The Only Endometriosis Podcast You Need

Sarah Darwen
  • 5.0 (2)
  • HEALTH & FITNESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

In this podcast, Sarah (Your Natural Endometriosis Expert) and occasionally a guest or two talk about a range of issues pertinent to endometriosis, mostly from a 'natural management' perspective. Listen and discover the truths behind this very common and often-debilitating condition. Theme music "Moving Forward" courtesy of Chris Collins at www.indiemusicbox.com Sarah was diagnosed with endometriosis over 20 years ago and, when faced with invasive surgery, she decided to forge her own path. Learning a myriad of natural methods and alternative medicine techniques, she started to treat herself with some success. As word spread, she started treating friends and family and her company (Halcyon) was born in 2008. Since then, Sarah has successfully help thousands of women with endometriosis, adenomyosis, PCOS, menopause, fertility issues and may other often-debilitating conditions. She now focuses on teaching others the self-treatment techniques she's used to manage her own endometriosis and avoid surgery since her diagnosis all those years ago. Sarah also helps forward-thinking organisations support the menstrual health of their employees with supportive management strategies, period-friendly workplaces and access to a range of programmes to help people who are struggling. Check our her range of services at www.halcyonwomenshealth.com halcyondaysuk.substack.com

  1. When the Body Responds: Bleeding, Release and Listening Closely

    5D AGO

    When the Body Responds: Bleeding, Release and Listening Closely

    This episode marks a grounded point of arrival within my healing journey - not an ending, but a calm check-in from inside the process. My period arrived, and I share what unfolded with care and curiosity. As the bleed progressed, it shifted into healthy, fresh red blood. On day three, I noticed dark, structured, stretchy tissue - often described as “clots”, but not actually clots at all. I explore the difference between coagulated blood and organised uterine tissue, and why this distinction matters for how we understand our bodies. I reflect on what may have passed, what has shifted around my cysts and endometrioma, and why reduced pain matters more than absolute certainty. This episode is about learning to read the body with nuance, trusting what changes, and staying curious rather than reactive as healing continues. * Theme music: Chris Collins – https://indiemusicbox.com * Medical herbalist: Zoë Wild – http://ofthewillow.com * Koo at Luna Sound & Healing (Reiki): https://lunasoundtherapies.co.uk * Me! https://halcyonwomenshealth.com/women Get full access to Halcyon Days at halcyondaysuk.substack.com/subscribe

    35 min
  2. When Life Expands and the Body Has to Catch Up

    FEB 8

    When Life Expands and the Body Has to Catch Up

    This episode explores what happens in the body when something deeply right arrives alongside increased demand — and how expansion can affect symptoms just as much as stress. I share the story of opening my new clinic space, an idea that arrived suddenly in early December and unfolded with surprising clarity. While the clinic appeared to close over Christmas, there was significant activity behind the scenes: preparing the space, replacing equipment, moving in, and readying myself to welcome both new and returning clients. Alongside this, I returned to my part-time role at the local college - a role that involves long periods of standing and brings its own physical demands. I reflect on how these layers of responsibility showed up in my body, particularly for a system already navigating change. A central moment in this episode is my first Reiki treatment in some time, where deep grief - particularly around my little pooch - was released, alongside other old emotional layers that were ready to move. The physical and emotional shift afterwards was tangible: a lighter abdomen, a softer nervous system, and a renewed sense of myself. I then explore what followed - losing my voice, developing a cold, and needing to cancel clinic appointments just a week into opening a new space. I reflect on immune response, emotional release, seasonal vulnerability, and the inner work required to rest without slipping into guilt or shame. Despite illness, my pelvic pain shifted significantly — becoming quieter, more localised and familiar. This episode is about honouring the body’s intelligence, understanding that healing and vulnerability can coexist, and learning to say no even when life is expanding. * Theme music: Chris Collins – https://indiemusicbox.com * Medical herbalist: Zoë Wild – http://ofthewillow.com * Koo at Luna Sound & Healing (Reiki): https://lunasoundtherapies.co.uk * Me! https://halcyonwomenshealth.com/women Get full access to Halcyon Days at halcyondaysuk.substack.com/subscribe

    30 min
  3. Betwixtmas: When the Body Needs Quiet and the World Wants Performance

    FEB 1

    Betwixtmas: When the Body Needs Quiet and the World Wants Performance

    Episode 4.4 - Betwixtmas: When the Body Needs Quiet and the World Wants Performance In this episode, I reflect on the often-overlooked impact of the Christmas and New Year period on women living with endometriosis and chronic symptoms - a time that asks us to be cheerful, present, sociable and energetic, even when our bodies are quietly asking for calm, space and less. After closing the clinic over Christmas and New Year, I followed the same guidance I offer my clients: listening closely to the body, planning self-care gently, and allowing flexibility rather than forcing momentum. On the surface, things slowed down. Beneath that, my notes reveal just how challenging it was to truly rest in a season full of expectation. I share how my symptoms responded during this liminal time - a relatively straightforward bleed following the previous episode, subtle improvements that didn’t fully stabilise, and then a flare around ovulation when the rest my body needed didn’t quite materialise. I talk honestly about body swelling, food and alcohol choices during flares, using Reiki and reflexology when touch tolerance was low, and the cumulative effect of not quite getting organised enough to counter known triggers. The episode closes with a moment of deep listening - when my body gave a very clear no, and I chose rest over attendance. A gentle reminder that symptoms are responsive rather than permanent, and that shifts in state - emotional, nervous-system and energetic - matter. Get my Endometriosis Empowerment Workbook for free here: https://sales.naturalendometriosisexpert.com/endometriosis-empowerment-workbook/?coupon=ENDOPODCAST Theme music: Chris Collins – https://indiemusicbox.comMedical herbalist: Zoë Wild – http://ofthewillow.com Get full access to Halcyon Days at halcyondaysuk.substack.com/subscribe

    31 min
  4. Bonus Episode — What This Journey Is Showing Me So Far

    JAN 25

    Bonus Episode — What This Journey Is Showing Me So Far

    This bonus episode steps out of the week-by-week timeline to reflect on what this client journey has revealed over the last few weeks. Rather than focusing on improvement or outcomes, I explore the quieter truths that have emerged so far: what happened to the podcast schedule and what I have taken from this. This episode weaves together themes of rest, expansion, anxiety, immunity and timing — and how progress often shows up sideways, in moments of relief, clarity or confidence rather than dramatic change. It’s an episode about listening more closely, softening the lens we use to assess our bodies, and allowing healing to be responsive rather than prescribed. A pause to integrate what’s already shifted, and to reaffirm that this journey is not about fixing, but about coming back into dialogue with the body — again and again. Get full access to Halcyon Days at halcyondaysuk.substack.com/subscribe

    19 min

  5. 12/21/2025

    4.3 The Test Results

    Episode 3 - The Test Results: Relief, Confusion, and a Path Forward The day the results came in - and then came in again five hours later with a missing bit added. Inside this episode I walk you through the initial findings from my test results and the emotional shifts that followed: relief, confusion, clarity, and a sense of empowerment. I chat about my next steps and possible decision around surgery. A message for listeners:Once we make sense of what’s happening, we regain choice. Some women continue on the same path, but they do so with intention. Out of choice rather than fear.Others choose new routes. Because choice is everything. Featured Practitioner — Medical Herbalist: Zoë Wild Get full access to Halcyon Days at halcyondaysuk.substack.com/subscribe

    27 min
  6. Episode 4.2 - Starting to shift from worry to calm

    12/14/2025

    Episode 4.2 - Starting to shift from worry to calm

    In this episode I share the very real moment where things shifted from panic to clarity. That moment we all know too well - when the symptoms ease just enough that you can think again. I talk about: The power of specific goals instead of vague wellness intentions. “Move more” becomes seven hours of gentle movement a week. “Drink more” becomes two litres of water each day. Why running was off the cards and why gentle movement (qi gong, walking, soft abdominal work) is not only allowed but deeply therapeutic when the body is inflamed or protective. The mantras that brought me back to centre: control what I can, trust my body, trust the process. How wider pain across the bowel and hip eased, and why that doesn’t necessarily mean “all better” especially when symptoms tend to flare around ovulation or hormonal shifts. The emotional weight of knowing the calm phase is often the trickiest - that false sense of “oh, maybe it’s fine now” that so many women experience before the next flare reminds them otherwise. My plan for this phase: deepen the medicine, deepen the self-talk, stay tender with myself, and hold steady while waiting for results. Featured Practitioner - Medical Herbalist:For those wanting to explore herbal medicine and plant-based support:Zoe Wild, Medical HerbalistWebsite: Of The Willow Get full access to Halcyon Days at halcyondaysuk.substack.com/subscribe

    23 min
  7. Episode 4.1 - The Starting Line

    12/07/2025

    Episode 4.1 - The Starting Line

    The Starting Line – Walking My Endometriosis Recovery in Real Time In this first episode of a brand-new, deeply personal series, I’m sharing where my body is right now — honestly, gently, and without bravado. After a recent GP visit and scan, it’s become clear that my endometriosis is active again. My right ovary is blocked and fluid-filled, there are signs of bowel involvement, and there’s also a uterine lining polyp in the mix. None of this is shared for drama — it’s shared for truth, context, and connection. In this episode, I talk you through: My current pain and symptom picture How my energy, sleep, movement, hydration and stress levels are really looking What the scans showed in simple, human language Why I’m not panicking — but I am taking this seriously And what I would advise any client sitting in front of me with these same symptoms I also share my next steps. I’ve been told a gynaecology referral and possibly surgery may be on the horizon — and I’m not ruling anything out. But first, I’m putting myself through my own 12-week programme. The same tools I’ve used for years with clients. The same work I trust. Consistently. Properly. With care and discipline. This series is me walking that path in real time. The flares. The shifts. The wins. The wobbles. The learning. The softening. The strength. This is not a clinical case study.It’s one woman’s real-life relationship with endometriosis — shared in the hope that you feel less alone in yours. And just to gently say: I’m not a doctor. I’m a women’s health therapist with over 20 years of lived and professional experience with endometriosis. This podcast is my story, not medical advice. Please always seek your own personalised support before making changes to your health. Helpful Resources from This Episode The Endometriosis Empowerment WorkbookA gentle, practical space to understand your triggers, symptoms, hormones and patterns. Click here. Hormone Harmony voicenoteGet a personalised voicenote, tailored to your symptoms and situation. Click here. 🌿 My Website & Full Support OptionsIncluding 1:1 support, online programmes, workshops and clinics. Click here. Get full access to Halcyon Days at halcyondaysuk.substack.com/subscribe

    27 min
  8. The Lighter Way Collective

    09/18/2025

    The Lighter Way Collective

    If you’ve been struggling to lose stubborn weight - doing all the things, doing none of the things but feeling guilty, and feeling at a loss of what to do next please know this: you’re not weak, you’re not failing, and you’re not alone. Your body isn’t fighting you… she’s protecting you. The Lighter Way Collective isn’t about punishment, restriction or chasing the scales - it’s about releasing what’s weighing you down emotionally, hormonally and physically. It’s about gently unravelling stress, soothing your nervous system, and giving your body space to feel safe enough to let go. Yes we lose weight, yes we shed inches, but we also fall back in love with our bodies, boost our self-confidence and feel happier, healthier and lighter. All in the powerful, supportive Collective - a small group of women on the same journey as you. We will look at: 🌸 Nutrition (from a TCM perspective) 🌸 Movement (from a somatic perspective) 🌸 Gentle weight release techniques (including massage, essential oils, and mantras) 🌸 Healing the stress, anxiety, worry, trauma or physical injury that can be underlying the weight retention Over 20 weeks - 7 weeks coaching, and 3 months follow-on support to help embed all the techniques we go through. You'll learn all the techniques and have lifetime access to all the resources, meaning you can come back to the bits you need time and time again. If you’re ready to feel lighter in every sense of the word - calmer, happier, more like you again - then this is your invitation to join the Lighter Way Collective: https://halcyonwomenshealth.com/lighter-way-collective #weightloss #weightlosstips #weightlossmotivation #weightlosstransformation #weightlosstips #weightgain #endobelly #endometriosis #menopause #menopauseweightgain #menopauseweightloss #menopauseweightlossjourney #postpartumfitjourney #postpartumweightloss #postpartumweightlossjourney #womenshealth #womenempowerment #womensupportingwomen Get full access to Halcyon Days at halcyondaysuk.substack.com/subscribe

    2 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

In this podcast, Sarah (Your Natural Endometriosis Expert) and occasionally a guest or two talk about a range of issues pertinent to endometriosis, mostly from a 'natural management' perspective. Listen and discover the truths behind this very common and often-debilitating condition. Theme music "Moving Forward" courtesy of Chris Collins at www.indiemusicbox.com Sarah was diagnosed with endometriosis over 20 years ago and, when faced with invasive surgery, she decided to forge her own path. Learning a myriad of natural methods and alternative medicine techniques, she started to treat herself with some success. As word spread, she started treating friends and family and her company (Halcyon) was born in 2008. Since then, Sarah has successfully help thousands of women with endometriosis, adenomyosis, PCOS, menopause, fertility issues and may other often-debilitating conditions. She now focuses on teaching others the self-treatment techniques she's used to manage her own endometriosis and avoid surgery since her diagnosis all those years ago. Sarah also helps forward-thinking organisations support the menstrual health of their employees with supportive management strategies, period-friendly workplaces and access to a range of programmes to help people who are struggling. Check our her range of services at www.halcyonwomenshealth.com halcyondaysuk.substack.com

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