"I Could Hardly Bend" to Teaching Yoga Again – Kelly's Solution to 30 Years of Bloating

Kelly Chester from England remembers exactly how ironic—and painful—her situation had become. "I had chronic bloating for most of my life, and it was just getting worse and worse," she recalls. "I got to a stage where I could hardly bend down properly to do my yoga." Let that sink in for a moment. Kelly, a 51-year-old yoga and Pilates teacher, someone who'd spent years helping others find flexibility and strength through movement, couldn't properly bend to teach the very thing she loved. November 2022. That's when this single mum decided she couldn't continue like this anymore.

It wasn't just about the bloating, though that was severe. It was about 30 years of moderate discomfort that had escalated into something unbearable. It was about the belly fat that had appeared during perimenopause at age 44 and refused to budge. It was about managing hypothyroidism for 11 years whilst trying to be present for her child. It was about IBS she'd dealt with since childhood.

"I had been trying to manage it all," Kelly shares, "but nothing was working long-term." Her body, which should have been her greatest asset as a movement teacher, had become a source of frustration and limitation.

Just two weeks into her journey, something remarkable started happening. "I feel so much better," Kelly reported to her health coach, surprise evident in her voice. Her energy levels increased noticeably. She was sleeping well and waking up restored. The yoga sessions weren't just exercises—they were tools that helped her manage stress and frustration in new ways.

"She is very happy with the yoga," her health coach recorded. "Her energy level increased. She is able to manage her stress and frustration." As a single mum juggling teaching, parenting, and multiple health conditions, learning to manage stress wasn't just helpful—it was essential. The bloating hadn't fully resolved yet, but something inside Kelly shifted. For the first time in 30 years, she felt like real change was possible.

"I decided to contact Nirva, book on the plan," Kelly explains. "And it was the best thing I did." As a single mum, finances were tight. She could commit 45 minutes a day to her health—that was it. But she was ready to be a student again, ready to learn what her body needed.

What she found at Nirva Health surprised her. They didn't treat her like a simple case. They looked at the whole picture—the hypothyroidism medication she'd been taking for 11 years, the dairy allergy she'd been managing, the hypermobility that made certain movements challenging, the low back pain, the perimenopausal changes.

"She is very active and friendly," her health coach noted during the first consultation. "Her main concern is bloating. She has belly fat which she really wants to reduce. She also complains of mood swings and fatigue."

For the first time in years, Kelly felt heard. Understood. Hopeful.

By early December 2022, the transformation was undeniable. "She is happy with the yoga and diet," her health coach noted. Then came the breakthrough moment: "Her bloating reduced a lot and her energy level increased." But it was Kelly's own words that captured the magnitude of what was happening: "The bloating gone down considerably." After 30 years—three decades—of chronic bloating, it was finally reducing. Significantly. For a yoga and Pilates teacher, this wasn't just about comfort. It was about being able to move, to bend, to demonstrate poses, to do the work she loved without her body fighting against her. She could bend again. That month, Kelly experienced normal menstrual bleeding—a sign that her body was finding balance despite managing multiple hormonal conditions. Her gut health, which she'd been trying to optimise for years whilst managing IBS, was responding to the targeted nutrition plan.

The team had worked around her dairy allergy, her hypothyroidism medication, and her specific needs to create something that actually worked. "She is very happy," her health coach observed during the final review call. "Her bloating reduced a lot."

"I highly recommend that you book a call with Nirva," Kelly says with conviction. "It was the best thing I did because I feel so much better." Coming from a yoga and Pilates teacher—someone who understands bodies, movement, and holistic health—this recommendation carries particular weight.

Kelly knows what it's like to live with chronic discomfort for 30 years. She knows the frustration of trying different approaches that never address the root issues. She knows the heartbreak of being unable to do what you love most. But she also knows what it's like to come out the other side—with considerably less bloating, more energy, and the ability to bend and move freely again.

"It didn't happen overnight, where I got all the bloating, "Kelly acknowledges honestly. "It took quite a long time to get there." Real, lasting change takes time. But with the right support, it's absolutely possible.