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Reclaiming Our Bodies' Wisdom: An Introduction

Writer's picture: Symphonie ChanelSymphonie Chanel

Your body isn't broken - is it?


Society tells us to trust the diagnosis, take the pills, follow the protocol. But what if your symptoms aren't the problem - what if they're your body's way of demanding to be heard?



An assortment of prescription medications scattered across a surface, including MS treatments, blood thinners, and birth control pills, representing the traditional medical approach to managing chronic illness
A daily cocktail that keeps us compliant but disconnected from our body's wisdom.


Who I Am


I'm Symphonie, and at 14, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis - a condition where your own immune system attacks your central nervous system, creating lesions on your brain with each flare. In a system that prioritizes managing symptoms over understanding root causes, it came with a lot of baggage, focusing more on what the future would hold rather than how to take care of my current self. My health and lack of holistic support made everything feel harder and take longer because I couldn't tell what was "normal," what was MS, and what might have simply been an excuse for my lack of motivation, steadfastness, or success.


My degree is in community and human services with a minor in human services - I initially intended to be a therapist or mental health counselor. But in 2017, I went rogue or non-compliant (what doctors call you when you don't do what they say) and stopped taking all medications - psychotropic medication for bipolar disorder, blood thinners, intravenous medication for MS, and birth control because that shit is the devil.


It's fascinating how recently modern medicine labeled traditional healing as "alternative." Just a century ago, working with our bodies' natural rhythms wasn't "woo woo" - it was all we had. When did we start trusting synthetic solutions over our bodies' ancient wisdom?



Black female holistic wellness advocate, gazes to the side during an MS exacerbation that affected her vision. The candid moment captures both vulnerability and strength, illustrating her journey from patient to healer while managing chronic illness. This raw, unposed image embodies Her Sacred Way's mission of embracing our body's truth and transforming struggles into wisdom
During an MS exacerbation, vision blurred and eyes unsteady, but still standing in my truth.

My Journey to Healing


I didn't tell my family right away because I knew they wouldn't understand my desire to reset, to understand if my body was still saying the same things, and to start over in any way possible. Just like our ancestors did for millennia, I had to learn to read my body's signals instead of suppressing them. I was miserable. I transitioned through pescatarianism to three years of veganism - more for my relationship than my health, but it genuinely made me feel better.


When my period came back after being on birth control for eight years, I did not feel better. I was met with crippling symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, and cramps that made my daily life and routine routines both unpredictable and unmanageable. My professors didn’t care, even those who were also female and black. This is when I started trying to consistently practice yoga to see if movement helped - which it did, but not enough. Not until I literally started creating routines specifically around my period did I truly feel better. I had no choice but to learn how to eat for my cycle, drink for my cycle, sleep for my cycle, pause for my cycle, and go for my cycle.


This is when I realized that holistic wellness options were exactly what I needed. There was so much I learned about myself and my body that doctors never cared to share, or may not have even known despite their education and credentials. I studied chronic illness, multiple sclerosis, leaky gut, hormonal imbalance, Food, correlation, supplementation, and anything else that I could think of to help myself. This is literally where my true distrust of pharma and friends started. This is also where my craving for more information about women's health and wellness began. This is also where my career plan of psychology & mental health halted.


Her Sacred Way


When I created Her Sacred Way, it was because I longed for someone or something to talk to me about me in truth - in science, in fact, in God. These aren't new-age concepts - they're ancient wisdom backed by modern science. Our grandmothers' grandmothers knew these rhythms; somehow, we've forgotten to listen. Yes, I am certified in yoga, prenatal and postnatal yoga, women's anatomy and physiology, pelvic floor health, womb wellness, women's reproductive health, and birth through doula certification. These certifications mean the most to me because they are the only ones specifically about me - a woman. A woman who bleeds every month along with whatever else comes with that. A woman who may or may not decide to have children, a woman who sometimes feels isolated by experiences, a woman who loves being a woman, and a woman who loves other women.


Previously, I haven't spoken much about any of this because I felt like my health was the main reason for much of what I've done in education, career, and more. It was hard to talk about something I didn't understand and had no plan for. It was hard to talk about something that made me feel depressed and trapped.


While it's true that these illnesses have been a curse, I can see how they were also the biggest gift of strength and healing, and now encouragement and empowerment for other women who may relate. I could spend time wishing my parents had more resources or knowledge about holistic health. I could rage about a healthcare system that fails so many Americans. I could point out how society ignores the scientific evidence about women's natural cycles and the toll that takes on our bodies and minds. Honestly, looking back doesn't serve us. Looking back doesn't heal us. What matters isn't what should have been - what matters is what we choose to do today. What matters is reclaiming our innate wisdom, reconnecting with our bodies' natural rhythms, and breaking free from weaponized healthcare systems that keep us dependent and disconnected from our own power to heal. It's time to reclaim what we've always known, what's been labeled as alternative, what's been dismissed as woo-woo. It's time to remember.It's time to reclaim what we've always known, what's been labeled as alternative, what's been dismissed as woo-woo. It's time to remember.


This is the first of many blogs where we'll explore what it truly means to heal, to be whole, and to honor our bodies' natural wisdom. If you're tired of being told your body is broken, if you're ready to understand your own rhythms and power - you're in the right place.




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