AsiaSpa — November-December 2017

Well-Being

84 AsiaSpa November/December 2017

A

live with lights and demandingly

energetic, city life is made up of

many things. Slivers of sunshine

between skyscrapers, bursts of green amidst

the chrome and a baseline hum that fades

gradually into your subconscious. Peace and

tranquillity become something of a fantasy

amidst the urban buzz, so how do the city

dwellers find serenity, and strike that elusive

work-life balance? I sat down with some of

the wellness industry’s top names to find out.

GLOBETROTTING

YOGI

It’s not often that the face of a brand was

once the tea-maker, and even less often that

the woman in question goes on to become

its creative director 15 years later, but so

goes the story of Sarah Mac.

Her career as a model, actress and

creative director for luxury yoga brand

Manuka Life affords her a hectic schedule

that takes her all over the world. I’m

immediately intrigued by her beautifully

poised and modest facade, and how she

maintains it amidst the mayhem.

At the age of 21, Mac was selected as

the face of Manuka Life and introduced to

founder Leonie Ellyatt, where she recalls

there being an “instant connection”. She

says, “I just fell in love with the brand and

knew I wanted to be part of it. I will be

forever grateful for the opportunity Leonie

gave me when she accepted my offer to

make tea and pack boxes.”

The next few years saw Mac lead

something of a double life. Some days,

she was the glamorous model travelling

the world shooting campaigns and

commercials, while other days were spent,

as she describes it, “on my knees in Fulham

Road packing mail orders and making tea”.

It was the courage to leave a design she had

drawn on Leonie’s desk that demonstrated

her creative flair. Her proposal later went

into production and was the spark that

inspired Mac to spend the following decade

learning the brand ethos and working her

way up.

Today, Mac’s role as creative director sees

her “travelling to visit factories, attending

buyer meetings and roaming around old

museums looking for inspiration”, and

it’s clear she loves nothing more than

bringing a new range to fruition. “Collection

development in particular is always crazy

busy, but I’m addicted to it secretly!” she

admits.

The latest range from Manuka Life

celebrates finding peace and hidden

nature in the city, and as a self-confessed

combination of the country and city, I’m

curious to know how Mac manages this in

her own life. “Yoga, yoga, yoga,” she says.

“It’s the breathing; it’s the only thing that

works for me.”

As for how Mac knows when it’s time

to take a break, her response is refreshingly

genuine. “I’m ashamed to admit after I’ve

normally shouted at some poor innocent

bystander at rush hour, that’s when I realise

a time out is overdue! Four yoga classes a

week keeps my inner angry lady at bay.”

A pamper session in Mac’s world

includes waking up without an alarm, a

spritz of her favourite scent Le Labo Rose

31 and the essential oil aromas of Candle

Petit Grain. She loves wandering around

art galleries and being “inspired by the

colour palettes of olde”. And because a

modern woman would be nothing without

Grace Belgravia is London’s only health and well-

being members club for women