BalanceMayIssue2017 - 19

SHE SAYS

The Edith edit
Edith Bowman isn't so much raging against the dying of the light
but, over time, she's certainly wagging a playful finger at it
photography by BEN D UF F Y

hen asked how old he was, a
friend of mine used to say: 'It's
only Earth years.'
I now use that phrase quite
regularly. I'm in my 40s and
genuinely I've never been more happy. The truth is
I'm getting older and that's not going to change - no
matter how many times I re-watch 80s film Cocoon.

HAIR & MAKE-UP: MALIN COLEMAN STYLING: SABRINA HENRY EDITH WEARS: T-SHIRT, MAISON KITSUNÉ; BLACK JEANS, JITROIS

We live in a time where so many people
do battle with the ageing process. I don't
necessarily fight it, but perhaps put in a bit
of a scrap. As with anything in life, you just
have to make a decent fist of it.

FINDING TIME
Betty Friedan, the great American
feminist, said: 'Ageing is not lost youth,
but a new stage of opportunity and
strength.' And I agree. I do more
exercise now than ever and am
probably in the best shape I've
been in for years. Not because
I'm scared of wobbles, cellulite
or getting fatter, but because it
makes me feel good.
You might think 'This is all
well and good, but I'm too busy
to get fit.' I have to put time
aside for it and literally carve a
weekly hot yoga class into my
diary. It is, effectively, a weekly
cleanse. I also schedule in a 4K
run while my eight-year-old has
football training on a Sunday,

THESE EARTH YEARS
ARE GOING SO FAST
I'M SURE YOU CAN
FIND BETTER WAYS OF
MAKING THEM COUNT

Share your
thoughts
with me
@edibow and
@BalanceLDN

and do 20 lengths while my four-year-old has a
swimming lesson every Tuesday. I can't do the gym;
I've no self motivation for it and I get bored quickly,
plus they play terrible music.

S EEING THE STO RY
As for looks, I remember my mum being worried
about going grey. I'd always tell her that going grey
was gorgeous, graceful and stylish. In fact, I've
started going grey myself and don't mind it one
jot. Fillers don't interest me, but I use oil on my
face and take Lumity supplements, which are
a one-stop shop for your skin, sleep and
energy. I also take non-dairy kefir every day
and probiotics. Again, it's a case of keeping
things as natural as possible.
There's a lot of pressure on women, and
increasingly men, to look perfect these
days. And it's nonsense. Imperfections
are what's attractive. Surely it's
better to be honest in all
aspects of life, and that
includes how you look.
I'd rather see the story in
someone's face, than not see
any kind of emotion. You
can tell when someone
has had Botox, fillers, or
whatever else is on offer.

LIG HT YEA RS
In my opinion, such people aren't
doing it because they want to,
but because they feel they have to.
Why can't we dare to bare our
pasts, our feelings and lives? These
Earth years are going so fast I'm
sure we can find better ways of
making them count. B
Listen to Edith Bowman at
Breakfast every weekday
from 6am-10am on Virgin
Radio, virginradio.co.uk

http://virginradio.co.uk

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BalanceMayIssue2017