Before you dive in: this episode pairs perfectly with A Moment to Exhale — my weekly love note where we keep conversations like this one going. You can join us at breathofrenewal.com/exhale.
What happens when your circumstances have changed, you know you're safe now… and your body is still responding as though the danger never ended?
You left. You did the hardest thing. And somewhere in you, you thought — okay, I'm safe now. But then the pain showed up anyway. The stomach that won't settle. The sleep that won't come. And a small, tired voice starts asking: is this in my head?
It's not. For years, my guest Nora Rodden lived with chronic back pain, digestive symptoms, and insomnia. She tried treatment after treatment without finding lasting relief — until a clinical research study introduced her to a completely different way of understanding the connection between her brain, body, symptoms, and nervous system.
In this episode, Nora and I explore the mind-body connection, somatic awareness, chronic stress, and what can happen when your nervous system has spent years learning that it needs to protect you. We bring this conversation directly into the experience of healing after a toxic or abusive relationship — because leaving the relationship and being physically safe doesn't necessarily mean your body immediately knows the danger has passed. This is also the first of our guest conversations returning to the show, about once a month, bringing new voices and perspectives into this healing work.
Inside this conversation, we talk about:
- Nora's journey from chronic pain, digestive issues, and insomnia to discovering mind-body work through a Harvard clinical research study
- What "somatic" actually means, and how it differs from staying inside our thoughts
- Why curiosity toward a sensation can create a very different experience than immediately fearing or resisting it
- The connection between stress, fear, hypervigilance, and persistent symptoms
- Why chronic symptoms can have a structural or medical origin and still be influenced by the nervous system — and the importance of appropriate medical evaluation rather than trying to "breathe away" something that needs medical care
- How people-pleasing, perfectionism, lack of boundaries, past experiences, and ongoing stress can keep the nervous system on high alert
- Why you can leave an unhealthy relationship, logically know you're safe, and still experience a body that responds according to what it learned before
- The shift from believing your body has failed you to becoming curious about how it may have been trying to protect you
One of my favorite reminders from this conversation? Your body isn't necessarily working against you. It may have become incredibly good at protecting you based on what it has experienced. And healing can include giving it new experiences that show it something different is possible.
MEET NORA
Nora Rodden is the Founder and CEO of Nervana, a digital health company making research-backed mind-body treatment more accessible for people with chronic symptoms. Nervana combines AI-guided support with access to human mind-body coaching to help people understand and change patterns that may be contributing to persistent symptoms.
Nora holds an MS in Biotechnology and an MBA from Harvard, and previously worked in strategy and operations across the biotech industry. After recovering from chronic pain, insomnia, and digestive issues herself, she became passionate about helping more people access credible, non-drug approaches to recovery.
Connect with Nora and learn more about Nervana at trynervana.com, where you can also start a 7-day free trial.
Find her @trynervana on
http://www.instagram.com/trynervana/
https://www.tiktok.com/@trynervana
https://www.facebook.com/TryNervana/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/trynervana/
https://www.youtube.com/@trynervana
READY FOR YOUR OWN SPACE TO EXHALE?
If you've left a toxic or abusive relationship and you're beginning to realize that leaving was only one part of becoming free, I invite you to book a complimentary Space to Exhale conversation. This is a place to talk about where you are, what you're navigating, and whether deeper support may be the right next step for you.
Book Your A Space to Exhale Session Now
Not ready for a conversation yet? Join me for A Moment to Exhale, my weekly love note with reflections, practices, podcast conversations, and reminders to come back home to yourself, at breathofrenewal.com/exhale.
Because leaving may have created freedom around you. Now you get to discover what it feels like to experience that freedom within you, too.
#toxicrelationshiprecovery #nervoussystemhealing #loveyourlifeagain #breathofrenewal #somatichealing #healingjourney #mindbodyconnection #emotionalabuse #survivalmode #startingover
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Until next time — one day, one moment, one breath at a time back to loving your life. 🤍
