HERE’S MY INTERVIEW WITH LOTUS PHOTOGRAPHY as part of Emily’s TALENTED BOURNEMOUTH series along with some of my favourite photographs from the shoot!
I’m going to say one of the dirtiest words I know: Ageing.
Although Hollywood is beginning to recognise the beauty that comes with ageing, with gorgeous, talented actresses like Helen Mirren, Felicity Kendal, Meryl Streep, Susan Sarandon & Judi Dench blazing the way, there still seems to be a stigma about the whole thing. I’m only 34, and I’ve already had people say to me “Aren’t you too old for that?”. No. No, I’m not.
This month, I got to meet up with Lynda, the creator of Menogo, a life coach who specialises in inspiring women to enjoy and thrive in the second half of their lives, particularly during the menopause. After being officially launched in December 2017 (Lynda’s 50th birthday), I was excited to hear what she had to say about helping women as they age.
When I hear people talk about menopause, all they ever talk about is hot flushes, never really the emotional side.
There is a huge amount of emotional stuff that comes with menopause and it gets a lot of bad press. Throughout our lives, as women, we go through a lot, periods, childbirth, in other cultures, woman as they get older are put on pedal stools, wiser, matriarchs, whilst in our culture we tend to think woman disappear. Yes, we go through a lot, but I’m a believer in the way you live your life has a huge impact.
I’m 50 and I’ve not had the stereotypical bad symptoms, what I’ve had is a lot of reflections and thinking about my life. I’ve thought about what I want; I’ve moved from London to Bournemouth, I’ve left my corporate life and created my own business. All of that reflection has been because I’m going through this stage in my life.
How do feel about Hollywood’s perception of ageing?
Kylie turns 50 this year! Julia Roberts (50), Davina MCCall (50), Jennifer Aniston (49), there are so many amazing women who are not giving up on life at 50, they are out there inspiring woman, doing incredible things. I want to be part of that movement, showing you don’t have to retire, you can live an amazing life after 50.
It’s all about how you think. You have 30-year-olds who act and think as if they are 60. I’m not saying I want to act like a 21-year-old, but I want to LIVE and live passionately.
How can people meet and talk to you?
If you live in Bournemouth, I’m happy to meet up for a coffee. I’m also available on skype, I run workshops and of course there’s the retreat. I’m really flexible and base my consultations on what the person is looking for.
Tell me about the Menogo Retreat.
I’m so excited about this. I’ve been on retreats in the past, but I’ve not come across one like this. It will be covering life coaching, nutrition, exercise, menopause, but there will also be opportunities for you to step back and pause to look on life to think “what do I want?”. The objective isn’t to answer all those questions, but to give you a platform to think about those questions and to start building your own plan of action.
The most important thing though, is that so many women stop giving to themselves, as they focus so much on giving to their families and friends. This retreat is all about them, taking time out to focus on themselves. That’s a pretty big step for many women.
If you were to give all the women in the world one piece of advice for when they turn 50, what would it be?
Believe in yourself. About 3 years ago, I had just come out of a relationship and I went for a walk along the beach. A gentleman came up to me and we ended up chatting about his life, it was fascinating. As he left me, he pointed at me and said “You need to believe in yourself.”. I hadn’t told him what had been going on, he just knew. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
So love yourself, start as early as possible and believe in yourself.
How has photography impacted your business?
I’m in marketing and a picture is worth a thousand words! Photography is about emotion, connection, it’s powerful. The Lotus Photography #ShowYourUnqiueStyle is where it needs to be, it needs to be authentic and connect.
What’s your motto in life?
Has to be “Believe in yourself”.
You can find out more about Menogo on the website and Facebook page.
To find out more about Lotus Photography visit https://lotusphotographyuk.com
Lotus Photography: Everyone is different, so why should your photos be the same? I want to show off your individual style, that thing that makes you you. Whether it’s a portrait, a family gathering, music festival or corporate event, my aim is to capture it because it will never be repeated. I look forward to meeting you soon. #ShowYourUniqueStyle