Move with compassion.
Heal with safety.
Finally trust your body again.
You’ve tried walking, yoga, strength training, even “anti-inflammatory everything”… and still your body flares.
Not because you’re doing it wrong — but because your body needs a different approach.
I teach gentle, lymph-friendly, nervous-system-safe Pilates for women who’ve been dismissed, misdiagnosed, or told to “just push harder.”
Here, you’ll move without pain, shame, or fear — and finally rebuild trust with your body again.
“I felt so safe to let the session go wherever it needed to go with Donna - especially because of her background as a therapist.”
I have some deep dark things in there & I felt confident she'd be able to hold space and navigate the session with ease”.
Brittany Herzberg
Hi, I’m Donna — Your Compassion-Led Movement Mentor
For most of my life, I knew something was wrong in my body — but no one could explain it.
Doctors dismissed me.
Trainers pushed me too hard.
And every time I tried to “just exercise more,” I ended up swollen, exhausted, and ashamed.
If this sounds familiar… you’re in the right place.
I live with Lipedema, MCAS, hypermobility patterns, and chronic fatigue — so I know what it’s like to move through flares, fear, and frustration.
And I also know this:
Your body isn’t broken.
Your body isn’t behind.
Your body just needs a different timeline and a different approach.
I blend trauma-informed movement therapy, functional Pilates, lymphatic principles, nervous system regulation, and spiritual mindset work.
Not to fix you — but to walk with you. Flare, fatigue, and all.
My work helps women rebuild:
🌟 trust in their body
🌟 safety in movement
🌟 confidence in their strength
🌟 hope in their healing
🌟 softness in the spaces they used to judge
Here, you don’t have to perform.
You don’t have to push.
You don’t have to “keep up.”
You just have to show up — exactly as you are.
Compression leggings on. Soul wide open.
We move gently, honestly, and with compassion.
“I have been carrying guilt for most of my adult feminine life. The guilt has now receded. I feel like I have a renewed permission to live". Irene D.
Melissa Lee
“I have worked with Donna barely a month into her program and have already seen profound changes in how I witness my behaviors. I came to Donna for help with effective communication and finding self acceptance.She has provided me a safe space and has been very patient with explaining psychological concepts. I have found clarity around communicating in my marriage and witnessing my ego when it comes out. Donna has helped me cultivate effective meditations, journaling exercises and given me plenty of support that I so needed and desired. Thank you for your incredible work Donna!”
My Approach:
Compassion-Led Movement for Sensitive Bodies
Traditional fitness expects your body to push, perform, and “keep up.”
But when you’re living with Lipedema, MCAS, EDS, POTS, or chronic fatigue, that approach isn’t just exhausting — it’s harmful.
Your body doesn’t need punishment.
It needs partnership.
It needs safety.
It needs someone who understands how your lymph, fascia, joints, and nervous system actually work.
That’s where my method comes in.
✨ The SoftCore Method™
A trauma-informed, lymph-friendly Pilates approach designed to support your nervous system, stabilize your joints, and help your body feel safe enough to move again.
Inside the SoftCore Method, we focus on:
💛 Nervous-System Safety
Movement that calms the body instead of shocking it.
Because regulation comes before strength.
💛 Lymph-Supportive Movement
Gentle, rhythmic, pressure-aware motions that help reduce swelling without flare-ups.
💛 Hypermobile-Friendly Stabilization
Deep core and glute work that supports unstable joints and reduces pain.
💛 Pain-Informed Pacing
We move in a way your body can actually recover from — not rebel against.
💛 Somatic Awareness
You learn how to listen to your body’s cues so you can move with confidence instead of fear.
💛 Compassion-Led Strength
Strength that doesn’t demand suffering — it creates safety, trust, and inner stability.
This isn’t “no pain, no gain.”
This is “no shame, no flare.”
Movement that heals, not hurts.
Movement that supports, not stresses.
Movement designed for the body you actually have — not the one you’re pressured to perform.
"The work we’ve had done together is rippling to own my emotions and communicate instead of making assumptions and accusations. I’m finding forgiveness for myself, honor my hurts, and healing towards my wholeness".
- DF
“These last 7 weeks are creating ripples in my life that have turned into waves of great powerful beautiful change”.
- Colin
✨Why I Do This Work
Healing isn’t about perfection.
It’s not about shrinking, pushing, or pretending your symptoms don’t exist.
Healing is about safety.
Connection.
Understanding.
And remembering that your body is not the enemy — she’s the storyteller.
For years, I lived in a body that didn’t behave the way the world told me it “should.”
Lipedema.
MCAS.
Chronic fatigue.
Hypermobility patterns.
The flares, the swelling, the shutdowns, the shame…
I know them intimately.
And I also know what it’s like to feel misunderstood, dismissed, or told “just exercise more.”
But your body is not a project.
She’s a relationship.
And you deserve to feel at home in her.
My mission is simple:
To help women stop fighting their bodies — and start listening to them.
To teach movement that feels safe, not scary.
To make healing accessible, soft, and honest.
To blend science with soul, truth with compassion, and movement with nervous system wisdom.
To help you build strength gently — from the inside out.
Because you don’t have to be symptom-free to feel free.
You don’t have to be “normal” to be worthy.
And you are not behind — your body just needs a different timeline.
"Safety isn’t a vibe — it’s a vital sign" - Donna
“I absolutely loved your work and feel like it is shifting a whole huge way of thinking of myself and my future.” - Meg
Ways to Heal, Move & Restore With Me
Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Choose what your body needs today — rest, movement, or nourishment.
No pressure. No pushing. No perfection.
Just support, safety, and small steps your body can say yes to.
Yoga Nidra / Meditation
For flare days. Crash days. “I can’t today” days.
Yoga Nidra is nervous-system medicine — a way to reset your body without using energy you don’t have.
Gentle guidance.
Deep rest.
Zero pressure.
Just regulation, safety, and soft exhaling.
On Demand
Lymph-Friendly Pilates for Lipedema & Chronic Illness
Safe, trauma-informed movement designed for the bodies the fitness world forgets — swollen, fatigued, hypermobile, inflamed, or just plain overwhelmed.
Build strength without flare-ups.
Reconnect without shame.
Finally move in ways your body can actually recover from.
All levels - on demand
The Invisible Illness Kitchen — Nourish Without Guesswork
Mast-cell–friendly, low-histamine, low-oxalate nourishment for Lipedema and chronic illness.
Anti-inflammatory.
Easy.
Safe for sensitive systems.
Created by someone who actually eats this way — not a wellness influencer on a detox streak.
Easy to follow recipes
"The work we’ve had done together is rippling to own my emotions and communicate instead of making assumptions and accusations. I’m finding forgiveness for myself, honor my hurts, and healing towards my wholeness." - EL
Meet Donna
I’m a trauma-informed movement therapist, Pilates instructor, chronic-illness navigator, and host of the “Dear Body, I’m Listening” podcast.
But I’m also just a woman learning (day by day) how to live in a body that’s sensitive, complex, wise… and sometimes a total mystery.
Movement is my language.
Compassion is my method.
Sacred sarcasm is my love language.
And helping women feel safe in their bodies is my calling.
Here’s the real, behind-the-scenes version of me…
- Compression leggings on, soul wide open — this is my baseline setting.
- Woo AF with a science backbone — I’ll talk lymphatics AND moon cycles in the same breath.
- LMNT + butter bites before bodywork… because chronic illness girl math.
- Ghost (BBC) + lymph work = the perfect evening ritual.
- Kitchen dancing when possible, eye dancing when not — chronic illness joy is real.
- 80s new wave, binaural beats, and moon playlists fuel my world.
- Dateline + compression is my version of “Friday night vibes.”
- Carnivore vanilla ice cream + vitamin C gummies — don’t ask, just trust.
- Sacred one-liners + the occasional F-bomb when it’s healing.
- I don’t bypass the hard — I body-check it.
- Childhood fear: getting lost.
- Adult calling: guiding women home to themselves..
“Whether you’re running on 30% or having a rare 80% day, you’re welcome here exactly as you are.”
Amy Schuber
"Donna is a powerful healer. Her intuition leads her straight to the matter at hand and she intuitively expands the healing to be exactly what is needed. In each session she’s clear and powerfully releasing precisely what was blocking me. Donna’s intuitive guided healing is a gift and I highly recommend working with her!
Bekah Finch
"This beautiful soul is a gifted, educated, and intuitive guide to body, mind, emotion, and soul transformation. I had a session yesterday and it was potent. I was amazed at her clarity and calmness as she worked me through some intense wound awareness. I am committed to doing more of this work with Donna and highly recommend her.
Free Essential Healing Starter Kit
A gentle first step into safe movement, nervous-system support, and chronic-illness–friendly healing.
Perfect if you’re living with Lipedema, MCAS, POTS, EDS, chronic fatigue, swelling, or chronic pain.
Dear Body, I’m Listening — The Podcast
Real conversations about Lipedema, chronic illness, trauma, healing, nervous system regulation, and what it means to live in a sensitive body.
If you’re running on 30% and pretending it’s 100% — welcome.
You’re not alone here.
