I think Bobbi Brown is one of those remarkably successful women, who many of us can, at least internally, relate to without feeling intimidated by the scope of her professional achievements. She is[...]
I found chatting to Dr. Mathew, who was Senior Ayurvedic Doctor at Ananda for several years and in that role developed various Ayurvedic programmes addressing chronic lifestyle issues[...]
With lack of sleep, late or broken nights, the first thing you notice are the dark shadows that lay claim to your under-eye area. While make-up and expertly applied concealer can definitely mask the problem, addressing the cause, making the lifestyle changes when possible (you can’t switch the volume off the crying baby or tell a sick child, who paddles into your bedroom saying the tummy ache is bad, that your beauty sleep comes first) is the first step. The second is finding the right eye care product for you. Dana, founder of Berezka Lab, is a mother of three, and with her brand growing and expanding its retail footprint, she knows all about tiredness. With practical experience under her slim belt and multiple customer requests, she set out to create an eye serum that will revitalise, brighten, restore firmness and resiliency, while intensely moisturising and protecting delicate eye area. A tall order, I say! For ease of application, she encased the serum in a glass bottle with a rollerball applicator – no mess, no oxidation and a cooling effect when you need it.
Formulated with the 100% ingredients of natural origin (also organic, wild-crafted, vegan and without the GMO), the serum is akin to a light oil that almost instantly sinks without a trace into the delicate, clean & dry skin all around the eye, never leaving behind an oily residue. All you need to do is roll it from the corner of your eye clock wise once and voila, let me magic begin. Tip: sometimes I also ‘re-trace’ the movement of the rollerball with my little finger in order to boost the circulation & make the product work even more effectively.
Dana has a very interesting selection of ingredients that she combined in this product – some you might be already familiar with, others surprising and rarer, like Birch Leaf Extract & Siberian Cedar Sap & Oil, ingredients that are native to Russia and hence unique in their qualities and effect on the skin when used in skincare formulation. In fact, I can’t remember seeing those two jointly in any European or American skin products (let me know, if you do).
Jojoba & Macadamia: decrease dark under-eye shadows, minimising the appearance of small wrinkles due to age, sun exposure & natural face movement.
Pine nut &
My ‘getting-to-know’ the essence of Ilapothecary started with the filling in of the questionnaire for Denise. The statements I had to answer with ‘yes’ or ‘no’ were interesting, but a bit random to my mind, ranging from ‘I sometimes feel separated from within’ to ‘I can only accept factual ideas that can be demonstrated and proven’ and ‘I have swollen ankles and feet’. Deep analysis of not just your health, but inner world and the way your mind works. I sent it off to Denise and asked for advice on the treatment she thought I would be best suited to have. Truth be told, I was drawn to quite a few of them, from reflexology, to immunity to hormones and digestion. I was delighted when Denise suggested ‘Re-Balancing Reflexology’ with a ‘Kidney Pack’.
Tip: During winter, place a hot water bottle on the area where your kidneys are located, as it will help your body feel nurtured and relaxed.
I was asked to arrive ten minutes early, in order to settle, discuss questionnaire and have the treatment, but life had a slightly different plan for my journey that day. Even though I left home early, Circle and District lines, unknown to me in the beginning of my journey, weren’t running as planned. I waited, got impatient and dashed out from the tube station when it became blindingly obvious that the train I needed, will arrive well after my appointment was supposed to start. A taxi driver ( not Uber!) came to the rescue and when he deposited me outside Ilapothecary, I realised that if I took the tube, I would have gone to a slightly different address to what was in my confirmation e-mail. Stressed and tired, even though it was still morning, I opened the door, stepped into Ilapothecary….. and as if by magic, calm descended on me. From the moment my feet came over the threshhold. The place was sunny, warm, quiet and felt like an old, comforting friend, waiting to envelope me into a big hug.
Products with Purpose, treatments with Meaning
The space inside is divided into three areas – the front is dedicated to the store, with plants, jars, balms, tinctures and dry, as well as fresh, plants cleaning the air, while you peruse the selection. Its not huge in size, but its almost impossible to resist the explorer emerging to the forefront. A space to browse, explore, smell, touch. To ask questions and learn. To allow your senses help make decisions for you. What beckons you in, why? What product should you try, what role does numerology play in the creation of products?
Further down, up a few steps is the area where I sat down to discuss results of my questionnaire – take your shoes off, feel the wooden planks under your bare feet creaking a little under the wright, lengthen your breaths, have a cup of freshly made herbal tea, as you arrange your thoughts. Snack on a bowl of coconut chips & almonds, feeling like a guest welcomed by an indulgent and warm host.
Denise, a petite, calm woman with kindly inquisitive eyes, sat at my feet and told me that the results of my questionnaire, developed together with Dr. Zulia Frost, came back as ‘balanced’. She explained the balance of chakras and elements – Earth, Water, Wood, Fire and Metal and said that instead of a ‘cleansing’ treatment, my body would benefit from ‘rejuvenation’. She offered me insights on my stress and sleep levels (spot on). Recommended walking and visualisation. Advised on doing digital detox maybe twice a week (hm, that so far has proved tricky, even with an app now giving me details of my daily time spent online).
Denise is one of those people who are quietly observant and unassuming, yet she possesses vast knowledge of different professions and modalities, all of which led her down her life’s path, culminating in a way into something mesmerising – both Soul Vibrational Medicine Music and Ilapothecary. Having worked for many years as a nurse and being privy to her patients painful journeys of recovery and in some instances loss, Denise changed and transformed as both a professional, as well as a human being. Being a nurse is one of the toughest professions, as it’s not just about the knowledge and responsibility, its also the constant pressure that walks side by side with this very caring & noble profession. Having been right in the middle of it for years, baring its heavy weight on her shoulders, Denise wanted to turn her experience into something more joyful. She dreamt of creating something that will support people during the periods of transition and change and later help them lead a more balanced life. Each of Ilapothecary products not only help to make your skin and body look and feel better, they also come with in-built emotional support.
For many years Denise explored the fields of homeopathy, aromatherapy, nutrition, counselling,complimentary medicine, naturopathy, formulation, Ayurveda, meditation, yoga and other disciplines. She learnt about plants and herbs, she experimented with oils, focussing on purity and potency. She worked with numerology, crystals and Native American healers. Explored the intricacies of inflammation in our bodies, as well as medicinal properties of plants, focusing on finding and creating modern natural remedies that address problems like anxiety, sleep, exhaustion & stress holistically.
There is much more to Denise’s life journey than just leaving one profession and moving onto another. She faced her own sickness, which took a while to resolve, especially when traditional medicine wasn’t very helpful. Denise is also very closely attuned to the inner beat of India and it is a place that she calls her spiritual home. She studied yoga and Marma healing in Kerala, exploring subtleties of body and mind connections, chakras and energy work, doing her own spiritual work along the way, filtering her emotions and letting them inform her work. As Denise continued to change and evolve, bubbles of emotions were coming to the surface and needed to be let go with grace and reflection. Her teacher also taught her a very valuable lesson that she shared with me – in order to be well, happy and balanced, we all need to focus NOT on what’s wrong with us, but what is right, allowing that to lead us forward on our spiritual journey along life’s rollercoaster. Once Denise learn that lesson herself, her health started improving. Not surprisingly India is incredibly special to her because that positive affirmation awoke the light in her and continues to keep it burning evenly, brightly and strongly.
A couple of months ago all this finally came together and Ilapothecary opened its welcoming door to the public. There is also an online store for those who can’t immediately come to visit or have a treatment in London. Denise works with two practitioners, Sophie and Pedro, who deliver treatments in the private room at the back of Ilapothecary, based on protocols developed by Denise, at times with their input. Sophie in particular, blonde hair and a peaceful smile on her lovely face, imparts calming vibes on you as soon as you start talking to her.
But it’s not just the protocols and products that play an important role at Ilapothecary. The labels of the products, perfectly executed in a subtle simple way, were developed by an ex-Mulberry designer. Each has a number, a name, an explanation of what it does, leading ingredients, as well as the full INCI. Products that can be purchased and are used during the treatments, explain the ritual behind each product, harnessing the positively healing energy of the people who craft and lovingly create them in Cotswolds, using a lot of British grown plants and herbs. Interestingly Ilapothecary is located at No. 99 on Kensington Church street and this number signifies a number of transformation according numerology. After having my first treatment there and now having used a few products ago home, I can sincerely say that indeed that is the case. If you have an open mind, are curious and ready for change, no matter big or small, those products, recommended to you, will certainly help you change the way you feel and see the bigger picture of the world. In a gentle, respectful way that feels as natural, as the warm sun shining in the summer and the moon emerging at night.
Now that you know a little bit more about Denise and Ilapothecary, let me tell you about the treatment I had. After I drank the warm herbal tea that Sophie made for me during my consultation with Denise, she took me to the treatment room that is separated from the store and relaxation area by the thick curtain that absorbs all the exterior sounds, offering your privacy, tranquility and rest. The room also has a beautiful skylight and you can see the birch trees and its branches swaying gracefully in the wind. Not many treatment rooms can boast about natural light, something that benefits not just you, but the practitioner that works on you, instead of being hidden underground or in a dark room all day long. That can affect both mood, as well as therapists own energy. Natural light in the treatment room also allows the energetic ebb and flow of seasons and hours of the day into the room, enhancing the treatment.
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Set in the peacefully airy townhouse in Marylebone & a short walk from Oxford street, Asia House remains a hidden jewel, flooded with light & a sense of calm. Picture a grand staircase that makes you feel like a modern Duchess, large windows & doors & the incredibly mesmerising ceilings, the beauty of which I marvelled at during the yoga session. Just being there made me feel like I was being let in on a secret. Ananda in the Himalayas is a destination Spa about which I have heard people talk in inspired tones, but this was my first meeting with the practitioners who work there & unknown to me, I was in for quite a few inspiring lessons. The morning was however started by Alice Asquith, founder Asquith, who I had the pleasure of interviewing a couple of years ago. Since then, her softly fluid, organic yoga clothes that are designed with modern women in mind, with all their perfections & imperfections factored in, became part of my wardrobe, for when I work from home, do a casual school run or workout.
Alice started Asquith 16 years ago, because she struggled to find clothes in which she could do yoga & pilates and which allowed her to look smart enough to walk home after the class. There were plenty of sporty, polyester clothes, but none appealed to her aesthetic. Inspired to create clothes that were comfortable & practical, as well as had a holistic element (it’s one thing for the fabric to draw sweat away from the body, it’s quite another when it feels soft against your skin too), she rolled up her sleeves & remains hands on with everything relating to her brand. If you haven’t heard of Asquith, I recommend that you watch a video that Alice recently posted on Asquith website, about her recent trip to a factory in Turkey, where Asquith collections are manufactured. Use your ‘quiet’ time, armed with a cup of tea, to watch & listen, as it will give you a very good idea why Asquith is different from other activewear brands, yet is very on trend with the recent consumer desire to buy things from ethical brands.
After Alice’s brief introduction, we were then treated to a talk by Sandeep Agarwalla, Ananda’s Head of Yoga. Tall, lithe & as calm as a Buddha, Sandeep grew up in the South of India & told us about his journey to yoga ( he had to take a train, bus and then walk to a far away area from his home in order to reach a yogi, with whom he wanted to study). With many years of studying & daily practise, Sandeep showed us the glimpses of what he teaches his clients at Ananda & taught us how to make a Hatha yoga practise & meditation individual to your body’s daily needs.
Our chronological age accounts for about 25%, the rest is largely dependent on our lifestyle & choices that we make – physically, emotionally & spiritually. Yoga was created many years ago & for centuries it has been ‘experimented with’, with Himalayan mountains often acting as a natural backdrop. Sandeep considers meditation to be as important, as the sleep & if you visit Ananda, your stay will incorporate diet, yoga & nutrition, created for your individual type of dosha. You will be given lifestyle advice, but the most important part, you will get help & advice on how to make daily choices that will benefit you physically & emotionally. A few hours spent with Ananda’s team allowed me to have glimpses into the work that they do – no gimmicks, no strange marketing terms – just the words that made perfect sense, when their meaning settled into the brain.
When it comes to daily yoga practise, doing it in the gym is probably not the best idea, according to Sandeep, as classes are tailored to groups & a certain move might not work for you & your body in a particular moment in time, making it less externalised than it needs to be. In order for you to create a ‘perfect’ practise, make sure you combine physicality, breathing, lifestyle & meditation, even if you only have ten or fifteen minutes a day. Understand each element & integrate them into your lifestyle – traditional forms of yoga allow you to go ‘within’, helping you build awareness of the deep connection between body, mind & breath. Paying attention to life’s complexities & facing your fears in a peaceful environment allows you to re-build a deeper connection with yourself. In time you will notice that you feel lighter & more relaxed, after all, yoga is a spiritual journey, which connects you to the knowledge build up by the ancient yogis practises. Sandeep shared an interesting nugget, which stayed with me: when he reached a yogi with whom he wanted to study and asked him why he chose such a remote area to live in and practise, the yogi replied that if he lived in the city & was too accessible, people would take him for granted. A person who chose to undertake a long journey to reach him proved his own dedication to the journey he was undertaking. At the time when we want instant results, things & immediate access to people, this creates a welcome reflection on how our lifestyle have evolved over the last couple of decades.
Sandeep did a simple yoga practise with us, calming our restless minds with an image of a burning candle, and then moved to a gentle, joint movement practise, which taught me a lesson of never presuming how potentially good I am, because I’ve been practising yoga for years. Why? Try sitting in a half lotus, while stretching one of your legs straights away from the body & then try to touch the ground with your bent knee, while resting your foot close to your groin & maintaining a straight back & other leg. Doing this allows you to let go of expectations & just be in the moment, taking deeper breaths through the nose (not your mouth!)
We did simple (but NOT so simple shoulder rotations, something that teaches you not to make presumptions about your body & it’s abilities in the moment in time), side bends to focus on the often neglected muscle groups, twists (one hand placed on the shoulder, another on the waist), rowing movements – all challenging & making me have almost wondrous Einstein discoveries. So often we get lost in life’s complexities, yet life can & needs to be simplified, making us thrive & blossom. Sandeep then followed it with a restful meditation, which made me almost fall asleep & dream in colours. He taught us not to have expectations of immediate results, instead focussing & observing the rise & fall of the breath. For many of us it’s not easy to stay silent for ten minutes, in part because we lack self connection due to the ever increasing speed of the world & expectations we place on ourselves & others place them on us too. In order to thrive, we all need to be deeply connected & rooted.
With yoga session over & feeling totally chilled, I walked to another room, nearly tripping on someone’s mobile charger. Luckily mobile or I weren’t harmed! I examined the latest collection from Asquith – each item in the organic activewear collection (tops, pants, bras) is made from eco-friendly bamboo, organic cotton & bamboo fabrics, letting your skin be caressed by softness, draped in places you want to omit the focus from & enhance those that you are happier with. Long, short & sleeveless tops that don’t ride up when you exercise or move. Comfortable bras that don’t move when you do in a challenging yoga pose or pilates move, enhancing your femininity. Pants that can be worn casually or smartened up with a blouse & jacket. Flattering shades of navy, grey, pink, pebble & coral.
We enjoyed delicious chia & porridge pots from Pollen + Grace, as well as a variety of salads for lunch. Pukka Teas. Unhurried conversations. Delicious squares of chocolate from Seed and Bean. Lulled worries, content senses, easy smiles.
We then returned to the room where we did yoga, but this time yoga mats were replaced with tables & chairs & we had questionnaires given to each one of us, asking questions about diet, physical & mental activity. As we filled them in, Ananda’s Senior Ayurvedic Physician Dr. Naresh Perumbuduri started his talk about Ayurveda. Hailing from a traditional Ayurvedic family, he is the fourth generation practitioner of this traditional & holistic science. Just by looking at your complexion, eyes, taking your pulse & asking a few questions, he can diagnose your ailments, intolerances & things that negatively impact your wellbeing.
‘When the five eternal substances – Earth, Water, Fire, Air & Space – combine to form the human body, they do so by creating three vital energies,[...]
The article tells a story of a ‘self-confessed wellness junkie’ ( is it me or does the word junkie has negative connotations, even if the word fitness precedes it ?) Amy Molloy. Amy’s main picture, leaning against her bike, pretty and fit, is a great shot of a moment in time but when she states that she takes photoes ‘for the same reason that fashion bloggers take a photo of their outfits every day-because fitness is my passion and I want an online reminder of the moments that make me happy’ it makes me think that there is more to it. We are all different, some people are private and would rather not even be in their own family photoes and there are people who take pictures of themselves all the time and then publish them. I think either way is fine but why publish your private moments online? As soon as you open that Pandora box, you expose yourself to all kinds of comments, including nasty ones, as well as criticism – it is human nature to judge others and sadly this character trait shows no signs of diminishing any time soon. We have all been in situations when total strangers offer their opinion ( without actually being asked for it in the first place ) on our looks, outfits or choice of partner or even worse, life’s choices.
Yes, people will judge you if your behaviour differs from theirs and a co-worker might take a dislike to you based on a trivial fact that you never share a slice of cake and tea with her at lunch break – but can you equally judge people if they don’t ask you for a pizza knowing you have banned sugar from your diet and stick to a healthy diet? Comments, especially nasty ones, shouldn’t be taken to heart, after all why would an opinion of a stranger matter to you? But I would suggest to Amy to take time out and ask herself why does she need to not just document her fitness routine, but post her Instagram photoes for everyone to see. If you love what you do, then start a blog, giving you a platform to showcase your physique, as well as share nutritional tips and fitness advice, alongside your other interests.
Yes, when we change, so do our habits and people who we used to adore might view us differently – while drifting apart can be sad, it’s life and as long as drifting happened with no malice, we need to move on to pastures new as well. Just appreciate that the person has passed through your life, hopefully bringing goodness into it. Yes, I agree with Amy that angry outburst can be driven by sleep-deprivation or a caffeine binge ( and it’s no excuse to take it out on other people, we all have problems that we need to deal with daily ) but are Amy’s fit-shamers jealous of her ? Some might be, but pointing a finger at them is not going to solve the problem or make Amy feel less hurt by undeserved comments.
Either way there is no pleasing others and I think Amy needs to be honest with herself why she takes selfies and publishes them-after all, if you don’t crave publicity, why expose yourself to it, it’s almost like a celebrity first selling the pictures of their homes and babies and then complaining about it.
Lately the fitness momentum is gathering pace but it’s no longer about being skinny, it’s more to do with being healthy and fit and about looking after one’s health and well-being. Yes, there are controversial articles about juice detoxes, banning all sugars and fats from your diet but ultimately you have to filter the content and chose what makes sense for you – a Body Special in this month’s Red Magazine with contributions from