The Hot List

Self Care 

Self-care is a thing these days. Just about everyone is telling us to take time out to look after ourselves. Sadly a large tub of ice-cream and a gallon of wine doesn’t make the cut. But perhaps a small bowl and a glass or two of vino while watching some of the many self-care programmes currently available might qualify as a start.

If Gwyneth Paltrow didn’t exist we’d have to make her up. In fact, sometimes it seems as if she is made up. What normal human being would try to sell vagina-scented candles or end up being fined for making fraudulent claims about a vagina ‘egg’ that enhanced orgasms, but was more likely to lead to bacterial infections. Still, Gwynie’s lifestyle brand Goop is worth nearly a billion dollars. And then she was given a Netflix series, The Goop Lab. If you haven’t seen it, pour yourself a chilled glass of something lovely and put your feet up. The self-care aspect of watching The Goop Lab has nothing to do with its content, which ranges from energy healing to vampire facials by way of psychedelic mushrooms. Make of these subjects what you will. But there’s no question that you will finish the binge with a new and unshakeable confidence in your own sanity. 

For some genuine inspiration check out Brené Brown’s The Call of Courage on Netflix. Brown, who hails from Texas, is relatable, funny, honest and, most important of all in her world view, not afraid to be vulnerable. This documentary builds on a Ted Talk Brown gave on vulnerability, which has been viewed more than 40 million times. She started life as a competitive swimmer and became a ‘shame researcher’. Now she’s urging us to find our courage by embracing our vulnerabilities. Thought provoking and uplifting.

Headspace Guide to Meditation, available on Netflix, is an animated series that takes you through the basics of mediation, along with extolling its benefits. It’s accessible, interesting and a great starting point for anyone who’s interested in meditating or simply learning to be a little less anxious and stressed.

Babies, currently streaming on Netflix, might not strictly qualify as self-care but it is fascinating and features lots of cute tots. It tackles the age-old question of whether nature or nurture has the most influence on babies using the latest science and research. Watching what babies absorb within the first few years of life, it’s hard not to come away with a profound sense of awe at just how extraordinary human beings are

Wellness is big business and where there’s money to be made, there will be charlatans taking advantage of the vulnerable. (Un)Well, a documentary by Netflix, takes on this rapidly growing industry and asks some very pertinent questions. The first episode focuses on essential oils which have some legitimate health benefits. In the US, oils are often sold through giant multi-level marketing companies with most of the financial benefits going to those at the top. Tantric sex, the practise of consuming breast milk to build muscle (yes, really) and the use of fasting are all put under the microscope in subsequent episodes. If you’re into wellness, or plan to get into wellness, please watch. We’re all vulnerable to promises of instant cures and few, if any, are genuine. 

Yoga was one of the first wellness crazes to take hold in the west. It’s a wonderful practise and brings huge benefits from relaxation to strength and flexibility. But the most life-enhancing wellness techniques can become methods of corruption. Bikram Yoga is hugely popular and devotees swear by it. But the founder Bikram Choudhury has been accused of sexual harassment and rape. Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator, streaming on Netflix, takes an unflinching look at his rise to power. Work began on the film prior to the outing of Harvey Weinstein and the rise of the #MeToo movement. Bikram has largely gotten away with his behaviour.