How Sally McFerran Transformed Her Endometriosis Journey into a Mission of Holistic Healing
Imagine turning a personal health challenge into a life-changing mission. Sally McFerran did just that. Diagnosed with endometriosis in her 20s, she refused conventional treatments and embarked on a journey of holistic healing. Today, she’s a respected mindfulness and wellness coach, and a musician known as Alabaster Queen, touring across the UK and Europe. Her story, shared on the “Let’s Talk” podcast with Vaishalli Paatil, explores the power of holistic healing, mindfulness, and personal transformation.
Rejecting the Conventional Path: A Personal Choice
Sally’s journey began with debilitating periods. She was often hospitalized, and doctors struggled to pinpoint the cause. Her mother, who had endometriosis and underwent a hysterectomy at 35, suspected the same condition. Finally, in her 20s, keyhole surgery revealed endometriosis. The conventional treatments offered were limited: the pill, HRT, or a hysterectomy. But Sally sought another way.
“I really didn’t want to have HRT, nor did I want to have a pill, and I certainly didn’t want to have a hysterectomy,” Sally explained. She wanted to explore alternatives, driven by a deep belief in her body’s ability to heal.
Discovering the Power of Holistic Healing
Sally began researching and experimenting with different approaches:
- Herbal Tinctures: With the help of her partner’s sister, an herbalist, Sally explored the benefits of herbal remedies.
- Nutritional Changes: Sally made significant changes to her diet, focusing on foods that would support her body’s natural healing processes.
- Yoga: Specific yoga poses helped improve movement and circulation in key areas.
- Reiki: She delved into Reiki practice, using it as a tool for self-care and healing. Sally developed Reiki practice one, two, three, and master so she could teach.
The turning point came when Sally realized the profound connection between her mind and body.
The Mind-Body Connection: Reframing Pain
My mother from an early age would say this was going to be painful and it’s going to be difficult, so I already had seen her mother go through the same experience she recalled. She understood fear and anxiety created cortisol, which increased stress.
To combat this, Sally consciously shifted her mindset. “I would say to myself, I love my periods, they’re the best periods in the world.” She also practiced EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), or tapping, to manage her emotions.
For the last 20-25 years, Sally has been pain-free. This success reinforced her belief in the power of mindset and holistic practices.
Understanding Your Body’s Needs
Sally emphasizes understanding the body’s mechanics and providing the right environment for healing. “Our body is a vessel,” she states, “and like we would do with our cars, we would check it up.” She stresses the importance of avoiding “poison” like sugar and refined flour.
She’s also a proponent of fasting to control hormones, while being mindful of the menstrual cycle. “If you can feed your hormones, then you’re on a real great path to health and well-being.”
Challenging the Status Quo
Sally challenges the conventional medical view that there’s no cure for endometriosis. She believes the body is powerful and can heal itself under the right conditions. Sally wonders that if men suffered from endometriosis, would they have found a cure quicker? “As women we shouldn’t be suffering,” she states.
Key Strategies for Pain-Free Living
What are Sally’s key strategies for pain-free living and a clear mindset?
- Understand the body’s mechanics.
- Fuel the body effectively.
- Minimize stress through meditation and breathwork.
- Regulate the body and avoid the fight-or-flight response.
- Harness the power of emotions and the mind-body connection.
Sally also highlights the placebo effect, illustrating the power of belief in healing.
Nutrition: Fueling an Alkaline State
Nutrition plays a vital role in Sally’s holistic approach. She focuses on creating a more alkaline state in her body by making specific dietary changes. She avoids sugar, white flour, and processed foods, and embraces water, pulses, and good fibers.
Magnesium is also essential for reducing inflammation and anxiety. Sally suggests incorporating magnesium through drinks, tablets, or Epsom salt baths. Hot baths offer an added bonus: they release oxytocin, the “love hormone.” She also enjoys dark chocolate, nuts, and seeds as healthy treats.
Emotional Healing: Releasing Trauma
Emotional healing is deeply connected to physical pain control. Sally explains that “if you’re thinking or if you’re watching anything like the news, that’s going to cause stress in the body.” Trauma has a significant impact because the body relives it as if it’s happening now.
Joy and love counteract stress and cortisol. Create oxytocin through hot baths, cuddles, and laughter. Laughing therapy has even been used in cancer treatment.
Empowering Others: Mindfulness Workshops
Sally empowers others through her mindfulness workshops. These online sessions teach people about the body’s mechanisms. Participants engage in breathwork, EFT tapping, and mindfulness meditation.
The workshops emphasize checking in with the body and using language, movement, and focus to shift emotional states. Sally’s goal is to make self-care accessible to everyone.
Accessible Self-Care: Simple Techniques
Self-care doesn’t have to be expensive. Breathwork and mindfulness techniques are free and accessible. Incorporate simple practices into daily routines, like breathwork while the kettle boils. The key is to be present and not give away your power through frustration or anger.
Triangle Breathing: A Quick Reset
Here’s a simple technique you can use anytime, anywhere: triangle breathing. It regulates the nervous system and promotes relaxation.
- Place your hand on your heart.
- Inhale slowly for a count of 3.
- Hold your breath for a count of 3.
- Exhale slowly for a count of 3.
- Repeat 10 times.
Before and after the exercise, rate your stress level on a scale of 0 to 10. Notice the difference. Box breathing, used by Navy SEALs, is another powerful option.
Tapping into Calm: EFT Explained
Tapping, or EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), can help reduce the fight-or-flight response. By tapping on specific acupuncture points, you can reduce oxygen and blood flow to the amygdala, the part of the brain that scans for danger.
- Identify the issue.
- Acknowledge it using setup phrases (e.g., “Even though I’m stressed, I accept myself”).
- Tap on key points while repeating phrases related to the issue.
- Reframe the issue with positive affirmations.
Remember to apply light pressure when tapping on facial muscles.
Music as Medicine: Tuning Your Instrument
Music is deeply connected to healing. “Your body is an instrument,” Sally explains. When it’s relaxed, it produces beautiful sounds. Breathwork and warm-up exercises are essential for singers. Tuning a musical instrument is like tuning your body through holistic practices.
“The more you keep your instrument in tune, the less you’re going to fall off hard off the cliff,” Sally says. Remember to keep yourself in tune through regular self-care.
The Power of Habit: Attaching New Practices to Existing Ones
Make new habits stick by attaching them to existing ones. Enjoy a cup of tea in the morning? Sit outside, notice five things in nature, and practice breathwork while you wait for the kettle to boil.
Taking a Holistic Approach
Sally always felt that she’s always attracted the people who are looking specifically for that because she can also break it down in a very factual and a scientifically proven way as well which helps people a lot. She always says to speak to your doctor first.
Pharmaceuticals have results, but can have a chain reaction. Treating the body as a whole is a key. Listen to your body, and listen to the signals that it provides you.
Recognizing and Addressing Emotions
It is important to recognize that you’re a powerful human being. Listen to your body, and connect with it. By recognizing your emotions, and addressing them, suppressing emotions can lead to damage.
Embrace the Journey
Sally McFerran’s journey reminds us that healing is possible when we embrace our whole selves. It’s about connecting with our bodies, minds, and souls. It’s about finding what works for us and taking control of our well-being. Embrace your authentic self, and express your emotions.
Remember, your healing journey is uniquely yours. Stay open to new possibilities.
“Whatever you do, make sure that you have fun!”