I strongly believe in the benefits of daily mediation and I practise yoga a handful of times per week. Along the way, I have been very fortunate to have been guided by some incredible people, one of those is my beautiful friend Sarah Darling.
I photographed Sarah on her stretch of beach in Byron Bay and Sarah shares with us her favourite yoga postures and a simple sequence to practise after any long-haul travel.
Sarah wears the Maalai One Piece in Blush.
Where you are from and what is it that you do? I grew up on the south coast of Sydney by the beach. I am a yoga teacher and I am finishing off my fine art degree where I major in painting and sculpture.
What do you most enjoy about your work and study? I enjoy the meditation that exists in yoga and art. The peacefulness that lies in being completely present, I love the moment where you forget your outside world and nothing can touch you. Teaching can be so rewarding because you hold a space for this total reconnection and reset to happen, and when it happens it is very obvious! The energy in the room shifts.
Your most loved yoga postures and their health benefits? Surya Namaskar (sun salutations) in the mornings is my go to, there are so many health benefits from this sequence and it is a complete practice on its own, it has a little bit of everything. For me I feel an increase in circulation and warmth, I feel this sequence also kick starts the internal digestive fire and helps to move any congestion in the body I may be feeling after a nights sleep.
In the evening after a full day in the studio, on my feet, I use Viparita Karani (legs up the wall) to wind down. This pose again increases circulation, leads blood to the heart, soothes swollen or cramped legs and can help to relieve the lower back and hamstrings from standing or sitting at a desk.
Supta Baddha Konasana is great for moon time pains and is also a beautiful restorative pose in general. I love using props, Iyengar style, in this one, staying put for a while. I also practice meditation throughout my day with mindfulness of breath, using a Buddhist technique named Anapana. Meditation keeps me in check!
After a long-haul flight, I love Baddha Konasana to childs pose then twist and followed by Viparita Karani.
Sarah wears the Inika Off-the-Shoulder Top and High Waisted Bikini Bottom in Iris
Favourite pieces in your wardrobe and their stories? Aside from my She Made Me swimsuits and dresses I have a few vintage favourites. I have a quilted, mustard coloured jacket from Japan that keeps me cosy in winter. I also have a vintage, wide legged jumpsuit that I found in Portland. I wear it over and over, it’s the perfect fit.
What I love the most though is the dress I wore when Angus and I got married, it is probably over a hundred years old and it belonged to my yoga teacher Rose. It is completely sheer and she wore it with nothing underneath in Goa in the ‘70s, she would have been the talk of the town!
Creative influences? This is always changing, I am influenced by so many different things. Right now I love the sculptures of Eva Hesse. The body works of Ana Mendieta. The architecture of Louis Barragan. I also love abstract paintings by Amy Sillman, Helen Frankenthaler and Sally Gabori.
Favourite place you have travelled and fondest memories of your time spent there? This is such a hard question, I can’t pick just one. I loved going to Sicily with my dad, visiting the town where our family is from. He is great to travel with, our plans revolve completely around eating! I also loved riding motorbikes around India with my best friend Nicola, she is so fearless. Then there was the time my partner Angus and I had two weeks of perfect surf in Saladita in Mexico, it was paradise!
A place you would love to visit and what is calling you there? I would love to travel through South America it has always been a dream of mine and I definitely want to go back to India to practice. I think everyone should go to India at least once if they can.
Your Summer Soundtrack:
Albatross - Fleetwood Mac
Ganesha - Alice Coltrane
Ruby - Ali Farka Touré, Toumani Diabaté
Flowers - The Sun Also Rises
Happiness Runs - Donovan
Painting Box - The Incredible String Band
Here Comes The Moon - George Harrison
Oh oh chéri - Françoise Hardy
Something’s Wong With the Morning - Margo Guryan
My Baby Just Cares for Me - Nina Simone
Orang Outang - Jane Birkin
Listen along to Sarah's playlist here.
