Jane's CFS Recovery: Massive Milestones and Simple Glimmers
Jane Beinart felt like she had the flu for three and a half years. Crushing fatigue swallowed up her previously full life running art classes and marathons. Symptoms hit the Bristol woman hard after she got Covid-19. One doctor diagnosed her with Long Covid and another with ME/CFS.
Acupuncture, loads of herbs, and psychotherapy didn’t help, even though Jane knew there was an emotional connection. She lost a dear friend during the pandemic, and two other friendships eroded. To top it off, her thriving business disintegrated—and soon after her health.
Body pain, aches, anxiety and post-exertional malaise blanketed her creative spirit. In both eastern and western medicine, Jane felt lost, dismissed and misunderstood. “You end up feeling frustrated in capital letters times 100,” said Jane.
In our interview, Jane shares how simple glimmers led to massive milestones.
Watch THE VIDEO to learn:
What triggered Jane’s perfect storm.
The tools that took her to 95 - 100% recovered!
Why somatic practices are vital for a highly sensitive person.
How art, writing, movement and meditations are portals to emotion.
What healing protocol led to Jane’s recovery.
Turning point in jane’s recovery story
Jane discovered mind-body healing through Dr. Howard Schubiner’s book Unlearn Your Pain. She was relieved to understand the root cause of her symptoms, and they began resolving! But Jane needed more guidance. She signed up for the Be Your Own Medicine course.
With patience and persistence, she learned the brain science and practiced somatic meditations. Jane started feeling like herself again—only better, as she no longer felt chronically anxious.
“I feel like I have my life back. I am fully active again now, doing workouts, runs, walking, and even some wild swimming—all with no post-exertional malaise, which was a real problem for me before. I feel like myself again, which is amazing!”
Keys to JANE’S chronic fatigue recovery
Jane recovered from a myriad of neuroplastic symptoms: face, rib and stomach pain; body aches; PEM, chronic fatigue and a lifetime of anxiety.
Rather than following a stringent formula, Jane started tuning into her emotions on a daily basis. Somatic tracking meditations and were her go-tos. She also wrote and drew pictures about her feelings, which came naturally to her as a visual artist. Graded exposure helped Jane expand her activity window and get out of the push-crash cycle.
Importantly, Jane brought in a spirit of self-compassion. Instead of rebelling against symptoms, she became curious about what they had to say. This became the foundation of her morning ritual.
“I like to check in in the morning and ask ‘what does my body need today? Actually, how do I feel and what’s best going to serve me?,’ said Jane “It can be a really small thing like just sitting for 10 minutes with the sensations in your body, or lying down with your eyes shut, and noticing how much more recharged you feel as a result of it.”
jane’s life after long covid
Jane is now back to her business, offering creative wellbeing classes. She’s also started a counseling graduate program, and is volunteering for an emotional support helpline.
Besides her professional passions, Jane ran a 10K race, rejoined weight training and takes two-hour dance classes! She’s socializing and taking off the weekend with her husband—forays Jane wouldn’t have dreamt of a year ago. But she’s realized, the little moments of presence matter most of all.
“All these milestones feel massive to me!” says Jane “ Waking up some days thinking, ‘I just feel good!’ feels massive to me. It’s surprising and precious and exciting. It’s all the little glimmers that stop me in my tracks.”
Keen to try a somatic meditation like the one Jane used to recover? Sign up for a free meditation here!
Want to learn more about Jane’s experience in Be Your Own Medicine?