Laura Brown

Back in November my friend Yo mentioned a meditation and sauna session she had been to…I was interested! So I signed up and turned up on a cold Sunday evening really not knowing what to expect…

Meet Laura, who created this unique experience! Held at Brighton’s outdoor sauna she guided us through a meditation with gentle seated movements whilst in the sauna, in between cold showers and fireside chats. It was certainly a beautiful and memorable evening.

We have stayed in touch since via social media and I am very excited for the opening of her new Brighton studio, Luna Wave. Read on to hear more about this upcoming venture and to learn how she combines her many creative and wellness practices…

Please introduce yourself, and what it is you so wonderfully do…

My name is Laura, I am a Visual Artist, Yoga teacher and Co-founder of Luna Wave.

I use a mixture of photography, video and digital processes (animation and 3D modelling) to create art films and artwork. I am particularly drawn to collage as this allows me to sew together multiple realities in images, and create unexplored worlds!

I am extremely passionate about movement - running, jumping, hopping, skipping, playing, climbing, swimming, dancing, twirling and being upside down! I have always felt a deep connection to movement - in my younger years as a way of artistic expression and now as medicine.

I teach Vinyasa Yoga, train hand-balancing and partner acrobatics both standing and L-base work.

I am in the midst of setting up a geodesic dome as an immersive yoga studio called Luna Wave. The studio is due to open later this summer on the Sealanes pop-up site in Brighton, Marine Parade. The concept for Luna Wave is to create an immersive space using surround sound, light design and scent, tapping into the senses of the human body. I wish to create a space that allows students to practice in an environment which is out of the ‘everyday’ inviting a deeper practice.

What is your ideal way to start the day?

I am an early riser by nature… which I love! My ideal is to start my day with a big glass of water and a little play around with my kittens! Then some movement practice, yoga or a run followed by a super warm shower - porridge (with banana and cherries) - freshly ground COFFEE… that is my ideal!

I LOVE early mornings, they are sacred to me - it's the part of the day that I am completely on my time… uninterrupted, no ‘to-do’ list pressure or distractions. Precious.

Do you have any daily rituals/ routines? Morning and/or night?

I have a few daily rituals that I place throughout the day - they work as anchors for me and help me to time manage and work with less distractions.

Morning movement in the form of yoga or a run.

Making breakfast whilst listening to Brene Brown, Russell Brand or Teal Swan.

Late afternoon 20 minute piano practice.

Evening stroll round the park followed by a camomile tea!

A cup of tea anytime, I find this ritual extremely helpful if I am shifting through tasks or a to do list, the start of each task is marked with a cup of tea.

Evening is an epsom salt bath, book and tea time.

Hoovering my house and sweeping my kitchen floor!

Do you have any practices or remedies to stay healthy, both in body and mind?

I use my piano practice to keep my mind challenged and to learn a small something new everyday.

Moving my body early in the morning is a remedy for keeping me healthy in both my mind and my body. I find when I first wake up my mind can be flooded with thoughts and chatter - the majority of the time it's not helpful or kind chatter! By moving my energy around in a physical way I am able to distract myself from attaching to the ‘You're a failure’ tune playing on repeat in my mind. I find that by the time I am back from my run or finished on my mat eating my brekkie the tune has switched up and things are not looking quite as bad!!

Strength training and hand-balance training also keeps me super healthy in mind and body - when I feel strong on the outside I feel strong on the inside. The level of focus it requires to lift weight and balance on hands is a great remedy to my wandering anxious mind.

When I was experiencing an extremely anxious period in my life a few years back early morning sea swimming was literally my saviour! Swimming put me right back in my body, helping to move the energy down away from the mind - it also took a huge amount of focus to get into the water as this period was over the winter months. It served as a great mind control tool - for example, when I could question my thoughts that were saying ‘don't get in that water, it's cold and we will die if this happens…’ (obviously I never came to any harm) proving to myself that my thoughts were not always true and I do not always have to believe them! In everyday life I practice applying this questioning technique when I am confronted with extreme anxious and difficult thought patterns.

Healthy eating is a major factor in life and serves as a remedy for keeping a healthy mind and body. I eat a plant based diet and really try to stay away from refined sugar. I definitely notice the correlation in having anxious thoughts and a distracted mind when I have had a real sugar binge!

I drink a pint of water in the morning! This was introduced to me during my yoga TT and its game changing!

Another helpful practice for me is setting timer limits on work time, for example 30mins of deep focus then get up - move my body, make a cuppa tea - reset- then start the cycle again.

I am an avid reader and researcher - for me learning about my emotions and building a relationship with myself is the backbone of keeping a healthy mind and body.

When you need to get out of town, where in nature do you like to escape to?

I take my campervan and drive out to a forest! Friston Forest or Stanmer park are both usual spots. Water and trees are my medicine.

I also love parking at Devils Dyke in Brighton, making a cuppa tea in the van, swinging open the back doors, sitting, watching and wandering.

How do you like to spend your nights and or/weekends?

Lately my evenings have been spent playing with my new kittens! I am obsessed!

I train a few evenings a week - mostly hand-balancing at the moment and when we can, partner acrobatics again!

Other things I enjoy doing in the evenings are lighting candles, running an epsom salt bath with extra lavender oil, popping on a facemask and soaking with a book and a tea!

Playing playstation with my partner Mike! Jamming with Mike!

Eating snacks, drawing and getting existential with my buddy Alice…

Weekends I tend to get out of town and go on day trips - Mike and I like to explore new nature areas. We often take the van somewhere for the evening and camp over - have brekkie and a coffee in the morning with the doors open looking out.

How do you unwind, recentre and find balance?

I find having a bath with a cuppa tea and a book really sorts me out! For me the water is a soothing and nourishing resource, combining this with reading a novel is the perfect combination when I have been knocked off balance. With novel reading I am able to access my imagination and tap into ‘free child energy’ - this helps me to come back to my centre.

Singing! This is such a great resource for me - especially when I am in need of recentering. I imagine that it is due to the breathing that is required when singing. This type of diaphragmatic breathing encourages the body to relax and in turn allows the mind to relax.

Going for a walk in nature - taking my shoes off and walking on the grass and listening to the sounds around me.

Getting on my mat and doing a strong vinyasa flow - so I sweat! I also find hand balance training really helps when I am in need of recentering. I find it requires a lot of stillness and focus to handstand, this part of the practice really serves me as a way to slow down my mind.

Cleaning!!!!!! WOW big one… cleaning and tidying up my space, this really sorts me out! I think this is to do with re-gaining control if I feel that I have gone off balance.

Journaling -. I find free writing helps me come back to my centre. I am able to reflect on perhaps the difficult situation I find myself in, it helps me to reality check and creates some distance between the strong emotional reaction and myself.

Peanut butter on toast! BOOM… right back in the centre.

What is your favourite way to exercise?

My favourite way to exercise is with others in the form of partner acrobatics. I love to make up sequences and flows on the fly - I think this is the dancer and performer in me. I love training standing acrobatics with the training community I have down here. The move I am learning to perfect at the moment is a dynamic entry into reverse h2h standing. I also love working on standing and L-basing sequences. There is also nothing better than trying to nail a trick - repping it and then finally landing it!

Your favourite meal to cook?

I love picky bits! Little bowls of fried sweet potatoes, green beans, olives, hummus, flat bread, vine leaves, grated carrot with vinaigrette, crisps, nuts and seeds! The dream!

Your favourite place to get dinner?

Planet India

In what ways do you work to find balance in your life? Eg. work, social, family, self

I tend to plan my week in advance and find this a helpful way to balance work / social / self time.

What/where/who do you turn to when you need inspiration?

My partner Mike, I feel very lucky as Mike is also an artist. If I am feeling really stuck with an idea or blocked on an edit I am working on he is a good source of inspiration - a good chat always seems to shift stuff.

Also a long drive on my own can free up my mind and allow space for some inspiration.

How would you describe your style? What & who influences you?

Cosmic witch goth! Haha. I feel influenced by mystics, witchy vibes… I feel my most me when I am in all black with a cosy fluffy snood, stripy thick socks & my DM’s.

What is your definition of beauty?

Nature's processes and rhythm, animals instinct and humans ability to empathise and love.

In what ways do you care for your mind, body & spirit?

Creating art and artist collaboration- this gives me life, they feel like they are the backbone to my life! I have been in many many art relationships over the years some harder than others but ALL bring lessons! I am currently in a band with my partner Mike and 4 others, we are a 6 piece in total called Other States. I also have an ongoing collaboration with musician Alyss, we have worked closely since 2014. I co-create her artwork and music videos, we often chat about how beautiful it is that two souls come together and create this third entity - the art.

I cannot imagine this type of relationship not being in my life. I love meeting other creatives, smashing together ideas, skills sets and creating something from nothing.

Putting up boundaries and saying no when I need to - this is a big old work in progress but I am learning the importance of this as a way to care for my mind, body and spirit.

Spending time alone - another in work in progress, I struggle to identify this as one of my needs! I spent many years thinking (and being told) that I do not like to be alone - the truth is I actually love it - however I have a hard time recognising that I like it. It's a really interesting journey starting to get to know myself out of my script.

Staying connected to my partner but maintaining my own sense of self at the same time! We have both worked super hard at this and continue to do so. I can easily fall into a place of unhealthy dependence, which does not serve me at all. I have worked for many years on this aspect of myself and feel proud of where I am at with this now.

With all my close relationships I really try to show up. I spend present quality time with the ones I love. I also try and have those tough conversations when distance creeps in between us - this is a huge practice.

Spending time in nature is one of the most caring things I can do for my soul.

What are you most grateful for in your life?

My physical and mental health.

Current favourite…

Book- Circe by Madline Miller

Movie- Parasite directed by Boon Joon-ho

Song- When the party’s over by Billie Eilish

Podcast- Unlocking us by Brene Brown

Clothing item- Vivo Barefoots

Coffee shop- Gails in Tufnell Park

Despite our current isolation time is there anything you are working towards/ any future visions?

I am currently working towards opening Luna Wave hopefully by the end of the summer - fingers crossed.

In the meantime I am offering free yoga classes - live streamed from the Luna Wave facebook page every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am for 45 mins.

I have some VERY exciting artwork and music videos coming out this summer for Alyss’ Album release.

Also Mike and I are working on some new music and are going to be releasing some tracks as the summer unfolds.