146: Inflammation, Touch, & the Grieving Body (with Mary-Frances O'Connor)

🎙Grief is not just an emotion—it’s a full-body experience. In this episode, Til Luchau talks with neuroscientist and psychologist Mary-Frances O’Connor, author of The Grieving Body, about how grief changes the brain, affects inflammation, and alters our physiology. They explore how attachment loss rewires the brain, how inflammatory responses shape behavior and mood, and how the body experiences grief via physical sensations. They also discuss the role of touch, bodywork, and therapeutic presence in supporting people through grief, and together they reflect on the profound connections between grief, the body, and the healing power of human connection. 🔍 Key Topics: 04:30 – Grief and the brain: What happens in the mind-body connection 10:45 – Grief is not toxic: A new understanding of pain and loss 16:00 – How inflammation shapes behavior and mood in grief 24:00 – Attachment loss and the nervous system: Polyvagal insights 32:45 – The physical sensations of grief: aches, tension, and holding patterns 38:00 – Touch as co-regulation: What bodywork can offer in grief 44:15 – Grief as a lifelong, embodied process, not something to get over 50:10 – Practical insights for bodyworkers supporting grieving clients 55:30 – How understanding the body’s role in grief can transform our approach Resources discussed in this episode:  • Two of Mary-Frances O’Connor's books: • The Grieving Brain https://www.harpercollins.com/product... • The Grieving Body https://www.harpercollins.com/product... Sponsor Offers:  • Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com.  • ABMP: save $24 on new membership at abmp.com/thinking.  • Advanced-Trainings: try a month of the amazing A-T Subscription free by entering “thinking” at checkout at a-t.tv/subscriptions/,. • Academy of Clinical Massage: Grab Whitney's valuable Assessment Cheat Sheet for free at: academyofclinicalmassage.com/cheatsheet • Fascia Research Congress: save $100 when you use the coupon code "THINKING" at https://www.frscongress.org/  💡 Join the Conversation: Share your thoughts with us! [email protected]  ✨ Rate, review, and share! Help others discover The Thinking Practitioner podcast. 🎁 Get the show notes and full transcript at https://a-t.tv/the-thinking-practitio... Join two of the leading educators in manual therapy, bodywork, and massage therapy, as they delve into the most intriguing issues, questions, research, and client conditions that hands-on practitioners face. Stimulate your thinking with imaginative conversations, tips, and interviews related to the somatic arts and sciences. With Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau.