The Many Kinds of Love

Love and care for oneself, family, and friends are expressed in many tender gestures, from meditation to bathing to a poetic meal. Buddhist spiritual leader and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh—who passed away a little over a year ago this month—writes in his in his Ten Love Letters to the Earth:

“Each mindful and gentle step can nourish me, heal me, and bring me into contact with myself and with you in the present moment.”

Here, we share intentional ways to receive and radiate love.

 

The ritual of bathing engages the senses while giving us time out of mind. We are now offering the aromatic Restorative Floral Bath from clean modern wellness house Nature of Things. To attend lovingly to body and spirit, soak in waters scented with plumeria, jasmine, and vetiver; bathe in the glow of our House Candle—the liquified coconut oil also doubles as a fragrance and smoothes the skin—and cocoon in our new, undyed LJ Maison Turkish Towels (available in-store). We also recommend an intoxicating stroke of Euphoria Pulse Point Oil by Flamingo Estate.

 

 

 

 

We can nourish body, spirit, and earth by mindfully preparing food. As renowned chef Shinobu Namae observes, “It is up to us to pave the broken road between nature and culture and show how these connections are essential to life.” Gather your beloveds and prepare an intimate meal both beautiful and healthful with goods from Los Angeles-based purveyors Flamingo Estate. Drizzle dates with Biointensive Native Wildflower Honey, or dress greens with the ambrosia of Winter Harvest Persimmon Vinegar. In their wonderful cookbook, Fridays From the Garden, inspiration awaits.

 

 

 

 

And as for dressing for dinner—and après—our Liquid Silk Slip Dress is a second skin in a sumptuous palette of Mink, Peony, and Midnight.

 

 

 

 

 

Establish a loving foundation with meditation, a daily path to cultivating compassion towards self and others. Inspired by her lifelong practice, Lan recently collaborated with ceramicist Len Carella on the new ShanFeng Incense Vessel (available in store). Lovingly handcrafted by Len in his San Francisco studio, each one in the limited edition is distinctive. We also offer Santa Maria Novella Four Elements incense in scents of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, and our handmade cashmere and silk charmeuse Floor Cushion Cover is a cozy invitation to sit.

 

 

 

 

Tend to yourself with rest, whether it’s a nap to restore vital energy during the day, or creating sensual settings for evening’s deep sleep. Dress the bed with divinely soft Cashmere Pillow Covers, and then drift into dream in a hand-woven cotton Night Dress or Pajamas by Scarlette Atelier.

 

 

 

 

 

And what purer love than that we have for those little sentient beings, our beloved animals?

 

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."—Anatole France.

 

 

 


Incense Vessel image by Jason Hsu.