https://www.donnapiper.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnapiper Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedonnapiper Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedonnapiper YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedonnapiper Episode Highlights: 03:08 Meet Ann: An Unexpected Career Pivot 09:19 Ne Burnout, Inequities in Healthcare, and the ADHD Discovery 14:57 How EFT Tapping Works 23:43 Medical Gaslighting and Weight-Centric Bias in Healthcare 31:00 How Stress Quietly Destroys Health- Global Research Insights 37:35 Energy Budgeting and the Invisible Load of Neurodivergent Households 47:45 Purpose, Identity, and Chronic Illness 55:49 Turning the Tables on Burnout Resources: Get Ann's bestselling book 'Turning the Tables on Burnout": https://worksafeandwell.co.uk/turning-the-tables-on-burnout-book/ Redefine resilience, create calm, and beat burnout: https://www.resilience-rebel.com/ Want to talk about how Ann can support you? Book a Call: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/3wrxrRJIh7CAVnPq7Tc3 All of Ann's Creative links: https://linktr.ee/anndimentartist Buy Art Card and Prints: https://lovefromtheartist.com/Artists/glastonbury/ann-diment Listen to the Creating Resilience Podcast: https://anchor.fm/ann-diment-changemaker Podcast guests can apply at: https://forms.gle/Ec72aQ7wKFs8LWac6 X: Burnout isn't a personal failure—it's your body asking for a softer way forward. Listen in as Donna and Turning the Tables on Burnout author, Ann Diment, unpack safety, acceptance, menopause, ADHD, and the healing power of creativity. #DearBodyImListening #MCAS #Lymphedema #Lipedema #ChronicIllness #ResilienceReDefined #EFTTapping #MentalHealthMatters #BurnoutRecovery #NervousSystemHealing #TraumaInformedLiving #NeurodivergentWomen #HealingJourney #ADHDWomen #MenopauseSupport Quotes: 05:53 "I thought, I'm done— I'm done with the hustle, done with the traveling, the stress." —Ann Diment 06:45 "I could see the benefits of expressing yourself through the creative arts—music, arts, poetry, dance—all these things that help people regulate themselves and express themselves in a safe way." —Ann Diment 11:30 "Our sense of safety can fool us, because you might feel safe, but that could be codependency, and that isn't really healthy." —Ann Diment 12:00 "The damage caused by adverse childhood experiences, trauma can reduce your life expectancy by about 20 years because of this toxic stress that manifests in your body." —Ann Diment 12:37 "I didn't realize that I was in that hyper-vigilant state from a very young age. So to keep myself safe, before I was aware all this, there'd be people pleasing, there'd be avoidance of conflict, there'd be putting your own needs last— that is a tick box for a burnout." —Ann Diment 18:39 "I do come from a prevalence that everything my body does, even though it has all these things I don't always want, is doing everything to protect me. We create safety to survive." —Donna Piper 26:08 "There is no medical research on specifically women and girls until 2017— that's eight years ago, so all the DSM diagnostic criteria are based on men and boys." —Ann Diment 32:16 "Stress kills around three-quarters of a million people globally, which means that lost years of quality living are due to chronic illness...
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    1 h
  • Loving You Through the Hard Days: A Caregiver's Honest Conversation

    Loving You Through the Hard Days: A Caregiver's Honest Conversation
    Nov 27 2025

    "The holiday is around the corner, and what do you want for Christmas? All I really care about is I just want you to get healthy. I just want your body to stop causing you so much pain, and I want you to be excited about the clothes that you're wearing and the way that your body looks and feels, and to feel like you're back in the driver's seat of your life. And if I can give that to her, that's more than anything I could ever have hoped to get for my wife in her entire life. And so that's why, that's why I keep going." —Timothy James Piper

    Some days ask more of a relationship than anyone ever planned for, and the weight of it can land in quiet places. Chronic illness has a way of changing routines, stretching patience, and shifting the small details that once felt effortless. This conversation sits inside that reality and explores what love looks like when the body rewrites the rules.

    In this episode, Donna's husband, James, opens up about the slow, unclear unraveling that led to her diagnoses and how those moments reshaped their marriage. His story traces confusion, fear, tenderness, and the unexpected growth that comes from caregiving in real time.

    Press play for a conversation that tells the truth without losing hope.

    Key topics:

    • The early signs of chronic illness that made no sense at the time

    • How physical changes impact identity and self-perception

    • The emotional load partners carry behind the scenes

    • The fear, grief, and loyalty woven into caregiving

    • Intimacy shifts and how couples adjust

    • Practical support during flares, crashes, and unpredictable days

    • What this journey taught them about love, acceptance, and long-haul commitment

    Connect with Donna:

    Website: https://www.donnapiper.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnapiper

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lipedema_donna

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

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedonnapiper

    Episode Highlights:

    04:03 A Husband's Honest Perspective

    08:53 Unselfish Support: It's a "We" Thing

    25:55 Shared Struggles: Navigating Relationship Challenges

    32:21 The Caregiver's Emotional Rollercoaster

    44:59 When Healthcare Fails: Navigating Costs and Coverage

    49:14 How Has Chronic Illness Changed the Caregiver

    58:39 The Best Gift

    Resources:

    🤔Got a question for me? Every month, I do a listener coaching episode—and I'd love to hear from you!

    Send your questions, stories, or flare-up confessions to donna@donnapiper.com, and you just might hear your answer on the show.
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    1 h y 1 m
  • How Trauma Rewrites Pain Part 3—When Trauma Turns on the Immune System

    How Trauma Rewrites Pain Part 3—When Trauma Turns on the Immune System
    Nov 20 2025
    "Trauma doesn't just live in your memories, your fascia, or your nervous system. It can also reshape your immune system, especially when no one helped you feel safe. That doesn't mean it's your fault, and that doesn't mean your body isn't on your side. It means that your body has been on your side this whole time, trying to protect you the only way it knew how." —Donna Piper Some days your body throws signals you cannot ignore, but no one seems to hear them. The swelling, the exhaustion, the crashes that make no sense on paper start to feel like a secret only you and your body understand. There is nothing dramatic about it. It is simply your reality. Donna shares the long road of being dismissed, misdiagnosed, and told to push harder until her symptoms forced a different truth. Her background in dance movement therapy and her lived experience with lipedema, MCAS, POTS, hypermobility, EDS, and chronic fatigue shaped how she now teaches women to understand the deeper layers of their symptoms. Press play for a grounded blend of story and science that helps you see your immune system in a completely new way and gives you language for things you have never been able to explain. Topics discussed: • How trauma and chronic stress reshape immune function • Why medical dismissal can worsen inflammation and flares • The link between ACEs, nervous system patterns, and autoimmune risk • The biggest myths women hear when labs look "normal" • Simple somatic practices to help your system stand down • A reframing that removes blame and builds self-trust Connect with Donna: Website: https://www.donnapiper.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnapiper Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lipedema_donna Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedonnapiper YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedonnapiper Episode Highlights: 02:02 Medical Dismissal and "Normal" Labs Spiral 04:36 Self-Blame and Turning Invalidation Inward 08:05 Childhood Stress and Autoimmune Disease Research Breakthrough 14:06 Immune Red Alert Mode 17:16 Grounding Techniques to Rewire Safety 21:05 Teaser for Part 4 Resources: 🤔Got a question for me? Every month, I do a listener coaching episode—and I'd love to hear from you! Send your questions, stories, or flare-up confessions to donna@donnapiper.com, and you just might hear your answer on the show. X: Your body has been protecting you for decades, not failing you. This episode dives into trauma-informed immunity, survival responses, and tiny practices to help you feel safer again. #DearBodyImListeningPodcast #MindBodyConnection #TraumaRecovery #ChronicIllnessSupport #NervousSystem MedicalGaslighting #ChronicFatigue #AutoimmuneHealth Quotes: 05:10 "Being invalidated for decades turned all of that invalidation inward, and I was like, 'maybe there's just something wrong with me'." —Donna Piper 08:01 "Research papers about childhood trauma and autoimmune disease: women with multiple adverse childhood experiences have a much higher risk of being hospitalized with autoimmune diseases later in life." —Donna Piper 11:30 "Emotional, physical abuse, neglect, and early stress have been associated with higher autoimmune rates in women, including lupus and thyroid disease." —Donna Piper 11:51 "Your history is not separate from your biology. Your immune system remembers what you survived, how you survived, how you lived" —Donna Pipe 14:28 "If you've lived through any childhood stress— but you told yourself it wasn't that bad, you learned to people please, over-function, ignore your needs to be safe, your nervous system got really good at scanning for danger, even when it wasn't there in any room." —Donna Pipe 15:40 "Your body adapted to survive, and now it needs the support to feel safe again." —Donna Pipe 16:14 "Normal labs with abnormal suffering do not equal your fine. It equals they don't have the right tool to measure your reality." —Donna Pipe 16:36 "Does that mean you chose or manifested autoimmune disease because you weren't positive enough? NO! You're not a failed manifestation. You're a human being whose body was walked through stress, genetics, environment, and a medical system that often didn't protect you. They all interacted. You didn't cause it alone, and you do not have to fix it alone either." —Donna Piper 20:29 "Trauma doesn't just live in your memories, your fascia, or your nervous system. It can also reshape your immune system, especially when no one helped you feel safe. That doesn't mean it's your fault, and that doesn't mean your body isn't on your side. It means that your body has been on your side this whole time, trying to protect you the only way it knew how." —Donna Piper 21:43 "Your body isn't broken. She's been trying to keep you alive in a world that didn't understand her." —Donna Piper Your Host: Donna Piper is a Relationship Coach, Trauma Expert, and Akashic Records Healer ...
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    23 m
  • Thermal Imaging for Health: Early Answers, Less Guesswork with Dr. Robert Kane

    Thermal Imaging for Health: Early Answers, Less Guesswork with Dr. Robert Kane
    Nov 12 2025
    "It's a balance between getting information and trusting experts. It's really important that as a patient, you have to be your own advocate." —Robert Kane When it comes to our body, uncertainty can be the hardest symptom to treat. Worry sets in when answers are fuzzy, and bouncing between specialists leaves us more confused than before. The real question is: how can we know what's happening inside before a health crisis begins? After doubting conventional answers and searching for tools that deliver real clarity, Dr. Robert Kane turned a career in health into a mission to champion thermal imaging. The pursuit for earlier answers and proof led straight to this breakthrough method that helps patients spot what matters sooner with zero guesswork. Jump in as Dr. Kane answers questions about thermal imaging, how it pairs with mammograms, why dense tissue matters, patient advocacy, beating invisible illnesses, prevention tips, and what it takes to really track your health. Connect with Donna: Website: https://www.donnapiper.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnapiper Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedonnapiper Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedonnapiper YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedonnapiper Episode Highlights: 02:15 Meet Dr. Kane— From Chiropractic to Thermography 05:32 Mammography vs Thermography 10:42 Doctors and New Technology: Getting Buy-In 16:46 Using Thermography for Complex, Chronic Symptoms 21:30 Early Detection Beats Symptoms: Preventive Possibilities 28:22 Medicine 3.0— Prevent, Not Just Manage 32:11 How to Access Thermography: Where and How Much? 39:27 Affording Care: Geographic Differences 45:28 Can Thermography Help with EDS & Connective Tissue Disorders? 50:02 Lifestyle Change and Feedback Loops X: Your body isn't a mystery waiting to happen; thermal imaging can uncover hidden issues before they get serious. Catch insights on early detection, real patient stories, and how this tech changes care in this episode as Donna interviews Dr Robert Kane. #DearBodyImListening #MCAS #Lymphedema #Lipedema #ChronicIllness #ThermalImaging #healthtech #earlydetection #womenshealth #preventivehealth Quotes: 05:47 "I'm a fan of using technologies appropriately, not demonizing one and glorifying another." —Robert Kane 06:02 "We've seen studies now that have shown detection rates are higher. So you've got a mammogram that maybe shows 80 to 90% accuracy in detecting cancer. We've seen that number go up to 95% when we add thermography into the mix." —Robert Kane 23:40 "We're moving toward prevention. So before we can actually say we can prevent breast cancer, we need to start looking at the ways that it's possible." —Robert Kane 26:20 "When you talk to a lot of groups or women, you see what works. But again, the bigger companies that fund don't always look at the anecdotal sort of things." —Donna Piper 28:52 "Part of getting the right diagnosis or getting your health where you like it is you always have to be your own advocate, and you can advocate more if you have more information." —Donna Piper 30:17 "Medicine 3.0 is when we move past managing chronic disease, and we move towards the prevention of chronic disease." —Dr. Robert Kane 50:08 "We have a lot of evidence with different conditions to say that risk factors can be lowered… So to be able to get a baseline, take an action and then see how the body changes." —Dr. Robert Kane 52:11 "The AI is just going to be used to try to get to the source of the problem faster and more reliably." —Dr. Robert Kane 55:49 "It's a balance between getting information and trusting experts. It's really important that as a patient, you have to be your own advocate." —Robert Kane Connect with Robert: For over three decades, Dr. Robert L. Kane has been at the forefront of clinical thermography for the integrative medical doctor and holistic practitioner— leveraging advanced infrared imaging to detect signs of inflammation, nerve injury, impaired circulation, and physiological stress, often before symptoms manifest. He is recognized as one of North America's leading interpreters, supporting over 50 thermography centers worldwide. Dr. Kane's mission is to empower health care providers with objective science-based tools to maximize health and wellness. Website: https://www.kanethermalimaging.com/
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    58 m
  • Chronic Pain & Trauma: Gently Breaking The Invisible Link with Science

    Chronic Pain & Trauma: Gently Breaking The Invisible Link with Science
    Nov 5 2025
    "The body's intelligent. We just have to show up. I equate it to a dance where the body leads and I follow." —Peter Stuart You can run from nagging pain, but it keeps showing up in new ways—wrecking sleep, fouling up moods, and shutting down energy. The worst part? Real answers are rare, and the world keeps telling you to just "push through" or "try harder." Maybe it's not about willpower at all—it's about listening to the actual story your body's been trying to tell for years. Peter Stuart spent decades fighting through his own injuries, dismissed symptoms, and invisible struggles before discovering gentle myofascial therapy. His hard-won insights as a chronic pain "insider" and now trauma-informed therapist reveal what really keeps people stuck and what finally helps them move forward with less pain and more hope. Get the truth about pain, trauma, and what real healing looks like, plus smart self-care tools, the science behind gentle relief, why support systems matter, how medical dismissal damages recovery, and the most overlooked reason chronic pain lingers in this episode. Connect with Donna: Website: https://www.donnapiper.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnapiper Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedonnapiper Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedonnapiper YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedonnapiper Episode Highlights: 02:41 Pain and Identity: How Chronic Pain Changes Who You Are 10:30 Why Relief Doesn't Last: Understanding Chronic Pain Cycles 18:09 The Mind-Body Link in Pain 27:33 How Trauma Gets Stuck: The Science Behind Chronic Pain 33:22 When Emotional Release Ends Pain 42:47 Overcoming Medical Dismissal 47:17 Chronic Fatigue, Brain Fog, and Healing Brain 55:00 Support Speeds Recovery 59:19 When Pain Affects Relationships 01:06:56 Fast Action Beats Waiting 01:12:36 Connection Heals: Why Real Relationships Matter 01:17:38 Don't Wait: Heal Before It Gets Worse Resources: 🎧Listen to Peter's interview with Coach360 How Trauma Leaves a Mark and What It Means for Healing: https://www.coach360news.com/how-trauma-leaves-a-mark-and-what-it-means-for-healing/ X: Life keeps piling on until your body keeps the score. It's time to listen! Catch this week's episode as Donna and trauma-informed therapist Peter Stuart drop truth bombs on trauma, chronic illness, pain relief, holistic healing, and smart self-care. #DearBodyImListening #MCAS #Lymphedema #Lipedema #ChronicIllness #TraumaHealing #BodyWork #MyofascialRelease #InvisibleIllness Quotes: 03:31 "It's a real identity shift. Not very talked about is when you lose who you think you are to pain, the amount of depression that sets in later on." —Peter Stuart 11:56 "My body is learning to survive but creating new pathways… Chronic pain is very insidious, and it changes you." —Donna Piper 14:59 "Aggressive styles tended to flare the nervous system, and the last thing you want to do is flare the nervous system with somebody who has chronic issues." —Peter Stuart 16:40 "A low-level pressure will create a change in the nervous system over time. It's patience… Incremental change over time creates permanency in the brain to make those changes happen and establish new neural pathways." —Peter Stuart 17:08 "The body's intelligent. We just have to show up. I equate it to a dance where the body leads and I follow." —Peter Stuart 18:56 "The pelvis is the foundation of the body. If you're off in your pelvis, everything above and everything below is going to be off." —Peter Stuart 25:12 "Sometimes people just want to tell their story— they just have pushed it down." —Donna Piper 30:22 "If you ignore people's scars, then you're doing them a great disservice." —Peter Stuart 34:18 "Most people will emote without making a connection to an event. It's just stuff that we've held on to—baggage—and just feeling like they have a safe place to allow that to happen." —Peter Stuart 35:41 "As much as your brain is trying to say, your thoughts are trying to control things all the time, your emotions and your feelings need to be expressed as well for health." —Peter Stuart 37:27 "No one goes through childhood unscathed. Everyone has stuff. Life brings stuff with us." —Donna Piper 39:05 "Most people who get into my profession are very empathetic people and are on the sensitive scale pretty high— and that makes for a really good therapist to be able to understand that some people will have these traumas." —Peter Stuart 42:06 "Most women usually underdo their pain… People can't see pain." —Donna Piper 56:51 "Having a provider that has that listening aspect is supportive, too…Just by not being dismissed, that's support." —Donna Piper 01:00:02 "Let's grieve what was so we can embrace this new path." —Donna Piper 01:06:59 "Once you recognize that you've changed, if there's a shift in pattern or your inability to do activities that you normally did, get on it. The ...
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    1 h y 20 m
  • How Real Connection Supports Healing (Even When You're Exhausted) with Heather Nelson

    How Real Connection Supports Healing (Even When You're Exhausted) with Heather Nelson
    Oct 29 2025
    "Push your life to be the life that you want and not accept that it's just the way it is. Every choice that you make should be toward loving the life that you have." —Heather Nelson Connection isn't just a feel-good extra. It's a lifeline when the world feels heavy and invisible battles make us want to shut down. Isolation, overwhelm, and invisible struggles don't need to be our whole story; even small acts of reaching out can reshape everything. The truth is, connecting with the right people and sharing our messy middle is stronger than any secret solution. Heather Nelson, founder of The Connection Hive and Host of Life Conversations with a Twist Podcast, turned a knack for listening into a movement, making careers, health challenges, and even surrogacy a shared experience, not a solitary climb. Her unfiltered take on relationships and resilience inspires a fresh perspective on both strangers and friends. Press play to explore the profound impact of human connection as Donna and Heather delve into invisible illness, friendship, self-care rituals, flexible work arrangements, honest communication, and the raw beauty of surrogacy, all with candor and no sugarcoating. Connect with Donna: Website: https://www.donnapiper.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnapiper Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedonnapiper Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedonnapiper YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedonnapiper Episode Highlights: 03:55 Living for Connection 12:33 Simple Ways to Connect 26:28 Setting Business Model Based on Flexibility and Accommodation 33:11 Connection When You Don't Feel Like It 37:01 Navigating Surrogacy Journey 48:42 Challenges and Support in Surrogacy 01:01:44 Balancing Personal and Professional Life 01:04:59 Advocating for Surrogacy X: Some days, a real connection is stronger than any quick fix or advice. Listen in for raw stories about chronic illness, supportive friendships, and building a life that fits you as Donna sits with The Connection Hive Founder, Heather Nelson. #DearBodyImListening #MCAS #Lymphedema #Lipedema #ChronicIllness #connection #community #authenticity #support #surrogacyjourney #selfcare Quotes: 04:53 "We all have a story, and I really want women to embrace theirs and be okay with talking about it, because at the end of the day, the goal is to inspire and empower other women to do the same." —Heather Nelson 08:23 "The more we talk about things that we think are shameful or embarrassing, the more we put our self-esteem." —Donna Piper 24:46 "We're here to learn how to connect with people and how to improve and go on through our relationships." —Donna Piper 28:38 "Something that goes missed with employers is showing appreciation, telling people you're doing a great job; I see you; I'm thankful for you." —Heather Nelson 30:44 "The more trust you build, the more that they're going to want to do for you." —Heather Nelson 35:08 "Give yourself grace when it's really not a moment that you can show up; it's okay to take a break." —Heather Nelson 50:44 "I really never push it upon people. If people want to have the conversation about [surrogacy], I will have it. If they don't, I leave it alone." —Heather Nelson 01:02:10 "Connect with an open-ended presence. Be flexible— that makes your connection with people and yourself and the world around you an easier flow." —Donna Piper 01:03:27 "The more you talk about things, even if it's scary or you feel weird about it, or you don't want to be judged, it opens up more true conversations, so you can have relationships that are more rooted in trust." —Donna Piper 01:04:21 "Push your life to be the life that you want and not accept that it's just the way it is. Every choice that you make should be toward loving the life that you have." —Heather Nelson Connect with Heather: A seasoned expert in the hospitality industry with over 20 years of experience in events. Heather is a significant influencer in Sonoma County. As the founder of The Connection Hive, she is committed to empowering small businesses by curating innovative business development plans. Her extensive network allows her to link individuals with the precise resources needed for growth—spanning marketing strategies, event curation, and business relations management. Website: https://theconnectionhive.co/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathercelestenelson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heather.nelson.7587 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathernelson.life YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheConnectionHive
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    1 h y 6 m
  • The Science of Rest— What the Lipkin Study Taught Us About ME/CFS

    The Science of Rest— What the Lipkin Study Taught Us About ME/CFS
    Oct 22 2025
    "Pace first, safety builds capacity." —Donna Piper There's a kind of tired that sleep can't fix, a crash that feels invisible to everyone but you. You push, you pace, you try to "do all the right things," yet your body still calls a timeout. Maybe it's not weakness or lack of willpower. Maybe your body's simply working harder than anyone realizes. In this episode, Donna unpacks a revolutionary study on chronic fatigue, the real science behind "the crash," and why pacing, rest, and nervous system care are the new power moves for healing. Expect myth-busting, practical science, and the kind of honesty your exhausted body has been waiting for. Connect with Donna: Website: https://www.donnapiper.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnapiper Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lipedema_donna Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedonnapiper YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedonnapiper Episode Highlights: 01:48 Not Lazy, You're Overloaded 04:17 What Science Says 07:09 Crash Under the Microscope 09:48 Myths vs Truths 14:31 Trade Crashes with Capacity Resources: 🤔Got a question for me? Every month, I do a listener coaching episode—and I'd love to hear from you! Send your questions, stories, or flare-up confessions to donna@donnapiper.com, and you just might hear your answer on the show. 🔎Research and Studies Screaming Immune Activation — Health Rising blogLipkin et al. ME/CFS study — Cell Host & Microbe, 2023 X: Rest is not optional when your body's in survival mode. Learn how science is finally mapping the truth about chronic fatigue and the power of real rest. #DearBodyImListeningPodcast #BodyConfidence #ChronicIllness #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #RestIsMedicine #MindBodyHealing #NervousSystemHealing Quotes: 01:48 "There's actual science proving that for people with ME/chronic fatigue syndrome, your body isn't lazy, it's overloaded." —Donna Piper 03:14 "A lot of the prescription to help you heal is rest." —Donna Piper 07:59 "Your body isn't weak, it's working overtime in every direction just to maintain balance." —Donna Piper 09:56 "Pace first, safety builds capacity." —Donna Piper 09:59 "Myth: It's just anxiety. Truth: immune activation and metabolic strain show up in labs. This is biology, not mindset." —Donna Piper 10:26 "Subgroups differ in age, sex, and root drivers matter. Personalize everything." —Donna Piper 11:00 "Rest isn't laziness; it is a biological necessity." —Donna Piper 13:49 "Taking my perspective and intentionally resting is a game-changer." —Donna Piper 14:33 "Your crashes are not character flaws, they are a multi-system response that science is finally mapping out." —Donna Piper Your Host: Donna Piper is a Relationship Coach, Trauma Expert, and Akashic Records Healer dedicated to empowering successful single women to transform their love lives and attract fulfilling partnerships without sacrificing their professional ambitions. With a holistic approach blending therapeutic coaching, trauma-informed techniques, and Akashic Records wisdom, she guides clients to release limiting beliefs, heal emotional blocks, and cultivate unshakable self-trust. Her work focuses on aligning mind, body, and spirit to create lasting change—helping clients refine communication, deepen self-worth, and build the foundation for healthy, loving relationships. Donna's sessions are a safe haven for those ready to break cycles, embrace vulnerability, and design a love life that harmonizes with their thriving careers. For women committed to both personal and professional fulfillment, she offers tailored strategies to unlock their full potential and step into the relationship of their dreams.
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