Peaky Blinders

For those of you that have seen the first series of Peaky Blinders, you will know well the intriguing story line, the allure of Cillian Murphey, the fabulous 1920’s gangster style (a big step away from Bugsy Malone!) and the all important girl power. For those of you that haven’t seen it, I suggest watching it IMMEDIATELY on BBC iPlayer. How much this stays true to the reality of the real Peaky Blinders, I’m not so sure. However, compelling viewing this does make.

Now into the second episode of the second series and I find myself rushing home just to watch it already. Everything must stop for this hour, nothing else exists. I’m not even a ‘TV’ person but seriously this is go-od. Oh and just to make this even more of a must see – Tom Hardy has appeared! Ding-dong!

For this post I want to concentrate on style.

It’s all in the tiny details. The way that the men and women dressed to impress, the non-existence of casual clobber, the absolute quality of the cut. Clothes were made to last, not three months, but for years. Clothes were made of strong, hard wearing British made fabrics. Clothes were made by hand either in the home or for the very wealthy, by a tailor.

The men were not concerned with frivolous, foppish attire but more of a smart, slick and paired down silhouette. The baker boy hat, the wool top coat, the tweed waistcoat and the round neck shirt with attachable stand collar and the all important collar clips. Think Boardwalk Empire but in a very British way – simple, chic and lots of black! The influence that Peaky Blinders has had on mens fashion has been immense. From the surge in undercut hair styles and facial grooming to the rise in gorgeous brogues and well cut proper trousers.

New women’s winter style icon: Polly Shelby. Everyday glamorous is the new casual. A hat with feathers, a plush red wool coat with a light pink detail silk shirt, intricate embellished waist belt, a black mid length skirt and black leather ankle boots. An uncomplicated yet strong image that portrays the strong exterior but soft interior of the character. Coats with fur collars and cuffs, beautiful embroidery. Refined bohemian.

I take my hat off to the wardrobe department on this series. I can feel a new ‘proper’ 1920’s sub-culture (minus the Gatsby-esque flapper girls please) is on the rise, in fact, I may even start this myself. Bring on the faux fur and big hats!

Emily Morris

Images from Google.co.uk

Going Sober this October

This October, I’ve decided to use my time and health for better purposes than usual and that is to raise money for the fantastic charity, Macmillan. As you will see from the title, my challenge is to ‘Go Sober’ for October, a challenge that I originally thought would be a breeze but in reality the commitment to staying away from the stuff is hard.

I wouldn’t say I’m the biggest drinker but I do like to have a cheeky glass or two of a Friday night, or over a Saturday lunch and a few nights out, like most people really. But then I thought, going sober to raise money for a charity that helps those dealing with cancer is actually a perfect concept.

Cancerous cells seem to react to toxins and stress in the body (that’s my extremely simplified analogy), so when you think about it going sober is actually helping to raise awareness of some of the poisons we choose to ingest into our bodies therefore contributing to stressing out our ever more vulnerable bodies making us more prone to these types of illnesses.

I’m writing this post to not only bring awareness to the cause, but the charity and my challenge on a more international scale. I will be keeping you up to date with my challenge this month and any donation that you can spare, no matter how small will go towards an amazing cause.

If you feel inspired to join me on my t-total quest this month, you can sign up here:

http://www.gosober.org.uk

To support me and help me to raise as much as I can and also find out more about why I’m pledging to go sober, check out my page:

https://www.gosober.org.uk/profile/emilym

So, I’ve swapped my delicious cocktails for something much healthier – quinoa, chia seeds, coconut milk and raspberry parfait with a leopard print glass of green tea. Delicious!

Om shanti, thanking you! xxx

Brand Spanking new website!!

I’ve been working my butt off getting my yoga business to the next level and has it paid off or what! A little hard work goes a long way, especially when it comes to your own business. There’s no better satisfaction than setting up on your own, and yep it’s bloody hard but when you can start to see the fruits of your labour it’s so worth it. 

One of the fruits of my labour is my brand spanking new website. I’m seriously not a techy person and I have no idea what or how to write in that html code thing but I have managed to design and build it all on my own. I’m sure that the more computer savvy of you out there will be able to notice various faults and what not but frankly I’m over the moon. Sure there’s things I’d like to change but have absolutely no idea how to, but the point is I’m happy as Larry and it’s all MINE!!

Always be proud of what you achieve, no matter how small!

Check it out!

astalayoga.co.uk

Om Shanti xxx

Emily

 

Astala Yoga

Hey hey lovely bloggers!

As some of you may know, I am now a fully qualified yoga teacher. My dream has become true but I am only at the beginning. I’m doing a little market research to find out what classes people want and when. I would be so grateful if you can help me in this by filling out my short survey please.

Much love and Om Shanti Namaste to you ALL xxx

Please click on the link below:

Astala Yoga survey

Coconut Curry Delight

Check out this super delicious, satisfying and nutritious meal I’ve concocted.

Much like my skin care routine, I like to keep my food simple and fairly easy to make – usually just by chucking everything into a wok!

Here’s a super quick, nourishing meal that will boost your immune system while filling you up – so no need for that sugary snack after!

Ingredients:
1 tsp of coconut oil
1 cup of coconut water
1 cup of dessicated coconut (use organic as ordinary usually has tons of sugar added)
1 piece of frozen smoked haddock (I use Sainsburys own)
A big handful of frozen broccoli florets
1 large courgette, washed & peeled to create lovely long green ribbons
1 large shallot, chopped into small chunks
2 big cloves of garlic, chopped into small bits
1 cup of frozen petit pois
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped into small slices

Method:
Boil some water in a pan and poach the frozen smoked haddock.

In a wok, heat the coconut oil until fully melted.

Add the shallot and garlic and stir for a minute or two.

Add the courgette, broccoli and petit pois. Stir for a few minutes.

Add the ginger and stir.

Once the haddock is cooked, drain the water and add the fish to your wok. Mash all ingredients together.

Add the coconut water and dessicated coconut.

Let this summer for a few minutes.

Ta-dah! Done!

Serve and enjoy.

Beeee happy

Following on from my post about the all amazing coconut oil facial cleanser, another natural beauty aid I’ve been using is honey. Raw, sweet, glorious honey brought to human kind from the fluffy, humble honey bee.

So, honey, I’ve found is a fantastic exfoliator and moisture mask. And, not to mention a fraction of the price of some of those designer, chemical-laden products.

Honey facts for your face:

It is rich in antioxidants and has anti-microbial and anti-inflammitory properties making it brilliant anti-aging product. These properties also help to protect your skin against harmful UV rays (although, obvs not to be used instead of sunscreen).

Honey helps to keep your skin soft and supple since it a remarkable ability to retain moisture.

In India, honey is known as a natural cleanser and exfoliator where it’s used to make the face glow and keep it blemish free.

It’s healing properties are beneficial for all skin types, including those with acne, rosacea, eczema or sensitive skin.

Keeping with my simple beauty regime all I do is simply squeeze the honey from the pot, rub it in circular motions around my face (once the honey has crystalised, it acts as a gentle but effective exfoliator), and leave on for around 10-15mins. I wash off with warm water. Boom, done!

I do this once or twice a week.

Since doing this my skin has been noticeably softer, brighter and less prone to breakouts.

I have found other masks that use honey (I’m yet to try these):

Make a paste with honey and milk

Mix honey with olive oil

Mix honey with rose water

The best honey to use is Raw and/or organic. Manuka would be great if you don’t mind the price tag and you would need to make sure it’s the real deal (there’s loads of fakers out there).

Keep watching for more natural beauty tricks. Step by step we WILL combat the chemical-riden beauty world.

Bring on nature, baby!

La Beauté Naturelle de Coco

Hello Summer and hello gorgeous skin! I’ve gone back to basics and have started to rid my beauty box of all the nasty chemicals that reside in shop bought beauty products. Home made and raw natural beauty products, a thing of the past or the future? Well, judging from all the blog posts and the myriad of information online about natural products, I would say this is definitely due for a revival. And lets hope it’s one that’s here to stay.

First on my list, the all important facial cleanser. Two words: coconut oil. Enough said.

I’d read about the cleansing method on various blogs and thought I’d give it a go, however, most said to combine an oil such as almond or coconut with a carrier oil such as caster oil. After looking into it a bit more and as a girl always on the go I realised this seemed too hard for me to sustain – after all who wants to work out oil ratios just before bed and also risk your face reacting because you’ve put too much of the other thing in etc.

BTW, I have sensitive combination skin so many ingredients wreck havoc with my complexion.

I like to keep it nice and simple – cue – coconut oil. One of the planets most versatile and amazing products of nature. It is most definitely considered a ‘superfood’ and can be used not only for hair, skin, nails, body but can be used as a cooking ingredient, a salad dressing etc. The health benefits are endless, owing many of these to it’s unique combination of fatty acids. It has sublime moisturisng abilities as well as containing anti bacterial qualities and keeps skin looking younger for longer. Just check out the dewy glow from the ILC favourite Miranda Kerr (also a beauty that digs natural beauty products, and coconut oil!).

Anyway, so my method is to simply slather the stuff all over my face, including eyelashes as it makes a perfect eye make up remover. If the oil is a bit too solid, simply warm it either in your hands or in the microwave or on the hob. Rub the oil in circular motions (improves circulation) and then using warm-hot water dampen a clean face cloth and rub the coconut oil off your face. Your face will feel incredibly soft and nourished after this, you may not even need to use a moisturiser.

Done. Ta-dah!

Another fabulous use for your coconut oil is as a body moisturiser. Just massage on to your skin straight from the jar. Perfecto. If you’re into ayurvedic healing and your primary dosha is vata, they say that using oil on your body helps to keep your joints supple (My dosha is vata and as a yoga teacher I can vouch for this much needed remedy at times).

Next on my list of uses for coconut oil – as a deoderant. Not too sure about this but I’ll try and test and of course let you know how it goes.

N.B: you can use any coconut oil to start you off but my recommendation would be to find an organic, raw or cold pressed oil in a glass jar (if possible) since this is a better quality.

I hope my simple tips help you on your own journey to natural beauty.

Peace out and Om Shanti XXX

New beginners yoga class!!!

Calling all yoginis et al. in the Southend-on-Sea area,

I’m teaching a new beginners class at The King Johns Academy of Art in Benfleet on Wednesdays 8pm-9pm starting this week.

I’d love you to come!

Remember, yoga means union – union of the mind, body and spirit. Yoga is for ALL, yoga is inspiring, creative, and the most loving thing you could ever possibly do for yourself no matter what your shape and size. Yoga is not about being bendy or skinny it’s about reconnecting with yourself and promoting a healthier self from within.

Please message me asap: emily_morris@hotmail.co.uk for the details.

I hope so much to see you there got some fun and much needed relaxation!

Om shanti namasté

Xxx

Yoga bunny

Bow pose

Urdva dhanurasana

My nemesis pose – the crane sequence! It’s getting there though.

Weekly Mantra

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” ― Buddha

Photograph taken of a traditional Buddhist painting from a monastery in Thailand.