March - New beginnings

March was good. Spring is finally here and all the flowers bursting with colour in my garden and in the park make me happy.

I also spent a week in the mountains. Skiing, breathing fresh air, not looking at my phone and eating lots of cake. My ski instructor telling me daily to “Enjoy life”. Coming back I feel motivation again. Direction and positivity. Especially regarding work and my business. Such an important reminder that taking time off is so powerful in finding clarity and energy.

But maybe it’s not just the fresh mountain air. As my yoga teacher reminds me, the astrological new year only begins in March. This year on the 20th, when the Sun moves into Aries.

Whether you believe in it or not, I can well get on board with this. The beginning of Spring feels like a way more appropriate start to the year, than the first of January. Too cold, too dark. Spring offers new energy, new beginnings.

Anyway. Below are a few journal entries from this past month. Leaning into this new found energy.

Mandala

Set my alarm a little earlier to make it to a yoga class I haven’t been to before. Walking down my road, cold but sunny. I feel awake and energised already.

It’s a mandala flow. I haven’t really done this type of flow before. We start slow, yin moves. Then the instructor explains the mandala flow we will do, shows us the moves. And we flow. Three rounds of mandala, moving around the mat. Fast moving, connecting movement and breath. Focussing on the earth element this time, meaning lots of grounding postures. I feel good. After round 3, we slow down. Back into yin, stretching out. As I lie in Shavasana at the end of the class, the yoga instructor comes around, I smell subtle earthy notes of an essential oil. She presses down my shoulders gently, takes the underside of my neck and pulls it up. I feel realigned. Gentle movement and touch is so powerful. As I walk back after the class I feel elated, ready to take on the day. So worth the early alarm. I will make this a regular class.

Adult life

On the phone with one of my friends who had just had a baby. We establish that there’s always something these days. We always have to take care of something. Constant effort. There’s no real peace and quiet. We remember our early twenties, when everything seemed so much easier. Fewer worries, less effort. More free time?

Is that what being an adult is like - constant effort? Constantly optimising, taking care, researching, making decisions, working. When did it get like this and will it stay like that forever? Is all of that home made or just something that’s part of life?

I ask my mum and she shares that observation. Yes, there’s always something. Constant effort. In her pragmatic way she tells me her way of dealing with it: “Just do it. Don’t think about it for too long.”

And on the phone with my friend, we also come to the conclusion that we need to lower our expectations and enjoy the good moments. Not focus too much on the effort. Enjoy moments of lightness. 

The sun is shining through the window. I’m on the phone with my friend. No effort.

Croissant making

I love cooking and baking. Especially the latter, which I don’t do enough of, because I basically don’t want to end up eating cake everyday. But when there’s an occasion, I take the opportunity, get my apron on and spend a few hours in the kitchen. The best kind of meditation.

Since receiving “Sift” by Nicola Lamb for my birthday in October, I’m feeling very inspired again. Reading through the pages I’ve learnt so much and can only recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand baking better. But even if you don’t, the recipes I’ve tried so far are absolutely delicious.

Nicola also shares a croissant recipe in her book. And although I love croissants, I’ve been to scared to try making them myself so far.

But when I saw one of my favourite London bakeries - Comptoir - were offering croissants courses in their new bakery school, I just had to sign up.

And I just had the best day. Big smile on my face. Haven’t felt so happy in a long time. I learn how to knead the dough, how to laminate it, how to shape the croissant.

I’m so impressed by the result coming out of the oven. Taking a bite of a warm pain aux raisins. Probably the best one I’ve ever eaten.

I’m so happy, so excited, I have to call Harry as soon as the workshop is over. Can’t wait for 30 minutes it will take me to get home. Have to share my excitement right now. Harry enjoys my joy. And even more the bag of pastries that I bring home. Two of them we eat immediately, still a little warm, even though we’re about to go out for dinner.