the right balance
Multi-hyphenate Christy Turlington Burns is so much more than a pretty face. The poster girl for top international brands is also an entrepreneur, film-maker, athlete and maternal health advocate. In 2010, she founded Every Mother Counts, a non-profit organisation dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother.
I think that women are under too much pressure to try to look younger. With age comes wisdom; I wouldn’t want to go back in time for anything. I like the philosophy of ‘less is more’. I start my day by taking two Imedeen Time Perfection tablets. Other than that, I keep my skin hydrated, use a bit of concealer, mascara and lip gloss, then I’ll feel my best.
Balance is an interesting word. I think it’s very difficult to really sustain balance. I like the word integration a bit more. I know my priorities and my family comes first but I am also very passionate about a lot of issues, particularly the work I do with Every Mother Counts and the advocacy for maternal health. That feeds me in such a way that I am a better mother for it. When all of the aspects of my life are complementary, then I am able to feel like I am in balance. It is a daily aspiration and it is certainly not without effort. I would definitely say my mom is my role model, but in a very practical way. She was always volunteering in our community, she learned new languages, she went back to school in her 50s, and all of that definitely made a mark on me. Now I have my own children, I hope my children will feel as grateful as I do for being exposed to the rest of the world at an early age and moved, as I was, to contribute in a meaningful way.
Running is such an incredible metaphor for so many aspects of life. I rediscovered my love for it when I started training for my first marathon in 2011 to raise awareness and funds for Every Mother Counts and educate the public about one of the biggest barriers women face when bringing life into the world. Because my main work is Every Mother Counts, that’s how I justify taking the time to train.
There’s also a very meditational thing that happens with long-distance running – that’s common ground between running and my yoga practice. Your muscles can get quite tight from all the running, so I need yoga more than ever now. It is still my absolute favourite thing to do. It’s a life practice.
