My name is:
Julia Blohberger

I am known for being:
An Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle consultant and Yoga teacher at Delight Yoga. I also have my own practice, StudioEarth, in Amsterdam North.

My expertise is in:
Modern Ayurveda, focussing on lifestyle and dietary advice. My main focus is on women’s health.

I was drawn to this because: 
I suffered from ovarian cysts during my teenage years, which were eventually removed. When the cysts burst, it was so painful that I fainted a couple of times. Since I did not want to take painkillers, I went the alternative way and looked into lifestyle and diet. I first encountered Ayurveda in 2010 and then changed my diet and lifestyle. I haven’t looked back since.

2014 was a turbulent year; I lost my dear brother and suffered from a burnout. Through the practice of meditation, mantra, pranayama and body work, I was able to process the loss and find my way back home – to myself.

Through Ayurveda & Yoga, I have this daily mirror that shows me who I am right now and allows me to deal with all the aspects of life and embrace it to its fullest – continuing to flow with it, embrace it and welcome it with all it has to offer. I truly believe that beyond every challenge we encounter spiritual growth.

Ayurveda originates from:
India and goes back 5000 years. How beautiful that this wisdom is still relevant today.

Ayurveda works like this:
Ayurveda derives from Sanskrit and means ‘the science of life and longevity’. To me, it is the ‘art of living’ in harmony with our inner nature and mother nature. It is the wisdom of how to live according to one’s unique and individual constitution. As a science of self-healing, Ayurveda encompasses diet and nutrition, looking at lifestyle, exercise, relaxation, meditation, breathing exercises and medical herbs.

Ayurveda is special because:
Ayurveda looks at the individual and determines their unique lifestyle and routine. Prevention is key – it focuses on maintaining one’s mental, emotional and physical health. Food and lifestyle routines are considered the most important medicine.

The Ayurvedic take on pregnancy is:
There is this beautiful saying in Ayurveda: treat a pregnant woman as is if she is a bowl filled right up to the brim with oil, carrying her without spilling a drop – every step has to be taken with care. It is all about slowing down, nourishing. The goal is the protection and nourishment of both the growing foetus and the mother.
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The preparation of conceiving, prenatal and postpartum all require slightly different approaches. When working with pregnant goddesses, diet & lifestyle plans often include sweetness (don’t think sugar here): dates, sweet potatoes, ghee. Anything that leaves you feeling grounded, stable and nourished.

In my experience, finding balance is important because:
When we are pulled into the rat race of life (that go, go, go mode), often we are not grounded within ourselves, and we go beyond our boundaries. We often disconnect with our natural urges – we don’t feel hungry, we cannot sleep, we feel stressed and worn out. Eventually the body-mind-system will seek balance. That might happen with a ‘crash’, forcing one to re-charge. Ayurveda embraces the principles of Yin and Yang. If we add too much of one element (being too active), we have to bring in the opposite quality to find harmony again (slowing down, taking rest and pressing pause).

This has helped me personally and clients in this way:
A very simple question I often ask myself when I’m not sure of what choice to make: “Does this nourish me or deplete me?”. Often, I then have the answer. If I go for depletion, which I also do every now and then (I’m still human), then I make sure to stock up on coconut water the next day and massage my body with oil to re-invite nourishment into the channels of the body and mind.

Here is how you can start doing it too:
Ghee is a wonderful thing to add to your diet! A lovely recipe is warm cow’s milk (or almond milk if you are vegan) with a teaspoon of ghee. This not only helps to build your baby’s tissues but also helps induce sleep – a great go-to beverage before bedtime. If you want it a little sweeter, you can blend a date into it. Honour any cravings you have. Let your little one guide you and tell you what you need. See if, however, you can indulge in them with awareness.

“Honour any cravings you have. Let your little one guide you and tell you what you need. See if, however, you can indulge in them with awareness.”

What I love about my job is:
That through Ayurveda, I am blessed to encourage women to take responsibility of their own health. The advice and treatment plans are so individual that I can really work with what every client needs at a specific moment in life. My goal is to give you the tools so that you can take action for gradual change.

When I’m not at work I like to:
Walk (I think I walk around 12-15 km a day, with or without my doggie), draw, work on converting a van into a camper or create something.

Women are powerful because:
Women have this emotional depth and wisdom within their bodies. We are channels for creative energy and birth, a host for life and death. Many of us are blessed with a regular menstrual cycle. There is this beautiful quote from Lucy H. Pearce: At Her First Bleeding A Woman Meets Her Power. During Her Bleeding Years She Practices It. At Menopause She Becomes It.

My best tip for those on the journey to motherhood is:
To also prepare for the fourth trimester. The fourth trimester begins with the birth for the mother and the child. When I work with pregnant women, I often notice that they plan everything up to the third trimester and their little miracle. The postpartum period is also a time where the body is healing and hormonal levels are changing drastically. So, lean into it by taking rest, not packing your agenda with visits and daring to say no. But, most importantly, enjoy the cuddles, snuggles, bonding and extreme emotions.

This is where people can connect with me:
www.instagram.com/ayurveda_by_julia