Check out our interview with Lily Barbery, yoga teacher, author, and wellness expert. A former beauty journalist, she discovered her calling when she discovered Kundalini yoga.
“It’s no coincidence that you ended up here, sit down and do the movement with us.” That’s how I met Lili Barbery: on an Instagram live. I’d been following Lili since a post that made me laugh. Middle fingers in the air, she happily explained that kundalini yoga allows you to observe your emotions, whatever they may be. I thought she would help me get into it and break the stereotypes I had about what I considered to be “a bobo thing that’s out of my reach” (I admit…..).
More than 14,000 people connected, but the impression that this sentence was for me. And I believe that Lili's strength is that. Wherever you come from, whoever you are, her simplicity and naturalness speak to you, period. You only need to take a class with her to realize that we are far from the cliché of the inaccessible yogi. She has this gift for making you feel good and in your place, whether your name is Marie-Chantal and you live in the 16th arrondissement or Sophie in the Creuse – we find ourselves around her as one and the same family and it feels so good!
So we asked one of Instagram's coolest yogis a few questions for a shot of inspiration and some great advice.
The app you wouldn't delete from your phone
The advice you will never forget
"never loosen the hand of the child I once was" and it was Olivier Roellinger who gave it to me
The purchase of less than 50€ that has enormously improved your life
Ha ha ha gomasio... damn, I should have said vinegar archie 🙂
The recipe you cook best
I'm not good at anything, I go through phases... right now, I'm constantly "pimping" vegetables, making them sexy, spicing them up, transforming them. I'm looking for textures, flavors, depending on the inspiration I get at the market.
The place where you feel relaxed
I'd give a lot to get a head-to-toe massage on a dream island. While I'm waiting for my big trips, I'd love to check out Barrocal, a hotel with a Suzanne Kauffmann spa in Portugal's Alentejo region... a marvel!
The thing you do to take care of yourself if you only have 5 minutes in your day
A breathing exercise: In three minutes of Breath of Fire, everything changes. Come to my classes to try it and learn.
The mantra you would like to share
Bountiful, blissful and beautiful, I am!
The person who inspires you the most
My daughter
The best beauty advice you've ever been given
Clean my face well before going to bed and stay in the shade when the sun is strong
The Instagram account you look at every day
Oh la la, just one? Laura Felpin… and Graine de possible (Camille Etienne), or even Celeste Barber
The music you listen to on repeat
It changes all the time...right now I'm listening to I Know What You Want by Busta Rhymes, Bam Bam by Sister Nancy, and Jump Around by House of Pain.
The bad habit you'd like to get rid of
Just one? I watch way too many series...
The book to recommend
I think it's absolutely essential to buy, read, share, and discuss Camille Kouchner's book, which is a landmark in the liberation of speech. Thank you to her. On a different note, my book, La Réconciliation, has just been released in paperback by Marabout. I'm super proud of the positive impact it's had on its readers; I'm delighted that it's now available at a reasonable price.
The emoji you use all the time
The one who sticks out his tongue with a wink and a goofy look 😜
The exercise you do every day
Breath of Fire and Downward Dog (or more chic: Triangle Pose)
The place you dream of going or returning to
I would love to go back to Sri Lanka, go on a family road trip to India, but what makes me shiver even more would be to go to New Zealand for several weeks and then continue with Australia. 3 months, no less, great!
The quality you wish everyone had
Self-love. With that, no more conflict, no more violence, no more judgment 🙂
The reason why you would recommend using Archie vinegar
Because it tastes delicious and feels good!
Find Lili Barbery's online classes every week here
Reconciliation, published by Marabout, on sale here (editor’s note: this book is a marvel).
