Balancing Movement & Mindfulness: My European Escape to Locarno
Travel has always been one of my greatest passions — from the moment I step into the airport to the final touchdown, I’m completely in my element. Last week, my husband and I traveled to Europe for a film premiere and found ourselves in the charming lakeside town of Ascona, Switzerland for the Locarno Film Festival.
While we love to move, explore, and make the most of every destination, this trip was a beautiful reminder of the power of slowing down. Mornings began with gentle Ubarre flows on the balcony, the sun spilling over the mountains, and the crisp air setting the tone for the day. From there, we hopped on bikes and rode to the lake — yes, Uwraps ankle weights included — where we lounged, listened to the water, read books, and even snuck in a bit of core work.
It was simple, intentional, and deeply restorative. There’s something about hearing the water lap against the shore that seems to carry stress away with it. Also shoutout to old school classic novels like Raymond Chandler "The Long Goodby." I was sucked in and not about to put this down, the fact it was written 75 years ago and still holds up above and beyond. A classic for a reason if you like Noir, old school murder mystery.
Ok now back to slow living and mindful movement. Flying home, I felt inspired to bring more of this into my everyday life back in Ojai (and highly recommend no matter where you are!) . Here are a few ways I plan to keep that European sense of balance alive at home:
1. Morning Movement with Purpose
Just like those slow Ubarre flows in Switzerland, I’m committing to starting each day with intentional movement — not a rushed workout, but a mindful flow that wakes up my body and mind. Nothing planned, just breathing and honoring what part of the body needed to move. Although this is a go to move .
Combines some triceps, activates the arms, then I flow over engaging the core for a nice stretch in the back of the thighs. My husband snapped this when I was in my flow!
2. Outdoor Rituals
In Ascona, the lake became our reset button. In Ojai, that could mean a walk through the valley, a bike ride under the oak trees, or simply sitting outside with coffee and letting my thoughts settle — all made better when I bring my Uwraps for a little extra burn. We biked to the lake as well as one day biking down and finding a beautiful river, hello nature's cold plunge and it was amazing! So many people just lying in their own pockets watching the world. Notice: the world. Day dreaming. NOT technology. It enables the stress to drop and the mind to dream which is a privilege.
3. Wellness-Infused Design
Travel always inspires me to think about how my space can encourage movement. Also wanting to build pieces that are not disposable. Mindful mvoement and mindful consumption, I do not abide well from From keeping my Ubarre in a beautiful stand in the living room to having Uwraps ready for a walk, design-led wellness tools make it easier to integrate movement into my day without sacrificing style. You can see more in our Travel Wellness Edit.
4. Protecting Downtime
Vacations remind us that rest is productive. Scheduling downtime — reading, stretching, listening to music — is just as important as scheduling meetings. Perhaps we need to curate Wellness on the Go Collection ? One thing we have been thinking about is where the movement should live, the Ubarre workouts, The inspiration for minute moves. App? Analogue book? Youtube? Would love your thoughts! Speaking of you tube here are some!
Whether you’re traveling across the globe or simply stepping out your front door, movement and mindfulness can coexist beautifully. And with the right tools — like EQUIPT’s design-forward fitness equipment — you can carry that travel-inspired wellness lifestyle anywhere. And if you see a slightly bizarre bond flying doing wrist weight arm moves (possibly while having a martini) say hi!
