NICK'S DINACHARYA AND GO-TO PRODUCTS
Over the past 25 years or so, I have adopted an ever more holistic attitude to how I live my life. From how and what I eat to the way I exercise and the clothes I wear through to my daily routine, home environment and grooming products.
Read on for the lifestyle hacks and products I swear by and how I incorporate them into my daily routine (dinacharya in Ayurveda):
MOVEMENT
In all aspects of life when you stop moving or flowing it can lead to stagnation! I’ve always been into exercise and incorporate at least a couple of regular natural movement calisthenic style classes in my week including one locally with Steve from The London School of Movement who has really helped me with my mobility. Whenever I get the chance, I throw myself into outdoor sports like tennis, park runs and wild swimming as well as a bit of boxing so herbalised oil such as Fushi Really Good Muscle & Joints Oil, Pavilion Ayurveda Yoga Move Relieving Aromatherapy Oil and Naturopathica Sweet Birch Magnesium Bath Flakes are a go-to for muscle recovery, as is the Theragun (I have to pretend to do it on Mahi who wants to copy everything!) and then grounding myself on the Higher Dose PMF mat or using at their Infrared Sauna Blanket to help revitalise tired muscles and support the body detoxing at the end of the day before going to bed.
When I can’t get to classes due to work commitments (or Mahi and now our new arrival), my day-to-day activities revolve more around yoga and I also love to follow my friend Tony Riddle’s natural movement online classes at home. When the weather is good I get out into the garden to do calisthenics on my custom-built scaffolding rig. I organised this in lockdown and it’s still going strong - it’s particularly popular with visiting friends’ kids or anyone who likes to literally ‘hang’ out! I did some research and found a local guy who supplied me with the pieces needed to make a simple pull-up and dip frame with scaffold. I started Mahi hanging from it from a very early age and she can now hold herself (I’m ready to catch her when she’s done) for up to a minute. We’re now in competition with each other!! No pushy dads here.
Jaz and I have a foam roller in the living room and one in our bedroom and we even travel with a mini one because we find this keeps us out of the osteopaths office and helps to quickly remedy a slouchy posture after working on our laptops all day. Working as a photographer also means that much of my time is spent holding stress positions, and often favouring the one side, so rolling my back out as well as psoas muscles, and my IT bands on the foam roller is essential!
In my experience, stability and balance in life come from building solid foundations. In my early twenties, I started getting into more functional movement and that led me to look at my feet as I started training more and more barefoot. I soon realised I had weak compromised feet and that ‘my footwear was impacting my natural foot shape and ultimately having knock-ons to my posture and muscles/functional movement, especially when wearing a big built-up sole. By my late twenties, I discovered the power and importance of barefoot living and later became great friends with the people who went on to create the amazing Vivobarefoot brand (I now also do the brand’s photography and they are very much part of the family). I can now wear ‘my size’ without any impact from the Vivo shoes which are designed around a natural foot shape - giving my toes plenty of room to move while protecting them from the elements and anything untoward that might be in my path. I might pop on a pair of my old shoes for ‘a look’ when I’m going out but 90% of the time expect my Vivo’s or the sight of my moderately hairy toes!
Finally, the movement of breathing correctly has been one that I am ever conscious of and now have a breathwork practice to complement my daily Vedic meditations. Jasmine and I learnt Vedic meditation in 2010 with our now good friend Gary Gorrow and it has been one of the biggest catalysts for my well-being. Breath is life and it's amazing how much release and feedback you can get from simply being mindful of how you are breathing. Of course, you can start with Wim Hof but I really like the more subtle vedic and yoga breathwork like pranayama. I would also recommend Richie Bostock and Niraj Naik who offer great online and in-person work utilising soundtracks to help deepen your journey. As I am talking about music you still can’t beat a soundbath in my mind to truly surrender and relax. Jasmine and I have really expanded that side of our world and you can even find me playing the guitar, hand pan and other instruments on our downloadable offerings. No singing yet, but watch this space!
GROOMING
In the bathroom my go to’s are of course my Tongue Tingler and oil pulling which is how I start everyday along with splashing my eyes with cold water for 30 seconds. Gallinee hair and scalp spray because I am not too far off 50 and need to have something left for Mahi to brush when she gets tired of brushing her doll's hair. I generally use whatever Jasmine has left me in the bathroom as I know it will be the best available natural, eco option (I generally get told off for using too much) - at the moment it’s Kankan Body Cleanser and Holy Lamas soap and a simple, unscented moisturiser like those created by our friend Pedro at Twelve Beauty. If I am not going caveman, then I like the Wild deodorant and to keep my beard (when it’s long) in some sort of order using Mauli’s Nourish Post-Shave & Beard Oil and my hair going in the right direction with FFOR hair paste. I also use a body brush whenever I can remember which is great for my constitution which can be prone to Kapha imbalance. So for this reason I like a good Kapha oil to invigorate my mornings like this one from Tri-dosha or the Essential Ayurveda Pitta Balancing Oil one for summer (another dosha quite dominant in my constitution) as I follow the Ayurvedic routine of oiling the body upon rising before any exercising or showering.
NUTRITION AND SUPPLEMENTS
I try to avoid too much coffee these days and in its place I’ve become a big fan of functional mushrooms. Dirtea Lion’s Mane gives me my morning focus or, if I’m out and about, I start my day with a matcha. I have moved away from too many supplements after a few years of going down the rabbit hole of biohacking overload. I try to meet all my needs through food, water (filtered wherever possible), exercise and fresh air. However, I do take pine pollen every morning too as a natural boost for the male system and a good green powder mix, such as NuZest or WelleCo. If I am into my routine of boxing training with Ginger Joe I will have a protein powder such as organic Whey protein. If I do feel a cold coming on or I’m a bit under the weather Wild Nutrition Immune Support is really great.
CLOTHING
Unless I’m in a suit (which is less and less with most of our friends wedded and less fancy social outings these days) comfort is king so I am pretty much in tracksuit bottoms or workout clothes. Smart tracksuit bottoms like these from The Colorful Standard and Thought are my uniform for socialising or work, otherwise soft and easy like an Allbirds tracksuit, a Sheep Inc jumper and Patagonia or Finisterre puffer or fleece jacket and for taking my laptop and camera around a Patagonia rucksack. All of these brands are renowned for their eco credentials and work hard for their money. I can vouch that I’ve been wearing some of these items daily for the past 10 years and I’m not that light on my clothes and accessories! Patagonia also has a brilliant repairs scheme although I think one of my particular well-worn and much-loved items (dubbed my spider man jacket as it’s red and blue) is threadbare in places so I think it’s served me well.
SHOP THE ARTICLE
This serum uses pre and probiotics enriched with rice water to nourish the microbiome of the scalp. Unlike other serums, this one is lightweight yet deeply nourishing, helping your hair to stay strong from root to end.
The infrared Pemf mat gives you the benefits of an infrared sauna and Pemf (Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field Therapy) at the same time. Whether you use it for a stretch or simply a moment of stillness, it will help with total body relaxation.
My rig was a custom build but this Pull Up Bar would serve a similar purpose. Made from solid steel it’s versatile for different functional strength exercises.
Developed by scientists, with the Theragun, you can adjust the pressure and speed to help any muscle aches go away to ensure you get into the deeper tissue. It’s a great tool to ensure your muscles recover after intense movement.
Vivobarefoot creates ultra-soft and supple shoes, which are as close to walking barefoot as you can get. They make everything innovatively and with the planet in mind, crafting the shoes from plant-based sources, post-consumer rubbish and natural fibres.
Originally a barefoot endurance athlete, Tony Riddle has created workouts that encourage workouts “to restore our bodies back to how they were meant to be”. This involves how to correctly squat and how to properly ‘hang’ and support your body weight.
Dirtea lead the way with their pure and potent functional mushroom extract powders, coffees and super blends around - proven to improve your health, well-being and lifestyle. Their blends hold a host of benefits with some for improved focus, energy and sleep.
Finisterre is a brand you can rely on to produce quality and ‘as sustainable as possible’ clothing. They focus on using recycled materials (where possible) such as natural rubber and recycled ocean plastic.
This rucksack can carry it all. Made originally for outdoor pursuits, it can take up to 45L along with different access points making it easy to load and unload when out and about. It's a hardy and sturdy essential for carrying your everyday equipment.
ALL BIRDS R&R SWEATSHIRT
This sweatshirt is a great everyday essential. You can layer it with thermals on a chillier day, or use it to bundle up on the beach. It’s made from a sustainable mix of organic cotton, 30% hemp and 20% TENCEL so it’s very soft and light against the skin.
Small yet mighty, this foam roller gets deep into the muscles and tissues, helping to relieve any muscles aches and pains. The notches allow you to get into the exact trigger points of your trouble muscles releasing and loosening any strain.