Meet Eminé Rushton, journalist, author of Sattva and lover of all things Ayurveda. Slow, conscious living is the name of the game for her, and we couldn’t be more for it. Keep scrolling to hear all about her favourite rituals + recipes that keep her grounded and balanced.
Tell us a little about your story:
I have, what feels like forever, been writing about wellbeing for women’s magazines. I was Wellbeing Director at Psychologies magazine for 9 years, and am now focusing on a slower pace and simpler way of living. I’ve always loved blogging as it’s completely autonomous, freely creative and with unlimited potential to ‘create’, and also work on our podcast on conscious living, called This Conscious Life. My work sits really nicely alongside family life, with my two girls and my grower/writer husband, Paul. I’ve done a complete 180 in my life – leaving the busiest part of South East London where I was working all hours, to settle in a little cottage in a tiny village in Kent, with a cottage garden and allotment plot. I could never go back.
How do you find your daily source of golden balance?
Time away from screens has come to be incredibly important. I just feel stiff, insecure, nervy and strange when I have let my screen-time escalate, and so I try to keep it below an hour every day. The antidote is to get out and away from the desk and wifi – for long walks, countryside, gardening, al fresco lunches, yoga… even a cup of tea (or golden milk!) on the front step, under the trees.
How important is self-care to you, and do you often implement it into your regular rituals?
As a mother, the saddest thing I notice when I let my self-care habits slide, is that I become short and impatient at home. There’s a tangible sense of not having enough to go around, so you cut corners and feel irritated and resentful. This always breaks my heart, and I really try to avoid getting to that point! Waking up early, before the rest of the family, gives me a golden hour of breathing, meditation and peace, which is my anchor. My voice changes, my eyes twinkle, my skin glows… daily meditation is magic. If I don’t manage it, or prioritise other things, which, let’s be honest, are not as important, I will feel, see and taste it… so, keeping that magical hour in the morning is pretty sacred.
What element of your work is most lighting you up at the moment?
After 9 years at the wonderful Psychologies magazine, I finally flew the nest last month. It was just the right time for me, with mine and my husband’s first book entering the world (Sattva: The Ayurvedic Way to Live Well), and the launch of our gentle, conscious living blog, that is completely rooted in nature, and guided by Ayurveda. Having a couple of hours a day to write blog posts, take photographs, chat to Paul about what we want to share that can be really practical for those reading it, and seeing our words & imagery go live and be enjoyed, is undoubtedly a huge source of joy.
How do you practice nourishment every day?
I’m lucky to have a natural foodie husband who grows our herbs, veg & fruit in our small cottage garden and at the local allotment, so we always have fresh, seasonal and biodynamic food to nourish us! I am also very lucky to work from home, so we sit at the table with our children every morning, all enjoying breakfast (well, Paul’s often in the kitchen making & serving it, but he gets to enjoy it too!), and I then leave my desk and take 45 minutes for a long hearty lunch in the middle of the day. Dinner is with the kids, after school, and it’s a no-screen, ‘let’s catch up’ time. Food is the glue, and siting around the table, the highlight of our days.
Ingredients-wise, what are your three non-negotiables in the kitchen?
Fresh, organic, seasonal.
What is your favourite way to incorporate turmeric into your life, be it in the kitchen or your beauty regime?
Ah, we use it a lot. We are guided by Ayurveda in all that we do, and we use it in many of our soups, curries, stews and teas. Paul’s food is always beautifully balanced, so we never overdose on one single ingredient – it’s about little amounts of many different things. When the girls get a bit poorly, he boils up fresh turmeric root, fresh ginger, nigella seeds, cardamom and cloves, for a naturally antiseptic tea. We let it cool then stir in raw honey (never add honey to hot food or drinks, as in Ayurveda, it is said to become ‘ama’ – i.e. toxic).
What are some of your most loved ways to wind down?
Just being really still and silent is best of all. No screens, no lists, no prop, nothing in my hands, knowing I need do nothing, just breathing & being.
Share with us a quote that gives you daily inspiration.
From our book, Sattva: “Dis-ease is simply the distance we fly from Mother Nature and all of her healing principles. And for us, knowing what we know and living what we’ve lived, even one step is a step too far.” It encompasses all we feel, and all we are, and how we thrive best of all when things are simple, natural and aligned.