In Conversation with Chloë - Nadia Narain

This year, we thought it would be nice to speak to other like-minded people, brands and influencers about what sustainability means to them. There are so many small things we can do to help make a big difference. As we chat to people from different industries and walks of life, we hope to find little moments of inspirations, to help us all live better.

This conversation is with influencer Nadia Narain – we hope you enjoy.

Hi Nadia, tell us briefly about yourself...

My personal social page is @Nadianarain and the focus of the page is to have honest conversations that women experience  based on my experience. I hope to not give advice or tell people how to live their life, which I do find on a lot of social media, but I try and inspire and learn together. It really started as a place to share images and thoughts with friends but now has expanded a bit.

I still find it hard posting on Instagram and forget that it is no longer my personal space. I also can’t keep up with all the changes social media makes constantly and refuse to play the game. I post what and when I want and don’t pay attention to stats.

Our studio social is @lovesupremeprojects where we try and inspire with yoga, music dance art. Anything really that inspires us, and we feel gives a little inspiration to others.

What does ‘living sustainably’ mean to you?

In my mind sustainability used to  land on environmental as this is where the word is used a lot. But I am learning that there are actually 3 pillars, including social and economic. At first , I paid attention to companies environmentally but now I think about what companies use their profits for and how they treat people that work for them. I like companies that treat their staff well as well as being mindful of their environmental footprint.

What inspired you to become a yoga teacher? 

My yoga teacher. I was 18 she was in her late 50’s and I thought this would be a nice job to do when I get older. The next thing  I knew, I was 23 and teaching classes. I knew nothing then. And now I have more life experience. Although I  have been teaching for 27 years,  I am learning I know very little!

What do you wish for people to take away from your classes?

To have an experience where they are able to connect to their body, heart and their breath. To quieten the chatter of their mind and to feel a deep feeling of love for themselves, if only for a few minutes. A friend came to my class once and said “Wow what a cool job, you basically get to go to work every day and make people feel a feeling of peace and quiet. That’s amazing”. I hadn’t really looked at it like that before,  but it is pretty cool especially when everything is so noisy and busy  outside of ourselves these days.

Our studio Love Supreme Projects is a beautiful oasis in the heart of London to feel good.

What is your number one self-care ritual?

There are so many !

Good sleep. Getting to bed by 10.30 is a big one these days it makes a difference to how I start my day.

Being kinder to myself and others. I am hard on myself, so I’m starting to pay attention to my inner critic. As I get older I’m also learning that we all behave in certain ways from our own insecurities, so I try and give more band-width to others as well as myself.

Drink more water. (I’m not very good at it!)

And finally, tell us 3 brands or people you follow who are doing good things.

My friend @GabrielaHearst is always inspiring me with her fight for the climate, keeping craftsmanship and the artisan alive whilst still making beautiful things.

My sister Katia Narain Philipps @phytonectars launches in September with sachets of goodness for sleep, immunity, focus and radiance.  I have been a guinea pig for the past year and it has been making such a difference to my sleep and focus.

@mmaa.social make the most beautiful sustainable baskets and I feel like every time I buy one, I contribute to the collective, empowering  the  women in a supportive network where they have access to financial literacy training, business support and sexual and reproductive health education, whilst keeping alive their artisanal craft of weaving baskets.  Also, with each bag purchased a girl or young woman receives a reusable sanitary kit which helps girls in school rather than shamed from period poverty.