Meditation and Mindfulness with BLOOM's Eugenie Lambert Buckstein

Unfold like a flower at BLOOM, Paris' first meditation centre is curated by Eugenie Lambert Buckstein. There couldn’t have been a better word than Bloom for this place and for this practice. I believe that ‘calm is a superpower’ and that the more we practice it through any kind of means like meditation, yin yoga, pranayama, we gain in self-awareness, energy. Guided meditations are such powerful stress releasers. With each breath we consciously connect our mind with our body and anxiety diminishes.

The more we are connected to our core, the more grounded we feel which comes with a bunch of positive attributes like clarity, safety, balance, confidence, goals...Meditation is one magic tool that can bring us there. 

I am thrilled to introduce you to her, the founder of this amazing mindfulness space opening in the first half of 2020. 

So Eugenie, can you tell us, how did you start your venture in the wellness world?
Hi Abi, thank you for having me, I’m honored to be featured in your journal! My venture in the wellness world really started the day I discovered meditation--it changed my life in so many essential ways that it made me want to live and work differently and start my own project.

I officially started my venture in the wellness world in September last year when I quit my job as a journalist to start working on BLOOM full time. For five years I had been working as a producer for the TV Channel CNN in London and in Paris and loved working there! My experience as a journalist definitely led me to where I am today. 

You are opening the first meditation-wellness centre with a spa and a shop in Paris. I am so excited about this you can't believe. It is such a great time for wellbeing to be part of the Parisian life. Okay so first, what is BLOOM exactly?
Thanks Abi! BLOOM is the first modern meditation studio in Paris and in France. You might wonder what a modern meditation studio is? I wanted to create a modern space in which mindful meditation classes are taught. When I started meditating I didn’t want to get into a religious or spiritual practice, I wanted to meditate with a secular, safe, science-backed practice, and to me that was mindfulness! While living and traveling abroad, I discovered modern meditation studios (in Canada, the UK and the US) and loved everything about those spaces, classes, workshops and their vibes in general! I felt inspired by such beautiful places, and decided to start my own.

I love meditating in groups and wanted to find a studio that would offer regular mindful meditation group practices in Paris but couldn’t find a space that was dedicated to it… so I decided to start my own with BLOOM!

In BLOOM’s studio you will find a lounge/ boutique area and two meditation rooms (a light room and a dark room). The beauty about BLOOM is there is also a SPA area with two massage tables (that can turn into one for a duo massage) and a salt room for halotherapy. I wanted to create a space dedicated to meditation and mindful practices, by nurturing our mind and our body through various techniques.

What I really wanted for BLOOM was, beyond the studio itself, to become a space dedicated to meditation, mental health and wellness in general. A very topical issue that needs to be tackled. It is by taking care of our minds that we can take care of ourselves!

I just adore the entire concept of BLOOM. How would you suggest customers plan their self-care practice in your space? 
Thank you! The whole time I was working on BLOOM, I put myself in the shoes of meditation enthusiasts or newbies and imagined a space that I think would offer some of the best meditation and wellness services. I wanted BLOOM to become the destination for a stress detox in our concrete jungle! 

If you’re new at BLOOM I highly recommend you do the following: take a few minutes to relax and decompress in our lounge / boutique area with an herbal tea on the house, grab a book and enjoy a scented candle, then proceed to your 30 min class in the light room (probably a beginner class such as breathing or stress detox), add a 30 minute seated back massage and end your journey with a 20 min session in the salt cave!

This sounds heavenly! As you said, wellness is in the balance, like yin and yang. In a world driven by yang, yin moments are essential to our wellbeing, if it's emotional, mental or physical. My yin lessons are so aligned with this too. It is quite an experience to see clients unfold their wings slowly with each class and become at ease with themselves in stillness to literally find themselves again. Do you remember when you first started meditating, how did you feel? What made you stick to it and make it the centre of your intention (apart of your darling baby girl).
Great question! I started meditating when I was working at CNN. I was going on assignments all around Europe and was sent to cover many of the recent terrorist attacks. This was very challenging emotionally because I had to not only work on difficult assignments but also deal directly with people who were grieving or experiencing deep trauma. I was looking at ways of easing out of this emotionally charged time in my life and that’s when I discovered meditation through an app. I remember meditating the first time and finding it quite hard, but quickly started to feel the benefits of it after practicing for a week. It was during my pregnancy that I decided to meditate daily instead of just when I felt a need for it. This decision literally changed my life and I can’t wait for Parisians to discover meditation and feel the beautiful benefits this practice has to offer!

You know I used to live right next to BLOOM many years ago. I keep such fond memories of those times and of the area. Good vibes! What are your favourite other places in the Etienne Marcel hood?
That’s so nice to hear! I love our neighborhood area too, so much is happening in the district, and there are countless amazing gyms, restaurants, cool companies and shops! Etienne Marcel is to me the perfect location: in between le Marais, Sentier, les Halles, Grands Boulevards and le Louvre! The restaurant scene is unbelievable, Marcelle is one of my favourite spots, they have a great Brunch menu and lots of healthy options. In terms of studios and gyms I love Barre Shape - I only tried it once but I’m considering going there on a regular basis since it’s very close to BLOOM.

Having traveled a lot and having lived in London, how do you bring BLOOM with you when you are on the go? Do you have any rituals, a playlist, an app or products that support you?
I always carry around “the little book of Mindfulness” to help me focus, slow down and de-stress. It gathers inspiring mindful quotes and book extracts. I like to open it randomly and think about the theme that I picked for the day, it’s fun!

I would say that one of the biggest benefits of mindfulness is that I become aware of signs of stress before I get to a deep anxious state of mind. I am now able to analyze and feel a stressful situation building up and can take a step back and decide which path to take almost every time it happens. 

I also love grounding myself when I get overwhelmed with life. I have several rituals: if I’m in a situation where I can’t leave the room, I sit on a chair with my back straight, shoulders relaxed and take a few deep breaths… it usually only takes three deep breaths for me to calm down. I also like to put my feet on the ground, feel the earth beneath us, the air on my skin, the sounds and smells around me. I love using essential oils before a practice and believe in their grounding power! I’ve actually been using your Asagiri Beauty “grounding” blend recently and I love it, especially when I feel some stress building up!

Finish the sentence, 'I always start my day with...'
I always start my day with a 30 / 60 min meditation session on my zafu and zabuton or on my bed. Clearing your mind in the morning helps establish your intentions and sets the vibe for the day. If I don’t have time in the morning, I also love meditating before going to bed, it improves my sleep and ends the day peacefully.

Your mantra you live by:
It’s actually a quote from Winston Churchill but it’s become my Mantra: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” To me it’s a nicer way of saying “keep calm and carry on”, and maybe it’s because I lived in London but I truly adore this mantra!