Held:
Finding safety and love through the storms of pain, discomfort and overstimulation
Let’s start right where you are.
You’re not alone in this. I see you.
Maybe you’re tired of feeling like you’re doing something wrong.
Maybe it’s the quiet grief of not being able to rely on your body the way you once did.
Or the pressure to keep up, stay positive, push through — even when your body’s clearly asking for something else.
Living with chronic illness can feel like you’re trapped in a loop. One moment you’re coping, the next you’re flaring, and suddenly everything feels fragile again. It’s exhausting — physically, mentally, emotionally. And sometimes, the hardest part isn’t the pain itself, but the stories it stirs up: I’m not trying hard enough. I should be better at this. What if this never changes?
I know those stories. I’ve lived them too.
Held: Where Your Body Is Heard, Not Fought
Held offers a gentle space to interrupt the cycle of pushing, battling, or avoiding pain. Instead of trying to “fix” or “overcome” it, you’ll find a space to softly listen, lean in with care, and respond with love — even when it’s difficult. It’s a way to come home to your body, where you can rest in the present moment without needing to be anywhere else.
You don’t have to do it perfectly. You don’t have to feel ready.
You just have to begin from where you are — and I’ll meet you there.
Why I created Held…
Hey, I’m Alana
Living with chronic pain, discomfort, and overstimulation can feel like a complete mindf*ck, can’t it?
I live with eczema, and sometimes the urge to scratch feels nearly constant. I started to notice it wasn’t just the physical pain I was dealing with—it was everything that came with it. The mental chatter. The destructive behaviours. And somehow, the intensifying need to scratch in the face of it all.
Afterwards, I’d see the damage—the rawness—and feel so angry at myself. I’d zone out into my phone or the TV, and hours would evaporate. I felt like I’d caused it all, and there was no escaping the frustration, the shame, or the urge to check out of life just to avoid the pain.
But here’s the thing: that experience—of turning on your body, of feeling completely at odds with it—isn’t just mine. So many of us living with chronic illness go through it. Whatever the condition, we find ways to survive until the next wave hits—often at the expense of kindness and compassion.
Eventually, I realised I couldn’t live like that anymore. Whether the urges to scratch stuck around or not, I knew I needed to find a way to be kinder to myself—during pain and outside of it, too. And when I started to question the way I was speaking to myself—when I softened that inner dialogue—things began to shift.
It wasn’t just that flares felt easier. A whole new relationship with my body began to form—one where I could actually listen to it, care for it, and meet myself with love instead of shame.
That change didn’t happen overnight. But it rippled outwards—touching how I felt, how I made decisions, how I related to other people, and most of all, how I related to myself.
Held is a space where you get to explore that same journey. However your pain shows up, this isn’t about fixing, pushing through, or overriding your body. It’s about softening, leaning in, and meeting yourself with compassion and trust.
You don’t need to feel “better” to begin. Wherever you are is the perfect place to start. And I’m here to support you as you create a more loving, more peaceful relationship with your body.
What If Pain Wasn’t a Barrier, But a Bridge?
You’ve spent so much time trying to get away from pain.
Tried to out-think it. Out-run it. Outlast it.
And still, it returns — louder, more overwhelming, harder to ignore.
Sometimes it’s not just the pain that hurts — it’s what it interrupts:
Your ability to feel safe in your body. Your sense of self. Your confidence, your calm, your joy.
So you brace. You disconnect. You push through or shut down — because that’s what you’ve had to do.
But what if there was another way?
What if pain wasn’t a wall you had to scale, but a doorway into deeper care?
What if your discomfort was pointing you not to weakness — but to a need for tenderness, safety, and support?
What if, instead of abandoning yourself in those moments… you could stay?
Not with force, but with love.
Held invites you to explore that possibility —
A way to meet pain not as the enemy,
But as an invitation to soften, to slow down, and to return to yourself.
How Your Body Learns to Feel Safe Again
(The science beneath the softness)
When you’re living with chronic pain, it can feel like a never-ending cycle. Your body hurts, and then your mind reacts — often with fear, frustration, or worry. Over time, this creates a pattern — a pathway in your brain — that fires every time you feel pain or discomfort. Gah!
It’s like your brain gets stuck in a loop: pain triggers stress, which triggers more pain, and suddenly everything feels overwhelming. This cycle can make pain feel more intense and harder to manage. You might even find yourself constantly on edge, bracing for the next flare-up.
But here’s the good news: these pathways aren’t set in stone. What we’re doing in Held is helping you retrain your brain (this is called neuroplasticity) and your nervous system. And we’re doing it in a completely human way — think empowering, not overwhelming. Rather than reacting to pain with fear or frustration, we’ll learn to meet it with kindness, presence, and compassion. When you respond this way, your brain begins to form new, healthier pathways — ones that support calm, trust, and safety. That’s when things start to shift.
This shift isn’t about getting rid of pain — it’s about changing your relationship with it. And that can completely change the way you actually experience pain... wild, eh?
It’s Time to Cultivate a Loving Relationship with Your Body
That’s exactly what Held is here to support — helping you build a loving, grounded relationship with your body, even in the midst of pain.
This self-study course gently guides you to shift from pushing, fixing, and fearing your body…
To listening, softening, and building trust.
When pain feels relentless, it’s completely human to want to disconnect — to distract, or numb just to get through.
Held doesn’t shame those responses. It meets them with compassion — while offering a new way.
One that gently invites you to stay with yourself.
To tend to your body with care — not criticism.
Compassion — not pressure.
Presence — not panic.
Held offers a path back to yourself — one where you can meet your pain with a nervous system that’s learning to feel safe again.
It’s not a quick fix — but a slow, steady shift in how you meet yourself.
And those small shifts? They can change everything.
What’s waiting for you inside Held?
▸ 5 Gentle Modules to Guide You Home
In the five modules, we’ll explore everything from understanding pain to learning how to embrace it with love. I’ll guide you step-by-step as we build a more compassionate relationship with your body, offering you practical tools along the way.
Outcome: You’ll start to feel a deep sense of peace and understanding with your body, no matter what’s happening.
▸ Journaling Prompts: Self-Discovery Through Reflection
I’ve designed journaling prompts to help you explore your relationship with pain, so you can get to the heart of what’s really going on. It’s all about getting to know yourself and your responses better, with kindness and curiosity.
Outcome: You’ll foster a deeper, kinder understanding of yourself and your experience of pain, leading to healing and self-awareness.
▸ Meditations to Build Inner Foundations
These aren’t just any meditations—they’re designed to help you build the core roots of acceptance, safety, self-compassion, and equanimity through the lens of pain, discomfort and overstimulation, so that you’ll feel ready to face those difficult moments when they come up.
Outcome: You’ll develop a calm, steady inner strength that helps you feel more grounded and prepared for whatever comes your way.
▸ Practical Tools: Your Personal Support System
Together, we’ll create a bespoke, simple but powerful toolkit that’ll become your go-to ‘in the moment’ resources when things get intense, so you can always come back to them.
Outcome: A ‘back pocket’, practical toolkit that’ll help you respond to pain and discomfort when it’s happening, without adding another load to your already overwhelmed body and mind.
How It Works: Designed to Fit Your Life
The beauty of this course is that you can move through it at your own pace. And you’ll be able to come back to it whenever you need a refresher. It’s a resource that grows with you, no matter where you are on your journey. There’s no pressure to finish by a certain time or to do it all at once. Whether you’re able to devote a few minutes each day or take it slower when life feels heavy, Held adapts to you.
You’ll have lifetime access, so you can return to the content whenever you need it—whether it’s for a gentle reminder or a deeper dive. It'll be there for you, helping you create small, sustainable shifts that align with where you are, not overwhelming you with more.
Is Held for you?
Held is here for you if:
You’re ready to shift your relationship with your body and pain, discomfort and overstimulation, meeting it with gentleness instead of fear.
You’ve found yourself caught in cycles of pushing through, shutting down, or blaming yourself, and you're ready to choose a different path.
You long for a sense of peace and safety within your body, especially in the most challenging moments.
You desire a compassionate and practical toolkit for responding to pain, discomfort, and overstimulation.
If you’re tired of battling with yourself and your body, Held offers the support and space to soften, to lean in with care, and to cultivate a peaceful, steady relationship with your pain.
Sign up now for instant access
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Sign up now for instant access ✺
Psst: If you don’t already have a course account, you’ll be asked to create one before checking out.
You’re Not Broken
Held is an investment in you— in your relationship with your body, and in a more loving, compassionate way of living with chronic illness.
You are not broken, you are whole—and your journey with chronic illness can be one of acceptance, love, and understanding. Held offers a space to explore a new way of being with yourself, without judgment or pressure.
Take a deep breath and know that wherever you are right now, it’s okay. This is a gentle invitation to begin again—one step, one moment at a time. And whenever you’re ready, we’re here with open arms, ready to support you on this new path of self-compassion.
If your body is asking for something different, Held is here to help you listen.
✺ Frequently asked questions ✺
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No — Held is designed to meet you where you are. Whether you're newly navigating chronic illness or you've been living with it for years, this course offers tools, reflections, and guidance that can adapt to your unique experience.
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Held isn’t about getting rid of pain — it’s about changing how you relate to it. Instead of seeing pain as a problem to fix, you’ll explore how to meet it with compassion, safety, and trust. This shift alone can change your entire experience of pain, even if the pain itself remains in some way.
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That’s beautiful — and Held can offer a spacious, nurturing next layer. Rather than repeating tools or strategies, this course helps you deepen your relationship with yourself, integrating what you already know in a gentler, more embodied way.
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Held is designed with chronic illness in mind — gentle pacing, flexible structure, and absolutely no pressure to “keep up.” You can move through it at your own rhythm, revisiting modules whenever you need to.
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Held is a self-study course delivered through a series of recorded audio sessions, reflective prompts, and supportive practices. Once you join, you’ll receive access to the entire library, so you can listen, pause, and return whenever you're ready.
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That’s completely okay — and it’s something Held gently makes space for. This course doesn’t expect you to already feel peaceful or loving toward your body. Instead, it offers small, accessible steps to begin softening that relationship, at your pace. Resistance isn’t a problem here — it’s something we honour with curiosity and care.