Michele had been suffering with really bad period pain for the last nine years. It was so bad that every month she took to her bed, complete with the obligatory hot water bottle and cosy blanket, creating a haven of peace and security for herself under the covers in her bedroom.

When we met she described her pain as deep and dragging down within her. A feeling of separation, a ripping apart within. She could feel the pain as we talked.

Taking six pieces of paper with areas she wanted to explore about her health, she placed them in a circle on the floor. She stood in the middle of the circle and read out the words she had chosen, and placed the paper on the floor before her.

She then stood on each piece of paper in turn and said what she could see, hear and feel. She let her mind say out loud whatever it wanted to say about her health issue. Surprising things came up for Michelle. Things that took her aback, thoughts she did not even know that she had.

She went half way around the circle, stepping into the middle, noticing how she felt and then stepping onto each piece of paper in turn, focusing within to see what message there might be for her there. She began to have coherent picture. She had a realization that she led a busy life.

Always active, packing in as much as possible into the day, she realized that once a month she could have two guaranteed days of rest. Two full days when she could legitimately pull the duvet over her head and ignore the world.

Having listened to this message she became frustrated, and annoyed. Frustrated at the loss of opportunity to do all the things that she loved doing and could not do for two days of the month. Things like playing the piano and walking her dogs. When asked how she felt now, she said in amazement that the pain was no more. Her belly felt calm and empty, the pain had gone.

She walked around the outer circle and listened as she moved, looking at the papers on the floor. She realized that not only had the pain gone, but also the hot water bottle was packed away in the kitchen drawer and the bed was made and back upstairs in her bedroom.

It took just 20 minutes to start to remove nine years of pain and debility. As we talked Michelles shoulders relaxed, her eyes became clear and bright and colour returned to her cheeks.

The answers truly lie within us. Sometimes we need the space and the time to hear what our bodies are trying to say to us. Once we begin to listen, we can then start the process of healing and see our world in a new way.