Laura Shipp ND - Mind Body Gut Co

16/01/2026

On 28 February Flourish through Menopause and I will be shaking our booties for 12 whole hours during Reminiscence Learning’s dance-a-thon. This local dementia charity makes a huge difference in the community.

We would be very grateful if you can support us 🙏

Help Laura and Teresa raise money to support Reminiscence Learning

16/01/2026

For centuries, cultures around the world have understood that nature moves in cycles and that those rhythms shape our health, emotions, and energy levels.

Ayurveda maps the year through six seasonal ritu. Celtic and Pagan traditions honour the Wheel of the Year with its eight festivals. The lunar calendar follows the moon’s ever-changing phases, while Chinese Five Element Theory connects the seasons to Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.

When we weave these ancient systems together, a beautiful pattern emerges, a way of living that supports us to eat, move, and care for ourselves in harmony with the natural world, season by season.

I explore this in more depth in a recent blog, looking at how seasonal wisdom can guide our everyday choices and help us feel more balanced throughout the year.

Have a read and let me know which seasonal traditions resonate most with you.

https://laurashipp.co.uk/blog/f/living-in-harmony-with-nature

15/01/2026

Water isn’t just about hydration, it plays a vital role in supporting cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the fluid that cushions the brain and spinal cord and helps deliver nutrients while removing waste. When we’re well hydrated, this fluid can circulate more freely, supporting clearer thinking, focus, and overall nervous system regulation.

In Mind Gym, drinking water is the very first step in the PACE sequence and for good reason. Before we ask the brain to learn, process, or concentrate, the body needs enough fluid to allow energy and information to flow smoothly between the brain and body.

PACE stands for:

✨ Positive (supporting emotional readiness)
✨ Active (waking up the body and brain)
✨ Clear (enhancing clarity and focus)
✨ Energetic (boosting energy and engagement)

Even mild dehydration can affect attention, coordination, and mental clarity. A few sips of water can make a noticeable difference, helping the brain switch on and the nervous system settle.

So before learning, movement, or a busy day, pause and drink some water. Sometimes the simplest step is the most powerful.

Keep an eye out for my posts on each of the PACE steps over the next month or so.

14/01/2026

Two weeks into the New Year, the initial buzz of resolutions has begun to settle, leaving space to reconnect with ourselves.

This is the perfect moment to embrace a sattvic diet, rooted in Ayurvedic wisdom. Sattvic foods include fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, mild spices, and warm home-cooked meals. They are chosen to nourish the body, calm the mind, and open the heart.

In Ayurveda, sattvic eating promotes clarity, balance, and a sense of inner peace, helping us align with our natural rhythms.

Winter, in particular, calls for grounding and warmth, think root vegetables, squashes, leafy greens, lentils, and gently warming spices. Eating seasonally, mindfully, and with care supports digestion, steadies energy, and nurtures both body and mind.

Here is a gentle invitation to move away from extremes and reconnect with what truly nourishes. Let meals be simple, fresh, and intentional, guiding us into a year of clarity, calm, and balance🧘‍♀️

⚠️ A sattvic diet is just one of many nourishing approaches to eating. Because everyone is different, it won’t suit all bodies or lifestyles. Some people may truly thrive on it, while others will feel better supported by a different way of eating. As always, I want to emphasise that I do not advocate restrictive eating of any kind.

13/01/2026

Winter doesn’t mean hibernation ❄️

Gentle movement in the colder months can be incredibly grounding. A brisk walk wrapped up in layers, stretching beneath bare trees, or simply breathing in crisp Winter air helps keep both body and mind flowing when everything else feels still.

Getting outdoors in Winter connects us to the season as it truly is - quiet, restorative, and honest. The landscape reminds us to slow down, move with intention, and honour our energy rather than push against it.

So even on grey days, step outside. Let the cold wake our senses, let movement warm us from the inside out, and remember that Winter has its own rhythm and we’re allowed to move gently within it.

12/01/2026

My heart is full 🫶

Thank you so much to all the lovely participants who attended The Sunder Process™ training towards the end of last year.

10/10 all round and 💯 would recommend!

“Very informative, and very well explained and demonstrated… I’ve already told a hypnotherapist friend about it” SH

“Great course bringing together lots of elements from other places. Very informative… Can’t wait to try it and I know it will be a valuable addition to my toolkit” KB

“The training was well constructed and we had time for lots of questions. Working in small groups added to the richness of the training... I felt very supported and all questions were welcome, aiding my learning. Having same small group helped build our shared learning… Excellent value offering material that can be used immediately... This is simple and yet very effective, easy to use and great for self-application too. A fab tool to the toolkit. Training delivered in a supportive environment” CH

“It was a lovely training with lots of info and great teaching” EE

2026 dates will be published soon!

10/01/2026

Today is very much a pyjamas and pause kind of day.

I’m taking a moment to reflect on what has been a genuinely great first week back after the festive break.

It’s been full in the best possible way - welcoming a mix of new and returning clients, facilitating a strategy session for Reminiscence Learning, and attending networking with Somersetbusinesswomenunltd and BCP Business Network. The latter ended with Nikki Emerton - Mind Body Gut Co and I exhibiting as Laura & Nikki - Mind Body Gut Training Co Thursday afternoon!

I was also asked to speak at an event hosted by one of the professional bodies I’m a member of later this year.

The week has been busy, energising, and exactly the kind of start I’d hoped for.

Grateful for the conversations, the connections, and the momentum already building for the year ahead. Now for a slower day to recharge before diving back in next week.

How has your first week back been?

09/01/2026

In Ayurveda, the three gunas offer a beautiful way to understand the qualities that shape our inner and outer worlds. They’re not about judging ourselves, but about noticing the subtle energies that influence how we feel and how we move through each day.

🧡 Tamas is the energy of stillness, heaviness, and inertia - useful for grounding, but overwhelming when it dominates.
💛 Rajas brings movement, passion, drive, and sometimes restlessness - the spark that gets things done.
💚 Sattva is the energy of clarity, balance, and harmony - the sense of calm that rises when life feels aligned.

We carry all three within us, and they ebb and flow depending on our routines, environment, and state of mind. Ayurveda teaches that the aim isn’t to banish rajas or tamas, but to cultivate enough sattva to keep us steady and well.

A bit of movement, a touch of stillness, and a generous dose of clarity, that’s the gentle dance of the gunas.

08/01/2026

Did you know there’s a powerful acupressure point just below our collarbone that can help boost our energy, reduce stress, and clear mental fog?

It’s called Kidney 27 (K27) and giving it a gentle tap or massage each day can make a real difference to how we feel.

Why stimulate K27?

✅ Helps wake up the brain and sharpen focus
✅ Supports the immune system
✅ Eases feelings of anxiety and overwhelm
✅ Relieves tightness in the chest and encourages deeper breathing
✅ Gives a natural lift if we’re feeling tired or sluggish

How to find it:

Place fingers just under the collarbone, next to the breastbone, and you’ll feel a slight dip - that’s K27. Tap or massage it firmly for 20-30 seconds while taking a few deep breaths.

Whether we’re starting our day, prepping for a presentation, or just need a reset button, K27 is a simple, natural tool we can use anytime, anywhere.

Give it a try and let me know how you feel!

Nikki Emerton - Mind Body Gut Co one for us to do this morning ahead of networking and exhibiting together 🥰

07/01/2026

I always find the first quarter of the year quite tricky to eat seasonally so I tend to rely on flavours from around the world to spice things up a bit. I love cooking with my tagine!

The annual dip in fruit and vegetables between January to May is known as the hungry gap. With April being the least abundant month of the year for seasonal eating.

In the midst of Winter we continue to enjoy carrots, cabbages, kale, turnips, and swede. Yet, come Spring our gardens are looking far less plentiful. Cold stores begin to run out of onions, potatoes and other root vegetables too.

So… What are my January recommendations?

Soups are a firm favourite in our home this time of year. I love roasting vegetables, then blitzing them and finishing on the hob with homemade stock.

Leeks and swede are firmly in season. I always feel nostalgic when I make potato and leek soup as was the default starter growing up as a child. Swede and carrot mash with a little butter and black pepper is a great alternative to mashed potato. Swede roasted is also yummy.

Kohlrabi and kale are also in season. Try a gratin with butternut squash and a blue cheese sauce sprinkled with oats on top.

Purple sprouting broccoli is coming in. It is lovely steamed, in a stir fry or whizzed up into another soup. Broccoli and stilton soup was another family favourite.

What will you be enjoying this January?

06/01/2026

Feeling stuck on what to eat this Veganuary?

Last year, I shared a bunch of easy, delicious vegan inspiration on my blog to help make plant-based eating fun and stress-free. From hearty meals to quick swaps, there’s something to spark your creativity in the kitchen!

Check it out and get inspired to make this Veganuary your tastiest yet ➡️

https://laurashipp.co.uk/blog/f/vegan-inspiration-this-veganuary?blogcategory=Food+Inspiration

05/01/2026

As we get ready for twelfth night it feels like a gateway, not the sparkling “fresh start” we’re sold, but a softer, deeper pause. It’s the moment when the world is still wrapped in its Winter coat, and we’re invited to lean into the quiet rather than rush ahead.

Katherine May’s Wintering, describes those seasons of life when we step back, slow right down, and tend to our inner world with the same care nature gives itself in the cold months. January carries that same energy - a time for repair, reflection, and small, nurturing rituals that help us find our way back to ourselves.

So if this month feels hushed, heavy, or simply slower than you expected, that’s alright. You’re not falling behind, you’re Wintering, gathering strength, and letting the roots grow.

Here’s to embracing the pause, honouring our own rhythms, and trusting that this quiet season has its own kind of magic ❄️