Lumi Loves Lauren Wilkie
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Ever since this little Lumi walked through our doors, her radiant smile has been lighting Lumi up from the inside on our reception desk as well as on the outside as Lumi has taken to the streets. But it doesn’t stop there – all that forward moving energy will see her walking into another new space at the front of the studio today. Lauren will be taking our Lumi Lovers through a very special practice this afternoon at 2:30pm so we thought we’d find out more about the yogi behind that smile…
What first brought you to the mat?
I first tried yoga at university in Toronto, and when we moved to London in 2006, I bought a Shiva Rea DVD and dabbled off and on. It wasn’t until I had a highly stressful job and some problems with my feet (which meant I couldn’t run or do anything high impact), that I tried Bikram yoga and got back into Shiva Rea’s DVD. I didn’t turn back as it opened not only my body but my mind.
What does yoga mean to you?
For me, yoga is about cultivating a state of mind. It is not about doing postures to look a certain way, it is about being present, being true to yourself, and letting go of judgment. It is about allowing breath to flow, and anything irrelevant to slip away. What we work through on the mat, we can work through in our lives.
Bow or Boat?
I much prefer Bow Pose – bending the body backwards is exhilerating and energizing. Besides, Boat Pose is my nemesis; I always feel like I’m sinking rather than floating and prefer to work my core in other ways.
Are you a morning or a night person?
I am the annoying person who gets up early (and with a smile on my face too!) regardless of how late I go to bed; I always do my most important things first in the morning (warm water with lemon juice, a bit of yoga, some mindful contemplation, anything requiring a modicum of intelligent thinking) … I have lots of energy early on, but I sometimes fade as the day goes on, and 4pm is my mental productivity cut-off point.
Cooking or eating?
Cooking and then eating! I am totally obsessed with food and love to have fun in kitchen (lucikly, my husband doesn’t mind doing all the dishes I make, as long as he gets to eat what I’ve cooked). I make almost everything myself, including almond milk, almond butter, ghee, granola and my latest obsession – herby seed sauce to go on top of rice, buckwheat pasta or heaps of steamed and grilled vegetables. I also use homemade raw chocolate brownies to make friends when we go on holiday (they are always popular on the plane).
You can stay in touch with Lauren via her blog here.