From Surviving to Self-Sovereignty: Jess’ Journey with The Courage Code
- Laura van Noordenburg
- Aug 13
- 3 min read
When Laura was creating The Courage Code, I wasn’t just hearing about it, I was living right in the middle of it.
We were housemates, and from our deep, awakening conversations in the lounge room to watching the way she approached food, self-care, EMFs, and daily embodiment practices, I was soaking it all in without even realising it. I learned Reiki, explored energy work, different ways to eat and the emotions connected and found myself asking endless questions, curious about what she was doing and why.
I had already done plenty of personal development work, talk therapy, CBT, DBT, EMDR, hospital programs, medications, and hormonal treatments, but I was still searching for something more connected and whole. Something that went deeper than “coping” and into thriving.
When I moved in mid-2024, I was carrying a lot. Years of unresolved trauma. Chronic fatigue and anxiety. PMDD symptoms that made each month a battle. And the emotional aftermath of a relationship that had taken its toll on my mental and physical health. While my relationship had moments of love and beauty, it was also marked by emotional withholding and patterns that left me feeling dysregulated. I can now see that I had my own unhealthy attachment behaviours to work through and learning to detach, self-regulate, and reconnect to myself was a big part of my healing. I can see now that I was reacting to emotional distance and unpredictability in ways that weren’t healthy for me and the tools I learned through The Courage Code gave me the ability to detach, self-regulate, and shift out of those cycles.
By that point, my health had been through the wringer. Painful flare-ups, burnout, weight changes, hormonal chaos, and moments where I could barely get out of bed. Running my disability-inclusive cupcake shop, Baked by Us, through COVID lockdowns had taken a huge toll. Even when I was back on my feet, two days of work could leave me in bed for days afterwards.
I’d tried so many things, but nothing had brought all the pieces together.
Then I began to see it, the way Laura lived The Courage Code. Nervous system regulation in real life. Emotional processing that didn’t bypass pain but moved it. Food choices that supported her body from the inside out. Daily practices that connected her to herself and her purpose. A way of living that felt possible, even for someone navigating chronic illness and trauma.
Without putting pressure on myself to "do all the things".
Bit by bit, I started making my own changes:
Learning Reiki and developing a meditation practice
Swapping to low-tox household products
Choosing whole, supportive foods over what was convenient
Practising the emotional tools I saw her using daily
Building more spiritual awareness into my life
These weren’t quick fixes but they were the shifts that helped me feel grounded, present, and capable of meeting life on my own terms.
By the time I moved into my next chapter, I wasn’t the same woman who had walked in the door a year earlier. I was clearer. Lighter. Stronger. And more confident in my own sovereignty than ever before.
The Courage Code isn’t just something you read or listen to the meditations, it’s something you live, breathe, and become.
WANT TO KNOW THE REST OF MY STORY?
The real turning points? The private moments where everything began to shift?
There’s so much I haven’t shared here, including the photos I didn’t post, the behind-the-scenes of how I navigated my healing, and a deeper look into The Courage Code.
If you’ve been wondering what it’s really like to live this work and you want a taster before starting the full course (or even just a small peek inside) you’ll find it all in The Courage Code: Your First Steps eBook.
✨ Read the full 6-page write-up of my journey, including the exact practices and shifts that helped me rebuild my life, inside The Courage Code: Your First Steps eBook.
Introductory offer: only $27 AUD 💛
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Thanks for being here!
Jess 🫶
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