In A Day With... Viviane Hausstein — In A Day Naturopathy

Photo by Stefan Dotter at Gaia. All other images courtesy of Viviane x

Firstly, are you able to tell us a little about you; where is your hometown, where are you living at the moment and what do you do ?

Hi my name is Viviane, my hometown is basically in Berlin but me and my boyfriend are currently in his hometown in North Italy to spend our parental leave here while travelling and enjoying the good life in Italy. I love to spend time here with his family and friends as they are very warm-hearted and kind people and Italy is always treating us with beautiful nature, the best quality in food & ingredients and a lot of smiles and open arms.

I am a very curious person and interested in finding beauty in things, people and stories. So for me as a person who is working in fashion as a stylist it’s interesting to follow my intuition and nourish my aesthetic sense while being en route or just in the moment.

How do you usually start your day ?

Since I became mother for the second time I would say my daily start is totally different than before as there is actually no morning routine at the moment, which I absolutely enjoy. My baby boy is 4 months old, so he still needs to find his rhythm and I am listening to his needs consciously and don’t follow any scheduling or bigger plans to avoid frustration.

My big boy is almost 10y old and for sure has his schedule we need to take care of, so in the end I have two different personalities with 2 different needs at home which can be very chaotic sometimes- but that’s family right? I prefer to go with the flow instead of trying to control everything.

So I would say to find my routine in creating my own space/ me time which to me is very important. I need to be flexible and open, using free slots as it comes and fill them with practising yoga, meditating, resting, talking to my beloved ones on the phone/ in person or listening to the wind in the garden or in the park. All these things I actually prefer to do in the morning.

What does your dream day look like ?

My dream day starts with sleeping in like all of us. I love to have a sharp well-rested brain in the morning, this means in my case to sleep until 9:30/10am.

So before everyone is getting up I have 20 minutes for myself to meditate. After that, a proper breakfast with all of us on one table; fresh bread, eggs, porridge, yogurt and fruits. A good coffee. I love to prepare breakfast, all set on a beautiful tablecloth with fresh flowers. After that we all get ready to go to the lake. I love lakes especially those ones in northern Italy. I also love the power of the sea very much but the most beautiful sea side places I know, like in Puglia Portugal or Greece, are in a great drought so at the moment I prefer a refreshing dip in the silky transparent water of mountain lakes and their juicy green surroundings. Also surrounding Berlin we have nice lakes and beautiful nature.

So for sure my perfect day is taking place in the nature. With friends. And amazing food. A beautiful big picnic with a lot of friends & kids. Hunting for beautiful flowers in the fields, enjoying the sun and the colours of the Summer, having nice chats and big laughs until a big thunderstorm is coming up with a refreshing Summer rain and we all have to go home while Mother Earth is taking care of the refreshment of plants and trees.

The day is ending with either a big cuddle on our big sofa and a movie just the 4 of us, or with a cooking session with other people and a sleepover. I do like both ideas pretty much.

What is your beauty routine ? Do you have any favourite natural products or skincare rituals ?

I have a very simple beauty routine I guess. I love to shower ice cold in the morning. It’s good for your blood and lypmhatic system. After that I use Weleda products like the Gentle Cleansing Foam and the Skin Food Light creme for my face. In winter time I sometimes use Skin Food Intensive, too. It depends how dry my skin is. For my body I love to use pure almond oil. It’s also very good for stretch marks or c-section scars. For my hair I prefer chamomile and argan oil products and no conditioner.

My hair is pretty long and it actually would be easier to use conditioner with silicons all day but I prefer to use a deep conditioner, like from Dr. Hauschka, once per week so my hair has the structure I really like. A little dry & healthy, but not overtreated.

Do you have a favourite scent ? If so, where does it take you ?

One of my favourite scents is fresh brewed espresso actually. It takes me everywhere and if there is something I am addicted to, it’s this with all my heart.

Are there any food or health philosophies that guide how you and your family eat ?

I really enjoy food so I love to eat well with everyone on one table and teaching my sons what’s healthy and delicious. My boyfriend is Italian and brings a lot of joy in our kitchen, too. Most of the time he is cooking and both of us are taking care of the good ingredients, preferably directly from the garden, regional and bio. We are eating a lot of salat and vegetables… I am addicted to tomatoes. Fresh fruits but also delicious sweets like juicy tarts or chocolate are on our table. We are also eating meat, not often and the source is very important, but I have sometimes have cravings and they must be heard.

“ YOUR BODY IS ACTUALLY TELLING YOU WHAT IT NEEDS, YOU JUST NEED TO LISTEN.”

You’ve recently become a mother for the second time. What challenges have you faced adapting to now being a mother of two ?

As I said already above, I am use to to listening to the needs of one little human and now there are two. This can be very challenging as both are very different due to their different ages & personalities. I try to include my big son as much as I can in all daily activities around family & the baby and he is a super supportive to me and is taking care of the well-being of his little brother which makes me beyond happy & proud. But also it is fine if he needs his ‘big kid’ solo time for himself. He will be a teenager quite soon and this also must be seen/acknowledged.

Has becoming a mother changed your views on health and “wellness” at all ?

It changed a lot! I have to say it also healed me of selfish & unconscious habits. I lived and still live my life to the fullest! But with two different approaches.

Now that I am nourishing my baby it’s even more important taking care in what I eat and I have to say, it’s fun to eat well. It satisfies me to know in the evening that it was a very diverse, healthy and creative food day!

I always did a lot of sport but my way of doing it and the goals have changed over the years. I was always very aware of my body shape and fitness but now it’s more the happy & calm mind from it that I desire.

I do Kundalini and Vinyasa yoga & recently discovered swimming. But what I now understand is that all is connected and without a friendly & open mind your body shape is nothing. Also the pressure and the wrong approach creates even more diseases in the body. Plus it’s very important to reward yourself with treatments like extensive Ayurvedic massages or sauna sessions frequently.

What is your favourite way to move your body ? Does movement play a part in your everyday routine ?

I do practise Kundalini & Vinyasa Flow, I love to bicycle in Berlin almost everywhere and I love to have long walks instead of taking the tube or other public transport.

When do you feel your most beautiful ?

After a fulfilled yoga practice or when I am breastfeeding my baby.

When my bigger son says to me that he loves me or my boyfriend is smiling at me, just as if he would say “I love you” without saying it.

If you are feeling tired, stressed or just off, how do you come back to yourself ?

I need to meditate or to sleep.

When I am feeling overwhelmed or stressed and unable to think clearly there are some really nice short kundalini tools to create mental relief, but a proper practise with going straight to bed afterwards is actually better to cleanse my system. Also walks in the forest always bring me back to peace and my neutral mind.

Are there any old-school natural remedies that you always have on hand for you and your family ?

Hot water, ice, salt, ginger, curcuma, chilli and honey…

is all you need at home to heal small diseases.

Is there a particular mantra you try to live by ?

Not a specific one but I try to be in the moment as much as I can because you never know when it’s time for you to go. I am thankful for all I have and want to enjoy my life with my kids family and friends to the fullest.