Nahid de Belgeonne is known as ‘the nervous system whisperer’ for high-functioning professionals. She is a somatic expert and author of Soothe: The Book Your Nervous System Has Been Longing For. She shares what she packs for her workshop retreats.
I’ve been guiding high-functioning women from survival to self-trust for over 20 years, across private practice, group work and international retreats. My background is in somatic education, I guide people to rewire the brain to let go of patterns the body is holding on to. I specialise in burnout, anxiety and trauma issues.
A simple way to think about my work is this: everything that happens to you will be sensed by your body before your brain makes sense of it. Subconsciously you tense your fists into a ball, but your brain normalises it because you do this regularly and this pattern pushes you through to the end of the task. However, the signals that your brain is receiving from your body is that you are in danger. This pattern keeps you feeling anxious or not sleeping or stressed, your blood pressure is high, you can’t get pregnant or are angry. I notice the patterns that you are not aware of and help you to slowly unpick them so your nervous system can come out of survival mode.
I have a fast mind and have been burnt out. Stress and speed were my identity and I used to suffer from chronic anxiety, so much so that I couldn’t get on the tube. I almost died of a gangrenous appendix because I didn’t listen to the signals from my body.
Therapists refer their clients to me as the next step after therapy when the client hasn’t been able to release it from their system.
From an early age, movement helped me to process my emotions: running when I wanted to leave a volatile family home, kickboxing when I wanted to leave my first husband and yoga when I left a lucrative but unfulfilling job in technology.
Movement has helped to navigate the transitions in my life. I wrote my book Soothe two years ago in response to what I was seeing and living. Brilliant, capable women who were praised for how much they could hold… and quietly unravelling underneath. They weren’t burnt out in the typical sense. They were bracing, tightly. And their bodies were bearing the cost. I still get lovely messages from people telling me how much it has helped them.
‘I used to be a textile designer so am particular about the quality of the clothes I wear. I hate fast-fashion and tend to swerve the high street. I feel irritable if I wear man-made fibres. I have bought so many good clothes over the years that I mainly shop in my wardrobe and buy a few things to update my look. I’d rather buy second-hand. Vestiare Collective is my go-to if I’m looking for something specific, I’ve just picked up a gorgeous never worn patterned Vampire’s Wife dress and nearly-new Mulberry studded leather shoulder bag for all the stuff I carry. I also regularly peruse Positive Retail who sell on deadstock including Margaret Howell. I’m a Londoner but moved to the seaside in Deal during the pandemic years.
I move a lot in my day to recalibrate my nervous system in between clients. I wear layers and want to be comfortable teaching. I built myself a studio in my garden to work from. I have a high desk with my camera set up to work with clients in my online clinic. I have different corners for all the activities I need to keep me sane. A reformer that I bought with my book advance. A small power plate with weights and kettle bells – I opened the first independent power plate studios in the UK which I sold in 2019. I have a punchbag and a hanging rail where I literally hang from and work out with resistance bands.
I adjust what I need according to my energy and mood.
My clients would not identify as dysregulated but have internalised the idea that success must be survived rather than enjoyed. I have helped clients navigate addiction issues, childhood issues, chronic stress, heart attacks and strokes, redundancy, burnout, divorce, parenthood, loss of a partner or a child – your behaviour (habit) is learnt.
When I teach (mainly online), but also in person in London or on retreats, my focus is wholly on my client, which means that I dress neutrally. I wear navy loose yoga pants and a white top to light up my face on camera.
I wear layers and have a range of gilets of interesting textures from shearling to green leather including the Marant Étoile Alisa fleece gilet from Net-a-Porter. I also have a range of cowl-necked sleeveless knitted tanks.
I like unfussy underwear – it’s all about comfort and it not riding up as I am moving and practice hands on work. I don’t want to expose skin or make my clients feel uncomfortable - so a strappy body contains me comfortably, such as this black leotard by BLOCH Dance UK.
I pack a pair of Tory Burch sandals and my Alaïa white studded clogs that elevate everything when I want to look a bit more put together, plus an old pair of flip flops.
I’ve tried so many swimwear brands, but keep coming back to Marysia, as their pieces have a lovely cut and they last a long time. I am more of a one-piece woman (I love this blue scalloped swimsuit), but have started to venture back into two-pieces with this big knicker and halterneck top option.
I have a vintage cotton psychedelic print kaftan and I’ll take one item from my Farm Rio collections of cotton dresses and play suits.
I have quite a few Johanna Sands dresses, her white broderie anglaise button through dress looks fresh over a swimming costume.
I love make up and beauty. My mother is uber glamorous at 80 and I can’t remember a time my eyes weren’t lined with kohl. My mother used to make her own kajal so DIY or natural is in my DNA. I love the blackest of Kohl, like the Soultree Ayurvedic Kajal in pure black.
I’ve been wearing eyeliner on my top lid for years, it gets thinner and thicker depending on where I’m going. A firm favourite is the Ruby Hammer precision liquid eyeliner.
I’m moving on from a lifetime of red and am looking for something with less drama but that’s still interesting. I always have a Bisou Balm Duo lipstain in my handbag, but when I went out to promote the LA edition of my book, I perfected a more natural look and love this lipshine by Hermes, I’ll wear it over the bisou balm duo or on its own.
In keeping with that sun-kissed glow I use the Jones Road miracle balm (Golden Hour) on cheeks, nose, forehead and shoulders if they are on show.
I use Mauli shampoo and conditioner and roll these up in my clothes. I also love OO1 London’s products particularly the cleansing dew. I also use the acu patches and often wear them in my breathing practice.
I use gua sha on my face morning and night and use the jade and rose quartz by Hayo’u.
I have a pot of the Smooth Ahead intensive lip balm from Beauty Pie in my garden studio, by the bed and in the bathroom, I’m big on moisturising. I’ll buy a big pot of cocoa butter or equivalent wherever I land – I don’t bother taking it with me as there is always something – even if it’s coconut oil.
My Top Travel Tips
As I move through the years I acquire less and aim for quality. Roll your clothes and wear layers on the plane. Take a thin wool shawl to serve as a pillow or to cover up if the air con is aggressive. I always wear a light tailored jacket with lightly padded shoulders on the plane as it works well over leggings and a dress when you want to look pulled together for dinner.
I stopped packing heels years ago – they were always a “just-in-case”. I never actually wear them on holiday or on retreat – the clogs work well with dresses and leggings.
I ditched a complicated skin routine during the Covid years. I take a moisturiser on holiday with me and a soap-free face wash. What you put in your body is more important than what you put on it – my omega 3 and Oskia MSM routine is more important to me than a five-step routine.
I always take duct tape to cover up door spyholes and a multi-socket lead to plug into the local socket, which gives me enough points to plug in laptop, phone charger, speaker and anything else.
Always pack a pair of tweezers, for plucking, but also for pulling out splinters – more common than one would think!
Exclusive member offer: Listen to what your body is telling you in this complimentary 15 minute lesson.
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