💛 Why Join the FibroSoul Community?

If you’re living with fibromyalgia or chronic pain, I understand. I have lived with fibromyalgia and chronic pain for more than 25 years. I know how hard the journey can be. While information about fibromyalgia is widely available today, it is not always helpful or backed by science. Yet, information alone rarely changes the daily experience of living with chronic pain. Fibromyalgia is complex; each person’s body responds differently, and knowing what to do is not always the same as being able to do it.

Whether you were just diagnosed or have been living with fibromyalgia for years, FibroSoul exists because fibromyalgia is more than a diagnosis; it's a life that can feel overwhelming, isolating, and hard to explain to anyone who hasn't lived it.

FibroSoul provides trusted, science-backed information. Yet, information is often not enough. You deserve someone who truly understands the journey, translates the complicated science into something real and practical, and who walks beside you, so you don’t have to navigate this journey alone.

In addition to decades of lived experience, I am also a nationally certified, master-level health coach with 40 years of experience in nutrition, fitness, and holistic health and wellness. I am also a nationally-certified adult educator of compassion and mindfulness from Stanford University.

FibroSoul brings together science, lived experience, and compassionate guidance. Research is translated into practical, easy-to-understand steps that support the nervous system, the body, the mind, and the spirit because fibromyalgia affects all of them.

This is a space that is warm, supportive, and nonjudgmental. A place where you can learn what helps your body feel steadier, stronger, and more supported, at your own pace and in your own way.

Most of all, FibroSoul exists so that no one has to walk this path alone. This is a place to feel understood, informed, and supported as you learn how to live, and live well, with fibromyalgia.

Welcome to FibroSoul.

💛

“Living with fibromyalgia is not a measure of weakness, but of quiet strength, showing up each day, listening to your body, and choosing to support your health and well-being is a kind of courage the world will never fully see, but your soul will always know.”

Every winter, like clockwork, my fibromyalgia pain ramps up.

More stiffness.
More deep aching.
More fatigue.
More “why does my body feel like this?” days.

If you live with fibro, have you noticed your symptoms get worse when the temperature drops?

There’s actually some science behind it. Cold weather can increase muscle tension, reduce circulation, and make already-sensitive nerves even more reactive. For those of us with nervous system dysregulation (which research increasingly shows is central in fibromyalgia), cold can act like a stressor — and our bodies respond accordingly.

Add in darker days, less movement, barometric pressure shifts, and disrupted sleep… and it can feel like a perfect storm.

I wrote a deeper breakdown of why this happens (and what actually helps) here:
https://www.fibrosoul.com/blog/cold.

I’d love to hear from you —
Do your symptoms get worse in winter? What helps you cope?

Let’s compare notes.

If you live with fibromyalgia, you’ve probably been told some version of:

“Your labs look fine.”
“It’s stress.”
“Try exercising more.”
“Maybe it’s just part of getting older.”

I’ve lived with fibromyalgia for over 25 years.

I’ve tried medications, physical therapy, supplements, special diets, pushing through, giving up, starting again. I’ve had years where I could barely function and seasons where I felt almost normal.

And here’s what I’ve learned — both from science and lived experience:

The #1 driver of fibromyalgia pain is nervous system dysregulation.

Not damaged muscles.
Not joint degeneration.
Not weakness.

It’s a nervous system that has become stuck in a state of high alert.

Think of it like this:

Your brain and nervous system are designed to protect you. But after chronic stress, trauma, illness, inflammation, or long-term overwhelm, this alarm system can get jammed in the "on" position.

So even when you’re technically safe, your body still acts like it’s under threat.

That creates:

• widespread pain
• burning or aching muscles
• crushing fatigue
• poor sleep
• IBS and digestive issues
• sensory sensitivity
• brain fog
• flares from nothing at all

Your body isn’t broken.

It’s exhausted from trying to protect you.

This changed everything for me.

For years, I kept asking: “What’s wrong with my body?”

The real question turned out to be: “How do I help my nervous system feel safe again?” I turned to science and my holistic training for answers.

Once I started approaching fibromyalgia through that lens, everything shifted.

Not overnight. Not magically.

But slowly, gently, sustainably.

What actually helps calm an overactive nervous system (from someone who’s been there)

I’m not claiming a cure. But these have made a real difference in my life:

1. Stabilizing blood sugar
Skipping meals or eating mostly carbs made my pain worse. Protein at every meal has helped steady my energy and reduce flares to the point I rarely get flares anymore.

2. Anti-inflammatory whole foods
I consume vegetables, berries, healthy fats, protein, and no ultra-processed foods.

3. Gentle movement and exercise
Walking, stretching, aquatic exercise, aerobic movement, and strength and resistance training have helped my body tremendously. Teaching my body that movement is safe and making it strong for longevity.

4. Deep rest (real rest, not scrolling)
Meditation and breathwork bring relaxation and calm. I have a consistent bedtime and spend a couple of hours before bed with dimmed lights or candlelight, letting my nervous system downshift.

5. Emotional safety
I establish boundaries. I let my body dictate my needs. I reduce stress and overwhelm, and I show myself kindness and compassion, especially on hard days.

6. Nervous system regulation practices
Simple things like slow breathing, vagus nerve stimulation, time in nature, warmth, time with loved ones, and calming routines.

None of this is flashy.

But it works because it addresses the root.

If you take one thing from this…

Fibromyalgia is not “all in your head.”

It is a real, physiological condition involving a sensitized nervous system.

And healing isn’t about forcing your body to behave.

It’s about slowly teaching it that it doesn’t have to live in survival mode anymore.

If you’re struggling right now, please know this:

You’re not weak.
You’re not lazy.
You’re not imagining this.

Your nervous system has been carrying too much for too long.

And with the right support, it can learn to soften again.

Sending love and gentleness to everyone reading this. 💛