Posted: by Jo Tuesday, 25 January 2022 @ 14:21
2022
is now well underway...
...and the Covid news is all very positive, with
restrictions lifting and hospitalisations decreasing. It really has been a Happy
start to the New Year! Long may it continue.
And
I am thrilled to report that I had a wonderful Christmas, doing exactly as I
had hoped. A peaceful and quiet festive period in the Lake District, with my
step-mum-in-law coming for a few days over Christmas itself, and then a quiet
New Year with just my husband and I cooking a lovely meal for ourselves.
And
sharing the week with a Greater Spotted Woodpecker on our bird-feeder – a
beautiful bird that I have never seen in real life before, but saw every day
over the week. As one of my Christmas presents was a pair of high spec
binoculars for my new bird-watching passion, you can guess how excited I was!
Along
with much of the population, I have been doing my own version of Dry January –
starting a little later in the month than most, as I have a 12th
Night celebratory tradition with my sister and her family – but not drinking
since then.
I have to admit that I love a glass or two of wine, so it is normally pretty
challenging to give it up completely for a period of time. But I have found it
remarkably easy this time around. I think my mindset has been firmly fixed on
health and wellness so far this year, so a few weeks of abstinence seems like a
small price to pay for a healthier liver!
The National Running Show
At
Mantra, we have had a strong start to the new year, with an excellent live event
at the NEC in Birmingham, the National Running Show. It was our first
event in almost 2 years, because of Covid, and we loved every moment of it.
A
running show might at first seem like an unlikely event to take Mantra to.
After all, we don’t make running shoes, training kit, or sports nutrition – we
make jewellery! But, if you know Mantra well and you know our story, you’ll
know that much of the thinking behind the brand came about when I trained for,
and ran in, the London Marathon back in 2016.
I
realised quickly during training that you run a marathon with your mind, even
more than your body. That insidious, nagging, negative voice in your head that
tells you that you can stop all this pain by just slowing down to a walk...
That’s the enemy that you have to fight against, when your legs start aching
and your chest is exploding and you can’t seem to locate that second wind…
So,
I learnt 26 mantras, one for each mile, to keep my mind distracted and to shut
that voice up. It worked!
And,
of course, many runners use mantras, so the audience at the event totally ‘got’
Mantra, instinctively understanding the power of words to transform your mood
and mindset.
It
was also just great to be back out at an event, meeting new people. Like many of
you, the team and I have been confined to the office or our homes for the last
18 months, with all of our relationships with you – our wonderful customers –
being purely digital, so it was truly fantastic to be back at an event with
real people, IRL, again! Hearing your stories of challenge with mood, mindset,
mojo, and motivation, and looking to running as a way to get out of your head
and back to yourself.
Something new...
Our
new stock has also just arrived in the office, which is always a time of real
excitement here. Our new All-seeing Eye ‘myMantra’ necklace is a particular
favourite, and has come out beautifully. It is always thrilling to see a design
come to life, and this one is no exception.
Also
this month, we are very excited about a new collaboration with the incredible
Sharon Luca-Chatha.
Sharon
owns an eco-friendly clothing brand called LK Eco Style, making
T-shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts in organic cotton and recycled materials. She
is going to be collaborating with us on a range of Mantra clothing, with each
of our six bestselling mantras being available on a T-shirt, hoodie or sweatshirt.
The
first one to launch will be ‘Always, I rise’, from our bestselling Phoenix Necklace, with another one launched each month. Look out on Sharon’s website
for the launch in early February - https://lkecostyle.com/
Sharon
is also the Founder of a charity called the Luca Foundation, in memory of her
stillborn son, Luca. The charity aims to raise funds to buy ‘cuddle cots’ for
hospitals, which allow parents to spend more time with a stillborn child. At such a devastating time in someone's life, this is one small way of helping.
A
cuddle cot is a cooling mattress that stop a baby's body deteriorating, and can
be placed in a cot or even a pram. It allows parents to spend time with their
babies and bond with them, as it slows down the natural changes in the baby’s
body after death. Having the chance to see and hold their baby, take
photographs or hand and footprints, and spend more time with them can make an
enormous difference at a time of inconceivable grief and overwhelming sadness.
We
will be launching a Mantra necklace in partnership with the Luca Foundation in
March, with 25% of the funds going to the charity. I’ll tell you more about it
in next month’s journal, along with some preview images of the design.
Valentine's Day
February
also sees both Valentine’s Day and Galentine’s Day. We all know about
Valentine’s – but you may not be so familiar with Galentine’s.
While
it is, for sure, a ‘made up’ event, it is now widely celebrated the day before
Valentine's Day, and is a day to show love and appreciation to your girlfriends. Created more than 10 years ago, it has become an unofficial
celebration of female friendship - the time to thank your gal pals for all
their love and support.
Why
not choose a mantra to show your best friend what she means to you? Here are
our selection of ideal mantras for your bestie, on this day or any day!
I know
I mentioned last month that I was hoping to get some books for Christmas, so I
could do some reading – one of my favourite pastimes.
I
was thrilled to receive ‘Wanderers – a History of Women Walking’ by Kerri
Andrews, from my sister; and ‘Artists – Their Lives and Works’ by Graham Dixon,
from Paul – hill-walking and art being two passions of mine.
But
even before I read these, I downloaded an excellent audiobook, recommended by a
friend of mine, called ‘Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?’ by Dr Julie Smith.
It’s an absolutely brilliant handbook for staying resilient in life.
Dr
Smith is a clinical psychologist with over a decade of professional
experience, who started using social media to reach a wider audience, wanting
to make an understanding of how our brains and our emotions work more accessible. I
would highly recommend this book to everyone, but especially if you are going
through a period of low mood, grief, anxiety or confusion. For me, it is
perfect as a toolkit for thriving in life when things are good, and learning
coping strategies ready for when life challenges you.
Well,
that’s all for this month. I really hope you all have an amazing February, and
I look forward to catching up next month, when we can officially say, it’s
Spring!
Jo xxx
