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Dear body, I'm listening

Dear body, I'm listening

By: Donna Piper
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About this listen

 Dear Body, I'm Listening is the podcast for women living with chronic pain, mysterious symptoms, and invisible illness. Hosted by movement therapist, Pilates instructor, and chronic illness navigator Donna Piper, this show is a sanctuary for those who've tried everything, felt dismissed, and are still searching for answers. If you've ever felt like your body is speaking a language no one else understands—you're not crazy, and you're not alone. In this space, nothing is off the table. We talk openly about swelling, fatigue, brain fog, body shame, and more. We go beyond diagnosis to explore what may be worth investigating—and more importantly, how to reconnect with yourself in the process. Through somatic spirituality, movement, and truth-telling, Donna offers support, insight, and hope. Because healing isn't linear, and neither are we.2025 Alternative & Complementary Medicine Hygiene & Healthy Living
Episodes
  • The Perrin Technique: How To Diagnose And Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Me And Fibromyalgia Via The Lymphatic Drainage Of The Brain by Dr. Raymond Perrin, 2nd Ed. Part 2

    The Perrin Technique: How To Diagnose And Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Me And Fibromyalgia Via The Lymphatic Drainage Of The Brain by Dr. Raymond Perrin, 2nd Ed. Part 2
    Apr 16 2026
    "ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is more than just fatigue. What we do, or specifically what we don't do, actually aids in more healing. So doing less equals faster, better outcomes."—Donna Piper A focused revisit to the Perrin Technique that zeroes in on practical steps for easing crashes and brain fog. This is part 2 of our series on The Perrin Technique. This week, Donna dives into chapter 10 to pull out clinician-ready moves and patient routines. Her experience shows how targeted lymphatic drainage, thoracic mobility, and pacing change day to day tolerance over months. Donna describes weekly clinic work and daily self-care that turned theoretical protocol into measurable recovery, and why slow, gentle practice mattered most. Play this episode to hear the chapter 10 breakdown and actionable next steps. • Chapter 10 deep dive from Dr Raymond Perrin 2nd Ed • Perrin Technique steps for neuro-lymphatic drainage • Contrast bathing and thoracic region protocols • Cervical and cranial sacral techniques explained • Pacing and rest as core treatment strategies • Practical self-care routines and when to seek a certified practitioner 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: 01:28 The Perrin Technique: Chapter 10 Intro 10:13 Real Talk: ME/CFS— More Than Fatigue 16:14 Connective Thread: A Systemic Dysfunction 35:25 Myth Buster 41:15 Feel Good Flow 45:02 Shared Education &Lived Experience 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. 💲Discount Get $20 off the Visible Wrist Band 2.0 Click the link: https://join.makevisible.com/73784699c7db3e **Wearable heart-rate and activity sensor, with charging cable and strap included. 5 days battery life Manufactured by Polar, the world leader in heart-rate monitoring Designed for illness, not fitness HSA/FSA Eligible 💗Springrose Give $20, GET $20 When you share Springrose with friends, they get $20 off their first purchase and you get $20 towards your next purchase!* Share the love. https://oken.do/0l3hpr6v 💗Equip Fuel With Real Food Meet Prime Protein, the original beef protein powder, with over 20g of delicious grass-fed beef protein. No junk or fillers https://www.equipfoods.com/DONNA15 💗Books: 📖The Perrin Technique: How to diagnose and treat CFS/ME and fibromyalgia via the lymphatic drainage of the brain, 2nd Ed: https://amzn.to/4sV1ehf 📖The Concise Perrin Technique: A Handbook for Patients: https://amzn.to/47JSEcG 📖https://theperrintechnique.com/self-help-guide/ X: DO LESS, HEAL BETTER. The Perrin Technique Chapter 10 unpacked: contrast baths, cervical drainage, thoracic mobility, and severity scoring to track recovery. Tune in and get clear actions to discuss with your clinician. #DearBodyImListeningPodcast #ThePerrinTechnique #DrRaymondPerrin #MECFS #ChronicFatigue #fibromyalgia #LymphaticHealth #NeuroLymphaticDrainage #AutonomicNervousSystem #ThoracicSpine #Inflammation #ContrastBathing #SelfGuidedMovements #StressReduction #DietAndNutrition #Hypermobility Quotes: 05:30 "Pain equals no gain; more equals no gain; more actually makes me worse." —Donna Piper 07:14 "For healing, you want to look at it as a few years that you're going to be doing this. It's taken a long time to get sick in most cases, so it does take a while to get better. This is not a miracle… You probably are going to feel worse because you're going to be detoxing. Some of these toxins are going to be coming out, so you might feel worse. And then that is how you know that it's working." —Donna Piper 19:08 "When you have ME/CFS, you're not just tired, you're having a whole body problem with drainage, nervous system stress and physical dysfunction."—Donna Piper 26:08 "You're not doing anybody any favors, including yourself if you push yourself through the pain barrier. Pain is the body's natural protection; it tells you when to stop." —Donna Piper 36:09 "ME is one of those conditions that punishes excess. Too much stimulation, that's a problem. Too much activity is a problem. Cognitive effort is also a problem. Too much emotional stress is a problem. Too much treatment, believe it or not, is also a problem." —Donna Piper 39:27 "Some healing is microscopic at first. You can't see that healing that it's doing inside of your body. You may notice you're crashing less violently. You may see that you recover a little faster… You have slightly more room between effort and consequence, and that is really where the nuances are, and that's what counts." —Donna Piper 40:15 "Don't let the ...
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    47 mins
  • The Perrin Technique: How To Diagnose And Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Me And Fibromyalgia Via The Lymphatic Drainage Of The Brain by Dr. Raymond Perrin, 2nd Ed.

    The Perrin Technique: How To Diagnose And Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Me And Fibromyalgia Via The Lymphatic Drainage Of The Brain by Dr. Raymond Perrin, 2nd Ed.
    Apr 9 2026

    "Take a look at everything that's been going on with your body and your health, and see if you can be at least okay with the knowledge that this is something that you need to treat in a different way, and relish in the fact that it is not something you've been making up and it there are some real treatment out there." —Donna Piper

    A clogged brain drainage system rewires energy, hormones, and recovery so daily life becomes a series of compromises. This matters now because new research and hands-on approaches reveal a physical route to symptoms often written off as psychological.
    This week, Donna walks through her Perrin technique diagnosis and yearlong treatment journey after unexplained fatigue, showing how structural, autonomic, and lymphatic factors converged to create measurable change. Her story reframes chronic fatigue syndrome and ME as treatable physiological conditions.
    Tune in to hear the practical breakdown:
    Perrin technique and neuro lymphatic drainage
    How hypothalamic dysfunction drives ME/CFS symptoms
    Common structural and autonomic signs to watch for
    Self assessment basics and when to see a practitioner
    Realistic timelines and treatment expectations
    Related conditions: fibromyalgia, EDS, MCAS

    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:
    01:01 Discovering The Perrin Technique
    06:22 Real Talk: Dr. Raymond Perrin and His Life Work
    10:35 Connective Thread: 7 Facts
    25:57 Myth Buster: Not Psychological, But Physiological
    27:48 Feel Good Flow
    29:59 Shared Education and Lived Experience

    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.
    💲Discount
    Get $20 off the Visible Wrist Band 2.0
    Click the link: https://join.makevisible.com/73784699c7db3e
    **Wearable heart-rate and activity sensor, with charging cable and strap included.
    5 days battery life
    Manufactured by Polar, the world leader in heart-rate monitoring
    Designed for illness, not fitness
    HSA/FSA Eligible

    💗Springrose
    Give $20, GET $20
    When you share Springrose with friends, they get $20 off their first purchase and you get $20 towards your next purchase!* Share the love.
    https://oken.do/0l3hpr6v

    💗Equip
    Fuel With Real Food
    Meet Prime Protein, the original beef protein powder, with over 20g of delicious grass-fed beef protein. No junk or fillers
    https://www.equipfoods.com/DONNA15

    💗Books:
    📖The Perrin Technique: How to diagnose and treat CFS/ME and fibromyalgia via the lymphatic drainage of the brain, 2nd Ed: https://amzn.to/4sV1ehf
    📖The Concise Perrin Technique: A Handbook for Patients: https://amzn.to/47JSEcG
    📖https://theperrintechnique.com/self-help-guide/
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    33 mins
  • My Season 2 Premiere

    My Season 2 Premiere
    Apr 2 2026
    "When you have these chronic illnesses, it's not a sentence. Saying that you have a disease is empowering, as long as you don't hide behind it." —Donna Piper A fresh start does not always look productive. Sometimes it looks like a missed week, a body that feels louder again, and the quiet fear that progress is slipping. This conversation sits in that space where healing feels uncertain and hard to trust. Donna shares where things stand right now, preparing for a second surgery while navigating the return of chronic fatigue symptoms, and how that tension is shaping a more honest approach to healing. Press play and stay with the conversation as it unfolds. • chronic illness and non-linear healing • chronic fatigue syndrome flare-ups • preparing for surgery with medical trauma nervous system patterns and shutdown • rebuilding self-trust in the body • the Perrin Technique and future tools • redefining what progress really means 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: 01:14 Season 2: A Very Human Beginning 02:48 Real Talk: Surgery #2 07:32 Connective Thread: What Actually Helped 17:28 Myth Buster: 22.44 Feel Good Flow: Micro Moves, Macro Reliefs 25:30 Shared Education and Lived Experience 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. 💲Discount Get $20 off the Visible Wrist Band 2.0 Click the link: https://join.makevisible.com/73784699c7db3e **Wearable heart-rate and activity sensor, with charging cable and strap included. 5 days battery life Manufactured by Polar, the world leader in heart-rate monitoring Designed for illness, not fitness HSA/FSA Eligible 💗Springrose Give $20, GET $20 When you share Springrose with friends, they get $20 off their first purchase and you get $20 towards your next purchase!* Share the love. https://oken.do/0l3hpr6v 💗Equip Fuel With Real Food Meet Prime Protein, the original beef protein powder, with over 20g of delicious grass-fed beef protein. No junk or fillers https://www.equipfoods.com/DONNA15 X: Starting over is not always clean. Sometimes it is messy, delayed, and honest. Donna talks about surgery prep, chronic fatigue flare-ups, and rebuilding trust with the body. Press play! #DearBodyImListeningPodcast #healingtools #selfregulation #lipedema #fatigue #healingprocess #chronicillnesssupport #healingjourney #chronicfatigue Quotes: 04:24 "There's a practical side of getting ready for surgery: the logistics, the packing, the timing, the body prep, the emotional prep. And then there's a deeper layer that's underneath it: the vulnerability, the uncertainty, the memory of what it means to go through something intense in the body again." —Donna Piper 12:00 "There is no magic fix. My surgery is helping with my lipedema, but I'm always going to have it, so I do need to manage it. So if there's anyone saying you don't need to manage your symptoms forever, that's just not true." —Donna Piper 13:28 "When you have these chronic illnesses, it's not a sentence. Saying that you have a disease is empowering, as long as you don't hide behind it." —Donna Piper 16:16 "Everything is connected, and you just have to find the one thing that resonates with you and to look for it in your daily lives." —Donna Piper 16:48 "When you're dealing with chronic illness, fragments matter a lot. Because sometimes, those fragments can become your lifeline, sometimes they become a framework, sometimes they become the thing you return to when your body gets louder again." —Donna Piper 18:14 "A symptom return does not cancel the healing that's happened." —Donna Piper 22:03 "You did not fail. Your body's just changed." —Donna Piper 23:20 "Maybe beginning again is not being together. Maybe it's about being more truthful." —Donna Piper 26:22 "When we have more understanding with ourselves and we know more about what's going on with our bodies, we feel safer, we feel more relaxed, we feel more connected." —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, ...
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    27 mins
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