There are some books that you half-read once, put down and never think about again.

And then, you get books like Life in Flow.

Life in Flow is an everyday book. It’s one that you reflect on whilst on your way to work, an afternoon walk and every space in between. It has lots of dog-ear bookmarks, underlined sentences, notes scrawled and pages you refer back to whenever life feels like it’s getting away from you.

But, before you begin, be sure to sit down, find stillness and enjoy it properly.

Kate Kendall, known as the Active Yogi, is not only the author of Life in Flow, but also the co-founder and director of Sydney's yoga and gym space, Flow Athletic in Paddington. She hosts a podcast titled The Space Between (I feature on this episode here, just by the way), is the creator of Flow After Dark, a beautiful friend, new mum and all-round inspiring woman. If you’ve ever had the chance to speak to her in person though, you’ll realise Kate’s a humble and inspiring yogi who merely followed her path.

Life in Flow explores Kate's story in its entirety. 

After experiencing a crash and burn on her way to the top, Kate managed to turn her life around through yoga and meditation. She quit her full-time job to go to India and study yoga. While this story is one of epic proportions, Kate explains throughout the book that it’s not about changing your whole life journey but rather, finding your own personal ‘dharma’, or life purpose. Kate explores what it means to be a yogi in the everyday, and shows us that there's a lot more to it than meditating uncomfortably in a lotus pose or getting sweaty at a yoga studio.

Kate effortlessly combines ancient yoga practices with modern mindfulness, making it the perfect book to assist you in practicing yoga on and off the mat. The book radiates Kate’s positivity but is also a very raw and inspiring exploration of how to find your own flow. It’s spiritual, open-minded and will help you slow down, spark joy and connect.

The book is sectionalised into four parts to help guide you through the journey: grounding, joy riding, connection and devotion. Each chapter follows Kate’s own story and musings, holds helpful tips and yoga poses to help solidify the messages.  

The book starts with an exploration into being grounded, and how to be ‘in your body’. From this place, Kate explains, you’re less reactive, and more clear-headed, creative and calm. It investigates the idea of slowing down and is full of practical tips to help you feel grounded and inhabit your space more fully.

Joy riding is a chapter of clarity; being clear on what brings you happiness. The yoga flow in this chapter follows the mantra love and light, which I absolutely love.  

While our generation is connected in so many ways, the deep, soul-touching connection we aspire for often goes amiss, leaving us feeling, ironically, disconnected. This chapter is full of tools to help us get back to connection. It also contains one of my favourite parts in the book, a section about phones and digital detoxes. Admittedly, I have a love-hate relationship with my phone. Kate eloquently explores the relationship we have with our phones and how much beauty there is if we just look up from the screen. Oh, and you can also learn how to have a conscious yogi’s phone etiquette – think turning it off with friends, at meal times and before bed.

The last chapter, devotion, perfectly sums up the whole book. In essence, it showcases how being of service to others gives life a purpose. However, life is about giving and receiving, reminding us to give, but still remember to give to ourselves through self-care.

This book is truly a game-changer for the modern mindfulness guru. From the yoga-curious to the yoga legend, there are nuggets of yogi wisdom for everyone.

I had the opportunity to interview Kate and ask her some juicy questions. Enjoy it below!

What was the spark that made you want to write the book and kept you going during the lengthy process?

I knew I had a book in me. I'd flirted with the idea for a while but it wasn't until a sit down with you, Lee, when you said you'd introduce to your book publisher. That was the head start I needed. I'm lucky for that.

I wrote the book the whole nine months I was pregnant - every spare moment I got away from the studio.  I'd spend Sundays in the library or sitting in our living room in Bronte looking at the beach. Some days I wouldn't feel super inspired but there would always be something that would come in to share. I really loved the creative process of writing the book. 

You talk in your book about wholehearted living can you elaborate on this?

Wholehearted living is about being 'all in' and showing up as your whole self - taking nothing away nor adding anything. It's about feeling what you're feeling, unashamedly, and taking responsibility for your actions. It's about living fully and skimming over nothing.

I love that the book is an ode to the true meaning of yoga, and less about self-help and more about helping others, strengthening relationships and community, what are some of the ways people can strengthen relationships?

By practicing compassion and kindness. 

And by listening.  Yoga is very much so about 'listening' and most people just want to be heard and felt understood. 

What does it mean to have an open, playful and curious heart and what steps can we take to achieve it?

This is my life's work - and perhaps the most challenging - or Michael Singer in his book (one of my faves) The Untethered Soul, would say that it's also the easiest thing to do. He says that nothing is worth closing your heart over. The idea is that we remain open, no matter our situation and be optimistic about the lessons that can be learnt in any situation - as challenging as they may seem. Singer says that whatever feelings come up for us, the ideas that we feel them and let them go without holding onto anything. This is the key to keeping the heart open, playful and curious.

When it comes to connection what are your top three 'real life' ways to take kindness off the mat and into the real world?

Listening

Random Acts of Kindness (doing something for others - even strangers - without expecting anything in return or even telling them you've done that thing for them)

Practicing compassion and putting yourself in other's shoes. The ability to come 'unstuck' and be open to other viewpoints is a skill. It doesn't mean you have to sway from your values but rather accept other people's opinions.

What is your idea of self-care and what does the practice of self-care cultivate in a person?

Self care is very much related to cultivating a relationship with oneself based on kindness. If we think of ourselves as an 'energy body' - which is what we are - we can see that rests imperative, as is a healthy lifestyle

I love your popular podcast The space between. What exactly is the space in between and why do we need to go there?

The Space Between is a concept that actualised itself to me one day when I was practicing yoga. I noticed the space between my breaths as being expansive and still. I had this blissful moment of no thoughts - it was a point little pause where I felt completely present. I then expanded it to explain the space between to-do's, activities and events or a place in which you practiced presence; A place where you slow down enough to listen to the sound of your breath and do nothing but 'be'. I think this concept and philosophy is so relevant in today's obsession with busy. Have you ever stopped to wonder where we're racing to anywhere? Sometimes I think we're just 'being done' and the more we can step back and go with the flow, go with this current of 'being done' the more exciting, blissful and purposeful our life will be. 

Do you think that our mobile phones have the upper hand and do you yourself do a one-day digital detox each week? 

You only need to look around to notice on a daily basis that our phones have the upper hand. Everywhere you look people are lost in a vortex. It's crazy. Me too at times. I really have to practice some discipline to not waste hours on instagram. When I'm walking down the street and notice a person observing the world around them as opposed to being on the phone I want to stop them and say, "I love you - you're here." 

Don't get me wrong, our phones are also incredible and social media has played a huge role in any amount of success we're had at Flow Athletic. It's been a great way to communicate and learn. But like anything - food and alcohol for example - if we overuse it and abuse it, it can have some harsh results and become addictive.

If I find myself getting a little anxious army nervous system seems racy, I'll take a day off my phone. For me the best days are Sundays. 

You bring your own personal experiences into Life in Flow which help make the book very relatable.  What is one of the biggest lessons you have learnt through the years of studying, opening and running a successful business and being in a relationship?

To speak your truth. Only always. I've been guilty of committing to things or saying things so that I wouldn’t offend someone or because I thought that's what people wanted to hear and it got no where but burnt out and addicting to busy, not to mention unfulfilled and depressed. 

You're a new mum, how have things changed for you since having your baby girl and is it harder to stay in flow with the change in routine?

I can say, for sure, that I've never been happier. Sure - Motherhood present mega confrontations and struggles but they are all so worth it. My daughter has been my greatest teacher yet. I stress less about getting my hair and nails done and focus way more on playfulness and quality time with family. And it's only made the way I teach feel more meaningful. I love being a Mumma and I'm only doing it once so I'm savouring every moment.

You can pick up a copy of Life in Flow here.

Namaste.

If you’ve already picked up a copy of my latest book, Supercharge Your Life, you’ll know all there is to know about my food philosophy and the seven keystones of life.

If you’re yet to pick up your own copy, or need a refresher, pop on the kettle, grab your notebook and be prepared for a class that may just change the way you look at the world and more importantly, the way you look at fish tortillas!.

While some of us may eat just to merely exist, I believe food shouldn’t be a mundane and repetitive ritual. Eating is such a central practice in the lives of all humans, including you and me. The way we interact with food and value it has the ability to affect our lives and futures. That’s a lot of pressure on making a piece of smashed avo, right? (more…)

Do you know what I love? A biscuit in a cup of tea.

Do you know what I love even more? Two biscuits sandwiched together with chocolate filling in a cup of tea while reading my newest baby, Supercharge Your Life.

Specific, I know.

I have to admit it, as a self-confessed foodie, I find pleasure out of baked goods and, I don’t think I’m alone. I believe that as humans, we’re programmed to seek pleasure.

However, we’ve become acclimatised to a world that tells us to avoid foods that aren’t ‘healthy’. We live in a nutrition-obsessed world where we are exposed to more fad diets than ever. When we feel the benefits of eating healthy food, we want to shout it from the rooftops Fiddler on the Roof style, and with good reason: our bodies will always welcome real, fresh nutrient-dense foods.

For years science has shown us a narrow cause and effect of eating certain ingredients, however, because of that many of us have started to view food as a catalyst for health or harm.    (more…)

This week I'm excited to announce a new course that combines two of my favourite things, gut health and Ayurveda. The Joyful Belly School of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion provides top notch Ayurvedic training for those seeking deeper investment in Ayurveda's natural healing techniques. 

You can enhance your qualifications and experience in integrative health care by enrolling in this comprehensive course in Ayurvedic digestive tract pathology and Ayurvedic nutrition.  The course starts on October 14th 2019 and will run annually. 

Through this 500 hour online course you'll build confidence in your ability to improve digestive tract health and wellness using food and herbs as medicine. This rigorous program uses a hands-on approach so that you experience the knowledge directly.

The course is aimed at seasoned Ayurvedic practitioners, health professionals, and dedicated enthusiasts. It's a detailed and specialized program in integrative digestion & nutrition.

The material you'll learn in this ten month online program can be used to enhance your career and clinical skills in digestive health to the point of mastery.

Through this program you will Master the art of digestive tract health and wellness for over 30 major digestive tract pathologies. You'll also experience first-hand the subtleties of your body's unique relationship to food through a hands-on approach and develop your capacity and confidence to make expert food recommendations to your clients, on a case by case basis. The techniques to address a wide range of digestive concerns will help you to work with  clients on a practical level to help them achieve their health & wellness goals.  

Ayurveda is centred around listening to your body, and the certification course will show you how to make better food choices guided by actual digestive and nutritional experiences and pass on the knowledge to your clients through a body centric approach. You'll be able to correct imbalances in digestion through natural remedies. You will develop qualifications in the field of Ayurveda and be able to offer your clients quality care and successful outcomes. 

I'm happy to announce that Supercharged Food readers and blog members have been offered a $750 scholarship towards the tuition fees of the course.  If this is something you might want to learn more about, you can read more about this Ayurvedic certified course here.  

Did you know that studies show Australians throw out around $8 billion worth of edible food each year. This is obviously a very big problem for the environment and our own budgets as well.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, more than thirty percent of food is wasted globally across the supply chain, contributing eight percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions.

Plastic bags, metal cans and the cardboard boxes our food comes in all add up too! For example if you're chowing down on a lasagne, can't get through it and decide to toss the uneaten portion away, half of the emissions that result from it being made, processed, packaged, shipped, stored, picked up and cooked are also wasted. Better still make a Supercharged Lasagne and you are guaranteed to have zero leftovers 😉

To give you an idea of the enormity of the problem, if food waste were a country, it would come in third after the United States and China in terms of impact on global warming. That is a scary thought.

In the lead up to Clean Up Australia Day on Sunday, March 3, I've teamed up with my local store Flannerys Organic & Wholefood Market to provide tips on how to reduce food waste.  I chatted to naturopath Caroline Robertson who believes the information around climate change and our depleting resources has forced many people to look closer at their own footprint and ability to change.

“As a result, we’re seeing more Australians motivated to reduce their consumption of single use items that end in landfill,” she said.

“But there is still a lot of room for improvement.”

If you keen to start in your own backyard, kitchen, garden, home and rubbish bins; here are Ten Ways to Help Reduce Food Waste that not only save your wallet but contribute to a greener planet too.

• Do a meal plan for the week – decide what you’re going to eat on which days and what ingredients you need. I like to meal plan on Sundays for the coming week, but do what works best for you.

• Create a shopping list – that way you won’t be enticed to veer off it buying extra items, which might result in more spend and more waste. Less is more!

• Purchase fresh, quality organic food where possible and batch cook/prepare: Fresh salad leaves and muesli or yoghurt in a jar are healthy, nutritious and easy to prep and pop in the fridge, grabbing when needed. Soups and slow cooks like curries, dahl (you'll love my totally dahl-icious dahl recipe here, chilli and savoury mince are also great to batch cook and freeze, reducing wastage. You can find my ultimate guide to batch cooking here.
• Buy food in bulk: According to a BulkFoods Study in the US, consumers can save an average of eighty-nine percent on the cost of their grocery shop by purchasing bulk foods. I regularly to use this option as Flannerys has a big bulk food section and include sustainably sourced nuts, seeds, flour, dark chocolate, nutritional yeast flakes, sea salt  which I scoop directly from their glass canisters into my own, banishing those pesky plastic bags for good.

• Recycle, recycle, recycle: Most Aussies are on top of this, but if you’re not, now is the time to start! Most local Councils have good waste services, but you can always go one better by doing your own composting or investing in a worm farm. I am loving composting and its quite addictive once you get going!
• Buy straw alternatives: Australians use an estimated ten million plastic straws a day, I was shocked when I read this!.  Because they’re so lightweight, they not biodegradable or recyclable and frequently end up in the ocean in the stomachs of fish, birds and turtles. There are now alternative straws made from stainless steel, bamboo and sustainably grown paper straws which are a better investment.

• Invest in beeswax wraps: If you want to kick the single-use disposable habit, beeswax wraps are a great plastic-free alternative. They can be used instead of clingwrap to cover food and keep it fresh, are reusable and can be refreshed is the wax starts to wear. There are lots of options in store. I use these above because I love the pretty retro patterns.
• Compostable bin liners: Plastic bags can take up to one thousand years to decompose in landfills. A better solution is compostable bags, with one brand shown to biodegrade ninety-nine per cent within the first month in a commercial composting facility. If you're a pet lover, small biodegradable bags are good for doggie pickups too. Flannerys offer free compostable bags at the checkout, bulk bins and organic fruit and veg – they are made from corn husks that will eventually breakdown in your compost; or they can be re-used which is even better.

• Reusable mesh fruit and veg produce bags: Instead of packing fruit, vegetables and bulk-food shopping into plastic bags, using a lightweight, mesh, reusable produce bag is much better for the environment.
• Water filter: One million plastic bottles are bought every minute around the globe, with our insatiable thirst for bottled water creating a crisis that experts say is as bad as climate change. First things first, ditch the plastic bottles. If you’re concerned about water quality, use a good quality water filter – otherwise just fill up your stainless-steel bottles.
• Reusable cups: After plastic bottles, coffee cups are the second-largest contributor to rubbish and they are lined with plastic film, making them difficult to recycle. Since ABC’s War on Waste exposed that we throw one billion disposable cups away each year, sales of re-usable coffee cups have exploded. If you've left your reusable cup at home, most cafes now offer organic coffee in compostable cups, made from plants – not plastic. I recently did a talk in South Australia and the cups we used for my Love Your Gut Lassi demo were able to be planted after use as they contained seeds in them!

To find more ideas on reducing food waste, you can visit Flannerys here.

Grahams Natural is a family run business that offers a range of products designed to care for a variety skin types and condition with natural, effective and clinically tested ingredients.

The thing that’s impressive and impassioned about this business is that it was created through the family’s personal struggle and need to develop a natural and beneficial solution to help treat their son’s eczema.

After almost a decade of formulating products, Grahams Natural crafted a number of different skin care solutions including eczema, rosacea, and dermatitis, with only the highest quality, clinically proven, natural ingredients. They have complimented their remedial range with an everyday natural collection that’s also suitable for sensitive skin.

With age, our skin begins to change becoming dry, wrinkly and less smooth. But most of the available products to treat this are expensive and contain all sorts of chemicals and unnatural ingredients. Grahams Natural have formulated an alternative anti-aging skin care range with a moisturising cream and a night cream, which both feature natural ingredients that benefit maturing skin.

Speaking of mature skin 😉 I’ve been using both the creams following their refreshing Foaming Facial Cleanser and the results are great!

Washing my face with the cleanser leaves my skin smelling fresh and feeling hydrated and deeply cleansed. With green tea, aloe vera and cucumber extract, this foamy cleanser gently and naturally removes excess oil, make up and even waterproof mascara. In the mornings, I follow this with the anti-aging Natural Moisturising Cream and then just before bed I use the Natural Hydrating Night cream. Its not too sticky which I like and I love that its working over night as I sleep!

With seaweed extract, liquorice root and shea butter the moisturiser nourishes, hydrates, and softens mature skin. The seaweed extract contains an abundance of minerals including (but not limited to) B-complex vitamins, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and potassium, as well as antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E. These all add to its unique anti-aging and healing properties by improving skin tone, texture, and elasticity. The liquorice root not only minimises inflammation and soothes irritated skin, but it also reduces hyperpigmentation. My favourite aspect about this moisturiser is the shea butter. It adds a beautiful earthy and nutty scent and deeply hydrates my dry skin while also protecting it from UV sunlight, harsh climate and pollution damages.

The night cream is formulated with Coffea arabica seed extract. At first it did seem strange putting coffee on my skin at night. But I have to say the antioxidant rich extract left my skin feeling regenerated and replenished when I awoke in the morning. Since the coffee extract has a high concentration of vitamin E, it is able to assist rapid cell regeneration, the healing of scar tissue and minimise skin damage. With added almond oil, this night cream is hypoallergenic and able to soften and refresh aging skin. I love how it effortlessly soaks into my face, neck and décolletage, deeply nourishing dryness on the skin.

To find out more about Grahams Natural visit their website here.