Friends combine their wellbeing skills

Friends Carla Langmead (left) and Julie Dean have formed Evolv Wellbeing Centre. Photo / Paul Brooks

Friends combine their wellbeing skills
By Paul Brooks
Suite 9, Wicksteed Terrace, is a haven, a calm space in the CBD where Carla Langmead and Julie Dean have combined their unique personalities to create Evolv Wellbeing Centre. It's a large room, complete with kitchen, perfumed, lit with a soft glow and furnished with colour and taste.

"We figured Evolv covers everything that we do, really," says Julie. She goes by the monicker The Local Dispensary, but her talents cover a range of life-enhancing skills.
"I'm a herbalist," she says. "I've been a naturopath for more than 20 years, then I studied herbal medicine after that, because I've got a fascination with plants."

She says she also has a fascination with feet — in a good way — which has led her to practise reflexology.

"It's a really good form of healing.

"So I combine all of that together. On top of that, I also love yoga, and I have noticed around here there is no lunchtime yoga." She says local office workers might appreciate a half-hour of bliss in the middle of the week.

"What I'm really excited about is 'Wild Weeds': just showing people that these wild weeds have so many health benefits and they live [and grow] all around us."

Julie is holding a Wild Weeds Spring Workshop on Saturday, October 8, in which people will learn to forage and identify plants, discover how to recognise medicinal plants and learn how to make a spring tonic. That will be at the centre (Suite 9, Wicksteed Tce, from 10am to 12.30.

"We'll go across to the Whanganui Learning Centre — they've got a garden filled with amazing weeds.

"It's a great time to be spring cleaning the body. There will be a few weeds I'll focus on, but the main one will be dandelion, which is a great spring cleaning herb, and they can take home the remedy they make."

Julie and Carla got to know each other when working together at Redi-Mix Concrete in Hamilton when they were in their late teens. Even though they went to different parts of the world — Julie to Argentina, Carla to London — they stayed in touch and kept a strong connection.

In March of this year, Julie and Carla did a workshop called Backyard Reflections.

"We all offered very different things but had a really good turnout ... it inspired us to do more together."

Carla is a health coach.
"It'll be in the workshops where we combine," she says. "Or future events like movie nights, we'll work together." By movies, they mean things like inspirational and educational documentaries. While Wild Weeds is Julie's workshop, Carla sees them working together on things like a sleep clinic or weight loss workshops.

"I can bring in a belief change segment so that will be the point of difference ... trying to meet that market.

"I can see the trends and patterns in my job so I know what people are looking for, what's not working for them." Carla is hoping to fill a need with her belief change work in combination with Julie's herbal medicine, nutrition knowledge and her work through the natural lens.

"Between us I am hoping we can plug a gap," says Carla. "And HeartMath is going to be part of my korero here."

Carla has studied under the HeartMath Institute in the US, learning techniques based on the fact that our feelings and emotions affect not only us, but those around us. It's about connecting with your heart — and a lot more besides.

"That's stress management, how to reset the nervous system and shift baselines, so it gives you sustainable internal shift so you're not affected by stress anymore. I'll keep it simple and stick to the stress management role."

Evolv is having an open day on Saturday, October 1. It will start at 10am with an opening ceremony and a yoga session, followed by an 11am talk by Tracy Dillon called Tales from Peru. In the afternoon there will be free tasters of reflexology, energy centre scanning and heart coherence.

To find out more, message Carla or Julie (or both) through their Evolv Facebook page.