STEPHANIE AUDINO
Did you know that sleep is the third pillar of health? Nutrition, exercise and sleep combined are crucial to healthy living. What is also important to note though, is that sleep is often a forgotten aspect of one's health. In the pursuit of eating right, exercising and making time to relax, it is sleep that can often fall to the wayside and not truly considered in your wellness routine.
Why is sleep important for health?
Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep benefits your mental health, physical health and quality of life and safety. Did you know that while you sleep, your body is working to support your brain function and your physical health.
So, what’s the secret to a good night's sleep? Hint: It’ll be music to your ears!
Music is a powerful art form and often part of our everyday life. But - what about making it part of your every night? Music can aid sleep by helping you feel relaxed and at ease, allowing you to fall asleep quickly and feel more rested.
Tell me more about music therapy!
Music therapy is the clinical use of music to evoke visceral responses that help people heal, emotionally and even physically. Music improves sleep through calming parts of the autonomic nervous system, leading to slower breathing, lower heart rate, and reduced blood pressure.
4 ways music can help you sleep better:
- Music can decrease the time it takes to fall asleep.
- Playing music before bed can improve sleep efficiency, which means more time that you are in bed is actually spent sleeping.
- Improved sleep efficiency = a good night's rest and less waking up in the middle of the night.
- Listening to music releases stress and puts people at ease
- Physical responses to music are effective in reducing both acute and chronic physical pain.
So when you want to quiet your mind and unwind - hit the ‘play’ button for free-flowing instrumental tracks. We guarantee instant Zzz.
What’s also the secret to a better sleep? Soft organically-grown bamboo on your skin. Shop Sleepwear.
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Guide
We Are Proud to be a B Corp Certified Business
By: STEPHANIE AUDINO We’re extremely proud and very excited to announce that we’re officially B Corp Certified. In late 2021, we earned our place as part of the global B Corp movement for a more sustainable and inclusive economy. This certification shows we meet the highest standards of social and environmental impact. It has been a journey As a brand built on sustainable values, B Corp has always been a constant reminder to do things differently, with people and the planet equally top of mind. It was in late 2019, during the Covid pandemic and at a time when we all started to reflect a little bit more, that we finally took up the task of auditing and documenting everything we do to apply for B Corp certification. Did we think we were going to debut with an impressive score of 101.6? No way, but wow are we proud. In joining the global B Corp community, we solidify our promise to balance purpose and profit and consistently use our business as a force for good. So, why exactly does this matter and what does it really mean? Keep reading. What is it? B Corp is both a global movement and a framework to formalise using business as a force for good balancing people, planet and profit. Certified B Corporations (B Corps) are part of an initiative from B Lab, a non-profit that serves a global movement. For people who want to shop from businesses they believe in, the B Corp logo has fast become a near-universal signpost. The encircled capital ‘B’ is the mark of a brand that believes that business can be used as a force for good. The B Corp certification is globally recognised - we’re so proud to be on this list. Why a certification? B Corp certification is awarded to businesses that hold themselves genuinely and transparently accountable, and demonstrate excellence in five key pillars - governance, workers' rights, community, environment and customers. It allows those interested businesses to benchmark themselves against the very best ethical and sustainable peers from all around the world. Our score In late 2021, we achieved a first-time score of 101.6. The average B Corp score is 90 while the average score for first-time applicants is 51. The standards The process took us a year and was one that involved a lot of hard work and commitment. In order to achieve certification, we had to Demonstrate high social and environmental performance by achieving a B Impact Assessment score of 80 or above and passing our risk review. Multinational corporations must also meet baseline requirement standards. Make a legal commitment by changing our corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders, not just shareholders, and achieve benefit corporation status. Exhibit transparency by allowing information about our performance measured against B Lab’s standards to be publicly available on their B Corp profile on B Lab’s website Why does this matter to you? That little encircled 'B' is a way for customers to instantly recognise that the organisations they buy from are working according to an entirely new way of doing business. This accreditation means that you can trust that we meet the highest standards for positive social and environmental impact. A never-ending journey Being B Corp certified isn’t simply a check box for us. It's a journey that's measured every three years which allows us to continuously work towards the highest standards of an independent body. Thanks so much for being part of the journey - this is really as much of your win as it is ours. Shop Boody
Guide
10 Benefits Of Yoga
By Katya - Lotus Flower Yoga Yoga can provide you with so many benefits physically, mentally, and emotionally. With a regular yoga practice, you won't just start to feel stronger and more flexible, but you may also start to notice that you feel calmer with a sense of an improved overall wellbeing. In this blog post, you will learn 10 amazing benefits of yoga that you will not want to miss out on. REDUCES STRESS A huge benefit of Yoga is that it is known for reducing stress levels. As we perform yoga poses and connect to our breath through Yoga practice, it directly affects the nervous system, moving us out of fight and flight and into rest and digest, which will encourage the body to relax. As the body moves into the relaxation response controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system, many positive things start to happen to the body, such as slowing down the heart rate, increasing the gland function and ultimately encouraging the body and mind to reduce and release stress. IMPROVES BREATHING In a yoga class we work with the body through yoga poses, but we also become more aware of our breathing and perform breathing exercises. Conscious breathing is almost always an essential part of a Yoga practice. Yoga teaches us that our breath is a manifestation of our vital energy and allows us to be in this world. Yoga helps us to understand our breathing and learn about our breath. "Breathing is a direct means of absorbing prana (life force/energy) and the manner in which we breathe sets off pranic vibrations which influence our entire being." swami Muktibodhananda. LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE Studies have shown that those who do Yoga practice three times a week, and include breathing and relaxation, have lower blood pressure! "Researchers analysed data from 49 trials with a total of 3,517 participants who were typically middle-aged, overweight women and men who already had high blood pressure or were close to developing the condition [....] When people with high blood pressure did yoga three times a week in sessions that also included breathing and relaxation exercises; they experienced average decreases of 11 mmHG more than control groups in systolic blood pressure and 6 mmHG more in diastolic blood pressure." https://www.reuters.com/ IMPROVES FLEXIBILITY In Yoga, you move your body in a range of motion, which helps to increase flexibility. When we move the body into a Yoga asana, the muscles are either contracting (agonist) or releasing and elongating (antagonist). Every Yoga stretch that you do can increase the range of motion within the muscle fibres and allows them to become more flexible over time. IMPROVES STRENGTH Yoga has the benefits of improving our overall strength. Yoga posture work with different muscle groups can strengthen our resilience. Many poses are active, and require our ability to hold them for several breaths. A regular yoga practice will create strength within the core, legs, arms, shoulders, and many other body areas. ENHANCES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM Yoga can help to enhance the immune system. Doing a yoga practice that includes yoga poses, breathing and relaxation will help to move the body out of fight and flight, and into rest and digest, which encourages healing of the body. Stress is known to be one of the culprits of a weakened immune system, so yoga can play a vital role in supporting the immune system and helping overall well-being. "Stress responses increase strain upon the circulatory system due to increased heart rate etc. Stress can also affect the immune system by raising blood pressure." https://www.simplypsychology.org/ HELPS WITH LYMPHATIC SYSTEM DRAINAGE When performing yoga poses with breathing, we are offering the body a cleaning system, a way to move in order to shift the lymphatic system, especially when we include inverted yoga poses. Yoga can help move the lymphatic system to rid of toxins, and eliminate unwanted waste and stresses within the body. When the body and the mind have the right setting to become clear and vibrant, the immunity will become stronger. IMPROVES CONCENTRATION AND FOCUS All Yoga postures require focus as we move in and out of them, which allows the mind to strengthen its concentration and focus levels not only on the mat, but also when we are off the mat. Yoga begins to train the mind to let go of unwanted thoughts, worries and distractions, encouraging us to be in the present moment, the only moment we truly have! HELPS DIGESTION Many of the beautiful poses performed in Yoga benefit the digestive system due to the gentle internal massaging action. As we move into Yoga postures, we encourage the body to open up on a deeper energetic level, stimulating and bringing balance and harmony into the functioning of the organs, meridians and body as a whole. "According to medical scientists, yoga therapy is successful because of the balance created in the nervous and endocrine system which directly influences all the other systems and organs of the body" Swami Satyananda Saraswati. INCREASES ENERGY AND VITALITY Yoga postures open the body and release any blocked energy that may be stagnant. As you breathe deeply, you draw pure fresh energy/oxygen/prana into the body; into areas of the body that may feel tight or hold tension. The overall effects of a Yoga practice can have different outcomes which are dependent on the class plan. Despite this, your body will receive more energy and vitality, even if you are feeling very relaxed. If you haven’t started a yoga practice yet, I hope that these benefits will encourage you to try yoga. If you already do yoga you may already be familiar with receiving some of these wonderful physical and mental benefits. Yoga really is a journey and we can start that journey exactly where we are. Author: Katya - www.lotusfloweryoga.co.uk
Guide
Holiday Gift Guide
‘Tis the season for gift guides, and we promise this will be your favourite one yet! Everyone loves to unwrap something they’ll wear all year round (who needs another pair of Santa pyjamas?!), and Boody’s timeless, eco-friendly essentials are just the right fit. From your mom to your brother, your best friend to your favourite aunt, there’s a Boody gift that’s perfect for everyone. Plus, for those on your gift list who haven’t discovered Boody, this will be a soft, sustainable surprise (and they’ll thank you for introducing them to their new favourite brand!). How to Shop the Boody Gift Guide We’ve made it super easy for you to know exactly what to get for everyone on your nice list. Find Gifts for Him and Gifts for Her, broken out by price range and organized into the festive bundles that are sure to be a hit. Then, for those loved ones who have everything, we’ve added a few bonus categories with the perfect curated presents. Gifts For Him This holiday season, give him something he’ll wear day in, day out, all year long. Boody’s men’s clothes are comfortable, cooling, and ultra-soft. With sustainably crafted fabrics and everyday versatility, they’ll quickly turn into the go-to essentials he’ll add to the top of next year’s wish list. Gifts Under £20 Men's Work Boot Sock:He’ll stay cosy in thick socks perfect for that post-Christmas dinner walk. Men's Original Boxer: Introduce him to the most comfortable (and sustainable!) boxers on the planet. Gifts Under £40 Men's Crew Neck T-Shirt: Give him the gift of a luxuriously soft, ultra-cooling, and endlessly versatile classic tee. Men's Tank Top: A wardrobe staple for guys, perfectly paired with shorts in the summer or under a work shirt on week days. Gifts Under £60 Men's Long Sleeve Tee: For the guy who loves a classic, versatile piece that will go with everything. Men's 4-Pack Boxer: Because we’ve never known a guy who’s turned down an extra pair of our comfortable, supportive, cooling boxers. Gifts for Her Sophisticated, simple, and oh, so soft, Boody is the perfect gift for the sustainably-minded woman on your list. There are endless affordable luxuries to surprise even the choosiest recipients, all the way from your grandmother to your newborn niece. Gifts Under £25 Shaper Bra:This is the bra that will change her underwear drawer; once you give her one, she’ll never go back LYOLYTE Triangle Bralette: Seamless, wireless, and modern, this is the bra she’ll wear both every day and under that slim new NYE blouse. Classic Bikini: Underwear in your stocking as a kid? Boring. Boody underwear in your stocking as an adult? The classic, comfy gift you can’t wait to open. Crew Boot Sock: She’ll slip into these and never look back. They’re perfect for hitting the slopes, then settling into après ski with a cosy chic look. Gifts Under £50 Ribbed Seamless Bra: The trendsetter on your list will be thrilled to get this timeless crop top, perfect for wearing with a pair of high-waisted joggers. LYOLYTE Racerback Bra + LYOLYTE Hi-Cut Bikini: Your friend that’s always on the cutting-edge will love this innovative new underwear set with ultra-light, incredible fine fabric and a cool-to-the-touch feel. Long Sleeve Top: She’ll wear this versatile, silky soft, and figure hugging silhouette all winter long with jeans, under vests, and as her favourite layering piece. Padded Shaper Bra + Midi Brief: This winning underwear combination is one she’ll never want to take off. Ultra-soft and wireless, these are year-after-year best sellers. Racerback Sports Bra: For the yogi, runner, or athlete on your list, this is the perfect everyday bra to tackle workout sessions and weekend errands. Gifts Under £100 Downtime Lounge Pants: She likes to be both stylish and sustainable, so get her these eco-friendly pants that go effortlessly from lounging on the couch to brunching at a cafe. Goodnight Sleep Cami + Goodnight Sleep Shorts: The holidays and pyjamas go together like peanut butter and jelly - classic! So this year, why not try soft, silky sleepy time vibes and upgrade your pyjama experience. Women's Weekend Sweatshort + Women's V-neck T-Shirt: Relaxed and easy-to-wear, this is the comfiest weekend wear combo she’s ever unwrapped. Gifts Under £200 Women's Weekend Crew Pullover + Women's Weekend Jogger: From baking cookies to post-brunch strolls, you can’t go wrong with gifting this ultra-cosy French Terry set. Gifts for the Homebody Goodnight Sleep Pants + Goodnight Raglan Sleep Top + Chunky Bed Socks: She loves nothing more than a snuggly night in with a book and a face mask. This softly crafted set, with its loose-casual fit, is just the nightly uniform she’ll pull on as soon as the sun goes down (or maybe even before…). Gifts for the Active Athlete Racerback Active Tank + Active High Waist Full Length Leggings + Active Sports Sock: She takes her workouts seriously, so get her streamlined, soft, breathable active pieces that mix form, function, and sustainability. Gifts for the Little One Babygrow + Stretch Jersey Blanket: Comfy babies are happy babies! Gift the littlest ones on your list sustainable, soft goodies that will keep them cosy all season long. Of Course, Don’t Forget to Treat Yourself! Once you’ve covered all your favourite people, don’t forget the number one person on your list: yourself! Treat yourself to an Active Long Sleeve Hooded T-Shirt you’ll wear day in and day out or perhaps the Full Length Leggings to keep you warm all winter long.