"It is time to get some beauty! ... but calm and slooow, please. As mummies we know how difficult it can be to take some time for ourselves. And if we do so, we want to enjoy a superb break from everyday's life. Yes, everything should be perfect in sense of "just being happy with our choice, so we can totally relax and let the energy flow" ... As we just jumped into spring, a loud inner voice is screaming for a refreshing "make-over": Face, hands, feet! YEAH. Need it! The first time I went to this little Beauty Gem in the little beautiful street C/ Carme, 3, in Palma de Mallorca Old Town, was in February before my trip to Thailand. I booked “Colour on the GO” and it was sooo goood: I loved the chair I was sitting in, super comfy. They served me a delicious tea, while I was receiving a foot cleaning & massage. I left with my favourite colour on hands and feet, with natural eco friendly nail polish. CALM SLOW BEAUTY absolutely deserves recognition: If YOU want to get good vibes during a beauty treatment with eco friendly products, where you really calm down, THIS IS THE PLACE. And before I get my fully Spring-Make-Over-Fresh-Up-Treatment, I introduce you to meet the founder of CALM SLOW BEAUTY: Rosario Crespillo. Who are you, Rosario? I am originally from Granada, Andalusia (Spain). I have lived for 19 years in Madrid and came to Mallorca two years ago. My husband was already working on the island for more than six years, so me and the children followed him... I am licensed in Economy Science and graduated in Library Science and Documentation. But the biggest part of my professional career, I have spent working for the headquarter of Vodafone Spain, leading projects of on a large scale. Personally, I have great passion for cooking, decorating, the world of beauty and fashion, and I love to explore new places, to experience gastronomic delights. I am living a healthy life, and the world of beauty has always been very important for me. In my opinion it is important to take care of one's beauty, from inside to outside. That's why I chose this new project for myself: I founded a small Beauty Salon which is based on natural and healthy beauty products, a new episode of my life. How did you come up with the idea of CALM SLOW BEAUTY? It arose from my personal needs. Living such an intensive way in a city as big as Madrid and being a working mum, never allowed me to have enough time for myself. So when I arrived on the island, my main focus was to take more care of myself. I was looking for a service of beauty treatments, that would give me the sensation and experience of feeling beautiful inside and outside. But I never found a place or beauty salon that offers a combination od certified products, which are organic and natural, and has a careful service and space to allow me to relax and unwind, to take a break and dedicate time to myself. Therefore, I decided to start the adventure of CALM SLOW BEAUTY. What is so special about your Beauty Salon? The simplicity and harmony of the interior, combined with organic, natural products of highest quality, allow us to offer a customized service in each of our treatments. I like to emphasise the care we have put in every detail of the salon, inspired by colors that reflect the essence of Mallorca, so that our clientes enjoy a pure, fresh and pleasant stay. ... a SLOW space, where time is not the most important, but oneself. Among our products, we work only with brands of non-toxic nail varnish, highlighting the ones that are suitable for pregnant women, people with allergies and kids/ teenagers - cosmetics that are organic and cruelty-free, BIO certified, vegan and fair trade for personal care. Last, but not least, I like to mention that all our utensils that we use in the services are completely sterilized, avoiding any risks. Which one is your personal favorite treatment? It is difficult to have only one favorite treatment at CALM SLOW BEAUTY, but I will tell you my three beloved ones: first of all the pedicures, coming with a massage which make you close your eyes and feeling wonderfully pampered, and finishing with non-toxic enamels which will beautify your feets. In the second place is our organic facial hygiene, where you feel like your skin is renewed in a natural and pure way with the use of our cosmetics. And finally our Aroma-Massage of 60 minutes, from head to toe. ;-) What is the most booked treatment? The Best Seller? It depends on the season. During the autumn-winter, we mostly do vegan manicures and organic facial treatments. During the spring-summer, mostly vegan manicure and pedicure, as well as natural waxing and massages. Why did you decide to establish your beauty center in the old town of Palma?
Because its streets are magical, they can carry you to another epoch back in time, where stress and hastle did not exist. Our neighborhood is quite resurfacing, with new shops that invite you to stroll through the streets, discover sophisticated commercial concepts and enjoy shopping experiences within a historical and unique framework.
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Rosario Crespillo, ¿Quien eres tu? Soy natural de Andalucía (Granada), donde he vivido durante 19 años en Madrid, aunque desde hace 2 años resido en Palma de Mallorca, ya que mi marido lleva trabajando más de 6 años en una empresa del sector del turismo en la isla. Soy licenciada en Ciencias Económicas y diplomada en Biblioteconomía y documentación. La mayor parte de mi carrera profesional ha transcurrido trabajando en la sede de Vodafone España liderando proyectos de gran envergadura. Entre mis aficiones está cocinar, la decoración, el mundo de la belleza, la moda y descubrir lugares donde disfrutar de experiencias gastronómicas. Llevo un estilo de vida saludable, y para mí el mundo de la belleza siempre ha sido importante, ya que pienso que hay que estar bien tanto por dentro como por fuera, por ello, en esta nueva etapa de mi vida aposté por iniciar mi propio proyecto basado en la belleza natural y saludable. ¿Cómo se te ocurrió la idea de CALM SLOW BEAUTY? Surge por necesidades personales. Vivir de una manera tan intensa en un gran ciudad como Madrid y siendo madre trabajadora no me permitía disponer de suficiente tiempo para mí, por ello cuando llegué a la isla mi principal objetivo fue el de cuidarme más y pensé en buscar un centro que me permitiese sentirme bella tanto por dentro como por fuera, pero no encontré ningún salón de belleza que combinase productos certificados, orgánicos y naturales con servicios esmerados, personalizados en un espacio intimo que invite al relax, al descanso, a dedicarse a uno mismo. Por ello, decidí emprender la aventura de Calm Slow Beauty. ¿Que es lo especial de tu salón de belleza? La simplicidad y la armonía que combinados con productos orgánicos y naturales de máxima calidad nos permiten dar un servicio personalizado en cada uno de nuestros tratamientos. Me gustaría destacar el mimo que hemos puesto en cada detalle del centro, inspirado en colores que reflejen parte de la esencia de Mallorca, para que nuestros clientes disfruten de un espacio puro, fresco y agradable. Un sitio SLOW, donde el tiempo no es lo más importante, sino uno mismo. Entre nuestros productos, trabajamos con firmas de esmaltes libres de tóxicos, destacando aquellos que son aptos para embarazadas, niñ@s y personas con alergias, cosméticos orgánicos cruelty-free, bio certificados, veganos y de comercio justo para el cuidado personal. Por último, y no por ello menos importante, me gustaría mencionar que todos nuestros utensilios que utilizamos en los servicios están totalmente esterilizados, evitando cualquier riesgo. CALM SLOW BEAUTY
C/ Carme, 3 07003 Palma de Mallorca Opening Times: Tuesday - Friday, 10.30 am - 7.30 pm Saturday, 10 am - 2 pm Call 0034 - 610 51 51 52 A conscious and healthy living has many faces. This time i look at it from the Perspektive of a mother. We all know, that the first six years of a child's life are fundamentally important - the brain structure is developing much faster than at any other time in his life. The early experiences like the things he sees, hears, touches, smells and tastes - it all stimulates his brain, creating millions of connections. The foundation for learning, health and behaviour throughout life are laid down. When my girls was 1.5 years old, I knew, it is time for her to be together with more kids on a regular base. So, where would I love to see my little girl growing up, in which atmosphere, etc. ...? The answer was: a small group of kids, warmly and "aware" caretakers, in a friendly and delighting atmosphere. I all found that, started with Zunray Kids by Zunray Yoga, followed by her first "real" little escoleta "Baobab", and a lovely shorter stay at Madre de Dia MERAKI. Now she is going to MontessoriBalears with Kids of her age and older. These first 2 years Ellie was accompanied by Marina Ramón Seguí who worked at the two places and had now opened her own Childcare Place. I like to show her my gratefulness for all her love and the positive differences she made in my daughter's life. So we did this cool interview about her new space, which is an enrichment for families and their little ones in Palma de Mallorca. Spanish & English Hola Marina, in September this year you opened your home to welcome kids aged between 0 to 6 as a “Madre de Día”. Tell me a bit about you and this nursery concept ... ES: Hola Diana, como bien dices, mi nombre es Marina, soy nacida en Mallorca y tengo 24 años. Al acabar el colegio, estudié en la Universidad de las Islas Baleares magisterio, especializándome en la lengua inglesa y con nivel alto de la lengua catalana, tanto escrita como hablada. Enseguida que tuve el título en mis manos, empecé a trabajar de ello, fue ahí donde tuve el placer de conoceros a ti y a tu encantadora hija Ellie. Tras varios años trabajando en clásicas guarderías, decidí crear algo que fuese alternativo y que no es muy popular en Mallorca, decidí crear Madre de día MERAKI con la ayuda y el apoyo de mi madre, la cual es la cocinera y el segundo adulto encargado en este proyecto. Las Madres de Día son una alternativa a las escuelas infantiles. Esta opción, está muy extendida en el resto de Europa y cada día es más conocida en España. Una Madre de Día es una educadora profesional que adapta y equipa su hogar, con un servicio de atención y cuidado al menor de entre 0 y 6 años, en grupos reducidos y en un ambiente totalmente hogareño. Estas características permiten atender, observar e identificar las necesidades educativas y emocionales de cada niñ@ y dar una respuesta de calidad para que puedan continuar su proceso sin obstáculos. Por lo tanto, podemos decir que "Meraki" no solo se trata de cuidar a los niñ@s, sino de guiarles para desarrollar y expandir todas sus capacidades y habilidades. EN: Hello Diana, as you say, my name is Marina, I was born in Mallorca and I am 24 years old. After finishing school, I studied at the University of the Balearic Islands teaching, specializing in the English language and with a high level of the Catalan language, both written and spoken. As soon as I had the title in my hands, I started working, that's where I had the pleasure of meeting you and your lovely daughter Ellie. After years working in classic daycare centers, I decided to create something that was alternative and that is not very popular in Mallorca. I decided to create Madre de día MERAKI with the help and support of my mother, who is the chef and the second adult in charge of this project. Madre de Día is an alternative to nursery schools. This option is widespread in the rest of Europe and every day is more known in Spain. A Madre de Día is a professional educator who adapts and equips her home, with a service of attention and care to the minor between 0 and 6 years old, in small groups and in a totally homelike environment. These characteristics allow us to attend, observe and identify the educational and emotional needs of each child and give a quality response so that they can continue their process without obstacles. Therefore, we can say that "Meraki" is not only about taking care of the children, we guide them to develop and expand all their abilities. You have been the main caretaker for my daughter Ellie. Since she is 1.5 years old she was in “your hands” and we really appreciated your warm-hearted being. What do you think are your most important features as a “Madre de Día” for our little ones? ES: La palabra que lo define todo es: vocación. Desde que era pequeña he tenido claro cuál sería mi futuro y mi profesión. Nací queriendo educar a los niñ@s y poder crecer junto a ellos. Ese aspecto hace que todo lo demás venga solo, ya que el espíritu y las ganas de hacer lo que de verdad me gusta queda reflejado en mi actitud con ellos, demostrando una gran pasión e iniciativa a la hora de compartir mi día a día con ellos. Mi carácter amigable, alegre y siempre respetuoso hace que los niñ@s puedan tener esa confianza y seguridad para poder hacer y expresar todo aquello que desean sin miedo a mi respuesta, ya que saben que nunca será negativa. Además, pienso que tengo la paciencia necesaria para dejar fluir su autonomía y su curiosidad natural, creciendo en una libertad absoluta. EN: The word that defines everything is: vocation. Since I was little I have been clear about my future and my profession. I was born with the desire to educate children and to be able to grow with them. Under this aspect everything else just comes by itself. Because the spirit and the desire to do what I really love, is reflected in my attitude with them, showing great passion and initiative when sharing my day to day with them . My friendly, cheerful and always respectful nature allows, that children can have that confidence and security to be able to do and express everything they want without fear of my response, since they know, that it will never be negative. In addition, I think that I have the necessary patience to let flow their autonomy and their natural curiosity, growing in an absolute freedom. How does a normal day look like at your place? ES: Cada día, cuando estamos todos en Meraki nos damos los buenos días con canciones, amor y alegría. Contamos cuántos somos teniendo en cuenta el número y el significado de su valor. Para aprender a leer, escribir y a diferenciar nuestro nombre de los demás, cogemos nuestro nombre, intentamos escribirlo y lo colgamos para saber quién ha venido hoy. Finalmente, realizamos la presentación de algún material de la sala para saber cómo utilizarlos. A continuación, destinamos el tiempo al juego libre, donde trabajan con su cuerpo, objetos, diferentes materiales y donde pueden moverse por su propio instinto y su curiosidad innata. A las 10:00h merendamos. Pero antes, necesitamos lavarnos las manos y uno de ellos es el encargado de preparar la mesa. Una vez que la merienda está lista, ellos mismos son los que deciden qué les apetece comer en ese momento y la cantidad, ya que no siempre nuestro cuerpo necesita lo mismo. La merienda está formada siempre por elementos saludables: fruta, verduras, yogur de soja, pan, tortas... A media mañana, llega el momento de realizar la actividad guiada del día. Esta actividad la conocen los padres desde principio de mes, debido a que se les entrega una programación con todos los detalles de cada día. La actividad siempre tiene como objetivo la manipulación, la experimentación, la creatividad y el contacto con el medio ambiente que nos envuelve. Antes de comer, continuamos con el juego libre para seguir comprendiendo el mundo y a ellos mismos. A las 12:00h llega el momento de comer. Seguimos el mismo procedimiento que durante la merienda. Cabe decir, que la comida es totalmente casera y elaborada en casa. Aprovechamos los alimentos de nuestro huerto para hacer unos platos deliciosos y muy sanos. Para recargar pilas y seguir con la misma energía, después de comer, llega el momento de relax, donde contamos historias, leemos cuentos y aquellos que lo necesitan duermen. A la salida, nos vestimos y nos aseamos solos (nos peinamos, nos lavamos los dientes y nos ponemos perfume), seleccionando nuestras pertinencias y diferenciándolas de las demás. EN: Every day, when we are all in Meraki, we say good morning with songs, love and joy. We count how many we are considering the number and meaning of its value. To learn reading, writing and differentiating our name from others, we take our name, try to write it and hang it up to know who has come today. After all, we do a presentation of some material in the room to know how to use it. Then we allocate time to free play, where they work with their body, objects, different materials and where they can move by their own instinct and innate curiosity. At 10 am we have a snack, which is called "Merienda". First, we need to wash our hands and one of them is in charge of setting up the table. Once the snack is ready, everyone can decide what he wants to eat at this moment and the amount - because not always our body needs the same. The snack exists always out of healthy elements: fruits, vegetables, soy yogurt, bread, vegan cakes, ... At midmorning, it is time to perform the guided activity of the day. These activities are given to the parents at the beginning of the month, a schedule where they can read about the details of each day. The activity always targets manipulation/ handling, experimentation, creativity and contact with the environment that surrounds us. Before eating, we continue with free play, understanding the world and themselves. At 12 pm it is time to eat. We follow the same procedure as during the snack. It must be said, that the food is totally homemade by my mother, who is cooking every day freshly for the kids. We also use our own grown vegetables and fruits from the garden to make delicious and healthy dishes. To recharge our batteries and continue with the same energy, after eating it's time to relax, where we tell stories, read books and who needs can sleep. When it’s time to go home, we dress and clean ourselves (we brush our hair and our teeth), selecting our pertinences and differentiating them from the others. The concept of “Madre de Dia” is very common in Germany and other European countries like the UK. Isn't it a quite new option to the normal daycare (guarderias)? What are the benefits for parents and their kids? ES: Al haber trabajado anteriormente en guarderías, he podido observar cuáles son las principales diferencias y los beneficios que puedo aportar como Madre de Día. El problema que tenía en las guarderías era el sentimiento de impotencia al no poder satisfacer plenamente las necesidades de todos los niños y niñas con los que estaba, debido a que el número de alumnos por maestra era muy elevado. Por eso, en Meraki optamos por un número máximo de 5 niñ@s por adulto. De esta manera, mediante la individualidad y la exclusividad, podremos estar siempre con ellos y observar cuáles son sus necesidades para poder abastecerlas y, así, podrán continuar con su proceso de desarrollo. Solo una verdadera atención personalizada, amorosa, maternal y cercana hace posible el sano y pleno desarrollo físico, afectivo, social e intelectual del niño. Pensamos que es el encuentro verdadero lo que hace florecer de forma natural lo humano y social en ellos. Además, mediante el respeto, el contacto con la naturaleza, el juego libre y la experimentación optamos por una educación para la vida, inspirándonos en la metodología de la Dra. María Montessori. En este modelo educativo, el desarrollo de aprendizajes no tiene límites. Los niñ@s pueden aprender todo cuanto quieran, deseen y necesiten de manera dinámica, entretenida y siempre desde un elemento esencial que es la propia motivación. Otro factor al que le damos una gran importancia es el de la alimentación. En este periodo, tienen lugar procesos neurofisiológicos que configuran las conexiones y las funciones del cerebro, las cuales definen en gran parte la naturaleza y la amplitud de las capacidades adultas. Por ello, ofrecemos cada día un menú completamente saludable y equilibrado para que nuestros pequeños no dejen de crecer y de tener una energía desbordante. Este menú es completamente casero y lo elaboramos cada día en nuestro hogar con mucho amor. En cuanto a las familias, intentamos ser la más flexibles posibles, ya que sabemos que cada casa es un mundo y cada familia tiene sus rutinas. Por ello, el horario de asistencia a nuestro espacio es de libre elección, igual que las horas que los pequeñ@s están con nosotras. También, al ser trilingües (hablamos español, inglés y catalán) la relación con los padres es totalmente plena, con una comunicación cercana y agradable. Este mismo aspecto, es muy satisfactorio para los niñ@s porque se sienten entendidos y, a la vez, aprenden nuevos idiomas. EN: Having previously worked in daycare centers, I have been able to observe the main differences and the benefits that I can bring as a Madre de día. The problem I had in the day care centers was the feeling of helplessness when I could not fully satisfy the needs of all children with whom I was, because the number of students per teacher was very high. Therefore, in Meraki we opt for a maximum number of 5 children per adult. In this way, through individuality and exclusivity, we can always be with them and observe what their needs are in order to supply them and, thus, they can continue with their development process. Only a true personalized, loving, maternal and close attention makes possible the healthy and full physical, emotional, social and intellectual development of the child. We think that it is the true encounter that makes the human and social flourish in them naturally. In addition, through respect, contact with nature, free play and experimentation we opted for an education for life, inspired by the methodology of Dr. Maria Montessori. In this educational model, the development of learning has no limits. The children can learn everything they want, want and need in a dynamic, entertaining and always from an essential element that is the motivation itself. Another factor to which we give great importance is that of food. In this period, neurophysiological processes take place that configure the connections and functions of the brain, which largely define the nature and extent of adult capacities. Therefore, we offer every day a completely healthy and balanced menu so that our children do not stop growing and have an overflowing energy. This menu is completely homemade and we make it every day in our home with lots of love. As for families, we try to be as flexible as possible, since we know that each house is a world and each family has its own routines. Therefore, the time of attendance to our space is freely chosen, as well as the hours that the children are with us. Also, being trilingual (we speak Spanish, English and Catalan) the relationship with the parents is totally complete, with a close and pleasant communication. This same aspect is very satisfactory for the children because they feel understood and, at the same time, they learn new languages.
Claudia & Larissa, just recently you've had your first Yoga & Sound Healing Retreats here on Majorca. With the title "One within yourself" you call for taking a break from daily life and reconnect to the inner core, to discover forgotten true talents and deeply seated soul gifts... This sounds amazing! Was it your first retreat together? How do you combine the features of yoga, sound healing and the inner work for personal growth? Claudia: We have offered retreats together for several years and in each we focus on a different “theme”. During the Yoga practice I want the participants to feel their body and connect more to their breath. Becoming more aware and enjoying the feeling of “opening the body“ on a physical and energetic level, as well as strengthening other parts. Listening to their own body and finding out what feels really good and what is going too far. I also love to include the practice of Yoga Nidra (deep guided relaxation practice). They can reflect about what is really important for them right now and set new intentions in their subconscious mind. We consider it important to also include the “conscious work “, so they reflect about themselves and their life and later relax deeply through the beautiful Sound Healing Meditation. It is a magic fusion we propose, stimulating all senses and connecting each person to their true self. Larissa: „Yes, it was our first Retreat designed for the topic „One within yourself“. Every day, we had two yoga classes (one in the morning and one in the late afternoon), two meditation classes (one at sunrise and one sound healing meditation at night) as well as a class for consciousness energetic work in the late morning. Since our world sometimes seems ever more divided, not only on the political and economic level, but also within our personal lives, we wanted to dedicate time and space to dive deeply into this topic. Being able to feel "one within yourself" requires to overcome what separates us from ourselves and the ability to live more from our hearts. A good way to quiet the questioning mind is to give it some thought-food and distinguish detailed differences between duality and polarity, non-duality, individuality, unity and wholeness. In this class I wanted to give the participants a better understanding of these diverse perspectives on the mental plane. The key to UNDERSTANDING, however, is FEELING. So our cognitive analysis were combined with inner explorations of the connected emotional planes. This also included exercises in pairs to go deeper into being aware of the nature of our thoughts, their impacts on our body as well as our feelings and their energetic imprints within our entire system. Physical movement like yoga and meditation are other brilliant tools to allow us to reverse the energy flow of our senses, which is usually always directed outwards and turn it back to feed ourselves… In our western world we are trained so much in using our intellect and wanting to mentally take control… Movement, Meditation and Sound Healing are great components to give our mind a break, allow it to rest and further deepen the experience of becoming one. In my energy healing work, it is most important to ground the energy in our feet and to bring it down from the head into our hearts, which is often the greatest challenge. In what way we are able to change the frequency of the state of our consciousness and how we perceive the world became clearer every day of the retreat.“
How are the feedbacks of your participants? Claudia: It really moved us to receive such a heartfelt feedback. The personal conversations at the end of the retreat, as well as letters we received later, really touched us and we are so grateful for these gifts, which is worth more than anything. One of our last email feedbacks was from a woman who also came to a retreat with us last year. She wrote: „It was a most wonderful experience, deeply recharging my body and soul. Thank you from my heart. Also for the safe space that you held to allow for deep internal openings. You two do great work together, which cannot be honored with money. You help people to better their own awareness and truly feel one within themselves! With your work you help to enhance life quality. And who can say that about their work.“ (Participant from Paris) Here are some more feedbacks of our guests: „It was frightening to see how much strength I got inside myself. I have never felt so strong, calm, warm and open in almost 70 years. Thank you from my heart for this amazing experience.“ (Participant from Osnabrück) „Even weeks after the retreat, I feel the ongoing positive effect on myself and my daily life. I can much better handle more challenging situations, like my relationship. It is as if a switch was flipped. It lasts! (Especially after my private healing session with Larissa). You are both a magical team and you supplement each other in a perfect way. Your beautiful connectedness transfers wonderfully into the entire group. Your words, your deeds, your way of being… all together very enriching. Thank you very very much. When exactly is your New Year’s Retreat? I would like to come again and bring a friend along.“ (Participant from Hamburg) „You both carry this wonderful love and energy in you. Thank you for spreading it! Thank you so much for this healing and special time with you.“ (Participant from Munich) „I hardly ever took so much out of just a few days than from your retreat. Thank you so much!“ (Participant from Paris) „Thank you both for the truly magical time during this retreat“ (Participant from Frankfurt) „It was much better and more beautiful than what I dared to hope in my dreams!“ (Participant from London) „Thank you for opening my heart, inspiring my soul to write and allow me to let go. Thank you for having the courage and bravery for opening your hearts to us all. We have all immensely benefited from your generosity.“ (Participant from London) „Thank you so much for this extremely beautiful retreat. You are a wonderful team, like complementary colors, uniting the various aspects into a holistic experience. Keep spreading your message of ‚living from the heart‘ making the world a better place.“ (Participant from Switzerland) It sounds like after only 5 intensive retreat days, people's view of themselves and their lives changed. Isn't that amazing, how a real time-out can energise and feed people's soul power, a kind of re-birth happens, eyes are glowing again, self-commitment is build up, new perspectives are born, ... Larissa: „Yes, I can honestly say, that we all felt fully nourished on all levels of our being and much more connected to our souls and her calling. I dare say, that for some there was an opening to the divine realms, as I like to call it. If and when this takes place doesn’t lay in our hands and we cannot guarantee it. For me, it belongs to „karma and free will“, one of the topics we discussed in our morning classes… Walking along the edge of the physical and subtle, the tangible and unseeable, the manifest and the energetic, made us as a group grew closer together and our diverse energies became more connected. As we welcome everyone, our group was rather diverse in nationalities, cultures, age and experiences. This time it was an older participant who deeply touched my heart and I think from all of us. Throughout the retreat she was able to open up more fully and let go of inhibiting patterns like her fear of being seen or heard by a group. In telling her story she became the living testimony of what we had most wished to convey within our retreat. Having overcome Leukemia without medical intervention, with the help of energy and conscious work, yoga and fasting, She had completely changed her life and she grew stronger every day within our retreat. No one would have guessed her diagnosis. She up-lifted the energy field for our entire group. God bless her.“ Claudia: Of course we never know what happens during a retreat, each time it is a different group of people, but we prepare this time with attention and love and „hold space“, so if the participants are „open“, transformation can happen. When is the next chance to see you working together again? Claudia: We are offering a New Year’s retreat, from the 27th of December 2017 to the 2nd of January 2018 at a Finca close to the amazing beach of Es Trenc. As December often gifts us with amazing weather, we can also practice some sessions on the beach, which are always unforgettable moments… This is a perfect time to let go of old patterns and focus on new goals and visions! For next year we know for sure, that we will offer our “Yoga & Sound retreat” in the month of May again. It is such a lovely time to enjoy the island. I am also offering all year round Yoga Retreats in beautiful spots in Mallorca, either on my own, or in collaboration with other therapists and teachers with different focuses. The focus on each can vary and apart from Yoga, can include treatments (massage, food reflexology etc.), diet & nutrition awareness and soon I will also include “holistic dance”! My private yoga classes are in general, in the north of the island. Group classes I offer in Palma and Inca, depending on the participants I teach in English, Spanish, German, or sometimes a mix of languages, as the community here is pretty international. Larissa: My home base is in Lotte, northern Germany, where I have created my own healing space, offering individual treatments, workshops and seminars. As I also travel a lot, you may find me here: Switzerland: European Yoga Union in Zinal from 20th - 25th Aug. 2017 Switzerland: Workshops & private treatments: 26th Aug - 6th Sept. 2017 London: Workshops & private treatments: 8th -17th Sep. 2017 Germany: Diverse offers: 18th Sep. - 11th Oct. 2017 Greece: Yoga & Sound Healing Retreat 15th - 22nd Oct 2017 Germany: Diverse offers: from 25th Oct. onwards … Our next Retreats together in Mallorca will be: - New Year’s Retreat 2017/18: 26th December - 2nd of January - May Retreat 2018: 9th - 16th of May Meeting Mimi Kirk is an inspiring and very nourishing adventure! Together with TCM & Detox Expert Ursula Peer I met the Raw Food Queen at Peer's Finca in Santanyi, Mallorca. I had an unforgettable time, talking, listening and laughing - read about Going Raw, Life Changing Moments and the Organic Revolution!„When you become mindful of what you eat, then you become mindful about the way you live.“ Mimi Kirk Mimi, you decided to live part-time in Mallorca. Why this island and how is life as a Raw Food Queen between „jamon-loving“ Spaniards? Mimi: (laughing) Oh, that is a great question! First of all it is so interesting how I got here, because someone asked me to come to a talk in Port d’Andratx. She was a fan online and she was just to open up a restaurant. She was very interested in healthy eating and raw food. She emailed me and then we had couple skype calls… The next thing you know. We had many tours, that my boyfriend and I were going to, and here we were for the first time. I have never been here before until then. And that was last year. And the decision to live here …? Mimi: It was late at night, we were right in Port d’Antratx and we woke up in the morning and my boyfriend Mike looked out the window and said „Wow, lets move here!“ I have been wanting to live in Europe or somewhere out of the United States for a long time, so I said, „Ok, lets do it!“ That was it. It was a very quick decision and we kept talking about it. I took a picture of the street where I was gonna live and it became reality. Exploring the island, you have met a lot of like-minded people. How health-conscious is Mallorca in the eyes of a passionate raw foodist? Mimi: Actually, everywhere I go in the world I am finding people are very conscious about their health. Raw Food is not so big here, but vegan, there are so many vegans I have met here, it is becoming very popular and I think there is a lot of health-minded people here. But I do think the spaniards have a long tradition of barbecuing their meet or whatever they do, and they teach their children those things. I think in the world today we have to accept everybodys lifestyle, I like being around like-minded people, I find it so enjoyable to be around people who care about animals, care about the planet and all of that. But I am very accepting of everybodys lifestyle because interesting enough, some people pick vegan for the animals, some people pick it for the health, some people are raw-vegan for their health, some for the environment, so there is all kinds. There is people who believe in being natural and they got plastic surgery. I have learned to accept all the kinds of people and wherever path their are on. So if you just start and you eat some vegan and some raw, you are on a good path. If you are conscious about making changes for your health and for the planet, I think those people are on the right path and sometimes it takes time. Ursula: I agree, once you start to be more aware about what to put on your plate and how it can affect your life, that’s when you start an amazing journey. And as you say Mimi – the journey takes you so much further than just lifestyle thoughts – in the end it is about health, love and freedom. And a great way to meet likeminded people. How is travelling as a Raw Foodie? Mimi: Well, before I travel anywhere, I always look-up, I google everything, to find out what’s going on. I was reading ABC Mallorca since last year. I looked for Vegetarian and Vegan, and so I found a lot of interesting places to go. You know, I stepped out to meet people and then all of a sudden through them, all this people started mashing, we met so many people, like-minded, which is so much fun! I love being around foodies, I even like being around foodies who are not vegan or vegetarian. Because people who love food, they are concerned about organic and good quality food. There is this marvellous lady from Ibiza, Suzanna, who has three organic stores, and she supplies the restaurants. She goes around and tells them, if you can buy this for 15 Cents more and have organic, why would you do it? And I love her because so many vegans are not organic! They do not think about it so much, vegans are not eating meat, they think that’s it. And vegans and vegetarians are not always healthy, because they are eating processed food, they buy package goods. So just cause you are vegan, doesn’t mean you are eating healthy. Vegans don’t realize between raw and vegan. It is really a big jump: When you are raw, you can’t eat package foods, really, unless there are raw. Nothing processed, nothing unless it is fresh most of the time, you can warm your food but you are not heating it and taking out the enzymes. So that’s the thing, I do like people to know that there are different levels they should get healthy. It is not only just what you are eating, it is a lifestyle, it is everything. So you start eating one way and then all of a sudden there is all these things that start changing. That I think is really amazing when you become mindful what you eat, then you become mindful about the way you live. That’s the thing, being mindful about what you eat helps you change everything. There are a lot of vegetarians they still eat animal products or wear leather, you know, they are vegetarians, they are not vegans. And they are doing that because they say they care for the animals. Not eating red meat, but they do not understand the rest of it. Like I didn’t when I started and then realized how is all attached. And I do really think when you are mindful and you stop killing to eat, that changes everything. So, at first you became vegetarian? Mimi: I was about 30 when I start as a vegetarian. I was widowed by 29, and I was eating everything. I think the meditation I was doing at this point of my life, brought me into consciousness about that everything is connected. So one day, I was working in the film business, I am coming back to the studio, bought my lunch, and I had roastbeef. I took a bite and I thought I ate the back of my hand. I looked, I was so shocked, and then I went, „oh, flesh, I am eating flesh.“ What? I was so shocked, it made me sick to my stomach. I came home that night and said to my kids, I can’t cook meat anymore. That was my first realization of eating flesh. What kind of meditation did you do? Mimi: I studied with two living Gurus, Hindu philosophy, since I am thirty, Swami Muktananda from Siddha Foundation and in India with Vedanta Swami Prabhavananda who wrote the book „How to know God“. I couldn’t unterstand why I lost my husband, I was so confused, so a friend said, „Oh, you should meditate!“ and told me where to go to meditate. So everyday before work I went there and meditated. It put me into a completely different space about accepting everything. The process of life, the soul and rebirth, and how everything is connected, how everything is energy… Ursula, since 2008 you are offering healthy holidays and detox retreats in Mallorca. SaVida is Detox, Yoga, Meditation and TCM nutrition. How did you get on this path? Ursula: I am blessed my path wasn’t as shattering as yours, Mimi, being widowed at 29 – but too, it was a personal crisis that started my metamorphosis. After a bit of a health slump followed by 6 weeks in a clinic I was sneaked out of the clinic to a incredibly wise and talented traditional Chinese medical practitioner – a visit that changed my life really. I immediately left the clinic on my own risk and started following TCM food recommendations and treatments and felt better by the minute. I then started a secret health affair parallel to my corporate job and finally 7 years later I left it with a couple of health degrees in my pocket. That’s how my revolution began. And how is the response to such a holistic & healthy holiday? Today, Detox is very trendy, food awareness is a big part of modern, health-minded people - how do you feel about this trend? Ursula: Amazing really. Reading my guests letters, thank you and feedback notes often brings tears to my eyes. Clearly it is my goal to create awareness and inspire, but actually reading things like “Thank you for giving me back my health” or “I do not remember ever having felt that good in my life” and so on tells you you are on the right track somehow. Detox was by no means fashionable when I started. My idea of offering these healthy holidays to me was a perfect solution for a dilemma I had been having as a TCM nutrition coach: I did not like the fact that people felt like they were on a diet. Their feeling this lack of abundance troubled me – there is such richness, flavour and indulgence in healthy organic food – so the question was: How do I ignite this spark?? And this amazing island was the answer: Offering a wonderful holiday package including the health side of things and letting people experience, taste and feel the benefits. And it works, we grow, currently we are holding about 15 detox retreats per year. Thank God Detox has become fashionable – it is so important to learn how to avoid toxins in our foods, on our plates and how to support our bodies to get rid of them. We live the Food Revolution, Organic Revolution! Mimi: I think like you, that this is a revolution… When I started as vegetarian years ago there was very little, nobody even know. If you asked for it in a restaurant, no one knew what it was. Now I travel around the world and I say „vegan“ or „raw“ then they know, „...ahh, crudo!“ But then there is this whole other group of people - they have the information but they do not use it, they do not care - you can see it at the grocery market, they just fill the basket. They are grabbing can goods of, they are grabbing Popcorn that you make in a microwave, they are grabbing all this food which is still very unhealthy. Today everyone talks about it. But there are some people who do not care. But it moves so fast and I think it is on the roll, I really do. I think it is amazing whats happened in the last 40 years! And since I went raw I see the difference of whats happened, how big that is. I mean I have a huge following and I am a raw foodist. People wanna know, they want the recipes, You know, it is amazing to me. Ursula: I agree , I think it is a revolution and I think it is unstopable, really! Mimi: And we need it, the planet needs it. So, it is not just a trend…? Mimi: No, it pasts its trend. It’s been around, it’s ancient, it’s time for it to open up! I don’t think it’s a trend. I can't imagine once you are conscious, that you ever go back. Now where we are now, we know better. You wanna feed your children poison? No, nobody wants to. But what makes people still hesitate to change to a conscious lifestyle & nutrition? Mimi: People think it’s only for people with money, I know a lot of people think only if you have money can you eat healthy and organic, but it’s really not true. Everybody can do it. There are some foods that you can get by with, that’s not organic. You know, a pineapple or an avocado, something with a thick skin - if you can not buy it organic, you are okay with that. So everybody can figure it out. And isn’t it a shame that organic food costs more than conventional food? I mean it is a shame that everybody doesn`t have access to it, because they subsidice the farmers on conventional, but they dont subsidise the organic farmers. Ursula: Too I think people are overwhelmed by contradictory information and do not even know where to start. Meanwhile it is really easy. I always suggest one easy first step: quit highly processed foods and drinks and instead drink the best water available and switch refined sugar and salt for healthy options. That will make one major change…the rest will follow organically (laughs…what a punch!) The point „Commitment." Anyone who has experienced a detox holiday, wants to integrate this in his everyday life. Often they fall back into their old patterns. How important is discipline? Ursula: In my experience it is key is to achieve this amazingly addictive healthy feeling once – after that you just do not want to lose it again. And too you want to have the key to regain it in case your day to day schedule might interfear at one point. That’s all. This is why I offer my detox retreats – to give people this key feeling once. And thats why I launched my first detox ebook last fall “Lemon Detox – der einfache Start in ein gesundes Leben” – in order to finally be able to offer the key to achieve this feeling without a Detox Retreat on Mallorca. The rest is just a question of organisation and commitment. Mimi: It is discipline, but if you make a commitment to yourself? You have to have a strong commitment or you can’t stay with it. Either the health thing makes somebody have a very strong commitement - if they are sick, they have a strong commitment to doing something. If they are not and they feel basically ok, it’s harder for them to make the right choices when it comes to food or make the decision. Always when I am working with clients they are asking me „What is your commitment?“, „Why do you wanna do this?“ And my commitment is, I don’t have time to fool around with my age. I could get my family diseases, because even gens are a small part, you can still get that if you don’t take care of it. Like there is cancer in my family, my two sisters… Cancer, diabetes, parkinson, lucemia, everything. I was going down that road if I didn’t make a change. My blood pressure and cholesterol was high when I went raw. I made that change, a big commitment. Why would I go back on that?! So, yes, you have to have a strong commitment. Like Ursula said, if you can get that feeling of what it feels like, to feel that way, it is addictive. When you go „Oh, I am not feeling that way, now I’m gonna have this juice this morning, that helps me a lot!“ … How big is the step for a vegan to become „raw“? Mimi: What I found interesting for myself: I am a Raw Vegan. And now I know all these vegans. And so now that I am in the vegan world, I understand thats a great segway into it and I think I can help vegans eat more raw food. Behause of the encymes… you have to juice and eat enough raw food. Eating vegan cooked food is not gonna keep you healthy. It is a great wonderful compassionate way to live, no doubt about it, compassionate for the animal and for the environment, but it is not always the healthiest. Hopefully by being here on the island, I can bring more raw food to the island and have people understand it, it is delicious food and it is more work a little bit for people, but you can include some of those dishes - and not just be vegan. I hope to raise the consciousness to talk about health more than just eating vegan food. How important is nutrition/diet on the way to a perfectly healthy, happy life? Mimi: I think food is a big part of it, meditation, all of it. But you have to get rid of those subconscious negative things in your life. Ursula: Yes, I think food is one approach… It just creates a good base to develop on all levels. Food is energy – and the quality of food definitely has a strong impact on the quality of our lives. Mimi: That’s why I said in the beginning, it makes you mindful. You start eating right makes you mindful and then everything else starts to change. Ursula: Exactly, it makes you more aware and it doesn’t really matter where you start - is it meditation where you start or is it healthy food or a detox for a week, whatever works best for you. You can get older but that doesn’t mean you have to age. You can age but you do not have to get older... Mimi Kirk Mimi: Yes, it just opens you up to see what is not maybe working in your life and what you could do better. We are always working on ourselves. I haven’t stop working on myself. I discover new things about myself everyday. And now that I have a sense of humor about myself, I am able to laugh about it. And now i’ve got Mike laughing about it too! What else can you do?! You take what comes, and as you age, you take your changes, your body changes, everything. You have to accept yourself. You can get older but that doesn’t mean you have to age. You know, you can age but you do not have to get older, that’s what I say all the time. You don’t have to be older, there is nothing about going old gracefully. The fact is we are gonna age, accept your lines, accept youself. Stop this injection, stop this insecurity about who you are and just feel. You wanna feel a certain way? I am very young spirited, thats my things… Not that I look that young! Put me in a funky dress and cut my hair off and curl it up and let it be grey. I look older (laughing)! But my spirit is very young, my energy level is very young, because I feel good when I wake up everyday, because I eat well! So it all ties back, right!? So, after all that interesting insights from you, Mimi, about conscious living - how can you convince someone to go raw? Most of the people can’t imagine to eat only raw, veggie things… Mimi: First of all: The food is delicious! It is the best desert you can ever have! Non guilty deserts! Raw Food is delicious. I make cheesecakes and pies, and chocolate icecream, candy, everything you can imagine. Honestly, the raw deserts will talk anybody into it. It is a kind of magic: You do have to learn to uncook! We all know how to throw a meal together, very fast, and so to eat raw food, you can’t cook it, you have to learn to uncook and you have to find out what makes a pie, how can you make it stick together, how can you eat a Lasagne, what can you do?! I mean I make Spaghetti out of Zucchini, how do you get the flavour you love so much in everything? and I do. Thats why I wrote the book. Because I can make anything. One of the challenges that I find most people have, is that They want to do it, but they have to cook for other people. That makes it very difficult to do it. what I learned is that I have to fix my meal first and then to cook for my partner or family. And my partner Mike said to me, it is like you are on an airplane and they tell you put your mask on before you put it on your child ;-) ! Which of your books might be the best one for NEW-RAWLERS? ;-) Mimi: I am a big fan of all my books, I have one Juice book out, but in all my books there is health information, it is not just recipes. I would suggest anyone starting out, the New-Rawlers, my first book „ Live raw“. It has very familiar foods. It has got Lasagne, Pizza, all the normal foods that people would eat. It is totally satisfying and delicious. The thing I noticed with Raw Food is you will actually eat less. Mimi Kirk, 77 years, is an inspiring woman for thousands of foodies. She is author of three books about Raw Food and Juicing. Her website title „Young on Raw Food“ says everything: Aging healthy, happy and vital! The young-spirited Californian traveled the world and is still on the road - now, her second home is beautiful island Mallorca, where she is making a big wave in the veggie and vegan foodist scene. ...and by the way, with 71 years she was voted by PETA as „The Sexiest Vegetarian over 50“ in the US. Books: Mimis latest book „The Ultimate Book of Modern Juicing“ has over 200 recipes and great tips for staying young. As well her first two books about Raw Food, „Live Raw“ and „Live Raw Around The World“ are inspiring gifts for everyone who needs re-freshing ideas for a vitalising way of life. Website: Young on Raw Food Facebook: Mimi Kirk Ursula Peer, 44 years, radiant new author and Detox Expert from Mallorca. Through a life-changing health crisis in the late 20ties, she discovered the Traditional Chinese Medicin for herself and sticks with it since then. She completet several trainings in TCM and offers Detox Holidays on the sunny island. Her first book „Lemon Detox“ is out now and offers handy tips to start a healthy lifestyle, recipes and a detox program for home. eBook: Only in German at the moment: „Lemon Detox - Genussvoll entgiften, gesunden und schlank bleiben – der einfache Start in ein gesundes Leben!“ eBook or print version via direct order at authors email, 15 Euro. Website: Ursula Peer & Detox Holidays Mallorca Facebook: SaVida Detox Mallorca Photo Credit: Maria Hibbs, mariahibbs.com - Maria completed this inspiring meeting with the two ladies, being a vegan over the past decade and a curious, life loving woman, who loves to cook for family and friends. --- Thousand THX to you, I love you! PS. Read the interview with Maria Hibbs here! To meet Zaira Leal is a shower of blessings. She is an outstanding Yoga Teacher with a deep knowledge about Yoga & Indian Philosophy and shares her great heart wisdom with international yogis at ZUNRAY Yoga in Palma de Mallorca and abroad.
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