In the bathroom of Charlotte Gomez de Orozco, founder of Hoy 

“Being in the present moment is, after all, a very ancient quest. It can be found in countless spiritual and philosophical traditions. The Stoics, for example, constantly remind us to distinguish between what depends on us and what does not, and to focus our attention on what we can actually experience and do right now.

“Today, I find it even harder. We’re constantly being pulled in different directions. We check our phones while walking, reply to emails while eating, and think about tomorrow while living in the present. We’re in a constant race to have more, and sometimes we end up no longer really seeing what’s around us. HOY was designed to create the opposite effect.”

“My anxiety attacks have probably taught me one essential thing: the mind and the body are not two separate things.  What we hear, what we see, what we smell, what we eat, the light around us, the way we move our bodies… all of this contributes to our state of being. I think it’s important to be in a beautiful, calm place that’s designed with us in mind. Of course, that doesn’t solve all our problems, but it can create the conditions we need to slow down and reconnect with ourselves.”

That’s why, at HOY, well-being isn’t limited to a yoga or treatment room. It begins in the guest room, with its feng shui-inspired layout. In fact, there are no televisions in the guest rooms. We’ve deliberately limited visible electronic devices: old-fashioned phones, a stretching bar in the rooms, no electronic speakers—just a ceramic dock that naturally amplifies the phone’s sound. There are also plenty of plants. It continues on your plate with an entirely plant-based cuisine, through movement with yoga, Pilates, and strength training, and then in our Care Rooms.

Scent also plays a big role. From time to time, we burn palo santo. The sense of smell is very closely linked to the brain circuits involved in emotions and memory. A familiar or pleasant scent can therefore become a kind of anchor: it can bring back a memory, alter our emotional state, and, above all, bring us back very quickly to the moment we’re experiencing. And then HOY is intentionally an open space. You can spend a whole day there without having to rush from one place to another. To be in the present moment, you first have to be able to slow down."

“Today, I see well-being in three dimensions: physical well-being— how I nourish my body, how I move, how I sleep, how I breathe;mental well-being —am I at peace? Am I constantly stimulated, or do I still know how to slow down?; and then energetic well-being. This is probably the aspect I’ve explored the most in recent years. Do I truly listen to the signals my body sends me? Do I know how to recognize what gives me energy and what drains it?”

Through my experiences—and especially through the practitioners I’ve met thanks to HOY—my perspective has become much less dogmatic. I find it fascinating to bring ancient practices into dialogue with what modern science is teaching us today about stress, sleep, and the nervous system. I no longer believe much in one-size-fits-all solutions. For me, well-being is above all about getting to know yourself well enough to understand what you need at any given moment.”

“Probably to learn to listen to my body before it’s forced to scream. For a long time, I tended to push myself, to do more, to keep going even when I was tired or stressed. My anxiety attacks were a pretty harsh way of realizing that the body always ends up sending us signals. Today, I try not to wait until I’m feeling bad to take care of myself.” 

And, on a much more practical level, I recently signed up for Jean Pélissier’s “40 Tips on Traditional Chinese Medicine.” I receive one video a week covering principles from traditional Chinese medicine and very simple practices to incorporate into my daily routine. It helps me reconnect with my body by taking care of it. For example, I discovered a practice involving small daily jumps or bounces, as well as exercises designed to stimulate lymphatic circulation. Since then, hardly a day goes by without me doing a few of them. It might seem silly, but I love the idea that self-care can also start with just thirty seconds in the middle of your bathroom!"

“A lot. Before, I worked out a lot, mainly for aesthetic reasons. After my anxiety attacks, that concern became much less important. I started yoga not to transform my body, but because I needed to feel better mentally. It completely changed my relationship with movement. I no longer exercise while wondering solely about how my body will look. I ask myself: How will I feel afterward? Calmer? More energetic? Stronger? Mentally clearer?”

“Today, my concept of beauty is much more closely tied to vitality. You can really tell from a person’s face when they’re sleeping well, eating well, staying active, happy, and feeling centered. Someone who has energy, who is present, and who feels good in their own skin radiates something that no product can truly recreate.”

Follow Charlotte on her Instagram account @chagdeo, and to stay up to date on all the latest news from HOY Paris, head over here.