Love your skin and the body within (are you coming?)

Summer’s here and I’m getting back into the swing of things after a gorgeous half-term with the family (here’s a snap of us enjoying Venice).

This week we celebrated our wedding anniversary too – a brilliant excuse to make sure I was looking and feeling my best 🙂

I’m so looking forward to the exclusive evenings I’m hosting this month to celebrate the launch of the new Genius Ultra over a glass (or two!) of champagne.

Do you…

• Want to feel the confidence of flawless, glowing skin?
• Feel self-conscious about sagging skin, sun damage or lines?
• Want to know you’re getting the maximum benefits from your skin serum, anti-ageing cream or RE9 products?
• Feel really aware of certain areas, maybe your forehead, around the eyes, lips, cheeks, neck…?
• Sometimes consider surgery or costly procedures?
• Want to save on your beauty costs? (The Genius will pay for itself in one use – AND comes with a free serum & Re9 contouring eye cream!)

Then join me at my home and try this amazing new skincare technology out for yourself!

Monday 20th June 8pm – 9.30pm
Wednesday 29th June 8pm – 9.30pm
(RSVP is essential as numbers are limited…)

The buzz about the Genius is HUGE right now – this is the first time these kinds of results have been possible outside high-end salons – this is after just 1 minute’s use:

No surprise that they’re selling out fast (the first batch went in just one week!) so click here to pre-order yours now.

 

For those of you I’ve not seen for a while, I’ll also be sharing some delicious things to nourish your body from within; creative ways to love your body with superfoods and the new additions to the Arbonne nutrition range… and some of the best selling complimenting skin products. Bring a friend along and you’ll get a free gift as well!

Just click here to send me a quick message and let me know which date you can make (20th or 29th June) and I’ll send you the full details. I’m really looking forward to connecting with you 🙂

See you there!

Love,
Katie

Want to be the first to try?

The first batch of this amazing new ultrasound skincare technology arrives in June, and I can’t wait to get my hands on mine! Do you…

• Want to give your skin a more flawless glow?
• Have sagging skin, sun damage or lines you’d love to reduce?
• Already use a skin serum, anti-ageing cream or any of the RE9 range (and would love to know you’re getting maximum benefits)?
• Ever feel self-conscious about certain areas like your forehead, around the eyes, lips, cheeks, neck…?
• Sometimes even secretly wonder about surgery?
• Want to save on your beauty costs? This will pay for itself in one use, and comes with a free serum & Re9 contouring eye cream!

If this is you, and you’re curious to see the next big advance in skincare technology for yourself, then join me for a very special VIP evening to see for yourself what the buzz is all about.

Seeing the amazing difference it can make in one minute’s use from the women around the world who were first to get their hands on it has got me so excited, especially with summer coming up.

They’re calling it “the next generation of skincare” and I can see why!

These kind of results would previously only have been available at high-end beauty salons. But this year, for the first time, women like you and me will be able to bring them into our daily skincare routines.

The first batch of Genius Ultras sold out within a week (!!), so if you want to be ahead of the skincare curve click here and pre-order yours now.

In the meantime I want to give you the chance to see this amazing device for yourself. So I’m hosting a couple of very special VIP champagne events at my house in South London next month.

Grab your diary now and see if either of these dates work for you:

Monday 20th June 8pm – 9.30pm
Wednesday 29th June 8pm – 9.30pm

RSVP is essential!

I want to share the Genius Ultra with as many of you as possible, but I’m keeping these evenings super-exclusive so that everyone who attends has time to get all their questions asked.

You’ll be among the first women in the country to see the Genius Ultra in action, and try it for yourself. We’ll share some bubbles and you’ll also be able to check out the latest Arbonne range (I’m especially excited about some of the new lipstick colours for the summer!)

Want to join me? Just click here to send me an email letting me know which date you’d like to attend – 20th or 29th June – and I’ll send you the full details.

See you in June!

Love,
Katie

NEW from Vegas: Expect the unexpected!

I spent last week in Las Vegas, for the Arbonne Global Training Conference (The theme for 2016 was Hello, Future!)

I’m so excited to show you the new products I brought home with me!

Vegas is renowned for its glitz, glamour, and the place’s uncanny ability to surprise you with something new and over the top at every turn. But this time, for me, the trip was unexpected in a completely different way.

You see, just a few days after arriving, the one thing I dreaded most happened.

I got sick.

Not a little bit sick. Not in a long-haul flight, run-down kind of way.

(After all, you know I’d been loading up on vitamins beforehand!)

No, I got sick in a full on flu, don’t-even-think-about-leaving-your-bed kind of way. The kind of sick that, as mums, we almost never allow ourselves to get… because we’re too busy looking after our families and caring for everyone else to actually take time off.

(In fact I was welcoming new people and making sure everyone was taken care of pretty much right up to the point where I couldn’t physically keep going!)

Having spent months preparing and looking forward to the trip you can imagine for yourself how frustrated I was to miss out on big chunks of the conference.

But once I began to accept that there was nothing I could do except rest and allow my body to heal in its own good time… that’s when things got interesting.

Because when life throws us a complete curveball – something we didn’t expect and that derails all our best-laid plans – something changes.

We have no choice but to sink into that moment and deal with whatever’s going on.

Lying in bed just resting is something I NEVER do. I always have so much on the go – you too?

What took me by surprise was how smoothly things flowed once I stopped trying to control them. When I got back to the UK, previous commitments suddenly freed up – a postponed deadline here, a rearranged meeting there – without me having to do anything.

All this time to rest and recover… It felt like a miracle!

And it made me wonder how often we’re really tough on ourselves, when the world is ready to give us a whole lot more help and care, if we only let ourselves receive it.

One thing didn’t change: I’ve come back from Vegas WOWED by what Arbonne’s been working on. (Seriously, this year there are some truly amazing developments I can’t wait to share…)

But I want to keep things really simple. So rather than hosting an event that we all need to get glammed up for, I’m inviting you to join me to find out all about about these brand new products from the comfort of your own home. In fact, you don’t even have to get dressed!

Over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to be hosting two exclusive Product Launch Pyjama Parties, live and online.

Make yourself a cuppa (or pour yourself a glass of something lovely), settle in and join me live via Zoom (links below).

I’ll give you the inside scoop on all the most exciting new Arbonne developments, fresh from their global launch, so you can ask questions, and get your hands on some really juicy deals before anyone else does!

Just drop me a message and let me know which of the events you’ll be joining (RSVP is essential!)

Tuesday 26th April 8:30pm–9pm: click here to join

Wednesday 4th May. 8:30 – 9pm: click here to join

Other ways to join:

iPhone one-tap:  14157629988,3826367564# or 16465687788,3826367564#,

Telephone: click here for the full list of numbers   Meeting ID: 382 636 7564

(If you want to meet up in person, just let me know too – I’ll be running a few in-person get togethers in May so we can get touchy-feely with the new products!)

And if like me you’re in need of some TLC, then give yourself a break for half an hour, join me in your comfiest clothes, and let me share how your daily routine’s about to get an upgrade.

See you there!

 

 

Photo credit: Bert Kaufmann via Foter.com / CC BY

A different way to balance work and family

This weekend I headed off for the big annual Arbonne Conference in Las Vegas.

(My pre-trip essentials? Phyto-sport hydration to hydrate me ahead of the long-haul flight and some proper sunshine;  and these intense hydration masks which I’ve been wearing overnight to juice up my skin and make sure I’m looking my best!).

It’s really inspiring to gather together with like minded people, and these days, that includes more and more Dads as well as mums, which is even more exciting to see. All of us have something in common, though.

Whether it’s full time employment, freelancing, consulting or coaching, we all know the juggle: Babysitters, busy schedules, begging and borrowing help wherever we can.

Luckily, you don’t need hours of uninterrupted time to run a successful Arbonne business.

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I used to think there were two choices after having kids: returning to a career that meant I’d never get to spend time with my family; or giving up my financial independence and stay at home with the children.

That all changed on a yoga mat in Palm Springs.

When I discovered Arbonne, I wasn’t looking for an opportunity. I had a one and three year old, and we were taking a much needed break from building work in our house and the impact of my husband changing careers.

I was running my own business at the time, and it was so small that when I went on holiday, it stopped too. (My one member of staff took a break at the same time, because I just didn’t have the headspace to keep it going while I was away!). If you’ve ever been self-employed or freelancing you probably know that feeling: If you stop working, you stop earning.

I’d galvanise myself to get back to work before the holiday was over, feeling the pressure to get back on it.

Then I met Diane. She told me that she’d retired, but the residual income she’d built up with Arbonne meant she was still earning.

Instead of going to an office, she’d meet people for coffee, help them start their own Arbonne businesses, and spend the rest of the time doing what she wanted. Her income was steady, whether she worked or not.

Suddenly I realised there was a different way, beyond the “working / stay-at-home-mum” paradigm I’d been feeling so limited by. I realised it was possible to focus on my own priorities – looking after my kids, following my own dreams – with the freedom of not having to worry about money at the same time.

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Have you ever recommended a great new restaurant or a film to a friend? When I love something, I talk about it, and recommend it to anyone who’ll listen. I’m the person who posts their latest discovery on Facebook and tells everyone I know. If I believe in something and I see the results, I want to spread the word. You too?

Every company in the world relies on people doing that. Arbonne’s secret is recognising that the person talking about it has an amazing value to them, and compensating us for it.

So when that person you’ve told about a brilliant new product decides to buy it, you’re rewarded. You’re not working when they place their order, and they’re not paying anything extra – but you’re getting paid. And so, in five minute spots here and there, over coffee and catch ups with friends, in our normal day to day lives and conversations, our businesses grow.

My team are flourishing, because of the amazing network of supporters we’ve built up. Loyal customers like you who love Arbonne products for their families, for the positive impact they have on the environment, and for the amazing value that comes when a company doesn’t spend money on advertising because it’s grown through word of mouth.

*

Now I feel as though I’ve come full circle, because the fashion career I put on hold when I started my family is a priority again.

I’ve finally got the time and the financial freedom, through Arbonne, to go back to designing and producing limited edition dresses and jackets through my clothing brand Forever Young.

It feels amazing. Like I can take a breath… stop holding on for dear life and relax into doing what I love again.

When I put pen to paper and start drawing, it’s like seeing an old friend. It’s been a really special, vulnerable time of reconnecting with what I’ve done before, and knowing that steady income is there in the background takes so much pressure off.

I’m excited to bring back classic styles to any woman who has that “what do I wear?” feeling when there’s a special event coming up. (I’m currently working on three designs: a rose dress, a wrap dress and a bow jacket…. Watch this space!)

Running an Arbonne business has been so much more than a little bit of part time income. It’s given me freedom, and flexibility, all based on the simplest of concepts – mums (and dads!) sharing what works for us and our families.

If you’re curious about Arbonne and want to find out if it could work for you, join us at a Discover Arbonne event (scroll down for the full list of upcoming dates). There’s no pressure, just honest sharing about how it all works and other women ready to answer all your burning questions, so you can decide if this is the opportunity for you.

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Discover Arbonne: Spring 2016

Wednesday 20th April
With AM Katie Young and DM Michelle McAtee
7:00pm for a 7:30pm start
At Poplar Rowing Club, Ferry Street, E14 3DT
Free – just buy a drink at the bar.
RSVP katienvp@me.com

Wednesday 27th April
With AM Katie Young and DM Michelle McAtee
At The Hospital Club, 24 St Endell Street, London WC2H 9HQ
RSVP katienvp@me.com

Saturday 7th May
Product Training Roadshow (For preferred clients and consultants only)
At Hotel Russell, 1-8 Russell Square
London WC1B 5BE
In-depth and valuable training on the newly launched products from GTC, from Field Leaders that are well informed and trained in their respective fields.

To register, log in to arbonne.com and select My Events > Arbonne Conferences > Product Training Roadshows

The secret to avoiding school holiday sniffles

I’m running a workshop for runners this month at the yoga studio, and reviewing the pre– and post– workout nutrition that ensures top performance and effective recovery, I had a realization.

I’m in training myself right now, and you probably are too.

OK, I’m not lacing up my trainers and pounding the pavements for miles, (unlike my amazing sister, who ran a half marathon last weekend).

But just like the athletes getting stuck in to the final prep for the London Marathon, I’m counting the days.

Why? Because this week is the start of the Easter holidays.

Like all of us mums, I’m getting ready for the juggling to begin: making sure to fit in time for a yoga class, managing work meetings and designing as well as keeping the girls holidays fun, rewarding and happy!

With the kids at home for up to a month, I can’t wait to break out of our normal routine and do the activities we don’t always get to do – creative, quality time that family memories are made of. To make the most of it, keeping us healthy, happy and full of energy is my number one priority.

Running a business and raising kids is always a bit of a juggling act, and that’s even more true in the school holidays. I can’t just press “pause” on the rest of my life when my family need more of my time.

With me trying to squeeze everything in; the kids fired up on the excitement of being off school; and free rein for late nights and busy days, the danger is that just when we thought we’d waved goodbye to winter colds and flu, the dreaded sniffles strike again.

Not on my watch! There are so many things we can do to make wellbeing the foundation of everything we’re doing.

Today I want to share with you my secret weapons to keep all of us happy, healthy, and having fun:

• For prevention, Arbonne’s Antioxidant and Immunity Support juices are the first thing I reach for.  They’re a complete boost which knock anything on the head that’s potentially draining your system. The extra nutrients in keep you really buoyant, so whatever nasty viruses are teetering – the tickle of a sore throat or the beginnings of a sniffle – can’t take hold.

• If things have gone past the “run down” stage and into full on sneezing, nose blowing, and the rest… I pull out the big guns! I grab a Digestion Plus Supplement which includes a probiotic/prebiotic enzyme to support gut immunity and promote good bacteria growth. (These are the first thing my husband reached for when he came down with a virus a few weeks ago… )

• When overtiredness strikes, stress tends to cause an acidic reaction in the body; it also often has us craving more acidic foods (think: bread, pasta, sugar…) I add a scoop of Greens Balance to my morning smoothie and glug that down first thing in the morning, before anything else. Getting that alkaline balance in first thing feels like it really sets me up for the day ahead.

• My final tip? It’s free and totally effective, but can be the hardest thing to action. Over the next few weeks, be sure to stop and give your body and mind a break from endless activities. If home feels hectic, that might mean escaping to a gentle yoga class, soaking in a long bath or taking a walk by yourself to soak up the spring energy.

Recharging ourselves is so important, and with the right balance we can all make it through the holidays all the way to the finish line. Here’s to you and the amazing challenge that is motherhood – whether it feels like a marathon or a sprint, you’re doing amazingly.

Love, Katie

How Do You Do It?

I have a question for you today.

Be honest: Mother’s Day aside, how often do you put yourself first?

Personally, taking care of me has been the last thing on my mind lately amid the usual plans, priorities and unexpected emergencies. Preparing for one daughter’s first time staying away from home; a confirmation at the weekend; tough choices about school transitions; demanding deadlines at work; forgotten lunches and tummy aches… Sound familiar?

“How do you do it all?” someone asked me recently.

It’s a good question!

(Sometimes, when I’ve been rushing round for other people all day and it’s 9 o clock at night before there’s the remotest chance of 5 minutes to myself, it feels like I’m not “doing it” at all.)

But when I gave it some thought, I realised my real answer to “how do we do it?” is this: to be the best we can be, in all our different roles, we have to learn to put ourselves first.

It’s definitely something I’m working on! One of my biggest challenges since becoming a mother has been learning that to give my family the love and support they need, I have to love and value myself.

Arbonne has been an unexpected champion of this for me. Running this business has encouraged me to go beyond my limitations in all the areas I’m committed to: being a mum, being a wife, and making the most of my talents to make a difference in the world.

When I started,  I didn’t have any spare money for me. I was paying off a debt from my previous business, bringing up two young children and my partner’s income was keeping us afloat – there were no extra funds just for “me”.

Arbonne was an opportunity to change all that. But it came with a challenge.

As part of the mentoring I received, I was encouraged to live my best life, using a 3-pronged approach to goals that was new to me:

• Firstly, take care of your responsibilities: cover any gap in your finances that’s causing you strain, to give your family the extras they need
• Then fill your own cup. What do you want that you can’t currently have because you don’t have available funds?
• Finally, look outwards. When your own cup’s overflowing, what can you do to make a difference in the world and to everyone else around you? What’s your big vision, your big purpose, the impact you want to make.

This approach challenged me to see that I can only make the biggest difference I can in the world if I really commit to looking after my own needs first.

That’s the foundation from which I can use my talents fully to make the biggest difference I can in our lives, and show others how to do the same.

My first goals for me were to have a massage once a month, and to save up for a new sewing machine. Self-care and self-expression are so often the first things that go out of the window when we have children.

(Many mothers never get those things back – Jada Pinkett-Smith brilliantly articulates why they’re so important in this video… )

So today I’m inviting you to think about putting yourself first. What have you not done for a long time to make yourself feel beautiful and worth more?

It doesn’t have to cost money. It might be taking fifteen minutes to sit down with a pen and paper and draw something.

Having a conversation with friends about what really matters to you.

Sinking into a long, lavender-infused bath with a facemask and a cup of herbal tea.

Giving yourself time to feel beautiful, to express yourself through colour. To play.

One thing my clients have found a really fun way to connect is to join me for a rummage through the Arbonne lipstick range (Luxury and Pure Health). We meet up for half an hour or so to find out your lipstick personality, try on some new colours and spend time together.

I love that Arbonne helps me spend time looking after me, and sharing what is so important to us all. Time to browse in comfort – how much more pleasurable than toxin-filled products and passionate sales assistants at a Department store!

Click here to book your session.

 

30 days to transform your health, happiness and habits for life

At the end of December 2015 I started making time to organise my plan for a Healthy Detox in 2016 starting the 30 days healthy living and beyond.

Last year 16 of us started in Jan & Feb and we had such incredible results and fun that we carried on using 80/20 rule for the whole year and continued to improve our health, weight and energy for a fuller life! We lost 2-3 inches each round out waists, cut cholesterol levels in half and up to a stone in weight for some of us and high energy and serotonin levels in the first 30days – We were unstoppable !!

it’s was fun to as we inspired each other with what’s app msgs, recipes and pictures! No wander we carried on! We want to offer benefits to other friends too and sharpen our regime again!

Although we have a few days to go before we officially start on the 4th January, we will begin by posting some questions about why we need to detox plus tips on how to get started.

The healthy living kit as Preferred client is reduced from £325 to just £194 and will last you 1-2 months depending on how many smoothies a day you do! And for us Consultants it’s just £163!! We get 50% off only available till the 31st Jan!

Www.katieyoung.arbonne.com

The ideas and snacks you can create or buy are packed with super foods and illiminate toxins and weight!

Also with regard to a shopping list; many of the items (with the exception of fresh foods) can be bought now, so that you are all ready when we start. For recipes and shopping lists go to http://www.beatynation.com. Dr Barbara Beaty has a PHD in nutrition and has built a business that sits at the top level of Arbonne and gave up her practice to focus on Arbonne as her patients recieved better results!

We will start the count down from 1st Jan. This will enable you to add anyone you feel will benefit from joining us and it will also begin to help align your mindset with the changes YOU PERSONALLY need to achieve. See below

Not everyone will be wishing to Detox for weight loss, in fact many of you may wish to realign in other areas of your life.

Remember this is a very HOLISTIC APPROACH to detoxing, following the Detox Bootcamp Group’s advice from experts, so we will be focusing on many areas, not solely on food!!

However, I think there are possibly some of us that have completely over indulged this Xmas, have had great fun in the process but will be ready to get started in January.

I highly reccomend joing the Facebook group Clean & Lean 2016

Happy Healthy new you and remember great glowing skin and health and comes from inside outside approach.
Love Katie x

Want your daughters to be successful? Be a working Mum

There might not be a single policy that can eliminate gender equality, but a new Harvard Business School study shows that being raised by a working mum comes close

My journey as a mother and business owner has been trial and error battle for that work / life balance. Starting of my ventures in the world of business as a fashion designer, I felt a profound passion for my work. But when I had my two girls, I became torn between independent financial success and fulfilment and being a stay-at-home mum.

It was truly incredible timing when I discovered Arbonne six years ago, I learned so many new skills which I have subsequently been able to apply to my other (successful!) businesses. As an Arbonne consultant, I can not only help my own family use the purest and healthiest products, but I am bringing two extra incomes into the home, (that’s one per daughter!)

Join my ever-growing global business and you too could help change Health, Wealth and Wellbeing of families around the world -as well as inspire your own children to do the same. After reading this Guardian article, I can cast aside any guilt society may have lead me to feel and relish in my pride of being a great role-model. Together we can challenge ourselves to grow, and to grow our businesses around our family. This, in turn, will inspire our children, boys or girls, to aim higher in life.

“Concerning and troubling”, “watching society dissolve around us”, “the disintegration of marriage”, “something going terribly wrong”, “hurting our children” and “tearing us apart”. These are just a handful of Fox News pundits’ responses to the revelation that 40% of American mothers have become their family’s sole or primary breadwinner.

These were not isolated opinions. In recent years, headlines across a number of publications have ranged from “Working mothers ‘damage their child’s health’”, to “Working mothers risk damaging their child’s prospects” to (at the more extreme end of the spectrum) “How feminism demeans women and destroys families.” And, according to a 2007 survey by the Pew Research Center, 41% of the US population agreed that the trend towards mothers working outside the home was a bad thing for society. Just 22% believed it to be a good thing.

But a new study from Harvard Business School’s recently launched Gender Initiative shows that working mothers are not the destroyers of marriage and society that some would have us believe. The as yet unpublished study of 50,000 adults in 25 developed countries found that women who grew up with working mothers not only earn more than their peers with stay-at-home mothers, but are also more likely to have supervising roles at work.

Kathleen McGinn, a professor at HBS and one of the authors of the study, sums up what the findings mean: “There is no single policy or practice that can eliminate gender gaps at work and at home. But being raised by a working mother appears to come very close.”

Contrary to widespread belief, the researchers also found little evidence to suggest that a mother’s choice to work or to stay at home has any major impact on their children’s happiness. “Controlling for education, employment, income and other demographic variables, children of working mums and children of stay-at-home mums report equal levels of happiness as adults – not happier, not less happy.”

The results suggest that instead of looking to demonise one set of mothers for getting it “wrong”, we can instead celebrate the fact that there are benefits to be reaped from a wide variety of women’s personal choices. “We hope these findings will challenge stereotypes about working mums ‘harming’ their children,” say the report’s authors, “and will help working mums feel confident that they are contributing to their sons’ and their daughters’ lives in lots of positive ways. We also hope the findings from our research will promote respect for the spectrum of choices women and men make at home and at work.”

So instead of criticising women’s choices for hurting their families, it is time to celebrate them for the varied and rich benefits they bring. And while we’re at it, we might also stop to wonder why fathers’ parenting decisions and career choices rarely appear in the debate at all.

Read the full article here

How to be Clean and Lean in 30days!

By the end of last year I was drinking alcohol everyday, addicted to the three monkeys (wine, coffee and sugar) and more stressed and overweight than I’d been in years. It’s the usual crutches many of us lean on when stressed, and boy was I stressed! As well as my usual workload and family life, my husband and I were building and launching a hot yoga school. Talk about piling on the pressure!
However by January we were on our knees, the crutches now part of the problem. Ready to detox and give up the nasties we were addicted, to, we took on The Arbonne 30 Days to healthy Living & Beyond Challenge! We put our Fit Kit orders in (link to fit kit) – at 50% off as a consultant and 40% off for Preferred Clients – got stocked up on greens, fruit, super foods, lean proteins and a months supply of the NEW Evolution Full Control (link)
I put a shout out to friends and a few clients who I knew either wanted to find a way to a new body, or to create new habits and improve their health. What did they have to do? For just 30 days, give up coffee, gluten, alcohol, sugar and dairy, eliminating all toxins and replacing with super foods only.
We supported each other, shared highs and lows, but mostly celebrated the ease and incredible results. OK, OK, the first few days were a teeny bit tough but as soon as you start to feel better, well it couldn’t be easier. Improved energy, better sleep and clearer skin were the goals and whilst I lost no weight according to the scales I lost a whopping 5 cm around my waist, and 7.5cm around my hips!
Now we are the happy healthy eating gang addicted to true NATURAL highs!

Testimonials:
“In 2014 my cholesterol was 7.2 and I was being advised to start taking statins, which I felt very unsure of. My weight was creeping up and I felt sluggish so I figured I had nothing to lose. After 45 days I had my cholesterol retested and my cholesterol was 4.6 – the lowest I ever had.” Anon Male

“I started the 30 day fit as I had put on 30kilos in last 5 yrs. After doing 2 super food and protein smoothies a day, I found my body loved them and I did not miss anything. After 15 days I noticed I began to feel so calm and cope with everything so much easier. And the thing I am most surprised by is that I got my energy back! I measured my neck and I was 3cm smaller, and my hips were 5cm smaller!! ” Claudia

“I started the new regime just over a month ago and have now lost half a stone. Have noticed my shape is changing unlike other weight loss diets I have tried, I like this is becoming easy for my lifestyle” Mary

Love & happiness
Katie x

Going full circle

Today was special. My husband and I went to a yoga class together. It was the last time we would be practicing in Fierce Grace City studio (formerly Bikram yoga) together, after 12years. It marked the end of an era, and the beginning of our new adventure together.
My yoga journey began in Hong Kong 17 years ago and I am even more present to the connection and cycle of life as I am now on a plane to Hong Kong where the journey began. I had no idea until that yoga class today, how significant that first ever yoga class was, with Robyn, in a tiny dark room on Lamma Island, Hong Kong territories, because I had nothing else to do and I knew no one. Amazing how pivotal loneliness and being open to try anything to fill the void can be. It was also the place I first discovered spirituality and how desperately lacking it I was.

The cycle goes full Circle as when I return from Hong Kong next Friday we will be 1 week away from opening our own hot yoga studio in Brixton – 5 minutes from our home, the area I have been around for 21years when I first came to live in Camberwell with my first job. The reason it’s a big surprise and awaking experience is I have been denying the yoga studio has any real significance to me and that is more of a dream I’ve been helping my husband to fulfill. I had forgotten I had been the one who discovered yoga long before I met him and had danced with the idea of being a yoga instructor even though he is the one who is now the qualified teacher.

The other reason is because for me HK was not just about my self discovery, but more where I have developed a strong and successful fashion design and manufacturing business. Before today I thought my trip to HK and China was solely for my overseeing my manufacturing project. But now I also realise it is massively more significant and a chance to revisit my old yoga guru Robyn, who has now built the most successful yoga business in Hong Kong, Yoga Central and moved it to Hong Kong Island itself!