Actor Nicola Kāwana shares her thoughts on kai and kōrero, getting off social media, and why gardening is good for her soul.
The best way to get up and get started in the morning is with coffee. The first person awake turns the coffee machine on, which ideally takes 10 minutes to prime itself. But getting to the coffee machine involves a perilous trip down the stairs while Stan, our perpetually hungry cat, weaves his hefty mass around our feet. Once downstairs, Stan herds you toward the cat bowl. Then it's back upstairs for coffee and the morning papers where Charlie, Stan's unlikely rangy twin, is usually still asleep on our bed.
I have always loved how clothes can make you feel. I remember the contents of our childhood dress-up box – a satin all-in-one devil outfit, complete with tail and hoodie with horns, a nun’s habit and frock and an inappropriately short nurse’s uniform. There were also a couple of chiffon nightdress sets with matching slippers, which were very handy when re-enacting Cinderella, which was easy for me, having an evil older sister. I have never stopped dressing up. Every day feels like rummaging around the dress-up box to match my clothes to my mood. I’m a minimalist when it comes to makeup but my skincare regimen is all about maximalism, serums, oils and sunscreen. For hair, this year I discovered Urban Kurl Studio in Avondale, where I have my curls cut individually by Kolio.
Good nutrition is the foundation of my health. It just means eating real food most of the time. I make almost everything I eat from scratch and grow a lot of my own veg. Working with my body in gardens means I don’t need a gym. I squat-weed and lug heavy woolsacks of garden waste. Plus, I’m an active relaxer. I walk and do yoga and Pilates when I can, lift the occasional weight when I remember and pick up Stan, the hefty cat. Oh, and sleep. I’m really good at prioritising sleep.
To keep mentally and emotionally healthy I reckon we need new terminology with this kaupapa. Te Whare Tapa Whā, the four cornerstones of Māori health, is a framework for hauora (health and wellbeing) that makes sense to me. It acknowledges the four pillars of health as being taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing), taha hinengaro (mental and emotional wellbeing), taha tinana (physical wellbeing) and te taha whānau (family health). I interpret these as spirituality or finding purpose and meaning, thoughts and mental processes, physical wellness and family or community, a sense of belonging. As long as all of these aspects are working in balance, then life is fairly smooth. Of course, it’s not always possible, but bumps in the road are part of the path. Getting off all social media has been a life changer, although I’ve replaced it with a daily peruse around houseandgarden.co.uk to inspire my constant homemaking.
