Julia Alderman - Empowered Health, The Therapy Centre, 57 winchester Street, Salisbury (2025)

Q: What is the address?

The Therapy Centre, 57 Winchester Street

14/06/2023

I’m hugely excited to be sharing the first of many 21-Day Empowered Eating courses, starting on Friday. This course is a synthesis of my 15 years working in clinical nutrition and teaching yoga and meditation and reflects my mission of helping clients to re-connect to their bodies and their own individual needs.

Although this course is sold out I will be releasing another one in the autumn, so please do message me if you want to be the first to know. More details are at –
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/21-day-empowered-eating-course-tickets-639199241137

13/02/2023

Trauma Super Conference starts today.

If, like so many of my clients, you’ve experience trauma then I would highly recommend signing up to the trauma super conference. It brings together interviews with over 60 of the world’s top experts in trauma, as well as incredible tools, techniques and practices you can use to help you become aware of your own trauma and to understand the impact it has on your life and begin to start the healing process.

The conference is free and online now until 19th February. The content of each day is available for 24 hours and today you can access my free breath practice and mantra meditation. Enjoy and I hope you find it helpful.

For full access go to -
https://www.consciouslife.com/conferences/tsc-3/agenda

01/02/2023

Recording for the trauma super conference yesterday.

Loved this session and can’t wait to share the content with you. Stay tuned for FREE access to this online conference starting 13 February.

I’ll be sharing-
💫an alternate nostril practice to calm the mind
💫an mantra meditation to free yourself from unhelpful thoughts
💫a yoga nidra practice to bring you back to the present moment

These trauma-informed practices are simple yet have the potential to be hugely transformative when practiced regularly. More coming soon…

30/01/2023

Who is your authority on nutrition?

The diet you eat will depend on many factors including your culture, traditions, the diet books you’ve read and the nutritional fads of the time. With so much nutrition information available today, how do you know which diet is right for you?

For me, my body is my authority. And in my work as a nutritional therapist and yoga teacher I seek to guide clients to become their own authorities of what food is right for them. In this way clients take diet recommendations and see what works for their own body, and in doing so build a more trusting, compassionate relationship with themselves and their own body wisdom.

If you neglect the intelligence of the body and only eat intellectually and on the advice of an authority figure, it can be very disempowering. It can disconnect you further from your body and lead to a cycle of guilt and shame when you fail to follow a prescribed diet exactly.

There is a mass disconnection from the body, but yet it holds so much power and intelligence. So for today I invite you to take three deep breaths, place your hands on your abdomen and bring your attention back into your body. Putting to one side all that you know about nutrition, come into relationship with your body and see what food it is really asking for.

18/01/2023

Meditate to change your diet

So many people set New Year’s resolutions to change their diet. Well, it’s mid-January and how’s it going? The truth is, it’s often hard to change your diet. During my years of clinical practice I’ve observed that imposing a diet onto the body often creates a huge amount of physical tension. The body craves a food and the mind says no. There’s an inner battle. Why is this?

It's because the body hasn’t been included in the conversation. The body and mind want two different things. So rather than imposing diet changes on the body it’s much kind to enter into communication with it. An effective way to do this is through specific meditations and yoga nidra practices, which bring you into deeper connection with your body and what it needs. Through these practices you come to understand why you crave a certain food and dialoguing with your body in finding a united way forward.

My experience is that combining the science of nutrition and the wisdom of the body creates transformation changes.

What’s your experience?

14/10/2022

Free access to the Sleep Super Conference.

If, like so many of my clients, you suffer with sleep problems I would highly recommend signing up to the sleep super conference. It brings together trusted doctors, psychologists, scientists and yoga teachers, who will be sharing their proven tools, techniques and practices for identifying and treating sleep disorders.

For full access see - https://sleepsuperconference.com

07/10/2022

Free yoga nidra meditation.

How is your body today? Could it do with a little rest and vitality? If so, I’m offering you a free yoga nidra meditation. All you need to do is make yourself comfortable, either lying down or sitting in a chair and close your eyes if it’s comfortable to do so. This short 13 minute practice is designed to leave you feeling rested and energised. Message me if you want the download.

05/10/2022

Is coffee disrupting your sleep?

How we metabolise caffeine and our sensitivity to it is individual. Some people can have a double espresso before bed and have no problem drifting into a deep sleep shortly after. However, for many the stimulating effect of caffeine can be felt for hours and it can be a significant disruptor of sleep.

Caffeine has a half-life of between 2-6 hours, depending on how we metabolise it. So if we take the average half-life to be 4 hours, this means that if you have a double espresso at 4pm, half of the caffeine (i.e. a single espresso) will still be in your system at 8pm and half an espresso will be in your system at mid-night.

If you’re experiencing trouble getting to sleep, or are waking up frequently in night, you’re more likely to feel tired the next day and want to reach for some caffeine to pick you up. The problem is that repeatedly suppressing fatigue with caffeine means that your body is not given the chance it needs to rest and the sleep cycle can be further impacted. Over-time this constant stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system can lead you feel ‘tired and wired’, meaning that you are exhausted but unable to get the sleep you need.

Reducing caffeine can be hard and should be done in a step-by-step approach. Your body may also need additional nutrition support to help the process, so that you don’t feel flat, have headaches and cravings. If you normally have an afternoon coffee, why not start by just drinking just half the cup and doing a 10 minute relaxation to boost your energy?

My personalised 1-to-1 yoga and nutrition consultations are tailored to your individual needs, so please contact me if you need support.

27/09/2022

Yoga for sleep 💤

It’s been an exciting start to the week recording some yoga sequences to support sleep, and a yoga nidra meditation.

The online sleep conference will be launched on 17th October. Stay tuned for FREE access to my contributions and many other.

Content includes
💤How to settle into your body using the breath
💤How twists can help you to unwind
💤How yoga nidra can help you drift into sleep

Can’t wait to share this with you all.

08/06/2022

Yoga workshop for women’s health

There are still spaces available for this workshop on Sunday (12th June) 6-7.15pm. Sign-up today to guarantee a place. It’s held at the wonderful Karma Centre in the centre of Salisbury.

This is an all-abilities class focused on women's health to revitalise your body for the month ahead. Starting with a grounding meditation, the class will flow into circular yoga movements with pelvic floor and breath awareness, followed by restorative poses and relaxation.

This is an opportunity to let go of the past month, set intensions for the month ahead and experience the transformation that occurs when women practice together.

Come along, and bring the women you love with you too.

Book through The Karma Centre website, or DM me if you have any questions.

Hope to see you there!

27/05/2022

Why do you practice yoga? Is it as a balm for your soul, a tonic for your health or a soothing hand for your mind? I would love to know. For me it is all three, and also so much more.

There are endless benefits to practicing yoga and therefore everyone has their own reasons and what it means to them. When we know why we practice we can be much more specific about how we practice and how to integrate it into everyday life on and off the mat.

This week in clinic I’ve been weaving together yoga and nutrition to support clients with the following conditions:
- IBS
- Early menopause
- Anxiety
- Exhaustion
- Insomnia
- Muscle pain
- Persistent viruses

Supporting our body with food, lifestyle choices, breathe and movement has the ability to transform not only our health, but also our relationship to ourselves and the innate intelligence of the body.

Let me know below what yoga means to you.

25/05/2022

A hidden cause of anxiety – pyroluria.

I see many clients with anxiety, and one of the hidden underlying causing is often pyroluria. This is a condition in which individuals have high levels of pyrroles in their body. These pyrroles (which are a product of haemoglobin synthesis) bind to zinc and vitamin B6 before being excreted in the urine. The result is….

…a chronic deficiency of zinc and vitamin B6. Deficiencies of these vital nutrients can lead to a wide range of mental health conditions including anxiety, OCD, depression and poor stress tolerance.

There are a range of symptoms associated with pyroluria including: fatigue, poor dream recall, white spots on fingernails, poor appetite (especially in the morning), sensitivity to lights and sounds, hypoglycaemia, frequent infections, joint stiffness, skin problems and nervous exhaustion.

If I suspect a client has pyroluria based on their medical history and symptoms, I recommend they carry out a simple urine test which detects the level of kryptopyrroles in the urine. If it’s positive we focus on diet changes, so that the diet is high in zinc and vitamin B6 rich foods, as well as supplementation. I’ve found that for some clients these protocols can turn around not just anxiety, but also other aspects of their health, and they find a new calmer, healthier normal.

One of the many reason why I love combining nutrition and yoga is because our biology affects our psychology and our psychology affects our biology.

DM me if pyroluria resonates with you and you want to find out more.

15/05/2022

My shruti box and the sacred sound of the bee

In my yoga class this afternoon we’ll be exploring bhramari (meaning bee) breath as a tool to calm the nervous system, take the awareness inwards and to settle the body. We’ll also be discussing the connection between the vocal cords (vocal diaphragm) and the pelvic floor (pelvic diaphragm) and how these two areas are linked. If you’re not convinced that they are…try clenching your teeth and then breathe into your pelvis. Unclench and repeat. What do you notice..?

The hum of the shruti box brings the practice of bhramari breath alive for me, as the resonance and vibration are so palpable. But even without one, this practice is hugely settling.

18/04/2022

There is no one diet fits all…

…and that is why our Easter meal yesterday catered for many different dietary requirements! Yes, it would be easier if everyone in the family ate the same, but I strongly believe that we all have different needs and so we honour these. Some in the family eat meat, some do not, some eat gluten, some do not, some eat dairy, some do not…and more! What I’ve learnt is that we can still all ate together and share much of the same meal, but with different ‘add-ons’. That way no one feels left out or different.

Having worked as a nutritional therapist for 15 years, I’ve studied almost every diet – ketogenic, paleo, 5:2, FODMAP, free-from, metabolic type, blood type, vegan, raw…the list goes on. I’ve seen some of these diets transform client’s health, but I’ve also seen them damage health. Why is this?

My observation is that it’s because we are all individual, our needs change, and what is right for one person is not right for another. In addition, many diets are absolute, become overly prescriptive, and people often build an identity around eating a certain way. But sometimes it’s at the cost of disconnecting from the wisdom of the body and their real needs.

My work is to help more and more people to tune into their own nutritional needs. To give my professional opinion and recommendations, but also guide clients to match it with their own knowing. If we can constantly question what we eat and why, to listen to the well of information within us, our diet can become a beautiful path of self-enquiry.

How would you eat differently today if your dropped all your know about nutrition, all pre-conceptions and any ideas of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ food?

16/04/2022

Healthy Easter nest recipe

Happy Easter everyone! I’ve had the most wonderful day making these nests with my children. They loved both the process and the end product…success!

The recipe is sugar, dairy and gluten-free and makes about 12-14 nests:

60g brown rice puffs
6 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp almond butter
5 Tbsp coconut oil
80g raw cacao powder

Melt the maple syrup, coconut oil and almond butter together. Stir in the cacao powder and then mix into the brown rice puffs. Once covered spoon into cases and place in the fridge to set. Leave for 30 minutes and then enjoy!

Recipe by Deliciously Ella

11/04/2022

New pregnancy yoga class

I’m super excited to announce that I’ll be teaching a new pregnancy yoga class

Starting Sunday 24th April 4.30 – 5.30.

It’s a beautiful space in the centre of Salisbury. Please see their bio/ website for bookings.

Pregnancy yoga focuses on flowing womb-centered movements, breathing exercises, sound and relaxation techniques. It is a wonderfully empowering practice to help mothers-to-be to tune into their body, connect with their baby and learn movements that support active birth. These group classes also build emotional support and a community with other women.

Please help spread the word with any expecting women you know and DM if you have any questions.

06/04/2022

3 tips to help you sleep like a baby…

Sleep is so important for your health, but it is often over-looked and not prioritised. Getting seven or eight hours of quality sleep will help to:
- Stabilise your HPA axis and cortisol (stabilise your stress response and energy)
- Improve your insulin sensitivity (reduce sugar cravings)
- Regulate the release of oestrogen and progesterone (help menstrual health)

So, if you’re feeling tired, stressed, craving sugar or have any menstrual imbalances, it’s worth making sure you’re getting enough sleep. The irony is that HPA imbalances can make falling asleep and staying asleep more difficult, so it’s a catch 22. It may be that more personalised lifestyle support is needed, but here are some simple tips to try first:

1. Avoid screens 1-2 hours before going to bed, as the blue light emitted from your TV, phone and tablet inhibit the release of melatonin (your sleep hormone). Ensure your phone is also on aeroplane mode if you have it in your bedroom.
2. Practice a short 15-minute yoga sequence before getting into bed. Focus on slow movements, co-ordinated with the breath – forward bends and supine poses are ideal.
3. If you’re prone to low blood sugar (i.e. feel shaky if a meal is late) then consider a small snack before bed. A couple of oat cakes with almond butter or a small banana are great options as these are good sources of tryptophan, which is needed to make melatonin.

Sweet dreaming tonight!

Photo - This is my eldest when he was months old. Is there anything yummier than a sleeping baby?

30/03/2022

How my yoga practice has evolved

I’m passionate about sharing simple yoga practices that can be done throughout the day. Why? So that they can be easily integrated into home life, even when time is short.

As a teenager and in my 20s my days were seeped in asana practice, which included a couple of hours in the morning before my day began and a couple of hours in the evening at class. I loved every minute of it. But back then all my time was my own. I didn’t have a family and I could commit to hours ‘on-the-mat’.

In my 30s I was pregnant and breastfed twice and my practice changed a lot. I still practiced on the mat but this became more fluid and body-led, and I found so many opportunities to practice ‘off-the-mat’. I would connect to my breath, to mantra and the sacredness of life whilst holding my baby in my arms, whilst feeding, walking in nature, in the car or whilst playing on the floor. Yoga began to permeate my day in a new moment-to-moment way.

And now here I am in my 40s, weaving it all together for other women. Teaching a combination of the different styles of yoga that I’ve learnt and making it practical and accessible, even when you don’t have hours to spare. Simple body-based practices, breath awareness and mantra, can be done anywhere and your life can then be punctuated with a connection to your sacred body and inner self.

Photo – this is one of my favourite 10-minute poses that I often use at the end of my work day as I transition back into mother-mode and collecting my children from school.

Julia Alderman - Empowered Health