Starting yoga and other loves this month 🧘♀️
Hello! 🌞
How are you?? I hope well?
I feel like I haven’t written in ages and I probably haven’t 🤔 I think the last time was just after Latitude and that feels yearssss ago! So put the kettle on, make a cuppa and settle in.
Not that much has changed and September feels so calm in the nicest way! I feel like this is the month to try new things and find hobbies I love, so I thought I’d do “5 loves in September”.
So without further ado...
1) Libraries
As an avid book lover I must say I could be worse with my book spending habits. I almost never buy a book brand new and until last year I can say I hadn’t really ventured into Waterstones much at all! I normally buy all my books from the charity shop for £1-2 or if there is something specific I buy it second hand from Amazon. My thinking is, once I’ve read something once I rarely will want to read it again and will usually pass it on. In September I’ve been thinking more and more about sustainability, helping the planet and generally having less waste and so the Library seemed a perfect swap! I believe it’s so important to support such a big free part of our infrastructure in society. The idea that anyone from anywhere can borrow books for free is so so undervalued and if you think about it, a library is one of the few free places you can just sit and read and gather your thoughts. I’m amazed at how easy it is to reserve books online and I’m on my second loan this month already! Yay Libraries! I’m also so grateful to have an amazing Library in my small town, just a five minute walk away - is there any need for me to own books at all?!
2) Yoga 🧘♀️ (more specifically ‘Yummy Yin’ yoga)
Yoga is something I’ve always wanted to try. An ancient practise that strengthens your core, keeps your joints supple, aids relaxation and helps deep breathing practise to improve stress... the benefits are numerous. I’ve always loved exercise but having postural orthostatic tachycardia, means I’m very wary of making sure I do more good than harm. Since my diagnosis in 2012, the best restorative exercises for the condition are swimming, rowing and yoga. Having adopted and loving the first two for many years now, I wanted to give the third option a go. I just wasn’t sure how to. Last summer I joined a local yoga group with my neighbour but it wasn’t the best experience. Whilst everyone was friendly, the yoga teacher had never heard of pots and as it was a class couldn’t help me understand which positions would work for me and which wouldn’t. I left the class feeling pretty ill as my blood pressure was constantly shifting, I was feeling dizzy and my heart was racing from autonomic disfunction. About a month and a half ago I noticed some yoga classes being advertised near where I work and decided these may be better. I emailed the teacher and explained my condition up front and the reasons why I’d be very keen to give yoga a go. Donna was amazing and explained quite rightly that the classes she teaches would be too intense, but she’d be willing to research my condition and plan a class to suit pots (Yummy Yin yoga). This one to one style class in my own home for an hour and a half was amazing and whilst it still made me sore for a couple of days after, I’ve now been doing 20 minutes a day in my own space. I’m loving feeling supple, strengthened and calmer already and look forward to embracing more yoga into my life!
3) Naomi Smart’s “Eat Smart” Cook Book
The past month has seen me delve more into the world of Youtube and discover Naomi Smart’s amazing channel where she discusses a plant based diet, the benefits of exercise (including yoga) and sustainable living. After watching many recipe videos, most of which being gluten and dairy free, I decided to buy her book secondhand for only £3! I’ve already made the veggie cottage pie, lentil dahl, chocolate and coconut cream cakes and the pancakes and they’re all delicious! I really recommend this book to anyone vegan/ gluten or dairy free! It’s amazing!
4) Body brushing and reusable cotton pads
Another thing I’ve been meaning to try has started this month, and that’s the practise of “body brushing”. For those who don’t know (like me up until last year), body brushing is a daily practise of brushing the skin in an upward motion towards the heart. This promotes cell renewal, draining of the lymphatic system and aids circulation too! The sensation is quite relaxing and one I’ve been enjoying after yoga, before bed.
Secondary to this another beauty tool I’ve invested in is reusable cotton pads, again I’ve been meaning to buy some for ages and after I spotted some in Holland and Barrett I had to invest. As someone who uses a flannel to remove make up, I was eager to have something smaller to apply toner and remove eye makeup that wouldn’t damage the planet. These reusable ones are amazing as I can just shove them in the washer when they are dirty and use them again and again!
5) Taylor Swift’s latest album “Lover” 💘
Lastly, but by no means least is my favourite music of the month and possibly favourite album of the year so far. That being Taylor Swift’s newest release ‘Lover’. She never fails to deliver such good belters and this album may be the best yet. I recommend ‘Lover’, ‘I Forgot That You Existed’, ‘The Man’ and ‘London Boy’ - but they’re all amazing!
So as you can tell this month is all about self care, with good books, good food, good music and good exercise! I hope this post finds you happy, calm and refreshed too!
Lots of love,
Molly x
How are you?? I hope well?
I feel like I haven’t written in ages and I probably haven’t 🤔 I think the last time was just after Latitude and that feels yearssss ago! So put the kettle on, make a cuppa and settle in.
Not that much has changed and September feels so calm in the nicest way! I feel like this is the month to try new things and find hobbies I love, so I thought I’d do “5 loves in September”.
So without further ado...
1) Libraries
As an avid book lover I must say I could be worse with my book spending habits. I almost never buy a book brand new and until last year I can say I hadn’t really ventured into Waterstones much at all! I normally buy all my books from the charity shop for £1-2 or if there is something specific I buy it second hand from Amazon. My thinking is, once I’ve read something once I rarely will want to read it again and will usually pass it on. In September I’ve been thinking more and more about sustainability, helping the planet and generally having less waste and so the Library seemed a perfect swap! I believe it’s so important to support such a big free part of our infrastructure in society. The idea that anyone from anywhere can borrow books for free is so so undervalued and if you think about it, a library is one of the few free places you can just sit and read and gather your thoughts. I’m amazed at how easy it is to reserve books online and I’m on my second loan this month already! Yay Libraries! I’m also so grateful to have an amazing Library in my small town, just a five minute walk away - is there any need for me to own books at all?!
2) Yoga 🧘♀️ (more specifically ‘Yummy Yin’ yoga)
Yoga is something I’ve always wanted to try. An ancient practise that strengthens your core, keeps your joints supple, aids relaxation and helps deep breathing practise to improve stress... the benefits are numerous. I’ve always loved exercise but having postural orthostatic tachycardia, means I’m very wary of making sure I do more good than harm. Since my diagnosis in 2012, the best restorative exercises for the condition are swimming, rowing and yoga. Having adopted and loving the first two for many years now, I wanted to give the third option a go. I just wasn’t sure how to. Last summer I joined a local yoga group with my neighbour but it wasn’t the best experience. Whilst everyone was friendly, the yoga teacher had never heard of pots and as it was a class couldn’t help me understand which positions would work for me and which wouldn’t. I left the class feeling pretty ill as my blood pressure was constantly shifting, I was feeling dizzy and my heart was racing from autonomic disfunction. About a month and a half ago I noticed some yoga classes being advertised near where I work and decided these may be better. I emailed the teacher and explained my condition up front and the reasons why I’d be very keen to give yoga a go. Donna was amazing and explained quite rightly that the classes she teaches would be too intense, but she’d be willing to research my condition and plan a class to suit pots (Yummy Yin yoga). This one to one style class in my own home for an hour and a half was amazing and whilst it still made me sore for a couple of days after, I’ve now been doing 20 minutes a day in my own space. I’m loving feeling supple, strengthened and calmer already and look forward to embracing more yoga into my life!
3) Naomi Smart’s “Eat Smart” Cook Book
The past month has seen me delve more into the world of Youtube and discover Naomi Smart’s amazing channel where she discusses a plant based diet, the benefits of exercise (including yoga) and sustainable living. After watching many recipe videos, most of which being gluten and dairy free, I decided to buy her book secondhand for only £3! I’ve already made the veggie cottage pie, lentil dahl, chocolate and coconut cream cakes and the pancakes and they’re all delicious! I really recommend this book to anyone vegan/ gluten or dairy free! It’s amazing!
4) Body brushing and reusable cotton pads
Another thing I’ve been meaning to try has started this month, and that’s the practise of “body brushing”. For those who don’t know (like me up until last year), body brushing is a daily practise of brushing the skin in an upward motion towards the heart. This promotes cell renewal, draining of the lymphatic system and aids circulation too! The sensation is quite relaxing and one I’ve been enjoying after yoga, before bed.
Secondary to this another beauty tool I’ve invested in is reusable cotton pads, again I’ve been meaning to buy some for ages and after I spotted some in Holland and Barrett I had to invest. As someone who uses a flannel to remove make up, I was eager to have something smaller to apply toner and remove eye makeup that wouldn’t damage the planet. These reusable ones are amazing as I can just shove them in the washer when they are dirty and use them again and again!
5) Taylor Swift’s latest album “Lover” 💘
Lastly, but by no means least is my favourite music of the month and possibly favourite album of the year so far. That being Taylor Swift’s newest release ‘Lover’. She never fails to deliver such good belters and this album may be the best yet. I recommend ‘Lover’, ‘I Forgot That You Existed’, ‘The Man’ and ‘London Boy’ - but they’re all amazing!
So as you can tell this month is all about self care, with good books, good food, good music and good exercise! I hope this post finds you happy, calm and refreshed too!
Lots of love,
Molly x
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