Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2018 i In The Moment

This month we have been thinking about our bodies – about how we feel about nakedness (read our feature on Finnish saunas on page 100 for a fresh perspective!) and how we look after and fuel our bodies. We talked to nutritional therapist and women’s health expert Maria Bez about how to adapt our diets to suit our age and stage. While the principles of healthy eating stay the same over a lifetime, I was surprised to learn just how much we need to adjust both what we eat and how we exercise as we move from one life stage to the next. (I have been poaching a lot of eggs since reading Maria’s advice!) Also this month, we talked to sisu expert and author Joanna Nyland. This Finnish concept…

Let’s talk about sex Yoga session done? Meditation mastered? Green smoothie drunk? Congratulations on ticking all your wellbeing boxes. But have you thought about sex? We all know the positive effects of exercise and eating healthily, but it seems we have left one feel-good activity off the agenda. New research shows that getting jiggy with it can produce an array of health benefits for women and men. Harvard science bods say that regular sex can rev up the metabolism and reduce the risk of heart attacks, while a study at the University of Texas found that an orgasm is one of the best ways to de-stress, reduce period pains, and prepare you for a good night’s sleep. Another recent US survey found that frequency of sexual activity corresponds with better…

“KIDS NEED TO BE GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THEY’RE REWARDED FOR HARD WORK AND TALENT” Abiola Bello writes fiction for children and young adults and is the founder of children’s writing initiative, The Lil’ Author Skool. “I started writing when I was eight,” she remembers. “I basically ripped off The Baby-Sitters Club series, replacing all the characters with me and my friends! I wrote for fun – I enjoyed creating my own world.” This inspired Londoner Abiola to write the first in her Emily Knight series when she was just 12. “There wasn’t an independent, strong, black girl like me in fiction at the time, so I created one! I loved the idea of females being super strong and having special powers.” The latest book in her series, Emily Knight: I…

Falling asleep has always taken me a while. But during my late teens, I started to stay awake longer and longer. I’d lie in bed worrying about something I said, or dreading something I had to do at college the next day. One week, as part of my A-Level psychology course, my class watched a video about a man with an incredibly rare medical condition. He became physically unable to fall asleep, went mad and died. That night, I became convinced this was happening to me. I am a rational person. I can see two sides to an argument and stay calm under pressure. But, lying in the dark next to my snoring partner, I transformed into somebody else entirely; someone going crazy with fear, envy and frustration. I was…

Dating back nearly two millennia, acupuncture is an ancient Chinese practice. It is a holistic treatment, based on the principle that vital energy – called qi – runs throughout the body along meridians (channels), all of which correspond to a particular organ or part of the body. If this vital energy is free-!owing and balanced, the individual is thought to be in good health. However, if qi becomes blocked, impaired or imbalanced, then it is believed that mental, emotional or physical illness may follow. Acupuncture aims to restore the balance of qi in the body by inserting very fine, sterile needles into the skin, to stimulate specific ‘acupoints’ that run along each of the meridians. Before treatment, your practitioner will carry out a full consultation, asking questions about your family…

There are two things I remember as always being on the side table in my great-grandmother’s front room, tucked away in the corner between the sofa and armchair. They were a bowl of sunny yellow Golden Delicious apples, and an old biscuit tin full of buttons. As a little girl, I was fascinated by the contents of the biscuit tin; a random assortment of every kind of button – chunky dark ones that had fallen off coats, small white ones with the gilding wearing off their edges, shiny red plastic ones (it was the 80s!) and tiny pressed glass ones that I liked best. I loved nothing more than rifling through the tin, clinking the glass, plastic, leather and wood together as I searched for treasure. Perhaps now and then…

Making your house a home is a human instinct; it’s the sanctuary we retreat to after a busy day, the space that reflects our personalities, the place that allows us to be at our most comfortable and content. If your home is rented or if it is not your ‘forever’ home, you may feel that landlord rules or budget restraints are holding you back from achieving your interior dream. But don’t let it! I lived in five rented properties across London before finally owning my first flat, and I’ve gathered many tips and tricks over the years for creatively styling a home without spending a fortune, and without doing anything too permanent. Some landlords will be open to you putting holes in walls if you agree to fill them later,…

“So I must warn you,” began my friend and Helsinki local Krista Fransman when we met on the steps in front of the city's iconic cathedral. “Swimming costumes are not allowed. It's the rule – you have to go naked.” Seeing the straps of my bikini top had clearly reminded her that she has not fully prepared me for what is to come. I weighed her words in my mind as we walked towards Helsinki's hip Kallio neighbourhood, north of the city. I am not naturally shy, but I did feel uncertain at the idea of complete nakedness in public. “Don’t worry,” consoled Krista, as she read my thoughts. “Women and men will be separated.” For many of us, baring all in public can be a bit of a taboo;…

Why does food always taste better when eaten outside? Perhaps because a day of hiking, wild swimming or general gallivanting will always make you ravenous. Or maybe it’s the excitement of watching and smelling something tasty as it bubbles and spits over the flames. Making food outdoors has become a real love of mine. It’s a moment of peace, with little to do but care for and feed a fire until it’s a blazing flame, listen to it crackle and sizzle, and sit and be for a while. When I think of my favourite moments outdoors, they are often linked to food. Baking (and accidentally incinerating) potatoes with my brother, making s’mores over the fire with friends, sitting around a camp stove to brew up coffee in fresh morning air.…

Close your eyes and imagine the night sky above you, inky blue and dotted with stars and constellations. Imagine this starry sky arched over you – a safe, comforting protective dome under which peacefulness, deep restfulness and sleep occur. Notice that anything you need to do during the day lies above the dome. It will be there for you to attend to tomorrow when the time is right. Focus your mind on the shape and the colour of your starry dome and feel your body drift towards sleep as you notice that you are safe and relaxed under its protective curves.…

Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Begin to visualise a scene, a memory or a story that you find calming. Try a few choices to discover what works best for you - a restful holiday, a calm place in nature, a soothing activity, or something repetitive like walking through the steps of a dance. When you find your calm place imagine all of the details of the image or story, focusing on your scenes one by one so that you notice all of the colours, sounds, scents and sensations as slowly and as carefully as you can. If you find your mind wandering, bring it gently back. Know that the more often you visualise your calm place, the easier it will be to find it.…

I’m a baby in my pram, being pushed along the high street. I can hear my mother talking to a friend. Buses and lorries rumble by. They don’t draw my eye. I’m lying on my back, fascinated by the mix of bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds. I notice that the clouds aren’t flat. They’re fat like pillows and frayed like cotton wool. I watch them drifting gracefully, changing shape and dividing. I think they’re the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. The focus of the classroom is supposed to be the blackboard and the teacher. For me, it’s the huge window. As we sit at our desks, the sill is above our heads. The only possible view is up. The grid that divides the panes is a silhouette…

3-26 MARCH Fancy a trip to the Far East? This month is Singapore’s spectacular ecofriendly i Light Marina Bay festival which will showcase 20 awe-inspiring sustainable light art installations. Created by local and international artists, the focus is reminding us of our relationship to the environment. www.ilightmarinabay.sg. ALL MONTH – MARCH When a woman is diagnosed at the earliest stage, her chance of surviving ovarian cancer for five years or more doubles from just 46 percent to more than 90 percent. Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is back to help raise funds and awareness. Get involved by cake baking, clothes swapping, tea making and more. www.targetovariancancer.org.uk 8 MARCH Feminism was the most looked-up word in the online Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2017 – it’s time to celebrate it with International Women’s Day.…

1 USE A VISUALISATION TO HELP YOU RELAX When you imagine something, your body produces the same physiological response as if you were actually experiencing it. So when you focus on an anxiety-inducing thought, you go into fight or flight mode: you clench your fists, feel adrenaline race through your veins and notice your pulse quicken. Happily, this works the other way around, too. If you vividly imagine a peaceful scenario, your body begins to relax. Try mentally re-living a relaxing holiday you went on, remembering a lovely picnic you once had or even touring your childhood home. Re-experience each memory in detail, visualising how it felt, what you could smell and what you saw. 2 LABEL YOUR THOUGHTS If the same, worrisome thought keeps coming up, give it a…

Mostly As Adversity affects us all – it’s not just you! Avoiding discomfort every time a challenge rears its ugly head isn’t helping, though. Negative feelings can teach you a lot and are worth exploring if you want to grow. When something doesn’t go to plan, consider what you can learn from it, rather than complaining about it. This will help you to change your strategy next time, making things more likely to go your way. By taking small and simple steps to work on your resiliency regularly, you’ll develop all the strength you need to overcome whatever life throws at you. Mostly Bs You’ve got it together but you also know what it’s like to fall apart. You’ve been known to navigate bumps in a familiar road but can…

“What have you been doing in here?” asked my confused partner as he cleaned the bath. “It’s just my new soap,” I apologised. I hadn’t tried to start a barbecue in the shower – I’d just been a bit slapdash with a bar of soap full of the latest must-have beauty ingredient, activated charcoal. Chances are you’ve also heard about the miracle properties of this centuries-old product, and may have tried it. But what exactly is activated charcoal? And does it work? To make charcoal, wood or bamboo is burnt without oxygen present. This removes water and leaves a black ash – charcoal. To become activated, this charcoal is then heated to temperatures as high as 1000°C before being exposed to oxygen. The process massively expands the charcoal’s surface area,…

What do you do when you’re drunkenly Michael Jackson dancing at a party with your relatively new boyfriend? Well, if you’re me, you decide that it is the perfect time to pick your first fight. In all conflict situations, while something is clearly bothering us in the present, how we respond to it has everything to do with the past. But if we want to feel more confident during these times and to grow our intimate relationships, we need to ask ourselves: ‘What’s the baggage behind it?’. This simple question has the power to completely change our experiences. By asking it, we become more mindful and grow our self-awareness, while also healing old wounds. Back to my dancing. My baggage was that I was used to feeling unworthy in relationships…

When I think about taking photos, I’m reminded of my dad and his SLR camera. It was always present throughout my childhood; birthdays, Christmas, trips, sunny days… The passion that my dad had for capturing moments rubbed off! on both me and my brother, but while he learnt how to take wellcomposed images, I just filled my films with badly-lit pictures of friends, family and the occasional ‘arty’ shot. For years, I never cared. I have a terrible memory, so I remember events by capturing them with a camera, filling albums with photos of happy times. It wasn’t about creating aesthetic perfection, just recording little moments – from special occasions to how cute my cat looked that day – so I could look back and smile. Then I discovered Instagram.…

* Don’t have rules! As much as these are ‘rules’, do what feels right for you. The key is balance, and everything in moderation. As a foundation, try to mostly eat a natural diet: 90% plant; 95% local. * Start small and make the best choices you can. Don’t feel guilty if you slip up. If you crave something, eat it – it will probably remind you of why you don’t eat it anymore. Give your tastebuds time to adjust. * Food should taste good. If it doesn’t, it probably isn’t that good for you. Most tomatoes purchased from our supermarkets, or even from local producers, might be grown out of season; be genetically modified, be fed synthetic fertilisers, or be picked green to ripen later. It’s questionable whether these…

KOTIHARJUN SAUNA For an authentic Finnish sauna experience visit this traditional woodfire heated sauna in the central district of Kallio. Opened in 1928, the sauna interior retains its original, much-loved wooden décor. www.kotiharjunsauna.fi KAURILAN SAUNA With its woodburning stoves and rustic outlook, this is the genuine Finnish sauna experience away from the city centre. The sauna opens Monday to Wednesday evenings or you can make a private booking. www.kaurilansauna.fi ALLAS SEA POOL & SAUNA The most picturesque sauna on Helsinki Port, this sauna and sea pool is popular with both visitors and locals all year round. The venue offers extra activities as well, such as sauna yoga and a deckside café. www.allasseapool.com LÖYLY SAUNA This super stylish new sauna sits on the western harbour end of the city. Feel the…

Travel yoga mat No more lugging about an unwieldy yoga mat that doesn’t fit in your carry-on. Yogo’s minimalist mats fold up to the size of a newspaper and are made from a thin but grippy material that lets you practise your sun salutes anywhere you roam. Plus, the lovely folk at Yogo will plant a tree for every mat sold, so you can feel really good about getting your om on. £47.34 www.yogo.net Travel journal Write your very own epic tale of travel and adventure in a unique journal. Sukie’s simple, sweet travel diaries are customisable with your name or with the title of your grand journey and come in a range of cute retro linocut designs – we love the Alpine village illustrations. The perfect present for honeymooners…

Close your eyes. Consider the way you dimmed the light in your bedroom before snuggling into bed. Now imagine doing the same inside yourself. Take a moment to imagine slowly turning down the light behind your eyelids to the same restful setting within you. Now do the same with sound – imagine slowly tuning out of all the internal voices that accompany you during the day, the ones that remind you of tasks, chores, worries or doubts and imagine keeping the light and sound turned off for the same amount of time that you intend to sleep.…

Close your eyes and imagine a small ball of wool in front of you. Pick it up and notice its colour, its texture and its softness in your fingers. Take a strand and watch as the ball of wool beings to roll slowly away from you, unwinding as it goes. As it unwinds, notice any tension in your body and your mind, and let this tension unwind with it. Feel the pressure lift from your body and notice your weightlessness. Notice as the ball of wool unwinds entirely to become a long, open strand completely at rest.…

Close your eyes and notice your breathing. Turn all of your attention to your natural breathing pattern and feel the air enter and leave your body through your nose or mouth. Visualise the flow of air as it passes through your mouth, your airways and down into ypur diaphragm and back out again. Scan your body for any tension, and as you breathe out, feel the tension leave that part of your body. Visualise your breath reaching each part of your body, starting with your forehead, your neck, your shoulders... and then releasing any tension that it finds in each place as you exhale.…

ACROSS 1 Aromatic herb used in cooking (8)6 Horse racing meeting in March, The --- Festival (10)13 Downton ---, period TV drama series (5)14 Clients (9)15 Perfect (5)16 The --- and Mrs Hancock, highly-anticipated book of 2018 (7)18 Celebrity signature (9)19 Ant and ---, award-winning TV duo (3)20 Painful mouth sore (5)22 Person who does not eat or use animal products (5)24 Spasm (3)26 Live radio or TV broadcast (2,3)28 Power and influence over others (9)30 Synthetic material (1,1,1)31 Energetic exercise that increases oxygen in the blood (7)32 Thread (4)33 Regular payment for work (4)34 Chewton ---, New Forest spa hotel (4)36 Tight grasp (4)41 Firm to the bite (pasta) (2,5)42 Honorific address (3)43 A group of instrumentalists (9)45 Device for flattening flowers (5)46 --- Goodman, former Strictly Come Dancing judge (3)47 ---…

Take a break and enjoy a fruity smoothie that will refresh and nourish your digestive system Ingredients SERVES 1 * 165ml coconut water (or use a plant-based milk)* 1 small avocado, peeled and stoned* handful of frozen pineapple chunks (about 60g)*½ medium banana, sliced*handful parsley leaves*2 tsp flaxseed*1 tsp grated ginger*juice of 1-2 limes*1-2 sprigs of fresh mint METHOD Add the ingredients to a blender with 165ml of water. Blend until smooth. Add more water or coconut water if you prefer a thinner smoothie. Recipe from Re-Nourish: A Simple Way to Eat Well by Rhiannon Lambert (Yellow Kite, £18.99).…

It takes a lot to make your monthly guide to a mindful life, and it’s all thanks to our talented writers and contributors (as well as everyone else working behind the scenes). Say hello to four of this issue’s contributors... ANNA ALICIA Anna is a designer, maker and craft writer based in London. She is passionate about eco-ethical, handmade projects and creating unique makes that you will love forever. Find her latest designs over on Instagram (@aalicialondon). Find Anna’s guide to using your creative leftovers on page 60. JOANNA NYLUND Born and raised in Finland, Joanna now lives in Helsinki with her husband and writes about culture, literature and history. Her new book, Sisu: The Finnish Art of Courage, is all about how we can tap into our inner strength…

Sarah Ford, 34, is a paramedic for the Hazardous Area Response Team of the East of England Ambulance Service. She and her husband Stephen live in Essex, along with their 2 cats and 6 chickens. I believe in myself. I’m one of the paramedics who will be called upon to give medical care in hazardous situations: whether that be at height, in confined spaces or mass casualty events, like train derailments or terrorist attacks. I’m also trained in Water Rescue and Breathing Apparatus. It can be stressful, as well as dangerous, but I always reassure myself that I will be OK – I’ve trained for this, I’m wearing the right equipment and I trust my team around me. I promote women’s empowerment. There has been a positive shift in the…

1 TAKE A BREAK Give yourself five minute breaks throughout your day to shake up your perspective. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, go and do something different. You will feel more relaxed at the end of the day, and falling asleep will be easier and quicker as your stress levels will be under control. 2 WATCH THE CLOCK Respect your inner clock. If you need nine hours of sleep to feel energised when you wake up, adapt your schedule to get those nine hours. If you’re someone who can get a lot done in the morning but struggle to stay awake in the evening, then don’t fight it! Head to bed with your favourite book and you will thank yourself in the morning. 3 SET THE MOOD Create a soothing atmosphere…

We’ve all heard the ‘eight hours' a night’ mantra, but how many of us actually get that much sleep? Around 50% of UK adults get by on six hours or less of slumber a night, and it’s taking a toll on our wellbeing. “Getting a good night’s sleep is just as important for our health as eating well and getting enough exercise,” says medical herbalist Katie Pande. “But it’s often neglected. As well as killing our energy, poor sleep is linked to more serious health complaints, such as weight gain, depression and even an increased risk of dementia.” Luckily, there are plenty of things that we can do to improve our snoozing, by setting the scene with calming lighting, using a sleep mask and a enjoying a relaxing bedtime brew.…

There can’t be many of us who don’t regularly feel a sense of pressure when we glance at our mounting to-do lists. The truth is, we lead busier lives than we have ever done before. In a world where we are digitally connected, we have more ways of finding out about things we would like to do (fun events, opportunities, activities), we are more easily able to get in touch with friends to meet up, and we have less obstacles in our path to finding things to do. But this means that we are also more contactable by work, or by our kids’ schools – and this leads to further time pressures. And on top of all that, social media often suggests to us that, even if we can find…

The question always asked of abused women is: “Why didn’t she just leave him?” Helen Walmsley-Johnson’s memoir is the necessary riposte. For four years, she was in a relationship with a man who ruled her life to the minutest degree, punishing perceived defiance with violent rages. Walmsley-Johnson’s description of the assaults she faced is all the more powerful for being neither gratuitous nor squeamish, but it’s the psychological terror he inflicted that is most terrifying. As the cover says, “not all abuse leaves a mark”. Piece by piece, Franc (not his real name) demolished her resources, calling it ‘love’. When he cut her off from her friends, it was because he needed to be with her. When he enforced a gruelling diet and gym programme (monitored with limb-by-limb measurements), it…

1 Rachel Basinger (@onrshop) is a designer, small business owner and blogger. Her huge array of plants can often be found brightening up her Instagram feed with lush green tones. She uses sunny spots 1 and pretty arrangements of home accessories to take happy snapshots of her life. She styles the patches and pins she sells in her online shop (www.onrshop.com) using lovely floral details and light, bright colours. 2 Nina Olsson’s feed (@nourish_atelier) is full of tastebud-tantalising photos of her vegetarian and vegan recipes. Each of her shots is a riot of colour thanks to the natural ingredients she uses, and she knows just how to display them in bold flatlays and oh-so-tempting close-ups. Her new book, Veggie Burger Atelier, is out now, and you can find more of…

There’s no ‘one size fits all’ for our diet and lifestyle, and this is especially true as we age. The principles of healthy eating stay the same over a lifetime, but our hormones, metabolism and lifestyle undergo big changes. Our bodies require different foods and nutrients to adapt. It makes sense that if we want to have lots of energy, to enjoy a strong and healthy body and to maintain our weight, we need to adjust the way we eat and exercise according to our age. No matter where you are in your journey, you can take steps to enjoy being healthier and fitter for longer. “Resistance training (think dumbbells and barbells) is one of the best kinds of exercise we can do – whatever our age” In your 20s…

Kitchen seed kit Bursting with fragrant ingredients, The Gluttonous Gardener’s culinary seed kits are perfect for food-loving friends. Delivered to your door in a beautifully printed box, each kit contains the ready-to-plant seeds and growing instructions to create your thriving kitchen garden, plus ingredients and recipes to make the most of them. From £20 www.glut.co.uk Sweet succulent pins Featuring words of encouragement and sweet succulents, this shining trio of rose gold enamel pin badges is the perfect gift for a positive-thinking plant lover or a green-fingered friend in need of a few kind words. Designer Katy Pillinger is a maker who finds inspiration in our plant pals for her beautifully-illustrated gifts. £18 www.katypillinger.com Small garden set Do you know someone who has a windowsill-worth of plants to look after? With…

1 Just in case you were worrying... a pre-sauna shower is de rigeur. 2 You might like it hot but throwing water on the stove without asking permission is no-no. The people sitting on the highest bench set the pace, as they will be the ones feeling the heat! 3 You'll want to drink plenty of water after a sauna, but there are no drinks allowed in the sauna itself. Pop out into one of the cool down spaces to rehydrate. 4 Conversation is encouraged but it's strictly hush hush, so if you and your sauna gal pal get the giggles it's time to step outside!…

Close your eyes. Think of a gently, flowing river. Now visualise the many times in your life that you have been carried easily from weakfulness into a deep and peaceful sleep, as easily as a feather floating gently downstream. Just as a river has a set course, recognise that a part of you already knows the way to restful sleep. Now let yourself be carried downstream. Let everything go. Feel yourself being lulled and carried safely on that gentle current into deep rest and finally into sleep.…

Close your eyes and imagine the sky above you. Notice as the clouds ebb and flow, gather and disperse. Notice as a soft, gentle summer rain begins to fall. Notice the sound as each raindrop lands - on a roof, a window pane, a blade of grass, in a puddle. Notice the smell of the rain through an open window, the colours refracted and blurred by the raindrops. As each raindrop lands, feel any tension within your body disperse and flow away. If your mind wanders, acknowledge your thought then let it go and gently refocus your attention on the raindrops as they softly fall.…

Make yourself comfortable in bed. Begin by gazing upwards to gently tire your eyes. Take a deep breath in on a count of four and feel the air flow into your body, flowing deep into your diaphragm. Hold your breath for a count of two then exhale and allow everything to relax. Repeat this two or three times. Now close your eyes and imagine a gentle hill or winding fliht of stairs. Notice the colours, the textures, the scents and sounds. Visualise yourself walking slowly down the hill or stairs, exhaling and counting on each step down from 20 or 10. Repeat your gentle descent until you drift off.…