Grief Isn’t Always About Death
Sometimes It’s About The Stuff You've Had To Let Go Of During Your Life.
It’s hard to let things go sometimes.
We have ideas and dreams about what we think our lives should be and sometimes we’re sent in a completely different direction.
Or a big life transition happens and you are forced to reevaluate, and you lose an identity that was a big part of you.
And this can leave you feeling shattered, stuck, overwhelmed or unsure of how to move forward.
When you feel like this, you look back on your life and wonder why it’s all changed.
How did it get this bad?
Who are you anymore?
You don’t recognise yourself.
You’re left with no idea of what you are supposed to be doing with your life. It's like everything has just fallen away.
You become stuck in unhelpful or destructive patterns of behaviour, and you hold these patterns in your body; bracing against an impending doom, like you are carrying the world on your shoulders.
When your body is holding onto that grief in tension, it often presents as back pain, digestive issues and endless sleepless nights.
You become stuck in patterns of negative thinking, feelings of hopelessness, leading to depression and anxiety that make you want to curl up into a ball and hide away from the world.
Your body feels wound up like a coiled spring, constantly on the edge of snapping. You're irritable, emotions all over the place, you eat well, but you’re gaining weight because food doesn't digest properly. Your back is painful and your hands and feet are always cold.
You wake up in the morning and you ache. Sometimes you wake up in the night in pain. You just can’t get comfortable, and it’s impossible to get back to sleep, mind racing, thoughts circling.
Your immune system doesn’t work as it should, so you catch everything that’s going round, and you’re
Just So Tired all the time.
It’s as if
the real you is trapped somewhere inside a malfunctioning body
This is what living with grief can do to you, it puts you into survival mode, and these are all common symptoms.
Your grief doesn't have to define you, life’s transitions don’t have to be so hard,
even when it’s devastating and feels impossible to go on.
You don't have to hold onto these unhelpful patterns of tension in your body.
The solution is to let go of this tension and grief, but you’ve never been shown how to let it go.
And so it builds, causing you to hold on more tightly to those patterns, and keep repeating unhelpful patterns of behaviour, leading to discomfort, distress and sometimes even chronic pain.
I help women living with devastating grief and loss to gently process those feelings and finally move forward with their lives towards their true potential.
Let me introduce myself,
I’m Donna and I’m so glad you've found me.
I specialise in working with women who have experienced the devastating effects of all types of grief and loss. I help them to gently process those feelings and move forward with their lives.
I came to this work after losing both my parents, my aunty and my cat in the space of 6 months, then a few months later I lost my job of 20 years. It was a brutal time and my whole world fell apart. I felt broken, and at times unable to function properly, at a loss for what to do.
However, I had some incredible tools at my disposal which held me and supported me through this incredibly painful time.
My work weaves together over three decades of practice in meditation, yoga, TRE and energy Healing. I'm really invested in these methods because they have worked so well to support me through some of my life’s major transitions, such as becoming a new mother; later on, perimenopause and menopause; and then the year of compound grief mentioned above.
I know that these methods work.
These practices have deeply held me and allowed me to move through all that life has brought to my door.
I know they work for other people too which is why I’d recommend that you try them, if any of this sounds familiar.
Life’s transitions can be difficult to navigate, and sometimes leave us grieving what we have lost through the process.
Relationships, dreams, identities, expectations and the life we thought we were going to have.
Grief Has many Faces
Grief isn’t only about the death of a loved one, it encompasses many things, and you may be grieving the loss of your old life, or the dream of the life you thought you would have.
Some transitions feel never ending, and you can’t see yourself ever getting your life back together.
For each one of life’s transitions, there's not only the loss of what was, but sometimes there's the loss of the future you were expecting, a future that may never be the same.
This experience can leave you feeling stuck, overwhelmed or unsure of how to move forward.
You Know you need to sort this out. You can’t carry on living like this. You’re pretty sure other people manage these transitions better than you?
You’d really like a properly functioning body; to get back to a life without this unbearable pain; to be able to sleep well, so you can do the things you love again, and regain that feeling of contentment and joy that feels so long gone.
You loved gardening - but you gave that up a while ago because it hurts your back. You love having a beautiful garden full of vibrant plants and flowers.
You also loved walking in the hills, but now even that hurts too much, and it used to be so good to be out in nature, the fresh air; the exhilarating feeling at the top of a hill. The sense of achievement was good for the soul.
Maybe you had a regular yoga practice that you've had to give up because of an injury or a change in your lifestyle, and it's left you feeling like you’ve lost your anchor and your connection to your spirit.
You just want to be able to do these normal things again; to be able to get on with your life and finally get over this hurdle.
One solution to help you to process this grief is to find a gentle way to release the tension held in your body so that you can gently process the grief in a way that helps you to stop reacting and start responding to the world from a place of inner composure.
I provide simple, practical support to help you to process and heal from your grief, understand what you’re experiencing, and finally find some peace and contentment so that you can move forward on your journey through life.
Do you secretly suspect that some of these symptoms you’re experiencing are connected to the underlying feelings of grief that you're not over?
But you don't know how, and your GP can't quite put their finger on it.
You've tried massage, talking therapy and other healing modalities and they work for a time but don’t seem to get to the root of the problem.
You just want to live a full life again! You want to feel normal again.
You don’t have to live like this.
What would help is a simple solution that you can fit into your daily routine. Something that helps to get to the root of your problem, and keep on top of it, so that you feel better for longer and are more able to cope with all that life inevitably brings.
Something accessible and easy to do, that you can sneak into a five or ten minute break, or after a long drive, or at the end of a stressful day.
Or something that will relax you before you go to sleep. Because, right now, you don’t have the energy for learning something that takes a long time, or your body hurts, so you need to approach it gently.
Something that you can safely practice at home without having to sign up for years of expensive therapies or classes.
Sometimes a consistent short practice can be more powerful than
spending hours on a yoga mat or meditation cushion.
Why? Because over time these small practices seep into your life and become a welcome break in your day, a pause where you can switch off for a few moments and gather your thoughts, and this can build into a positive habit that really supports your life, no matter what life throws your way.
I invite you to check out some of the practical support I can provide. I fully believe in these methods. I know that they work because I use them daily.
Using the tools of Yoga, meditation and TRE you will have a safe framework that you can come back to time and again, to hold you, a safe container to help you to process those difficult feelings, to quiet your mind and bring a bit of peace and contentment back into your life.
Whether you choose to work with me or someone else, this is what I would recommend.
How it works
All of these methods allow you to quiet your mind, relax your body and change negative patterns of behavior and thinking. They also help to release tension held in the body so that you will be free of pain.
When practiced regularly all of these methods can help you to feel relief from the sadness, allow you to bounce back more quickly from inevitable setbacks and rebuild your life again.
With regular practice you will start to find the joy again in your life. You will finally begin to move on.
Here's How I Can Help You ...
Using gentle, natural, body based methods, I will teach you how to gently release patterns of tension, stress and trauma, by bringing a deep awareness back into your body and calming the thoughts in your mind, allowing you to feel peace and contentment again.
TRE®
TRE - Tension/ Trauma Release Exercises, a gentle set of exercises, that tap you into your body’s natural shaking mechanism so that you can literally shake away that tension or trauma you’ve been holding.
I recommend 5 sessions over 5 weeks to initially learn the method and become familiar with it. Once familiar and confident, this can be practiced as and when you need it in short bursts or longer practice. TRE helps to safely release often deeply buried tension or trauma that can be stuck in the body, allowing us to deal with the root cause of our problems.
THERAPEUTIC YOGA
Therapeutic yoga taking a holistic approach, looking at 10 different aspects of your life, I will teach you a series of short gentle, breath led postures that can be practiced either as a practice in the morning or in 5-10 minute ‘snacks', throughout the day, such as when you’re waiting for the kettle to boil.
I recommend 10 sessions over 10 weeks, to build a positive habit that you can easily slot into your day as many times as you want, which creates positive change in your life to find more peace and contentment and make you feel better.
ASHTANGA YOGA
Ashtanga Yoga a breath led, dynamic form of yoga which builds up a practice over time with new postures being added when you are ready for them. This creates strength, stability and flexibility, building a safe framework of repeated postures, that can hold you and support your life. When your body knows what is coming next, it allows you to switch off the mind and focus on the breath helping you to calm your swirling thoughts and deeply relax.
I recommend 5 sessions initially to build a short practice so that you feel comfortable to continue at home or in a general class.
I invite you to build a yoga practice that will support you throughout all of life's ups and downs .
These practices are about letting go physically and emotionally of past issues that are unresolved and holding you back.
The methods can be learned in a short amount of time and then you have them for the rest of your life to build on what you have learned and practice safely at home when needed.
If you are not sure what's best for you, book a FREE 15 minute discovery call.
Heres Some New Offerings for Autumn
New Offerings to help to support you process grief.
Grief Resolution Bundles
Specially designed to help you to process one or multiple heartbreaking losses, these bundles will teach you tools to regulate your nervous system, stay grounded and allow you to gently process the grief that may be overwhelming you at the moment.
They will help you to be able to bounce back more easily when life feels impossible and allow you to function properly.
Birth Trauma
Perhaps your birth didn't go as planned. Perhaps your body is feeling a bit out of alignment still. Maybe you are still living with what seemed to be a huge traumatic experience. That's ok, birthing another human is not an easy task! And sometimes it can be really difficult, Even though we are told that it's the most natural thing in the world. Using a combination of TRE and yoga to help you to gently release the trauma I will teach you some tools to feel better again.
Here's Some Short Term Fixes to Help you Relax
List of Services
- Reiki
Reiki - a hands on healing method originating in Japan, where universal light energy is channelled through the practitioner's hands and directed to where it is needed in your body.
leaving you feeling very relaxed.
- Crystal Healing
Crystal Healing, Uses beautiful and powerful crystals from the Earth to amplify the Universal Healing energy. I work with my Plieadian crystal guides to channel the energy into your body. It is a treat that will make you feel ultimately pampered!
- Reflexology
Reflexology is a gentle, non-invasive therapy that involves applying pressure to specific points on the feet, to release stuck energy.
It is elaxing and restoring and feels very pampering.
Free Things !
Try out some simple practices for yourself and see how they make you feel.
"What I have learned is that life is ever changing, and it WILL throw everything it can at you."
People say the nicest things
"I had a very positive experience with Donna’s TRE sessions. She created a calm, safe and supportive environment, explained the process clearly and made me feel comfortable throughout.
The sessions helped me become more aware of how much tension I was carrying in my body, and I’ve found TRE to be a useful tool for releasing stress and reconnecting with myself. Donna was warm, reassuring and professional, and I appreciated the care she took both during and after each session.
I would happily recommend Donna to anyone who is curious about TRE and looking for a supportive practitioner to guide them through it."
Josh B
11/7/26
"Learning TRE with Donna has been wonderful. She's a very skilled and caring practitioner. I can tell she deeply cares about the emotional and physical safety of her clients, which helped me feel like I was safe and in good hands. Grateful for this experience."
Alina N
20/02/26
"Donna is a gifted practitioner who has expertly guided me whilst working through complex trauma using TRE, Reiki and Yoga, she made me feel safe and I highly recommend her"
Jo K
20/02/25
"Can’t highlight enough how amazing Donna is doing her TRE work. It has been literally life changing for my daily life and I don’t know what I would do without the tools Donna shared with me."
Sandi R
21/5/25
"I really enjoyed learning new ways my body can work in a uncomplicated beneficial way"
Christine P
26/06/26
"I found Donna's approach very clear and precise.
On my first visit I felt very welcome and secure, undertaking a practice which I'd never encountered before.
My experience of TRE has been amazing and I can't thank Donna enough for teaching me. I feel so much better in myself. Clearer in some ways and calmer and happier and I will definitely go onto practice TRE.
I would fully recommend anyone to attend one of Donna's workshops. You will not regret it."
Tony S
20/02/2024
"The session with you generated a sense of peace, calm and groundedness. Since then I have used the grounding exercises to very good effect and have tried the shaking exercise a couple of times. It seems to make me generally calmer and more grounded. Sleep appears to be much deeper and seems to generate some interesting dream sequences which are linked to traumatic experiences but not disturbing at all. The shaking also leads to some loosening of muscles which is very important to me. "
Fiona A
21/06/2025
20/08/25
Do you have a question?
If you would like more information about any aspect of my therapies or Yoga classes, please get in touch and I will be very happy to help.
