From Migraine Cycle to Freedom: Louise’s Journey Through Macrobiotics and Emotional Healing

The pattern was the same, it usually lasted about 9 days, 3 days of this would be an aura- where lights affected me, I would feel exhausted, often lose half the vison in one side of my eye for up to 30 mins, after this, I would experience 3 days of severe migraine, vomiting and nausea and then 3 days of dehydration and exhaustion trying to recover.

I lived in this cycle for years. A very difficult painful time, my mood would be very low and very negative thoughts, as I could not see a way to heal. I was on strong medication, that was causing rebound migraines and my doctor told me, she could no longer prescribe that strength of medication, as I could be at risk of having a stroke, plus the medication was no longer working, as it started to do nothing for the migraines. I would describe life than as horrendous, no life at all.

I came across Macrobiotics about 10 years ago, I started taking classes and became interested in it, as it seemed to offer some help, I saw some improvement very quickly, by cutting out sugar, the vomiting at ovulation stopped, I still experienced nausea and migraines, but I had never seen improvement like this and wondered if I commit to this, would Macrobiotics really help me eliminate the migraines.

I cut everything out of my diet, that was processed and out of a packet, it wasn’t easy as I really wasn’t a great cook then and was living on brown rice and vegetables, my food was not too tasty, but I saw over a number of months, that the migraine at ovulation stopped and I could not believe it. As I progressed with Macrobiotics, over the years from 2017 to 2021 the migraines reduced over time and nausea stopped. It was a huge achievement, but I think now I was afraid of food and I wanted to change that, as this way of eating had left me with no social life, no interest in food and I felt I needed to reach out, to Macrobiotic teachers and get some real help. In Ireland, nobody knew what macrobiotics was and there was no help,  I started with the  Macrobiotic school in Devon in 2019- attending a 5-day online course first and then I studied for 3 years with the school, some online and in person.

From proper classes with the school, I could see that I was quite out of balance, nutrient deficient and when I understood, the foods to eliminate from my diet and what to include, my health,  the migraines and energy really improved.

I learned to understand my body more, I could see where I was out of balance and what organ was too strong in energy or too low in energy, this type of understanding, made it very personnel for me and gave me real responsibility for my own health and emotional health. Shiatsu worked really well for me,  I found a great shiatsu practitioner near me, it helped to really relax my nervous system and helped me release some of the tension, I was holding in my body, it also moved stuck emotions and I often found myself crying after a treatment, as old emotions moved upwards and out in my body, it helped me to express this stuck energy.

Some of the main foods for me to avoid are bread, meat, eggs, salt, sugar, alcohol, chocolate as these foods would be considered tightening to the body.

I learned to cook nutritious, balanced, tasty food at the school, using wholefoods, grains, healthy desserts and drinks.

I also learned about myself through those years, that I had suppressed emotions for years, especially around the death of my father when I was 28, and I found that at first, it was difficult to express emotions, as I had the ability to push emotions down for years, I also drank a huge amount of alcohol for avoidance, I was also a pleaser and all these things also had an effect on the migraines, as I learned that suppressed emotions stagnate the flow of the liver energy. I had a lot of emotional healing with the help of the school and also some counselling, where I found my voice to express and I began to value myself, love who I am without alcohol and also find great joy in my life again.

The cleaner I became with my food and more nourished, I saw patterns in my life around food, mainly in my 20s I would over eat, crave carbohydrates and mindlessly eat sugar like chocolate or biscuits, especially if something emotional happened. As my health improved in my late 40’s, I watched some of these patterns re-appear and I could observe them, but not attach and let them go.

The path of healing may seem likes a long road, but now I see that it takes time to bring yourself back to balance, there are many slips along the way, as we all have our traits and habit to cope with in life, but these slips have been my greatest lessons, as I am only human, but having the courage to say- tomorrow I will do better and never giving up.

I never describe myself as a migraine sufferer, as it sounds like it was something done to me, I say now that I was out of balance and the migraine was a symptom of this and in order to heal, I had to bring myself back to balance and slowly the migraine symptoms disappeared, I feel this connects me with my body and also put the power, to heal back in my hands.

Life now feels a hundred miles, from where I once was, I can say now, that I am grateful for the road of migraines and healing, as these lead me down an amazing road of learning so much about myself, my thought pattern, my programming, my habits, my ability to observe, let go and change. I now cook balanced, delicious nutritious food, love cooking and understand myself emotionally better. It’s been a journey to great health and thanks to all my teachers along the way, especially  to Oliver and The International Macrobiotic school, which I shall be forever grateful.

- Louise Gray 

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