What does “I feel like me again” actually feel like in the body? This personal reflection explores fragmentation, motherhood, dissociation, intimacy, perimenopause, and nervous system regulation — and the long road back to inhabiting yourself fully.

Pain, Sensation, and the Nervous System’s Two Survival Strategies I regularly dream—and when I do, I dream vividly. Images are rich and immersive, environments are detailed, and sensations are often fully embodied. In waking life, I also visualize easily and maintain a high degree of awareness of my own body. Subtle shifts in tension, asymmetry, holding patterns, and internal sensations rarely escape my notice. This isn’t something I consciously set out to develop; it emerged