Take a PAUS

Take a

Sophiya Sarah

The brainchild of sisters Sophiya and Sarah Faizal, Paus is a unique cafe and community space where you can take a break from everyday life. Here you will find delicious food and coffee, talks, workshops, treatments, and a meditation room. HEALTH met with the dynamo to discuss their journey to Paus and what makes them tick.

The Impetus to Paus;

Sophiya: We started Paus purely because of our lifestyle. We’re Indian, but we grew up in the UAE. For us as a family, we all played tennis and health was a core value for us. But health usually meant being physically fit. And a few years ago, we both went through

our own mental health journeys with depression and anxiety and we both know that health is much more. It’s also sleep, nutrition, hormones and so on. There are many layers to it and we are 20-something-year-olds and figured out that this is actually what health is—we haven’t learned this before. From the cultures we come from, being Indian and growing up in a very Arab culture, there is so much in our culture, like ginger shots and turmeric lattes that help in taking care of yourself. So we said let’s start a business that helps you figure out what your balance is and looks at the different aspects of health. At Paus, we have a café serving healthy food, coffee, smoothies; for classes, we have packages so you can do a treatment package or just a class package; and a lounge where we do a lot of workshops and talks. We want more people to get into looking after themselves rather than waiting to get sick.

Suggestions to pause everyday

Sarah: I think it can be different things for different people. So for example, if you feel like running, running is a way of taking a pause; if you like meditation then just do that. I think just finding five minutes a day to do something for yourself is so important and that will make you one hundred percent more productive. So I suggest to find an activity that you feel helps you connect with yourself; whether it is grounding, meditation, drawing, but make sure you do it consistently every day for at least five minutes.

Five things you can’t live without

Sarah: I would say family; meditation; sunshine; music; and my pets.

Sophia: Family is number one; working out which is one of my core values; grounding; travel; and I need alone time.

A conversation about mental health with the youth

Sophiya: I think it’s extremely important; so many kids message us on Instagram that they feel their problems aren’t valid enough because their parents’ might be going through something more serious and grown-up. Maybe for adults, these might be small, but for kids its huge. It’s so important to validate these feelings because that’s how they will accept it and process these emotions.

Key aspects to incorporate in kids’ lives

Sarah: I think the first thing is emotional intelligence and understanding their emotions and what/how to deal with them, making kids understand that it’s not a bad thing to be sad and we all go through these things and it’s about finding solutions for it. I think as a child, it should be inculcated that it’s OK to feel upset. It’s all awareness of emotions and its fine to feel them. Secondly, meditation for kids, teaching kids to be grounded, without making it a chore. Some kind of creative activity is very important, for us, sports was a huge practice that helped us develop other aspects to our personality.

Three key elements that keep you motivated

Sophiya: The first thing is gratitude-every day I wake up and I start my day with thanks even on a bad day, I will look for things to be grateful in the day and it really shifts my mind-set to be more optimistic. Secondly, I feel like I am doing something that is aligned to me. I know with Paus and what we are doing that it feels right. And finally, the people around us, the team we have and our family; it’s an environment.

Sarah: First, understanding that the world is not just you, the world is connected; we are all connected. When you do one good thing it affects one person and the next; so it’s a butterfly effect. I think understanding that we are all one is a driving factor to do more good in the world. The second one is pride in my culture and background; I have realized that there is so much in cultures that we can share and we can be proud of. The last one is wanting to share my journey; knowing this is information which I can share with the younger generation.

The kinds of physical fitness you practice and its importance

Sarah: I try to do different forms of activities; so sometimes I will do cardio and sometimes I will lift weights, or practice yoga and Pilates. The reason I do this is a few years ago I was only doing cardio just because I wanted to lose weight and look a certain way. I realized how much harm I was doing to my body; I was not losing weight because my body couldn’t handle one form of exercise. But as soon as I started incorporating slower forms like yoga and Pilates, I realized that my stress levels were reduced and my body was responding much better. And this ties into why exercise is so important for mental health because as soon as you work out in a way that is good for your body, your mind starts to slow down and your mental health gets much better and the body responds much better.

Sophiya: I try to do a workout four times a week because I love the gym and I love strength training so this is what I do. But my slower movement is daily one-hour walks which really helps because I am moving my body, but mentally I have set out the time for myself and I feel more confident.

Three foods for health

Sarah: I think going back to the basics and adding more fruits and vegetables into the diet makes the biggest difference. Just by adding one cup of salad to your lunch for example, you automatically are doing your body good. Also adding one type of protein, even if you are vegan. Protein is important for the muscular regeneration and also, ensure that you are hydrated.

Sophiya: Before looking at what foods you should and shouldn’t eat, look at your relationship with food because it’s not just about nutrients, but if you feel guilty about eating something, your body will actually digest it differently. If you are having chocolate cake with your family, be happy, and the food will digest optimally.

Empowering kids by getting them involved

Sophiya: Just knowing where our food is coming from helps increase a child’s knowledge about nutrition and food and hopefully, it instils curiosity in them. We always say that people tend to say that wellness or learning about these things can seem intimidating or boring, but if you do it in an activity that you are enjoying, you automatically learn these things and you want to be better and healthier as a result.

Teens and devices

Sarah: I feel that when we focus on the detoxing off the gadgets aspect, it automatically makes it restrictive and makes you want to have it more. For me, technology exists, but when I am doing something that’s so much fun, then I don’t need my phone. When I am part of a community or around friends and we are doing an activity, I am not focusing on social media because I am getting that interaction in real life. Basically any kind of sports or creative arts helps; any activity that involves other people is a great way of disconnecting from the phone.

Three most important daily habits:

Sophiya: I have a great mental hack I do daily; sometimes you don’t want to work out, eat healthy or do a particular activity. So I wake up every day and tell myself ‘I get to do this’ which instantly switches it from ‘I have to do this’. It suddenly takes it from a place of need to a place of gratitude and makes it more amazing. The second thing I do is I drink warm water every morning with lemon which kick starts my metabolism. And lastly, I always do some kind of movement and believe that working out daily is important. H