Celebrating self-love on Valentine's day with face yoga, pink matcha latte and wonderful feminine energy
This year, we decided to celebrate the most romantic day of the year in a slightly different way, with a lot of love - but the kind of love that we should all nurture daily - and that is self-love. Therefore, in collaboration with face yoga instructor Jelena Orešković, we organized a self-love workshop where we learned how to properly perform face yoga exercises while enjoying delicious matcha latte drinks.
The term "self-love" has been gaining more importance lately, which is not surprising considering that self-love is the foundation of a healthy and fulfilling life. In today's fast-paced world, self-care often gets pushed aside, but it is crucial for mental, emotional and physical well-being. Self-love is not selfishness, but a necessity. When we love and respect ourselves, we become more resilient to stress, make better decisions, and develop healthier relationships with others. Self-love activities can include simple but powerful habits such as keeping a gratitude journal, meditating, practicing pilates or face yoga.
Under the expert guidance of Jelena Orešković, who has been practicing face yoga for many years and attributes her youthful appearance to it, we learned techniques for reducing tension, improving skin radiance, and developing awareness. We immersed ourselves in a soothing face yoga session, a natural and holistic practice designed to tone facial muscles, improve circulation, and promote relaxation. Along with this wonderful wellbeing activity, we enjoyed stylish pink matcha latte drinks—Japanese green tea powder rich in antioxidants, specially created for this occasion in a Valentine's guise, with the addition of raspberries, as well as tasty bites and rosé champagne. The event was held in a stunning apartment in the legendary Frank House, whose architect Viktor Kovačić left a deep mark on the architecture of the city of Zagreb at the beginning of the last century. The space exudes refinement and elegance, thanks to the Iranian-born, Paris-raised architect and interior designer Hermidas Atabeyki.
This intimate Valentine's Day celebration served as a perfect reminder that love starts with ourselves. Through face yoga, matcha latte, and a wonderful, supportive atmosphere, we went home feeling energized, refreshed, empowered, and deeply connected to our own wellbeing. As a bonus, we also received a rich gift bag from a luxurious Spanish beauty brand.
"Valentine's Day is traditionally associated with expressing love to others, but this year we wanted to put a special focus on self-care. The relationship with oneself is the main relationship in our lives and the foundation of all other relationships. We always have ourselves, we are always alone with ourselves, and that is why it is very important that this relationship is supportive and gentle, which is not always easy, especially for us women," said Maja Blažević, founder of Materia.
"Years should bring us maturity in terms of accepting ourselves. To focus on what we love about and within ourselves. Face exercises are ideal for getting to know our face and the expressions that mimicry leaves on us. And since facial expressions are a reflection of emotions, exercises enhance the positive ones," added Jelena Orešković.
Whether it's face yoga, mindful matcha drinking, or other wellbeing activities, every little ritual will contribute to building greater self-esteem and a more fulfilling life.
