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Improve your Immunity: Getting your hands dirty – The Wonders of Soil

Improve your Immunity: Getting your hands dirty – The Wonders of Soil

by Julia K | May 31, 2023 | Healthy Living & Longevity

Isn’t there a certain childhood nostalgia that comes from the thought of playing in the dirt, hands covered in a layer of soil, creating imaginary worlds or mud pies? But as we grow up, our contact with dirt often diminishes, and with it, we may be missing out...

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Beetroot Blueberries Brown Lentils Butternut squash Carrots Cherry Tomatoes Chia seeds Chickpeas Cinnamon Coconut cream Coconut milk Cucumber Dark chocolate Dill Fresh Corriander Fresh Dill Fresh ginger Fresh Lemon Juice Fresh Lime fresh mint Fresh Parsley Garlic Ginger Ground Cinnamon healthy digestion Lime Juice Longevity Nigella Seeds Nuts Olive oil Organic Quinoa Parsley Pomegranate Pumpkin seeds Purple Broccoli Quinoa Raspberries Red Lentil Dhal Riverford Sesame seeds Spinach Sweet Potatoes Turmeric Wild Garlic Yoga Practice

“When the spine lengthens and the breath slows, th “When the spine lengthens and the breath slows, the mind follows.” 🙏

Downward Facing Dog with Hands on a Chair

( a gentle inversion + supported strength )

What’s happening in the body & brain:

	•	The mild inversion encourages a blood return toward the head, which can support a feeling of mental freshness (without the intensity of full down dog). 

	•	Weight through the hands activates the upper body + shoulder girdle, improving circulation through the neck and upper spine—areas that often get compressed from screens and stress.

	•	Lengthening the spine reduces physical tension, which in turn down-regulates the nervous system (less fight-or-flight, more clarity).

	•	Slow, steady breathing in this pose improves oxygen exchange, supporting focus and calm awareness. 

Why it feels so good mentally:
	•	You’re supported, not straining → the brain reads this as safe

	•	Safety = parasympathetic activation = clearer thinking

	•	The head-below-heart orientation often brings a sense of reset, like shaking mental dust loose

Keep practicing this daily & you’re welcome to practice with me & my Living Well with Julia*** community too…! 🙏😊✨

Group Studio Sessions @vervewellnessstudiobedford 

* Wednesdays 18:30 - Evening Harmony 
* Sundays 10:00 Gentle morning Yoga 

And, yes One to One Privates available. Ask questions, get in touch! 

Never too late begin… your journey! 🧘‍♂️

#yoga #integrated #mind #bloodflow #brainhealth ✨
How Chronic Stress Changes the BRAIN 🧠 ( and how w How Chronic Stress Changes the BRAIN 🧠 ( and how we gently undo it). 

Most of us don’t remember when stress became normal.

It arrived quietly.
Through responsibility.
Caregiving.
Grief.
Constant thinking.
Always being “on”.

Chronic stress isn’t one dramatic event. It’s what happens when the nervous system doesn’t get enough chances to return to safety.

And over time, it changes the brain.

What chronic stress does to the brain. 🧠 

When stress becomes constant, the brain adapts — not because it wants to harm us, but because it’s trying to protect us.

Over time:
	•	the brain becomes more alert, scanning for threat
	•	the amygdala (fear centre) becomes more active
	•	the prefrontal cortex (clarity, focus, decision-making) becomes less accessible
	•	memory and concentration can suffer
	•	rest stops feeling truly restorative

This is why chronic stress can feel like:
	•	anxiety without a clear reason
	•	emotional overwhelm
	•	brain fog
	•	exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fix
	•	feeling “not like yourself”

This is not weakness.
It is a stressed nervous system doing its best. 

Why willpower doesn’t work
We often try to think our way out of stress.

Be positive.
Push through.
Stay strong.

But the brain under chronic stress isn’t responding to logic — it’s responding to perceived danger.

The nervous system needs signals of safety before it can soften.

The hopeful part: the brain is changeable

One of the most comforting truths is this:

The brain is plastic.
It can change.
It can heal.
It can relearn safety.

Undoing chronic stress doesn’t require dramatic life changes.
It happens through small, repeated moments of gentleness.

How we gently undo the effects of chronic stress? 
1. Slow the body first. 
When the body slows, the brain receives the message that you are save. 
2. Create predictability. The NS loves rhythm. 
3. Rest without earning it, R is not reward. It’s a biological need. 
4. Gentle movements, mindful presence. 
5. Kindness changes the brain. 

Perhaps prioritising yourself doesn’t mean doing more but — doing less, with more care. 

Join me on the mat 🧘‍♂️ to support your NS & Brain. Choose yourself. 

#brain #nervoussystemhealing #longevity
Welcome February! 🌕 Choosing Yourself, even in sm Welcome February! 🌕

Choosing Yourself, even in small ways, with consistency, is a powerful nervous system care.

This month, we simplify. 
We create space for the BRAIN 🧠 to breathe. 

Perhaps prioritising yourself this month doesn’t mean doing more. It means doing less, with more care. 

So what have you done ‘to care for you’ today? 

#care #choosing #yourself #slowsunday #healthyliving ✨
A couple of weeks with my mum 🤍 A reminder that j A couple of weeks with my mum 🤍

A reminder that joy doesn’t retire with age.

This isn’t about how old we are. It’s about showing the older generation that we haven’t forgotten them.

That they matter. Every single day.

One day—if you’re lucky—you’ll be 83. And if you’re lucky, you’ll still be mobile, curious, and hungry for life.

So why not show the way… in case they forgot?

Movement.
Nourishing food.
Mindful moments.
Nature.
Laughter.
Family.
Togetherness.
Community.
And everything that makes us smile.

Because the moment I make my mum smile…
when she giggles— those seconds are priceless.

Loving moments are good for the soul.

Excellent for the brain.

And everything in between. ✨

And now, I’m back in the UK 🇬🇧 So come and join me for some healthy, mindful movement.

✨ Yoga • Breathwork • Deep Rest ✨

Sunday | 10am | Verve Studio

A new month is beginning.

The Full Moon is entering. 🌕

A perfect moment to pause, move, breathe, and reset—together.

✨ A little gift:
If you book yourself for this coming Sunday yoga 1st Feb., you’ll receive one complimentary group session, to be used anytime in February.

You’re very welcome. 🌕🤍

#longevity #healthyageing #joy #atanyage #theymatter ✨

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    Julia K Healthy Living to Healthy Aging 

    I am here to support, empower, and guide you on a journey that begins with intentional and mindful living. Through my personalised guidance, holistic approach, healthy living and longevity programmes, you’ll discover how to restore balance, build sustainable and healthy daily habits, feel lighter, younger – because you can thrive at any age.

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      Julia K Healthy Living

      The advice given is for education and guidance purposes only. We do not aim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. The advice given does not replace the advice of your doctor.

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