Tag Archives: West London Buddhist Centre

Reviews, Social Commentary

What’s New In Notting Hill…

One of the great things about London is that it is vibrant and dynamic; there are constantly new restaurants opening and closing, new business ideas cropping up everywhere I look, trends coming and going. And it has a great art scene, which as you know, I am a big fan of. So, when someone I know recently said that Notting Hill wasn’t ‘dynamic’ enough, I of course took offence and had to counter that argument. At the moment, Notting Hill is booming. It is showcasing some of the biggest trends in London at the moment:

337E1E1700000578-3556104-image-a-4_1461577515549

Restaurants & Bars 

There’s a lot happening in the restaurant and bar scene around here, most recently with the opening of Farmacy on Westbourne Grove this past Monday. Farmacy is a plant based restaurant and bar, so essentially a vegan restaurant, opened by Camilla Al Fayed. I went opening day and it was packed, service was spotty (it was their first service after all), but the food was good. For vegan food. My only problem with it was that as I was eating my aubergine and pumpkin curry, I kept looking for the chicken. It is a beautiful, light, airy space, that it is going to be a sure hit around here: Nice restaurant + rabbit food= Happy Yummy Mummies.

Cottons-Restaurant-and-Rhum-Shack

On the heels of the Rum Kitchen’s success, a new Caribbean restaurant and bar is opening up on Notting Hill Gate today, Cotton’s Restaurant & Bar, which will boast 300 different rums on offer. I have been invited to try it out so will give you the scoop in a few weeks.

This leads me to think that Notting Hill Gate is upping its game, with Polpo, Cottons’s, and the total refurb of Itsu. Itsu’s new look is also being unveiled today (April 29th), and I will let you know what I think soon enough!

Speaking of Japanese, mysushishop is coming to Westbourne Grove very soon. For those who don’t know it, it’s a French-fast-food-fancy sushi (try saying that four times in a row). Or at least it claims to be. Its reviews are mixed here in London, although it has been a hit in France. Let’s see what happens.

On the Portobello/Kensington Park Road side of things, Tonkotsu has opened on Blenheim Crescent where the Bubble Tea Bar used to be and I’m keen try it out. Next to it a sweets shop, Ask Mummy and Daddy, has opened in place of the popcorn shop. Across from it, Sweet Things Cafe has been imported from the Primrose Hill and it is absolutely lovely.

Around the corner on Kensington Park Road, Peyotito, a Mexican restaurant and little sister to Peyote has taken over the space of Montgomery Bar, which I was quite sad to see go, as it was one of the only bars in the neighbourhood. Notting Hill is now becoming Mexican heaven with Crazy Homies, Santos, Taqueria, and let’s not forget Loco Mexicano.

large-1447420752-dc379dddb8d2fcb6a46bf4c1ba4d98f5

Beauty & Wellness

Lots going on in this sector as well, with the brand spanking new Bodyism opening up right smack in the middle of Daylesford and Joseph. So, what you do is 1) eat your grains at Daylesford 2) work out at Bodyism 3) go to Joseph in your newly found Size 0. Of course, I don’t have £18,000 to spare for a membership, but if you do, I hear it’s a wonderful ‘lifestyle.’

Like I already mentioned, Teresa Tarmey has recently opened a spa/salon around the corner from Cult Granger (I still don’t understand the wait-in-the-rain-for-2-hours-granger-cult, it’s good, but it’s not THAT good). Margaret Dabbs has taken over the Spa NK spa area (not sure what happened and why it closed down), but it offers great medical pedicures for anyone whose feet need some professional help; they are podiatrists who can sort out your wonky feet in a jiffy.

Real Estate Etc…

On the Bayswater side of Westbourne Grove, so much is happening on the real estate front; four new ‘luxury’ residential buildings have been built/are being built, which is slowly changing the face of Bayswater. One houses the West London Buddhist Centre and another houses Heal’s on Queensway. I don’t think you can get more of an indication of gentrification than that. Can’t wait to see what they will do on Queensway…

So, if this isn’t ‘dynamic’ enough, I don’t know what is.

Let me know your thoughts or if you want any of the above reviews, I am happy to try them out for you 😉

xx

NHYM

http://www.nottinghillyummymummy.com

@NHyummymummy

Standard
Spotlight On...

Spotlight On: Leslie Saglio, Yoga guru, Reiki practitioner & Wellness coach

Unknown-3

All photos in this post courtesy of Leslie Saglio. NHYM 2015. 

Lately, I have been hearing all about the stress and anxiety of parents getting their kids into the ‘right school,’ passing the 7+ or the 11+. Normally calm and relaxed parents have become screaming messes and super-powered CEO mums and Magazine Editor mums have been put on anti-depressants, diazepam and other anxiolytics due to the stress of their children’s exams.

Isn’t it time for us to realise that this is really not the way to go? Shouldn’t we be kinder to ourselves? Here, I have interviewed Leslie Saglio, a local Yoga teacher who has started teaching at the brand new, beautiful West London Buddhist Centre on how to become more zen. She is also a Wellness Coach, a Reiki practitioner and a mother of 2 living in Notting Hill. She helped launch Serene Social in the UK last year, is a contributor to the US site MindBodyGreen and is a Brand Ambassador for the eco-friendly lifestyle apparel company Wellicious, based in Notting Hill.

Unknown-2

1. What’s your story? 

I am originally from Calabasas, just next to Malibu beach, in LA. I grew up a child of the sun and sea, enjoyingthe outdoor lifestyle.I have always been fascinated by other cultures and spent a lot of my youth travelling throughout the U.S. and Asia. I graduated from Business School at the University of Southern California and worked in the Entertainment industry, and then took a leap of faith and co-founded a real estate mortgage company. I moved to London with my French fiancé in 2006, we got married in 2007 and have two beautiful kids. I have lived in the Notting Hill area since then. So London is well and truly my home!

2. What made you decide to get involved in Wellness/yoga/serene?

While living In LA, I was feeling the strains of city life and this showed in my unhealthy lifestyle. I managed to break from this cycle when I moved to Europe, but my life changed more dramatically in 2010 when my loved ones became seriously ill. I regrouped to become stronger and it was then that I began my holistic and spiritual journey towards a healthier lifestyle.

I became a yoga teacher in 2013 and while students were coming to me for advice on the healing effects of yoga, it felt like a calling as I knew I wanted to help others. While exploring other disciplines such as Reiki and Feng Shui, I decided to become a certified Wellness Coach. During this time in 2013 while on a trip in New York City, I met Millana Snow, co-founder of SERENE Social, a women’s wellness and conscious networking community, originally based in New York. As I loved everything SERENE stood for, I helped them by becoming their London Lead and launched them last year. I feel blessed to be able to light the path for others to start their own journey towards a more purpose filled life.

Unknown-4

3. What is a Wellness Coach? And what exactly is Serene Social?

A wellness coach is someone who empowers others to lead a lifestyle beyond enhanced health. I’m a certified and dedicated Energy 4 Life© Wellness Coach, which means I take a progressive holistic approach founded by my teacher Caroline Shola Arewa. By taking a three-dimensional approach (body, mind and spirit) and focusing on disciplines such as yoga, complementary medicine and spirituality, I help clients reclaim wholeness and personal energy. It requires tremendous strength. But with time, it can repair the damage caused by poor diet, lack of exercise, negative thoughts and overall stress.

SERENE Social is a community that was set up to inspire a life of passion, power and purpose for women around the globe. SERENE provides a source of conscious content, connections and empowerment via yoga, networking sessions, meditation, online courses and more. For more info on how I helped launch SERENE London read here

4. You are now running Yoga lessons at the West London Buddhist Centre. Can you tell us a bit more about the centre and what you do there? 

The West London Buddhist Centre is a charity linked to a wider movement called Triratna Buddhist Community. It’s just one of the many businesses, retreat centres and other initiatives you’ll find worldwide. WLBC is based in a beautiful new Notting Hill building on Porchester Road and hosts a programme of classes and courses in mindfulness disciplines such as meditation, yoga and other bodywork.

I teach weekly Yin and Vinyasa classes, monthly yoga and coaching workshops as well as private coaching sessions. My ethos is to empower my students and clients to have their own unique experience. I do this by providing them with a space to begin healing themselves and find their full potential.

Although I’m not Buddhist, I fully embrace its philosophy to transform our responses to life experiences and it’s an ethos that crosses over many different cultures and religious beliefs. Mindfulness practices such as meditation and yoga not only help train the body to a more healthy physical state, but also enable students to shift their emotional and mental states towards a more conscious and balanced life.

5. How do you stay positive when you are faced with difficulties and obstacles? 

To stay positive as an expat mum in the city, I do daily mindful practices such as yoga, meditation and gratitude and try following a healthy diet. I definitely feel the difference if I’m not keeping up and doing the work. I’ve learned that if you consistently do the work, it does get easier. As with my clients, I also practice techniques such as repeating daily positive affirmations to manifest my dreams, and have regular Reiki sessions to replenish my energy. But most of all, I remember to breathe!

Unknown-5

6. What advice would you give to all the stressed out mums (and dads) out there?

As parents, to really fully support the ones we love, we must remember to first take care of ourselves. We need to learn how to set boundaries with our own time and our energy. Sometimes it’s ok to say ‘no’ to going out and just be comfortable staying quiet at home. Equally, it helps to remember to take some time for yourself – whether that be a girls’/guys’ night out, a mani/pedi, going to the gym, or getting a babysitter so you can enjoy a date night.

7. Many mums I know would love to find something they can do that helps others while staying flexible around their family time. What advice would you give to anyone who wants to become a yoga instructor or wellness coach like you? 

  1. Do your research – There are so many part-time and online training/teaching options available out there that will compliment a parent’s lifestyle. Just make sure you choose a teacher/coach whose personality and style resonates with you.
  2. Seek support – Make sure you have a reliable and flexible nanny and friends. Schedule play dates and activities so your kids stay busy and connected while you’re out/away
  3. Get organised – Make regular lists and acknowledge what you have accomplished. It’s all about baby steps.
  4. Stay committed – Anything worthwhile will not come easy. Remember, a profession in wellness has the power to make you a better mum and better wife so don’t ever feel guilty for putting in the hours.

 8. You are a Yoga teacher, a Wellness Coach, a Reiki Healer and you led the London launch of Serene Social. How do you manage it all with being a mother (and a wife!)? 

It’s all about how you manage your personal energy and everything I do with my students and clients is simply that – shifting energy so they can become healthier in their entire wellbeing. The mind and body are truly inter-connected and when we start to live with that consciousness, we live from a more authentic and harmonious state. We begin to experience life more beautifully.

Unknown-1

 9. What are your favourite places in Notting Hill?

The Life Centre for their inspirational yoga teachers, Planet Organic for wholesome goods, Neal’s Yard Remedies for a relaxing massage, Granger & Co. for brunch with my girlfriends, and Taqueria for some yummy Mexican food and a taste of my hometown L.A.

10. What advice would you give to your younger self, now that you’ve had all these life experiences? 

Enjoy every moment, count your blessings, know that every experience you have is meant to make you a better person on the other side and lastly, just be yourself.

http://www.lesliesaglio.com

xx

NHYM

http://www.nottinghillyummymummy.com

@NHyummymummy

Standard