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It's time to get motivated! #letsmove
I have holidayed many a time on the Jurassic Coast and it was during a holiday in Swanage that I first saw Sasha’s Art in a gallery there.
I immediately fell in love with her paintings and have since bought prints and my Christmas cards from her. Her art just makes me smile!
I also purchased her book ‘A Brush with the Coast’ that she mentions below and have since bought it for many a friend, as it’s wonderful and the perfect coffee table book … and something I would love to do in the future.
So it was wonderful that Sasha agreed to feature here in my Wellness and Lifestyle magazine. I hope you enjoy reading about her as much as I did.
xx
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I have lived and worked as an artist in Cornwall for 25 years. I grew up in the coastal town of Swanage in Dorset and spent an idilic childhood with long summer holidays centered around our little wooden beach hut over looking the sheltered bay.
My love of the coast runs through almost everything I paint and is my main inspiration along with a hefty dose of nostalgia.
The best way to explore the coast, I have always found, is with a dog or two!
When I left college my main priority was to look for a rescue dog to join me on my long rambles exploring Cornwall’s many coves and harbours. All the inspiration I needed for my paintings, as I embarked on a career as an artist, was gleaned on those walks with my newly acquired sidekick Poppy.
Later on in my career I embarked on an epic 630 mile trek with Jess my two year old Rodesian Ridgeback. Before making the momentous decision I’d agreed with a prestigious gallery to a large one man show but had then run out of inspiration and the desire to paint.
Searching for a remedy to my apathy I remembered a book I had read about a man and his dog who walked the entire South West Coast Path (SWCP) in one go. It was a light bulb moment and I realised if I did the same it could be just the thing to rekindle my inspiration.
Jess and I set off a few months later on what became one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life. But not before enduring a bit of pain; Although I was an enthusiastic dog walker I had never gone more than five or six miles at a time, needless to say the SWCP came as a complete shock.
The combined ascents and descents of the trail add up to the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest four times! In the early days the relentless climbs took their toil on my knees and hips and I got used to popping paracetamol with my breakfast every morning. However, soon walking for seven hours a day became the new normal.
“As my fitness slowly improved, I began to notice changes in my state of mind.”
With none of the usual worries of day to day tasks my only goal was to keep putting one foot in front of the other. The simplicity of my existence meant I could loose myself totally in the moment. I revelled in the harsh cry of the gulls on the cliffs or the shrill song of the Meadow Pipits when we were making our way through sand dunes, the heady smell of Gorse when the sun shone on the flowers or the crunch of shingle under my boots on a long stretch of beach …
For someone who has never been adventurous, taking on the SWCP was a huge leap into the unknown, but I am so glad I did. Not only did I find buckets of inspiration for my exhibition, I pushed myself physically and mentally further than I ever thought I could. And I got to experience it all in the company of my beloved dog Jess.
You can find out more about Sasha’s work here: sashaharding.co.uk
Or, follow here on Instagram here: @sashahardingartist.
You can order her book directly from her website here
Please either login or refresh your page to view if you are already part of my Workout Family.
If you would like to become a member sign up, I would love to have you join the club.
It's time to get motivated! #letsmove
Please either login or refresh your page to view if you are already part of my Workout Family.
If you would like to become a member sign up, I would love to have you join the club.
It's time to get motivated! #letsmove
Katie Bishop is back with another recipe to make your mouth water.
I’m so grateful to her for doing this – I really hope you enjoy it!
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This really easy ‘pizza bianca’ recipe feels indulgent but can be made both economically and healthily.
The cream cheese (the white/bianca bit) makes a delicious change to tomato sauce on the base – use full-fat if reducing calories isn’t your priority, but I don’t think you’ll feel like you’re missing out when you taste this using the reduced fat version.
You can use any cooked sausage you have for the top – I like using chorizo, nduja, or even a bog-standard banger that I might have leftover.
Tenderstem broccoli is delicious on top, but just use whatever you have available – finely sliced standard broccoli; cauliflower; courgette or pepper strips; or whole spring onions; all work well too.
Use a ready-made pizza base for ease (all major supermarkets sell them fresh, frozen and in free-from versions – so there’s something for everyone. You could even make this recipe vegan with the appropriate base and swaps for the cheese and sausage), or if you have more time, why not make your own?
Enjoy!
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Preparation time: 15 minutes
Makes: 1 pizza
1 ready-made pizza base
¼ unwaxed lemon (save the rest to dress some salad leaves to serve alongside)
125g reduced fat cream cheese
60-75g Tenderstem broccoli
About 100g cooked sausage
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp capers in brine, drained
½ tsp fennel seeds
Olive oil, for drizzling
Salad leaves, to serve
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Katie will be back next month with something else delicious to try.
In the meantime, you can find out more about her at https://katiebishop.co.uk or follow her on Instagram at @ktbishopcooks
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Please either login or refresh your page to view if you are already part of my Workout Family.
If you would like to become a member sign up, I would love to have you join the club.
It's time to get motivated! #letsmove
Each month, we feature one of our amazing Weekly Workout Club members here in our wellness and lifestyle area.
If you’re a member, you’ll know that its really important to Jo that we are all in this together and supporting one another on our fitness journeys. This is the reason why Jo always refers to the club as the ‘Weekly Workout Family’
We thought it was time for members to get to know each other a little more and to share some stories and experiences.
Our March spotlight features the wonderful Mel Lewis. Over to you Mel…
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Hi, my name is Mel, I am 55 years old and I live in Winchester. I have been married to Steve for nearly 33 years and we have 2 sons, Harry who is 26 and Edward who is 23.
I volunteer with Cruse Bereavement Support, plus Simons Says, a local Child Bereavement Charity, and I am also in the middle of a degree in Humanistic Counselling, so I am quite busy but I also have 2 dogs so I enjoy a lot of walking around the Hampshire countryside.
I discovered Jo and her weekly workouts at the beginning of the pandemic and haven’t looked back since!
I love the fact that I can do the classes as and when I have the time (and also wearing whatever I like – even PJs sometimes!!) and I love the humour Jo brings to the classes.
“I always find myself laughing at the screen which often takes away the awareness that I am doing numerous repeaters and my legs have gone to jelly!!”
Nearly 2 years down the line I am still engaged with the classes, I find them really enjoyable, varied and educational and would highly recommend them to anyone (and I often do!)
Well this is a difficult one as there are so many. I think it has to be:-
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Natural yoghurt – I simply love this and it would be the one food item I would have to take on my desert island, along with rooibos green tea – I can’t function without either of these!
I love a good murder mystery – so anything along those lines and I’m happy!
Film wise, About Time as it is our family film, Bridges of Madison County if I fancy a weep, and Love Actually because I love howall the stories intertwine.
Thank you so much to Mel for her wonderful spotlight article. We’ll feature another member next month and if you’d like to be featured – drop us a line!
Please either login or refresh your page to view if you are already part of my Workout Family.
If you would like to become a member sign up, I would love to have you join the club.
It's time to get motivated! #letsmove
Please either login or refresh your page to view if you are already part of my Workout Family.
If you would like to become a member sign up, I would love to have you join the club.
It's time to get motivated! #letsmove
It’s time to bring you our regular meditation, courtesy of Amanda Penalver.
Amanda is a meditation expert and founder of True Rest®. Her work is devoted to challenging, inspiring & motivating her clients to live a more growth-full, rich & deeply fulfilling life.
Amanda offers True Rest classes & guided meditations to uplift, restore, replenish & re-energise you to live on purpose, fully awake, fully embodied & deeply connected.
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Feeling stressed? Anxious? Put a pause in your day & give yourself a break. You will come back feeling refreshed, relaxed, rejuvenated, recharged and ready to return to your day.
It’s relatively short – just 12 minutes – so create some space in your busy life and indulge yourself …
Find out more about Amanda’s brilliant work at mandypenalver.com