I've been running with HO KARAN for a few years now. Five years to be precise. Five years of racing against time, and against distance too, making weekly trips between Nantes and Paris. Five years of worrying about our finances, about my employees, about the mountain of work that never seems to end, and telling everyone "everything's fine." Because it's true, I feel lucky, everything's fine, I'm giving it my all, and my spirits are high!
Then, in mid-December, my body gave out . After five years of lower back pain that I managed with osteopath appointments and, when possible, Pilates, I developed a herniated disc as I started my first day of Christmas vacation with my family in the mountains, discovering the joys of associated sciatica. In mid-January, following an MRI, the surgeon was unequivocal: surgery was necessary. However, thanks to intensive yoga practice, I managed to recover, get rid of some of the pain, and regain flexibility and strength, all without slowing down my daily work schedule. The road ahead was still long, but at the end of February, we decided to cancel the surgery and opt for rehabilitation through physiotherapy, yoga, swimming, and breathing exercises.
I couldn't slow down because we had planned a real meet-up with you. A pop-up from April 1st to 30th in the Marais district, our first foray into retail before the boutique I dream of opening in 2021. A unique event filled with activities, meet-and-greets, and surprises from our fantastic partner brands, all designed to introduce you to the holistic benefits of hemp and a "no-stress" lifestyle . Of course, promoting a "no-stress" lifestyle when you're constantly on the go—even with a smile and a positive attitude—while dealing with a herniated disc and taking very few days off, is surely a perfect illustration of the saying "the cobbler's children go barefoot." It wasn't easy last week to postpone this event, though, as I had put so much heart into it and was really looking forward to meeting you. Despite everything, it was clear after months of hard work that it couldn't take place properly in the coming weeks given the health situation. On Friday, I announced to the entire team that the pop-up would be postponed and that we would now have to work from home for an indefinite period, hoping it would be as short as possible.
I have personally chosen to turn the announced lockdown into an opportunity. An opportunity to slow down, to refocus on my body and mind. To get rid of the 110 unread emails that are weighing me down, to do the 3 business presentations that I have been putting off for weeks, but above all to read the 10 books that are piling up on my bedside table and that I dream of devouring, to reconnect: with the people I don't call (and see) enough, with all the rest I have denied myself, with our values and our foundations.
We have a superb opportunity to rethink our fundamentals. What does consumption mean? What kind of world do we want? A surge in ecological awareness and a crisis of meaning have exploded in recent months, and yet we still hide behind economic arguments to avoid moving too quickly: "It's not possible, the ship can't change course, our economy won't survive..." It's time to re-establish our foundations, to put our economy, our values, and our businesses through a stress test.
These next 15 days—at least—can do us all good, especially if, like me, you're alone with your thoughts for part of the day. If you're interested, we'll try to provide some food for thought and brighten your day through our social media and newsletters. This is a wonderful opportunity to refocus on what's essential and show solidarity!
I would end with one word, which we should say to each other more often: HO KARAN *.
Laura <3
* "I love you", in Breton
I share with you the very correct article by Raffaele Morelli, an Italian psychiatrist and psychotherapist who obviously reads the signs of the cosmos better than I do!
LINK to the full article