Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2018 i In The Moment

This month we’ve been thinking about self-acceptance and authenticity, and how having the courage to be our authentic self is so integral to our emotional wellbeing. “We can always improve ourselves through self-development,” writes confidence coach Lisa Phillips on page 20, “but forcing ourselves to be something we’re not because we feel society expects this of us can have a detrimental effect.” Of course, escaping those expectations isn’t always easy, but it is only when we align ourselves with our personal preferences and core values that we give ourselves the freedom to become our true, authentic self. Whether we are social butterflies or homebodies, softly spoken or centre stage, by accepting what makes us feel comfortable we are giving ourselves permission to be happy with the person we truly are.…

Sleeping lions What time should you have your first caffeine hit? When’s your most productive time of day? What’s the best way for you to wind down at night? Well, that all depends if you’re a bear, lion, wolf or dolphin! Bear with us (pun intended) – according to sleep specialist and author of The Power of When, Michael Breus, each of us is one of four animals, or ‘chronotypes’, when it comes to our shut-eye. Bears, lions, wolves and dolphins all have different sleep patterns and energy levels. And according to Michael, if you act like a bear when you’re really a dolphin, it can lead to tiredness and energy slumps. Apparently 50% of us are bears (enjoy the snooze button, most productive at noon) while wolves (late risers)…

* Give up trying to please other people. Recognise that when you are doing this, you are seeking external validation from others and classifying their needs as being more important than your own. Learn to soothe and encourage yourself by validating your own choices in life. * Tune into your inner compass. Write a list of what you enjoy doing and what activities add to your energy or drain your energy. Do more of what feels good and drop those activities which don’t. * Learn to say ‘no’ in a way that feels empowering to you. For instance: “That sounds fun but it’s not really my cup of tea.” Remember, every time you say no to doing something you don’t really want to do, you are actually say yes to…

"Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment."Thich Nhat Hanh YOGA FAVOURITES A few quality accessories go a long way to aiding comfort and relaxation, such as the sticky yoga mat or meditation cushions from Yogamatters (yogamatters.com). W e live in the real world: this is often an overwhelming world of busyness and over-stimulation. We take our place in a society in which so many of us are stressed, anxious and exhausted much of the time. We have no time to rest, no time to think, no time to breathe. CREATING CALM More and more of us are turning to yoga and meditation, longing to create calm both inside and out. As we step onto…

Playing the ‘good girl’ is something I can relate to: I used to be her. I was socialised and self-taught to worry about upsetting or offending, and I had to run everything I did through this filter of whether I was being ‘good’ and ‘pleasing’. The result, at times, was nothing short of agonising for me. Being good, ironically, doesn’t feel very bloody good at all! A lot of my work involves helping women recognise that ‘no’ is not a dirty word, and it’s also not rude/dramatic/ uppity/mean or anything else they’re conflating it with. As a result of fearing how we’ll be perceived, women often inadvertently dedicate their lives to trying to influence and control other people’s feelings and behaviour – which usually isn’t as successful as we hope…

Ponderlily’s gorgeous journals feature an hour-by-hour breakdown of each day, with room to reflect on goals, habits and positive outcomes. There’s a monthly road map to help you plot your aspirations too, such as how much time you want to spend with family and friends. £25 www.ponderlily.com Classic notebook If you’re not ready to commit to a full-on bullet journal just yet, why not make a start with a beautiful notebook? These iconic journals from the Journal Shop come in a range of elegant patterns that are just to die for. With 160 pages and a sturdy hardback cover, these petite notebooks are the perfect size to carry around with you in your handbag too. £14 www.thejournalshop.com Envelope paperclips Use these miniature gold envelope paperclips to keep your journal neat…

“My walls and floor are white, so I can move pieces around the house, making them feel like new” Based in the Netherlands since 2009, Italian photographer and stylist Ilaria Chiaratti and her husband nicknamed their Eindhoven home ‘The Happy House’. It certainly seems like a fitting name when you see the colour-filled, playful space they have created for their family. With two young children (Enea, three, and Leo, nine months), Ilaria explains that their living room is the hub of their home – a busy play and work space during the day, becoming a peaceful environment in which to relax and create in the evenings when the kids are sleeping. The airy white living space is punctuated with colourful accessories and plants that Ilaria is constantly rearranging and updating.…

V&A, LONDON Worth a visit for the stunning café alone, this place is a cathedral to decorative art and design, exploring fashion, photography, jewellery, ceramics, textiles and fine art. Free entry. www.vam.ac.uk NY CARLSBERG GLYPTOTEK, COPENHAGEN No, not the beer tour (although you can do that as well) – this is the museum of the private collection of Carl Jacobsen, the son of the founder of the Carlsberg brewery. Primarily a sculpture museum, it also has a notable collection of impressionist paintings. www.glyptoteket.com OPEN-AIR MUSEUM OF JAPANESE FARMHOUSES, OSAKA Take a break from the city with a trip back in time through Japan's rural architecture. Each of the traditional houses has been brought from across the country and painstakingly reconstructed. FLINDERS STREET STATION, MELBOURNE Australia's oldest train station, Flinders Street…

Rebecca walks into the Derbyshire moors and never comes back. She has simply vanished, to the devastation of her parents and the shock of the village where they were staying. Around this staggering loss, Jon McGregor builds a portrait of rural life over 13 chapters recounting 13 years. From the springtails in the mulch, to the insects that are snatched by bats before their existence is even known; from the cowslips offering “handfuls of yellow flowers to the longer days” to the broad-beans nestled in the “senseless excess” of their cushiony pods; from newborn twins breathing “fast and shallow, as though they’d only just come up for air”, to old Jackson, governing his family from his bed. This is no ordinary crime story. There’s an investigation, but it happens tangentially…

WILD WOMEN South West www.wildwomenretreats.co.uk Celebrate all that is incredible about being female with fellow Wild Women. Set in the very special Springhead estate, North Dorset, you will escape the humdrum of everyday life to a place of refuge, retreat, love and transformation. THE SPACE South West www.yogaatthespace.com The Space is a tranquil, community based yoga studio in beautiful Studland, Dorset. Retreat days offer a balance of yoga, mindfulness, meditation, discussion and good food, prepared locally. All with the stunning Purbeck Peninsula countryside and the beach on your doorstep. RAW HORIZONS North www.rawhorizons.co.uk Described as the UK’s leading destination for women-only retreats, Raw Horizon offers yoga and detox programmes designed by top raw food chef Dr Claire Maguire. Arrive tired, stressed and perhaps even a little lost… leave feeling calm,…

ACROSS 1 Gesture of approval (6,2) 6 Decision to make a lifestyle improvement, made at New Year (10) 13 Yoga pose that particularly works the thighs (5) 14 Unaware (9) 15 Daisy (5) 16 Nasal orifice (7) 18 Devout (9) 19 The Great North---, half marathon event (3) 20 Cartoon magazine (5) 22 David---, late Starman singer (5) 24 Chelsea---, tea-time treat (3) 26 Implied (5) 28 Body of water between Greece and Turkey (6,3) 30 Embrace (3) 31 Arousing intense feeling (7) 32 Long journey, made on foot (4) 33 Layer of diluted paint (4) 34---cleaner, fibre-covered wire used in crafting (4) 36 Plucked stringed instrument (4) 41---board, uncoated, machine-finished paperboard (7) 42 Snooker rod (3) 43 Famous (for doing something bad) (9) 45 Rhythmic Cuban dance (5) 46---tub,…

Ingredients SERVES 1 * 5 ripe strawberries, washed and hulled * 5 lemon verbena leaves * 5 sweet cicely seeds * 2 tsp (10ml) fresh lemon juice * grind of coarse black pepper * 4oz (120ml) sparkling water METHOD Place the strawberries, the lemon verbena leaves and the sweet cicely seeds in a cocktail shaker and muddle thoroughly to release the juices, essential oils and flavours. Add the lemon juice and black pepper. Fill two thirds of the shaker with ice. Seal and shake hard for 20 seconds. Strain the mocktail into a serving glass filled with ice. Top up with sparkling water, and stir. Garnish with sweet cicely seeds, a sweet cicely leaf and a lemon verbena leaf. Recipe from Wild Mocktails and Healthy Cocktails by Lottie Muir (Cico…

Photo comp winner! Last month our Insta photo competition theme was ‘gratitude’. Our winning image is this photo of Liz Clayton (@lizc_illustration) finding gratitude for nature on a hike. “Mother nature at her finest!” writes Liz. “Leaning into the strong winds at the top of Sugar Loaf, feeling exhilarated and truly grateful for this beautiful planet.” Liz wins a copy of Wild Mocktails and Healthy Cocktails by Lottie Muir (Cico Books, £16.99). Find our latest photo competition on Insta @inthemomentmag. Mindful moment Thank you for this wonderful magazine – I think it’s the only magazine that I ever read every single article from first page to last! I take the magazine to work, to read on my lunch break, to my daughter’s dance class…everywhere! But my favourite place to read…

Us Brits do like to default to rainy days for a conversation starter. “What bad weather we’re having,” we say, as we sweep into work, showering our desks with raindrops from our coats, or wrestle with a wet brollie on our way into a café to meet friends. Of course, in reality, all weather is tolerable with the right gear – weather cannot truly be ‘bad’. But our obsession with talking about it and labelling it as such could be. Our tendency to label things isn’t always about an inclement climate. We do it all the time. “Having a bad day,” “the traffic’s bad,” or “bad hair day,” often pop up in our daily conversations. A quick dip in the dictionary reveals that the word ‘bad’ has many negative connotations,…

We’re all familiar with the rather clichéd proverb that in order to love others, we must first learn to love ourselves. But the expression does carry truth – addressing our self-care by tuning into how we talk to ourselves as we go about our daily lives is a recurring theme and a bedrock of my therapeutic practice. Normally this ‘inner chatter’ runs like a never-ending tape player in the background, completely unconscious to us, yet informing and guiding so much of our conscious thought, feelings and behaviour. And a surprisingly huge chunk of it can be negative, increasing our anxiety and stress levels, restricting our ability to step out of our comfort zone and hindering the chance of bringing positivity into our lives. These Negative Automatic Thoughts (or gNATs for…

Before we get into the details of the digestive system, let’s start by taking a moment for this breathing exercise. Wherever you are, take a 3-minute pause. Inhale deeply, thinking about expanding your breath all the way across the base of your ribcage. Then, as if in slow motion, draw your breath up, imagining it touching each rung of your ribcage all the way to the collarbone. Slowly, matching the duration of your long, languid inhale, exhale as slowly and purposefully. Repeat for 3 minutes. Then let the breath settle to a natural rhythm for a few moments. When it comes to using yoga to aid and maintain a healthy digestive system, we have to look at our parasympathetic nervous system. Often referred to as the ‘rest and digest’ system,…

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, says: “If you’re alive, you’re a creative person”. But, while some people seem to have creativity running through their veins, I believe it’s more like a muscle – the more you exercise it, use it, and allow it to fill your thoughts, the more it grows. Working in a creative environment, I’m surrounded by inspiring images, ideas and people on a daily basis. There are still a lot of administrative elements to my job though, and one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is learning how to switch from practical organiser to inspired creative and then back again at lightning speed. While I’m still not sure it’s one I’ve truly mastered, I have picked up a few shortcuts to switching…

Most of us probably know that our diet and lifestyle can have a profound effect on our mood. If you struggle with feelings of depression, loss of motivation and enthusiasm, or if you have difficulty finding joy in your everyday life, it could be time to rethink your diet. Studies suggest that people with depression often make food choices that can actually make them feel worse, and those foods are usually the ones that we turn to when we’re feeling blue and looking for comfort – it can soon become a vicious cycle. Fortunately, there are many foods that can put a smile on your face by providing you with the right nutrients that the body needs to produce neurotransmitters (the chemical messengers) that will give your mood a natural…

* JOIN UP Join the Women’s Equality Party. Bringing feminism to the forefront of the world of politics, WE was co-founded by author and journalist Catherine Mayer and broadcaster and author Sandi Toksvig during a debate on women in politics held as part of the Women of the World (WOW) Festival in London in March 2015. The party is a collaboration uniting people of all genders, ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, beliefs and experiences in the shared determination to see women enjoy the same rights and opportunities as men. Their manifesto is simple: “Equality for women isn't a women's issue. When women fulfill their potential, everyone benefits. Equality means better politics, a more vibrant economy, a workforce that draws on the talents of the whole population and a society at ease with…

C limbing the grand steps that lead up to the entrance, pillars gleaming white on either side, I encounter a friendly greeter person, who hands me a leaflet. Before I’ve even entered the museum, I’m admiring its lofty domed glass ceiling and pensive-looking statues, enjoying the hypnotic click of my shoes on the polished floor. Beyond the vast entrance hall are corridors and galleries that are laid out in a labyrinth spanning several floors. Do I start by going left or right? Do the ground floor to the top or the other way round? Who cares? This time is mine… Visiting museums is a real treat for me. I have two daughters who are still too young to fully appreciate their wonders, and my husband apparently thinks that a museum…

Photographer Imogen Cunningham once wrote: “Which of my photographs is my favourite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow”. Her photographic life work celebrated all the glory and strangeness of life, from botanical beauty to strong portraiture and the occasional nude selfie. And her famous words always make me pick up my camera and go searching for my next favourite photograph. I’ve had my camera with me in some of the most beautiful and bizarre places I’ve been to on Earth. Greenland, where the icebergs are a kaleidoscope of colours all on their own – pastel blue, pure white, deep green, golden and pink at sunset. Cuba, where the whole country looks like someone turned up the saturation, with vintage cars in a rainbow of hues pootling past crumbling colonial…

My husband Eric and I will always remember 2015. At the beginning of the year, we were elated to discover that I was pregnant. But that joy and anticipation all came crashing down when I had my first miscarriage. The year got heavier when my mother-in-law lost her battle with cancer and my brother-in-law died unexpectedly. We ended the year with my third and most crushing miscarriage. We had heard a heartbeat at eight weeks – but three weeks later, it was gone. My heart was broken. I mourned the loss of my mother-in-law, re-lived the death of my own mom, and grappled with the uncertainty of becoming a mom myself. In the midst of my grief, I had to find ways to bring myself peace and I used every…

SHEL PINK Shel is the founder of SpaRitual and pioneer of the Slow Beauty movement, which encourages us to carve a few small moments out of each day to practice mindful self-care that makes us glow. Find out more at www.slowbeauty.com Read all about slow beauty and discover some natural beauty recipes on page 36 ANNIKA ROSE Annika writes about, researches and designs new ways to achieve wellbeing. She empowers her clients to create joy in their lives and teaches them how to live more mindfully. You can find Annika at www.thewellbeingcollective.com Annika writes about empathy on page 24 and explores the bullet journal trend on page 60 CHRISTINE BAILEY Christine is an award-winning nutritionist, chef and author. She combines her passion for creating delicious and nourishing recipes with evidence-based…

Mostly As: You find it easy to empathise and celebrate the highs and lows of those around you. It comes naturally to you to take on the perspective of another person and understand the world through their eyes. You feel strongly about supporting others in times of need, but this can sometimes leave you feeling drained when dealing with life’s heaviest struggles. Try to realise when you may be taking on too much and you’re starting to feel fatigued. Practice self-care and compassion towards yourself in these moments and take steps to restore your wellbeing. Mostly Bs: You understand why an experience is rewarding or challenging for someone else. You can be present with them when they turn to you, and you do your best to look at a situation…

Avocado Avocados are packed with monounsaturated fats, known to lower inflammation. They also contain high levels of tyrosine, an amino acid that increases feelings of reward and motivation. They provide B vitamins which reduce anxiety and depression, and omega-3 fats for a mood boost. Salmon Wild-caught salmon is a lean protein that’s rich in vitamin B12, which has been shown to reduce feelings of depression. It also provides omega-3 fats which help optimize brain function and production of neurotransmitters. Salmon is also rich in tryptophan, the amino acid required to boost serotonin levels. Reishi mushrooms These mushrooms are ideal if you are struggling with stress. Known as the “queen of mushrooms”, they contain adaptogens, (compounds that regulate stress). Reishi mushrooms help to balance hormones and lower cortisol, which helps the…

Once I’ve had a chance to settle into the new year and begin planning the months ahead, I always feel the urge to do an overall declutter and refresh of my home. Although the days are still dark, the prospect of spring gives me the energy and motivation I need to take on a big decorating task. Our plan for this year is to crack on with renovating our kitchen, often the biggest undertaking in any home. I’ve been pinning inspiration like crazy for months and that dream kitchen is now fully formed in my head. But, there’s a slight problem – money. For the majority of us, bottomless pots of cash are hard to come by, and with the cost of living sky-high, it is often hard to have…

* Become a member of a museum. Not only will you get into exclusive exhibits, talks and events free of charge, you’ll also be supporting these magnificent institutions and helping them to retain their free admission. * Bring a sketchpad. Sit down and make notes or do sketches of the exhibits – it'll help you to really see the objects, rather than glazing over them. * Buy keepsakes. A book about your favourite exhibit or a few postcards to stick on the fridge at home will evoke fond memories and help you recall what you’ve seen.…

All-rounder camera The ultimate all-rounder, the Panasonic Lumix DMC G7 is a DSLR that delivers high definition photos. It even comes complete with some clever features, such as a tiltable screen and WiFi. If you want to invest in just one versatile digital camera to take around the world with you, this is a great pick. The Lumix model is also compatible with landscape, portrait and macro lenses. £499 www.johnlewis.com Waterproof camera case A must-have item for an active photographer. Render your DSLR camera fully waterproof in one easy step – snap it shut in Aquapac’s waterproof and sand-proof casing. This resilient case is just perfect for beach days, shots of surfers and water sports, underwater snorkelling photography or just protecting your precious camera from the bad weather. £94.99 www.aquapac.net…

You can be prepared “We like to send out lots of pre-retreat communication, to provide reassurance and answer any questions,” explains Wild Women’s Natalie Green. “We also have a Facebook community where guests can interact before they arrive – it’s a very welcoming environment and very accessible.” You can really let go “99% of the time people come on their own to our five-night self-development retreat,” says Andrea of Raw Horizon. “We actually think it’s better this way. You can really say what you feel, you can relax. It’s a great opportunity for someone to really be free to be themselves… we don’t get that opportunity very often.” You are not alone “If you feel the call to attend a Red Tent, trust that you will be welcomed with open…

The tide has just begun to turn. Arianne walks along the edge of the sand, collecting seagull feathers one by one. They’re white, the feathers, and dappled with grey, as though mirroring the clouds overhead. Her meandering route carries her to the narrow steps that lead to her childhood home. Shadows fall deeply here, casting a chill over clumps of small purple flowers that sprout from the cracks between rocks. Her dad would have known what they were called. He always knew details like that – it was he who first got her interested in insects and other invertebrates when she was barely more than a dot herself. The back door is sticky, its wood swollen by spring rain. She forces it open, stepping into the stillness, and stands motionless…