An Interview with Naturopath, Emily Bathgate

We’re excited to introduce a series of Wellness Workshops, including with a Love and Kindness Workshop with Naturopath, Emily Bathgate on Sunday, the 5th of May. We spoke to Emily, who is also a Reformer Pilates and Yoga enthusiast about her wellness journey and her skincare range The Purist Collection which is available in the studio…

Where do you draw daily inspiration from?

Ooh, great question! I’m a self-proclaimed “herb nerd”. I love all things natural health and healing, and a lot of my inspiration comes from nature and the power of nature to heal. It’s why you’ll find so many medicinal herbs and botanical extracts/essences throughout the Collection.
But I’m also a big believer in the ability to relate to the struggles my customers and clients face, so I draw a lot on my personal experiences: In relation to health, to swapping to a more natural life and beauty routine, and to navigating through life generally. I think it offers me a capacity for true empathy, which I like to think is quite healing in itself.

We love having you as a part of our Balanze community. How has yoga and reformer Pilates helped you personally?

I love being a Balanze Member! I hold yoga, Reformer Pilates, and regular osteopathy sessions, solely responsible for counteracting my abysmal posture! I spend way too much time at a desk during the day, so building strength while getting a good stretch at the same time helps to correct and realign my body. I can really feel the difference when I miss a few classes! I also have a history of anxiety, so regular yoga and Pilates classes also help me from a mental and emotional point of view: taking time out of my day, and shifting my thinking from a place of worry and stress and overwhelm, to a sense of calm and being truly in my body In that very moment… it’s so transformative. So big thanks to Balanze for my sanity too!

Is there anywhere you love to hang around in Claremont after class?

MJ recently introduced me to Pixel in Claremont – such a gorgeous space, with so many delicious things! And it’s filled with plants, so it gets a huge tick from me. Just a little way away is Nature’s Harvest in Cottesloe, which is one of my fave health food stores in Perth. From lunches to yummy snacks, body care to laundry detergent, herbs and spices… they’ve got pretty much everything covered.

We love your Relax Mist. How do your products help to calm the mind as well as the body?

Thank you! Naturopathy is a very holistic practice, so as a qualified Naturopath I look at how body, mind and soul work together for overall health and wellbeing. This is an approach I carry throughout the Collection. So, the Relax Mist, for example, contains lavender essential oil, which works on the limbic system to encourage a sense of peace and relaxation, while amethyst and quartz crystals work to ground, and flower essences relieve stress and anxiety. Flower essences capture the “vital essence” of flowers to relieve physical conditions – like stress and anxiety, in the case of the Relax Mist – through healing the associated emotions, thought patterns and beliefs.

What are some techniques you use to destress?

Regular exercise truly works wonders – so I love my Balanze classes! I meditate regularly too, and also do a “brain dump”; In my journal most nights before climbing into bed, which helps me get all of the things I’m thinking about, worrying about, or trying to remember out of my head and onto paper, so I can instead focus on getting some quality, reparative sleep. But one of the things that I find de-stresses me most quickly is simply breathing.
Have you heard of the ‘Fight or Flight’; response? Basically, it’s the cascade of physiological changes (racing heart, rapid breathing, tensed muscles) the brain kicks into place when there’s a perceived threat. In today’s society, so many of us are in fight or flight mode far too often – the threat of lions to our cavemen + cavewomen ancestors are long gone; now, it’s deadlines, bills that need paying, the fear of disapproval… the list goes on. One of the quickest, easiest ways to turn that fight or flight dial down a notch is to breathe. Big, deep, beautiful diaphragmatic breaths.

Are there any podcasts or books you’re currently enjoying?

Always! I’ve been listening to the audiobook of ‘You’re a Badass at Making Money’; by Jen Sincero, which I’m loving! It focuses a lot on the law of attraction – how the way we think about money, both consciously and subconsciously, impacts our ability to make, hang on to, and spend money in a positive way. I find when I’m aware of what I’m asking the Universe for and how, it doesn’t just impact my financial health, but just about every aspect of my life – so this book’s a great reminder.
I also love The Meditation Podcast and the Hay House Meditations podcasts, and recommend both to my clients almost all the time. They both offer heaps of free guided meditations, with all sorts of themes, and at all sorts of different lengths – so there’s one for just about every situation, making meditation and mindfulness easier to incorporate into daily life.

And, weirdly, I’m also a true crime nut! Casefile, Someone Knows Something, Trace, The Teacher’s Pet are some of my fave podcasts. I’ve just finished Cold, which was an unbelievable story, and am currently listening to Maddie, which is so intriguing!

At Balanze, we truly embrace all aspects of wellbeing. What is something you do every day
to maintain your work life balance?

I’ll be completely honest with you: maintaining a real sense of work life balance is something that I still struggle with! I like to think of it as a bit of a journey that I’m on 🙂
Along the way, I’ve learnt the importance of scheduling my time – breaking my day or my week down into chunks of time (usually around 45 minutes) for each task that needs to be done. I find I’m less distracted and more productive this way, which means I have more time leftover to do whatever it is I feel like doing in that moment!
I’m also a list writer – I find writing a list of what needs to be done for the week and the day ahead, and then prioritising the 3-5 most important things, really helps me.
Oh, and booking in time for me! Whether it’s a class at Balanze, a catchup with a friend or my family, a massage… I find I’m more likely to prioritise me-time when it’s literally booked in and in my diary!

Lastly, what are your goals for 2019?

Business owner Emily is taking 2019 to really work on growing The Purist towards one of my long-term goals for the business: a one-stop-shop for all things skin health + wellness, which will combine a workshop for my staff and I to produce the Collection, a shopfront for our lovely customers to stop by to chat, try and buy all of the products, and a clinic for my one-on-one naturopathic consultations. Stay tuned!
Personally, my word for 2019 is “balance”; – I’m aiming to find more of it in my life this year.

Check out our Workshops page to join us for the Love and Kindness workshop with Emily, browse The Purist Collection range in studio or on Emily’s website.