North Star Holistic

24/05/2026

21/05/2026

Skip the neon sports drinks filled with artificial dyes and mystery ingredients. Real hydration can be simple, refreshing, and made with real foods from your kitchen 🍊🍋

✨ Ingredients
3 cups water
1 orange, juiced
1 lemon, juiced
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp honey

Mix well and serve over ice. You can also add lime or adjust the salt to taste!

🌿 Benefits
• Helps support hydration
• Replenishes minerals lost through sweat
• Naturally contains potassium & electrolytes
• Honey provides quick natural energy

Refreshing, simple, and tastes like a melted orange popsicle ☀️

20/05/2026

There are moments when absence is not about distance, but about the emotional effort it takes to show up.

It can feel easier to delay, to avoid, to stay on the edge of participation rather than step fully into situations where presence feels exposing. Underneath that hesitation is often something quieter, discomfort with attention, fear of judgment, or the sense that arriving as oneself will never feel fully enough.

Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come by Jessica Pan is a memoir about social anxiety and the challenge of stepping outside avoidance patterns. It follows the author as she intentionally pushes herself into uncomfortable social situations, exploring how fear, self consciousness, and hesitation shape everyday life and connection.

What the book brings forward is not a quick transformation, but a gradual exposure to discomfort that slowly loses its power through repetition and experience. It shows that confidence is not a starting condition, but something built through repeated willingness to stay present even when discomfort is active.

Here are three fully developed truths the book leaves behind:

1. Avoidance often strengthens the fear it is meant to protect against.
The book highlights how withdrawing from situations that feel uncomfortable provides short term relief, but reinforces long term anxiety. Each avoided moment confirms the belief that the situation is unsafe or unmanageable, making future participation even harder. Over time, avoidance becomes self sustaining, not because the fear is accurate, but because it is repeatedly reinforced.

2. Discomfort is not a signal to stop, but often a threshold for growth.
A central idea in the memoir is that emotional discomfort does not always indicate harm. In many cases, it reflects unfamiliarity rather than danger. By staying present in situations that feel awkward or exposing, the author learns that discomfort gradually decreases with experience. This reframes discomfort as part of the process of adaptation rather than a reason for withdrawal.

3. Connection becomes easier when perfection is no longer the requirement for participation.
The book shows that social ease is not achieved by eliminating awkwardness, but by accepting it as part of interaction. When the pressure to perform perfectly is reduced, it becomes easier to engage authentically. This shift allows relationships to form through presence rather than presentation, making connection more accessible over time.

What remains is a quieter understanding that participation in life does not require feeling fully ready, and that many moments of connection begin not with confidence, but with the simple decision to show up even when uncertainty is still present.

19/05/2026

Photos never quite do these retreats justice, but here’s just a little glimpse into a really special week ☀️ 🇪🇸

This retreat has felt different to many I’ve experienced before. We have been quite literally in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by mountains, peace and quiet, and so much space. It has felt like a true retreat in every sense of the word… a definite step back from the noise, rushing about, and constant jobs of everyday life.

What has been really special for me personally about this retreat, is that we have had the opportunity to really become immersed into Spain in a deeper way than I have ever done before. I have learnt some basic Spanish, experienced group cooking and eating beautiful Spanish food. I have loved experiencing Spain in such an authentic way. I have also loved all the beautiful walks from our house. I think this time has made me reflect that retreating isn’t always about ‘escaping’ from life, but that it is actually about fully connecting and being present in life, but somewhere else. I can find relaxing so hard to do, so this has been a big learning for me this week, and I have fully relaxed into the Spanish rhythm of living for the first time ever. It has really made me reflect on trying to keep a bit of this slowness at home too.

Thank you Martyn and Amram for another gorgeous week. Every time I think these weeks can’t get better they do, and this has been my favourite week. You always get what you need on these weeks and I really feel like I have. I love you both lots ❤️

Thank you Helen for all of your wonderful Spanish teaching and lovely company. I have loved meeting you and spending time with you.

Thanks to this group for being so lovely, gentle and accepting. I hope we will all come back and do it all again together! You have helped make this week so easy for me to just be myself and do just do what I needed and wanted to do.

Lots of ❤️

¡Arriba, abajo, al centro… y pa’dentro! 🥂 ❤️🙏

19/05/2026

Good teaching is not about having all the answers, it’s about asking better questions.

One of the biggest shifts in my teaching happened when I stopped feeling pressure to sound certain all the time.

As yoga teachers, we are often expected to explain everything clearly and confidently. But the reality is that bodies are complex, people are different, and science is always evolving.

Sometimes the most valuable thing we can do is stay curious.

What if instead of:
“What is the correct way to do this pose?”
we asked:
“What works best for this person, right now?”

What if instead of trying to “fix” every sensation, we explored it with more context and less fear?

Critical thinking is not about becoming cynical or dismissive. It is about learning to ask more thoughtful questions, staying open to new information, and helping students feel empowered rather than dependent on certainty.

In many ways, better questions create better teaching.

What’s one question that has changed the way you teach yoga?

18/05/2026

💥 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗘𝗖𝗭𝗘𝗠𝗔 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗗 & 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗗𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗬 💥

Methodology created with Healing Together Life 🙏

𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦: 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.

𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗢𝗥𝗬: A deeper understanding

Eczema is often described as a condition of inflammation, dryness, irritation, and sensitivity of the skin

From a physical perspective, it can be linked to:
• immune system reactivity
• barrier dysfunction in the skin
• stress and nervous system dysregulation
• environmental triggers such as allergens, temperature, or products

But when we widen the lens slightly, the skin itself becomes important:

✨The skin is our boundary
✨It is where we meet the world
✨It is where contact happens
✨It is where protection and sensitivity sit side by side

So when the skin becomes irritated, reactive, or inflamed, it is not just about what is happening on the surface.

It can also reflect a system that is:
💥overwhelmed
💥overstimulated
💥struggling with boundaries
💥working hard to protect itself

𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗚: What may sit alongside this

Patterns that can sometimes sit alongside eczema include:

✨feeling easily affected by other people, environments, or emotional atmospheres
✨difficulty knowing where you end and others begin
✨a tendency to take things in deeply, even when you don’t want to
✨internal irritation that isn’t always expressed outwardly
✨holding discomfort under the surface rather than releasing it

There can also be a push-pull dynamic, in wanting closeness, connection, or touch, but also feeling sensitive, overwhelmed, or needing space.

So the body can sit in a constant state of:

“𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚… 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚”

Over time, this can create a system that feels reactive rather than settled

From a metaphysical perspective, eczema can sometimes link to:

💫 boundaries and protection
💫 self-worth and how safe it feels to be seen
💫 irritation with self, others, or life circumstances
💫 unresolved emotional friction that hasn’t found a safe outlet

𝗕𝗢𝗗𝗬 𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡: where it shows up can add another layer

This is not about being fixed or absolute, but it can offer gentle insight

𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗲 (𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀, 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀, 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵)
• visibility, identity, how we are seen
• sensitivity to judgement or perception
• feeling exposed or emotionally raw

𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀
• doing, giving, helping, over-functioning
• difficulty saying no or setting limits
• giving out more than is being received

𝗔𝗿𝗺𝘀 (𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆)
• receiving support, letting things in
• tension between wanting help and resisting it
• vulnerability around being held or supported

𝗡𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗮𝘁
• expression and communication
• holding back words, emotions, or truth
• wanting to speak but not feeling safe to

𝗖𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁
• emotional protection
• guarding the heart
• sensitivity around connection, closeness, or past hurt

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻
• processing emotions
• gut instinct, safety, and control
• feeling unsettled or unable to “digest” experiences

𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗸𝗻𝗲𝗲𝘀 / 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝘀
• moving forward in life
• resistance or hesitation about what’s ahead
• feeling held back or uncertain

𝘌𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨.

𝗦𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧: Working with the body safely

𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙩𝙮.

Not trying to fix the skin
Not trying to force it to calm down.
But consciously trying to support the system underneath it. When the nervous system feels safer, the body often becomes less reactive

What this can look like:

✨slow, gentle breath into the ribs and back body to reduce overall tension
✨soothing, rhythmic touch such as self-massage or reflexology to support regulation
✨warm, not hot environments to avoid further irritation
✨softening the jaw, shoulders, and belly to reduce underlying bracing

𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚:

✨simplifying skincare and reducing overwhelm on the skin barrier
✨supporting the gut with nourishing, simple foods
✨reducing overstimulation where possible, including noise, screens, or emotional load

𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙨:

✨noticing when you feel “irritated” internally, not just on the skin
✨allowing small, safe releases of emotion rather than holding it in
✨creating space between you and what feels overwhelming

𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡: Bringing this into everyday life

This is where the awareness can become really useful. Not in over-analysing, but in gently noticing patterns

For example:

💫when does the eczema flare
💫what is happening around you at that time
💫what are you holding in or navigating

It can begin to highlight where:
✨boundaries may need strengthening
✨rest may be needed
✨expression may be asking for space

This is not about getting it “right”

𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 ‘𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡’ 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙩; 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝.

17/05/2026

❤️

16/05/2026

16/05/2026

💥 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗔 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗗 & 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗗𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗬 💥

Methodology created with Healing Together Life 🙏

𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦: 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.

𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗢𝗥𝗬: A deeper understanding

Sciatica isn’t a condition in itself, it is a way of describing nerve irritation, which often involves the sciatic nerve being compressed or becoming very sensitive.

This can come from:

💥 a disc bulge or spinal changes
💥 tightness in surrounding muscles (often the piriformis)
💥 prolonged sitting or poor posture whilst sitting
💥 a nervous system that has been in a state of bracing or protection

From a body perspective, this area of discomfort (lower back, glutes, hips, back of the legs) is deeply involved in:

✨support and stability
✨movement forward
✨how safe we feel to stand, walk, or take action

So when sciatica shows up, it’s not just structural, it’s often a system that has become protective, compressed, and less able to move freely

𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗚: What may sit alongside this

Not as a cause but these are emotional patterns we often see alongside sciatica:

💫feeling under pressure to keep going, even when the body is asking for a pause
💫carrying responsibility that feels heavy or ongoing
💫fear around moving forward or making decisions
💫feeling stuck between staying where you are and needing to change something
💫holding tension in an attempt to stay in control or feel stable

Over time, the system becomes more familiar with holding and guarding than with ease and fluid movement

𝗦𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧: Working with the body safely

This is the most important part, and it always begins with safety, not force

With sciatica, the body is already protective. Aggressive stretching or “trying to fix it” can often increase that guarding.

Instead, we support the system to feel safe enough to reduce its own tension

This can look like:

✨gentle, slow movement rather than deep stretching
(small pelvic tilts, slow hip circles, supported movement on the floor)

✨breathing into the back body
(especially into the lower ribs and back of the pelvis — helping the nervous system soften its grip)

✨reducing load where possible
(breaking up long periods of sitting or standing)

✨supporting the nervous system overall
(rest, warmth, slower pace, not constantly pushing through)

✨working around the area, not forcing into it
(glutes, hips, lower back, even feet through reflexology)

𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡: Bringing this into everyday life

This is where the change actually happens; not just on the mat or treatment couch

It becomes about noticing:

💫 where am I pushing through instead of pausing?
💫 where am I holding tension because something feels uncertain?
💫 am I giving myself enough support - physically and emotionally?

And gently experimenting with:

✨allowing more pauses in the day
✨softening the pace slightly rather than always driving forward
✨making decisions in smaller, safer steps instead of holding everything at once
✨letting the body guide when to rest vs move

And for body practitioners, this is key:

Not jumping straight to “release the piriformis” But recognising the protective pattern underneath it

𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡: Bringing ease back in

Sciatica can become very serious, very quickly in how we relate to it

But the body also responds to moments of ease

So this might be:

✨walking at a pace that feels comfortable rather than corrective
✨warmth on the lower back or hips
✨gentle movement that feels almost enjoyable, not like rehab
✨even small moments of humour around “my body being a bit grumpy today”

❤️ 𝗔 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘

Sciatica absolutely needs appropriate medical input where needed; especially if symptoms are severe or persistent. This approach doesn’t replace that.

𝗜𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘁.

𝙃𝙀𝙇𝘿 & 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙍𝘿
𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙, 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 & 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚