Friends combine their luxury skills

Friends combine their luxury skills
Written by Paul Brooks
Suite 9, Wicksteed Terrace, is the haven, quiet space in the Central Business District where Carla Langmeid and Julie Dean have combined their unique personalities to create the Evolv Wellbeing Centre. It is a large room, complete with a kitchen, scented, lit with a soft glow and furnished with color and taste.

“We figured Evolv really covers everything we do,” Julie says. She goes to the local dispensary, but her talents cover a range of life-improving skills.
“I’m an herbalist,” she says. “I’ve been naturopathic for over 20 years, and then studied herbal medicine after that, because I’m so fond of plants.”

She says she’s also fond of foot – in a good way – which led her to practice reflexology.

“It really is a good form of healing.

“So I put it all together. On top of that, I love yoga too, and I’ve noticed here that there’s no yoga at lunchtime.” She says local office workers might appreciate half an hour of bliss in the middle of the week.

“What I’m really excited about is ‘wild weed’: just show people that these wild herbs have a lot of health benefits and that they live [and grow] Everything around us.”

Julie is holding a Wild Weeds Spring Workshop on Saturday, October 8, where people will learn how to research and identify plants, discover how to identify medicinal plants and learn how to make a spring tonic. This will be at the Center (Suite 9, Wicksteed Tce, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.).

“We are going to Whanganui Education Center – they have a garden full of amazing herbs.

“It’s a great time for a spring cleaning. There will be some weeds that I will focus on, but the main one will be dandelion, which is a great herb for spring cleaning, and they can take home their remedy.”

Julie and Carla got to know each other when they worked together at Redi-Mix Concrete in Hamilton when they were in their late teens. Although they have been to different parts of the world – Julie to Argentina, Carla to London – they have stayed in touch and maintained a strong connection.

In March of this year, Julie and Carla, along with Olive Redfern, a Wellington therapist, did a workshop called Backyard Reflections, held at Olive’s place.

“We all did very different things but had a really good turnout…that inspired us to do more together.”

Carla is a health coach.
“It’ll be in the workshops we gather,” she says. “Or future events like movie nights, we’ll work together.” By films, she means things like inspiring and educational documentaries. While the Wild Weeds are Julie’s workshop, Carla sees them working together on things like a sleep clinic or weight loss workshops.

“I can insert the belief change part so that is the point of divergence…trying to meet this market.

“I can see trends and patterns in my job so I know what people are looking for, and what isn’t working for them.” Carla hopes to fill a need by working her changing beliefs alongside Julie’s herbal medicine, knowledge of nutrition, and her work through the natural lens.

“Between us I hope we can bridge a gap,” Carla says. “And HeartMath will be part of my korero here.”

Carla studied under the HeartMath Institute in the United States, where she learned 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 so much more.

“This is stress management, how to reset the nervous system and shift baselines, so it gives you a sustainable inner transformation so you’re not affected by stress anymore. I’ll keep it simple and stick with the stress management role.”

Evolv has an open day on Saturday, October 1. It will start at 10am with an opening ceremony and yoga session, followed by a lecture at 11am by Tracy Dillon entitled Tales from Peru. In the afternoon there will be free tasters of reflexology and a survey of the energy center and coherence of the heart.

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