HOME SERIES X GABRIELLE HALES

The home is deeply personal. For some it represents a retreat and sanctuary, and for others a communal space for connection. Over the next few months, we will be exploring what the home means to you, inviting members of our community to reflect on the meaning of home, in their own words. From the atmospheres crafted behind closed doors to the rituals practiced within, we hope this series offers you a sense of inspiration and groundedness as we bundle up for the wintertime season that lies ahead.

To kickoff this series we have invited Gabrielle Hales to dive into the topic. Gabrielle is a yoga teacher and founder of Secret Yoga Club, a forward thinking community that creates inspiring and immersive experiences by weaving diverse healing modalities with creative processes. Gabrielle lives in Hackney (London) with her partner and is opening up their home as an intimate studio, creating a nurturing and soft space for evolution. Her first book “Secret Yoga Club: self-empowerment through the magic of yoga” was published this year with Hachette.

How do you decide what kinds of objects and fabrics you live with? What draws you to particular items over others?

I think I’m most drawn to natural textures and fibres. Dan Preston made our kitchen, which is incredibly beautiful - carved out of a single piece of oak. My partner’s father made our kitchen table, which makes it even more special. Our bedroom is quite minimal but I love our bed and its natural linens, covered with a woollen blanket we found in Lisbon. We are collecting items very slowly so that everything feels at home in the space. I’m enjoying finding stoneware, hand woven baskets and bowls from markets. We also love lamps! It’s quite soft lighting upstairs which feels very cosy.

Tell us about a time in which you felt close to nature.

I’m a country girl so I love nature. I begin to feel cloistered if I can’t listen to the trees and drink in a vast horizon. I run on the marshes whenever I can and swim in the ladies ponds. I actually love winter swimming, when the water is so cold it jolts life into every cell of your body. That’s when I feel the most alive! Most of all, I love the sea. I could spend hours diving, floating and swirling around and even just watching the waves and letting them magnetise my mind. The last time was in Sicily, on a beautiful Island called Salina. When nature is not on your doorstep, dancing is a good way to rewind!

What do you enjoy about autumn and winter? Are there particular rituals you adopt during the colder months?

I love the cycles of the seasons. Autumn is so wildly beautiful with all the mistful mornings and the jewelled colours. I like getting up when it’s dark, seeing the world awaken. It always feels secretive to me. On a spacious day, I wrap up warm, light a candle and meditate. Then I journal and drink coffee from a beautiful Raku cup that my friend made me. It has an indentation of her fingers on it, so time I use it we are holding hands. I often go for a run or practise yoga afterwards. Then the working day begins!

Thank you to Gabrielle Hales for opening up her home to us and to Mariell A. Lind Hansen for the beautiful photography. All of the blankets featured in this piece are part of our latest homeware collection.