Long Covid Support Workshop 9: Connecting

The Gut-Brain Connection

with Dr Hanna Poikonen

Recent studies show how the gut health influences the brain health. Indeed, our body sends messages to our brains through nervous and hormonal systems. Balancing the gut and the body functions can lead to balanced brain functions, too. We will talk about the brain-gut connection and make a short relaxation exercise to notice how calming down the body also calms the mind.

Refreshing Summer Drinks

with Dr Eleni Tsiompanou

During summer and autumn, there is abundance in Nature - of herbs, flowers and fruit. Knowing how to use these fresh, and knowing how to prepare and store them to have later in winter and spring, can give us good material to help our bodies cope with the different challenges brought by seasonal effects on our systems. Learn about refreshing drinks that can bring harmony to our bodies and minds and to our external environment, connecting us with the natural worlds within and without; the inner and outer microbiome.

The Vagus Nerve

with Julia Outlaw and Dr Eleni Tsiompanou

The vagus nerve is part of our autonomic nervous system and controls many different critical functions in our bodies,  including digestion and respiration.  Understanding more about these connections can help us manage an array of symptoms and soften the fight/flight/freeze reaction - or the ‘tired and wired’ state that many long Covid sufferers experience.   Dr. Eleni Tsiompanou and Julia Outlaw discuss these inner connections and simple things that can help.