A Very Healthy Sunday

I only observe one religious belief: Sunday is a day of rest. Sunday for me is about doing nothing at all; If I have to get up to go to the loo, I feel short changed! I know that orthodox Jews won’t even switch a light on during their Sabbath, well I’m the same, I wot even be in charge of the remote control. So when my friend Kathleen suggested I meet her on Sunday for some yoga and lunch, it is a testament to her awesomeness that I jumped at the chance. Kathleen is, along with being a superb actress, an incredible yoga teacher and one of the coolest people I know. I’ve had the pleasure of attending her Yoga classes before and she also recommended a great veggie/vegan restaurant round the corner from the yoga class, so my usual Sunday laze would have to be put on hold.Venue 1: Good Vibes Covent GardenGood Vibes is the most aptly named organization I’ve come across! The place is filled with people shining with happiness. Now I LOVE my regular Gym, and there is a great atmosphere there too but at Good Vibes positive energy is virtually oozing through the door and beckoning you in! Before I’d even signed up I would have described everyone as glowing, which is interesting because the company use that word a lot: “Glow yoga” and “Glow cycle” for example. I’ve paid £40 for 30 days which means I can do up to one class a day for the entire 30 day period. Because I live a little far away I won’t be able to do anything like that much but I’m hoping to do one or two a week and for what you get £10 a class is well worth it. It’s a simple thing but one of the most attractive things is that it is an entirely shoeless building. I am a huge fan of being barefoot where possible as I believe it encourages us to be grounded and centered. There is something lovely about everyone being barefoot in a public space. The class itself took place in a lightly heated room, which at first scared me because I am usually exercise underneath a giant fan, but the warmth actually really added to my yoga (here’s that word again) glow. I also find lighting so important and the soft, warm lights of the yoga studio are ideal for creating the meditative environment needed for good practice. The Mats were already laid on the floor and all the necessary equipment was there for each of us: light wooden blocks, foam blocks, straps and even scented eye cushions for the relaxy bit at the end (AKA Shavasana for those kids who are down with the yoga lingo). At Good Vibes they do all sorts of different yoga classes from “Bliss by Candlelight”,a restorative candlelit session, to “Yoga party” a Friday night class set to show tunes with a glass of bubbly at the end. They also do cycling classes and power plates but everything they do at Good Vibes is in line with their ethos. Their simple belief is that thoughtful exercise leads to happiness. If you fancy putting some soul back in your exercise I, of course, recommend any class run by Kathleen- She teaches two classes on a Sunday, one on a Friday morning at 7:30 am (eek) and she also teaches a class at Good Vibes in Fitzrovia. I have had lots of Yoga teachers over the years but I do believe there is something very special about Kathleen’s style of teaching. Please go down and see for yourself.http://www.goodvibesfitness.co.ukhttp://www.kathleenstavert.com/yoga
Venue 2 Food For Thought: After Yoga I was HUNGRY so Kathleen took me to a veggie eatery called Food For Thought. Here the menu changes every day, and there are plenty of vegan and gluten free options as well. Kathleen chose a spot, down stairs and at the back, in our own little alcove for two, where we sat on floor cushions and let the hours get swallowed up with hearty conversation. The food here is superb! I had the Vegan Tofu Thai red curry meal, which came with rice, a salad of green leaves pasta, lentils, tomato and a different kind of tofu preparation. If the word Tofu scares you then you are in good company! At first it can be a bit of a scary food as it is so foreign to most of us and you might have had an unpleasant experience in the past but keep in mind that tofu can be many different things. Compare it to a potato. Who doesn’t like potato in one form or another? But if all you’d ever had was one raw piece you could be forgiven for not liking it. Stick with Tofu and you are bound to find some dishes that you’ll really enjoy. It’s an excellent source of protein and gives you that sense of a square meal that you sometimes lose when you don’t have meat or cheese. So get tofu tasting and find something you love! For Pudding Kathleen had an awesome looking (dairy) Eton mess and I had a vegan cashew flapjack. We finished off with a mint tea and reluctantly left our cubby hole that had begun to feel like home. When we walked in Kathleen said I think this will be your new favourite place, Grace” and with their friendly staff, homely, hippy environment and gorgeous Veggie/vegan food, I think she might be right.
To conclude a blissful Sunday afternoon I took a long walk through central London and ended up ambling around a bookshop. Okay…maybe doing stuff on Sundays might not be as bad as I thought.