Category Archives: Reflections

My thoughts, ideas, interests, aspirations…

2017: A year of firsts

30 Saturday Dec 2017

Posted by in Arts, Fitness, Food, Reflections, Visual Arts, Wellbeing, Yoga

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It’s that time of year again. A time to reflect on the past 12 months and make resolutions for the New Year. My year has been a whirlwind of new stuff: I’ve entered unknown territories, tried things for the first time, and discovered new exhibitions and conventions in London.

If there’s anything I’ve learnt from all this, it’s that trying new things opens your mind to other cultures, different ways of thinking, and can be a great source of inspiration. Doing new things that scare you, in particular, can challenge you to confront your fears. Often our fears are based on the unknown or misconceptions, but it can actually turn out to be really exciting if you just take the leap.

Here are some of my highlights…

New experiences

Learnt to swing on a flying trapeze

I never dreamed I’d be flying around on a trapeze this year. But one of my friends had tried it before and took me with her…so I just went for it. Here’s the post I wrote about the whole terrifying (yet amazing) ordeal at Gorilla Circus.

Face your fears with flying trapeze

Learnt to ride a horse

Here’s another thing I’d always been too scared to do. But on a trip to Loch Ness with my friends who’d ridden before, I thought I’d give it a go. I was in safe hands riding ‘Bilbo’ – one of Highland Riding Centre‘s most docile horses. After a quick lesson, we were off on a trek! And once I’d got the hang of it, it was actually quite relaxing riding around in the beautiful Scottish highlands.

Tried mermaid pose

I’ve reached the stage where I don’t need to master every pose to enjoy my yoga practice. Just the simple fact that I’m breathing in the moment, thinking of nothing else, is enough for me. Trying a new asana is just a by-product of turning up to the yoga studio. That’s how mermaid pose happened…

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Tried bubble waffles

Also known as egg waffles, this Hong Kong delicacy became one of the top food trends of 2017, with stores popping up all over London. I went for Hatch Waffles in Soho and had them with matcha ice cream, red beans and mochi – very filling but absolutely delicious.

Tried making sushi

I was lucky enough to win an Instagram giveaway for this Clearspring Luxury Japanese Sushi Kit, so I made sure it was put to good use…

New holidays

Liverpool

This was an eventful one. Our journey there was almost thwarted by Storm Doris – instead of a three-hour train journey, it took us an entire day. But that didn’t stop us from packing in The Beatles Story, Albert Dock, The Cavern Club and creative hub the Bluecoat. We even found matcha lattes at Leaf, snuggled up with cocktails in Cosy Club and danced the night away in Alma De Cuba – a Brazilian club inside an 18th-century church!

Budapest

A raving recommendation from a friend lead us to splash out on the world-famous Hotel Gellért with its Art Nouveaux style and extravagant spa. Think ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’. We spent a fair amount of time bathing in its delicious thermal pools, before soaking in the Széchenyi Baths across town. Out of the water, we also explored the Jewish Quarter, the ‘ruin bar’ Szimpla Kert, and took a boat up the Danube to the picturesque Margaret Island.

Scotland

Starting in Edinburgh, we ticked off tourist spots like the castle and Diagon House (Harry Potter shop), spent a day enjoying free comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe, and scaled Arthur’s Seat. A few of us then went on a road trip up to Loch Ness; we arrived at nightfall and woke up to a spectacular view of the loch itself. Here we went waterfall chasing, horse riding (see above) and Nessie spotting on the lake. On the last night we even made a camp fire, and I may have taken a dip in the water…

Ibiza

My friend and I popped our Ibiza cherries with a relaxing break in Cala Llonga. The average guest age at our hotel was about 40, but we thoroughly enjoyed the peace and quiet. The Palladium Hotel Cala Llonga is built into the cove itself, so has a stunning view of the sea at all times. But it wouldn’t be Ibiza without partying, so of course we went to see Kygo play at Ushuaia.

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Florida

Okay I may have been to Orlando a few times before, but this was the first time with my boyfriend. And so much has changed, it was almost a different place. What with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (truly magical!); the recently built water park, Volcano Bay (awesome); and the new Pandora area in Animal Kingdom (absolutely amazing). Another scary first was driving a hire car – an automatic – on the other side of the road. So weird.

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New conventions

Fare Healthy

The Truman Brewery on Brick Lane played host to this festival of all things food, fitness and wellbeing. I enjoyed a hilariously fun class from the Boys of Yoga, heard some inspiring talks from the pros and picked up plenty of healthy freebies and matcha goodies.

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First ever Comic Con

When I found out that my idol, director and podcaster Kevin Smith, was coming to the UK, I had to get tickets to the London Film and Comic Con. Not only did we get to see him do a live podcast with Scott Mosier, we actually got to meet him!

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First cosplay at Comic Con

Having enjoyed the first one so much, we returned dressed in cosplay. I was such a geek about it I planned my costume months in advance…and spent a pretty penny on all the paraphernalia. My favourite part of the day was all the kids waving at me – and the little girl who wanted to take a selfie with me made my day. Thanks again to the guy who turned my cosplay photo into fan art…

 

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New exhibitions

Orchid Festival

On my first ever visit to Kew Gardens, I went for the annual Orchid Festival. This year’s display took inspiration from India, with flowers arranged in the shape of peacocks, elephants and tigers. Oh my!

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Art of the Brick – DC Superheroes

Who knew you could make such beautiful comic book art out of Lego? From Aquaman in the bath (or you could say ‘in his element’) to Superman in flight, the exhibits were absolutely bricktacular.

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The Fan Museum

This Greenwich attraction was the venue for my friend’s birthday – and what a hidden gem it is. After admiring a range of ornate and imaginative fans, we had a spot of afternoon tea in the Orangery, with its beautifully painted murals.

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Adventures in Moominland

This experiential exhibition at Southbank Centre was made even more special by the fact that photography was prohibited. It now exists only in my mind. After literally stepping inside a Moomin story book, our enthusiastic and knowledgable guide took us on an immersive journey through Moominland, punctuated along the way with various original sketches and artefacts.

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Japanese House

As a lover of all things Japanese, I jumped at the chance to learn more about the culture at this Barbican exhibition. It was a satisfying combination of perfect diaramas, both miniature and life size. And, as someone who’s in the process of decluttering, I was totally inspired by the minimalism – a carefully placed plant or trinket can be all you need to decorate a space.

New Year’s Resolutions: blog more often and write shorter posts…

Namaste bitches!

Yoga Panther x

It’s all about the balance

11 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by in Lifestyle, Mind, Reflections, Wellbeing

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“Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air” – Brandi Fitzgerald

You know that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you’re doing something you enjoy? The satisfaction of completing a painting, mastering a new trick, or laughing your arse off with your pals.

Whatever makes you happy, are you getting enough of it?

Every now and then it’s important to take a step back from everything and ask yourself this question. That way you can find out whether you’re getting the balance right, or toppling over.

I like to think of life as a pair of scales:

  • Obligations are on one side (things you have to do e.g. eat, sleep, work)
  • Options are on the other side (extra things that bring you joy e.g. hobbies, well-being, leisure, relationships)

So if you work too much, that side will be too heavy and you’ll need to compensate by doing more of the things you enjoy. On the flip side, if you spend your whole time at leisure, you’ll have no purpose.

Make time for what you love

I recently had a bit of an epiphany. I realised that I hadn’t done any of the things I used to enjoy in a long long time. I hadn’t blogged, sketched or been to a yoga class in god knows when. I hadn’t read, gone running or seen my friends and family as much as I would have liked. I was just going through the motions: Eat. Sleep. Work. Repeat.

But once I figured out that my obligations were outweighing my options, I did something about it to balance the scales…

Hello Groupon yoga deals. Also this 30 day yoga challenge has been awesome. I’ve started reading The Secret, which is blowing my mind. And, oh look, I’m blogging right now (and it’s my 100th post) – go me! I’m starting to feel like myself again 🙂

How to get the balance right

It’s not easy. It involves a lot of willpower and sometimes sacrifices have to be made, but here’s how you can start to give your life a bit more balance.

1)  Consider

Think about the different parts of your life such as work, fitness, hobbies, well-being, family, friends, other halves.

2)  Examine

Are you happy with how much time you spend on each aspect? Are you spending longer on your obligations than your options or vice versa?

3)  Decide

What’s most important to you? You should focus on these things and if something’s not important to you, don’t waste your time on it.

4)  Plan

Come up with a plan of action for getting more of what you enjoy into your life. Schedule in gym classes, make plans with friends, re-visit that hobby you thought you had no time for.

5)  Do

Follow your plan and make any adjustments to your routine so that your life is balanced. And stick to it!

Don’t forget

  • Your priorities may have changed

When I was little, my life goal was to be a mermaid with long flowing hair. Obviously that’s changed a bit – but I still try to keep up my swimming! Check in with yourself and decide what really matters to you NOW.

  • Your job isn’t everything

Yes it’s important, and you should make sure you’ve done your full day’s work, but anything more and you’ll be missing out on time for yourself. Make sure there is a divide between the two. Work to live, don’t live to work.

  • Those ZZZs

If you’re like me and you don’t want a waste a single second of the day, so you stay up late getting stuck in a YouTube loop – think again! It’s so important to get those 8 hours. I know it’s lame, but give yourself a bed time. You’ll thank me the next day when you’re feeling spritely and focused.

  • Variety is the spice of life

Do something different every day. Go running one day, binge watch Netflix another day (because your legs ache like hell), see friends the next. You don’t want to get bored. Heck, why not try something new every day. Wear something you wouldn’t normally wear. Take a different route home. Try a new food.

…to make each day count!

How to think positively: Key tips and tricks

03 Wednesday Dec 2014

Posted by in Mind, Psychology, Reflections, Wellbeing

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Focus on your breath: take in a deep breath, and as you inhale, feel the positive energy flowing into you…then, as you exhale, feel the negativity leaving your body…now relax as you draw your attention to the top of your head, your face, your shoulders, your arms…

My first session of Positive Thinking at Inner Space began with us feeling completely relaxed and carefree in a meditative state.

Week one of this three-week course involved understanding what exactly positive thinking is: the kind of thoughts we have and how we can try to experience more positivity, despite our circumstances.

When asked why we were all there, most of us said something along the lines of:

  • “I’m going through a tough time right now and I’d like to learn how to cope.”
  • “I often have negative thoughts and I want to know how to avoid them.”
  • “I think being more positive would improve my health.”

If this sounds like you too, read on!

Four types of thought

We were told that on a normal day we have about 60,000 thoughts, which can be a combination of:

  1. Positive thoughts: benefit yourself and others e.g. happiness, acceptance, gratitude, love and peace.
  2. Negative thoughts: harm yourself and others e.g. anxiety, fear, doubt, envy and greed.
  3. Waste thoughts: have no value e.g. random musings, thinking about the past/future and pointless planning.
  4. Necessary thoughts: accompany everyday tasks such as eating, drinking, working etc.

What is a thought?

We were given the analogy that a thought is like a seed that you plant in the soil (your mind). Your life is the garden and you, the gardener, are in control of its upkeep.

You can either water the seeds with positivity so that healthy plants and flowers grow (positive feelings and actions), or neglect the seeds and allow weeds to grow (negative feelings and actions).

You also need a fence around your garden so that people don’t throw rubbish into it. This is the metaphorical shield you need to prevent the harmful things in your life from influencing/affecting you.

Apparently it’s completely possible to have a garden full of beautiful flowers and plants, and not a single weed. You and only you are in charge of your garden.

Ways to think positively

1) Live in the moment!

Put simply:

Past = Pain

Future = Fear

Present = 🙂

And you can aim to live your life in the present by:

  • Focusing on the task at hand.
  • Doing things you enjoy, whether that’s yoga, listening to music or seeing friends.
  • Learning to meditate.

2) SOS

This is a handy acronym for consciously changing the way you think:

Step back: from a negative thought

Observe: your thought process

Steer: your thought in a positive direction

So basically, once you’re aware you’re thinking negatively, replace that negative thought with a positive one.

3) Examples of positive thoughts 

…towards:

Yourself: you are unique: accept and believe in yourself.

Others: everyone is equal: appreciate, help and be grateful towards others.

Past: accept it, let go and move on.

Future: look forward to it and anticipate that you will succeed.

Can’t wait for next week!

I’m alive!

21 Tuesday Oct 2014

Posted by in Careers, Reflections, Wellbeing

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It’s been almost a year since I wrote my post, Brighton to London: The life of a commuter. I had no idea of the delays, boredom and general f**k-uppery that was to come with commuting for 4 hours. Every. Single. Day.

But that’s all over now, as I’ve finally made the move to London!

Goodbye 6am starts, falling asleep on the last train home and trying to split my life between two cities…oh hai half-hour commute, more time to explore London and LIE INS.

And the reason for all this was starting my first full-time job at Hogarth Worldwide one year ago. How time has flown.

So I just wanted to let you know that I haven’t dropped off the face of the earth. I’m alive.

In many ways…

I’ve survived 12 months in the world of work. During that time I’ve progressed from proofreader to copywriter and along the way I’ve met some awesome people and become more confident.

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I’ve discovered my passion for yoga – it’s now my go-to hobby for stress relief, fun, mindfulness, building strength, flexibility and endurance, and a sense of achievement (so far I’ve managed a headstand, handstand and a walkover).

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I’ve learnt to skateboard – something I always wanted to do as a kid, but never had the opportunity. Rad.

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I got a tattoo! It only took 5 minutes but it was pretty damn painful. So pleased with it though. Totally worth it.

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I’ve grown to love London despite it being a sweaty, busy, MASSIVE place.

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Oh and I jumped out of a plane and lived to tell the tale (and raised £373.75 for children’s charity, Coram)!

10653450_10152351900407321_7502394565063152516_nDon’t get me wrong, I am going to miss Brighton. A lot. Especially my yoga teacher, the beach and the amazing views. I mean, hello…

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What would I do without Instagram?

But moving to London had to be done. I’m much happier now – I have so much more time and I feel more grounded being in one place.

I’m now looking forward to the next chapter of my life living in London, spending more time with my friends and going on adventures in the city…

…to make each day count!

New year, new resolutions

05 Sunday Jan 2014

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So around this time last year I made some New Year’s resolutions. Before I commit to making more, let’s see how I got on in 2013…

1) Complete my NCTJ 

I did indeed complete my journalism diploma, with flying colours in fact as I achieved the Gold Standard (all A-C grades) – I was even one of the few to manage to get a B on the ridiculously difficult reporting exam. Boom.

2) Get a job!

I have a job! Doing well so far…So yes last October I got a call from Hogarth Worldwide saying I had a job as a proofreader. It’s been great fun. I’ve met lots of interesting people, had a few too many glasses of vino at the Christmas party and I’ve even been able to do a bit of copywriting on the side. I’m actually about to take on a 3 month copywriting project for one of their clients!

Hogarth Christmas Party

Hogarth Christmas Party

3) Go running every week

Urm, so about that. I think I could probably count on one hand the amount of times I went running last year. BUT after starting my job I now go spinning most weeks with my work mates (and spinning is way hard core). AND I found my perfect yoga class in Brighton at Revitalise so I go there most weeks…and I’m even looking into finding a yoga class in London for my lunch breaks. I ❤ YOGA.

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4) Train for the 5k Swimathon 

I did train for the 5k Swimathon – so well in fact that I had to overtake everyone in my lane several times. I managed to swim the 200 lengths in about 2 hours. Not bad if I do say so myself.

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5) Cut down on the French Fancies and McCoys

Okay, so I can’t resist the odd French Fancy here and there, but on the plus side I haven’t had a packet of McCoys in ages.

6) SAVE MONEY – unless I complete (2)

Hmm. So I may have a job now, but it always amazes me how quickly that money vanishes on rent, train fare, bills and food. This one will have to roll on to 2014…

7) Blog once a week

I blog…sometimes?

8) Go somewhere exotic with money from (2)

Can you call Belgium exotic? Just look at it (see below). Yes we returned to Pukkelpop Festival once more for three days of great music, camping and very friendly Belgian men. Highlights were: Eminem, The Prodigy, The XX, Bonobo, Major Lazer, Zeds Dead, The Noisettes, Regina Spektor and Duke Dumont.

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Other highlights of 2013:

  • Met The 1975, as well as Fossil Collective and United Ghosts
  • Interviewed Newton Faulkner
  • Jillionaire of Major Lazer grinded on me after their gig…
  • Saw SKRILLEX, the one artist I’ve wanted to see for ages, and he rocked it
  • Saw Deap Vally, my favourite rock & roll girl band
  • Work Experience at Time Out, MoneySupermarket.com, The Spirits Business
  • Attended an eventful Belvedere vodka launch party with my boyfriend
  • Became features editor for This Festival Feeling and reported on Isle of Wight fest (saw Ellie Goulding, The Killers, Bon Jovi…)
  • Freelanced for Identity Inc and wrote content for Holiday-Weather.co.uk
  • Got my first 6-page magazine feature published in Monarch Airlines in-flight magazine, Passport
  • Raved it up at South West Four Festival
  • Got dip-dyed at Field Day Festival
  • Drank lots at Crawley Folk & Beer Festival
  • Rolled around in a ball pit on my 22nd birthday night out
  • Saw Ellie Goulding for the third time…”Goodness gracious I can’t seem to stop”
  • Countless BBQs, trips to Brighton beach and nights out on the town with my Sussex ladies

So all in all, an EPIC year and one that will be very hard to beat. Although I’ve already made three plans for 2014 with my boyfriend which should be awesome:

  • Harry Potter Studio Tour, London (next week!)
  • Paris for Valentine’s weekend
  • DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL – oh my god Linkin Park!!!

Anyway back to those New Year’s resolutions. Basically, as I have a very hectic lifestyle now what with commuting to London for work, I just want to make sure I do more of the things that make me happy. I want to:

  • Lose myself in music
  • Do stupid things with my friends
  • Practice yoga (and eventually do a headstand)
  • Paint
  • Play the keyboard
  • Make full use of my Kindle
  • Have date nights with my boyfriend
  • Save up! (I know money doesn’t equal happiness, but it helps!)

Side note: I’ve decided to go dry for January for various reasons, however my boyfriend is currently brewing wine in our bathroom, so we’ll see how that pans out.

Bring on 2014!

Brighton to London: The life of a commuter

26 Saturday Oct 2013

Posted by in Careers, Reflections

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LondonI’ve just finished week two of my job as a proofreader at Hogarth World Wide, and I am shattered! Here’s why:

5:30am – Alarm goes off

7:14am – Get the train from Brighton to London Victoria

9:00am – Start work

6:00pm – Finish work

Sometime around 7:45pm – Get home, eat and watch TV

10:00pm – Sleep

And repeat!

Exhausting right? I don’t even have time to eat in the morning so I have to take my cereal or porridge on the train! On the plus side I’ve got a lot of reading done – it’s quite nice to just have 2 hours each day where I have nothing to do except chill out.

Breakfast at 80mph

Breakfast at 80mph

But then there’s the sweaty rush through the underground with all the other working folk and the frequent feeling of being a sardine. However working in London has its perks – my office is conveniently located on Shaftesbury Avenue so my lunch breaks are often spent wandering Seven Dials and Covent Garden…

The most extravagant Jack Wills

The most extravagant Jack Wills

This place smelt so good!

I just wanted to smell ALL the tea

One day I even went to Christie’s art gallery with some colleagues…

'Ghost'

‘Ghost’

Work itself is going well and I’m gradually getting used to all the programs and procedures. Everyone’s been really friendly and we all went for drinks last week. I had my new starter induction this week where people from all the different departments told us what they do and about all the work they’ve done for various blue-chip clients. It still amazes me that Hogarth grew from 14 employees to about 1000 in just 5 years. Afterwards I was just like: ‘Wow, I work here…this is such an awesome company!’

Mulled wine and Big Ben!

Mulled wine and Big Ben!

And now that I have a full time job, I really appreciate the weekends. Last night I went for drinks with Laura who also works in London and we had a lovely evening wandering around the Southbank. After a couple of cocktails at Opal Bar we browsed the ‘Real Food Market’ and nibbled on free samples of cured meats, mulled wine, Moroccan chicken and then we shared a giant burger. Hopefully the first of many adventures in London…

I feel so grown up!