seek & find

Companion Magazine ed. 15

sleep tight

The days when late risers were seen as layabouts are long gone. Instead, a newfound awareness for the importance of sleep is growing in our meritocratic society. Jan Stritzke is deputy medical director at the Lanserhof Tegernsee health resort, where he works with a programme which combines state-of-the-art technology with traditional naturopathy. An interview about the complexity of sleep, as well as a few simple tips for catching better Zs.

good night

The nocturnal hours have become something of a status symbol: endless brands and technologies now focus on deep sleep, which reputedly makes us energised, healthy, and beautiful. But what happens if that gradual slide into the world of dreams remains inexplicably elusive? Jessica Hoyer from Hamburg founded the ByNacht brand to help people fall asleep. And to look better when they awake.

the great escapism

Time to get out of the city? Want to leave all your cares behind and immerse yourself in nature and culture? Always a good idea! COMPANION has put together some tips for excursions in the surrounds of our 25hours Hotels’ cities to give you ideas for moments of mindfulness in the cold season.

diving into the forest

Nature, awareness, deceleration, meditation: ‘shinrin-yoku’, meaning ‘bathing in the forest’, is a recognised treatment in Japan. It’s also spreading to Germany as a by-product of the general mindfulness trend. Why is it so popular? What does the bathing part involve? Accompanied by two guides, partners Carlos Ponte and Emma Wisser, COMPANION headed off to the Mangfall Valley, close to Munich, to test the waters and discover what this activity is all about. Between the trees and wet earth, we learned something about the healing qualities of the forest — and about ourselves as well.

happy go vienna

Once again, Vienna has been named the most liveable city in the world. Horse-drawn carriages, Sachertorte chocolate gateau, 'Küss die Hand' - really now? Oh yes, says Zara Pfeifer. Thirteen years ago, she came here from Cologne to study and, bar a few short hiatuses, has stayed ever since.

night fever

The fashion, music, and worldly feel of the 1970s disco era captivate imaginations to this day. DJ Nicky Siano was spinning the turntables back then, while the photographer Bill Bernstein prowled the legendary Studio 54. The trailblazers take COMPANION back to an era of glitz, glamour, and hedonism.

asking for help

Kevin Braddock gathered all his strength to ask for help during a severe depressive episode — then the journalist launched Torchlight, a project aimed at encouraging others to do the same. About a glimmer of light in the darkest moments.