Total Mind and Body Wellness

 IF you have been reading my blogs for long enough you will know that I like a challenge! IT'S been a while since I took one on, in fact, last year's 'Yoga every day' for 'MIND' charity. And I not only did yoga every day in November I carried on, and still do at least ten minutes a day every day now! THIS year, I saw yet another challenge and get to create my own team of skipping fundraisers too.  112 skips with a skipping rope every day in October! I have managed (so far) to persuade a few others to join me, so thank you to Amanda, Phoebe and Lynn who are also taking on the challenge. Over 11,200 people die from breast cancer in the UK every year, that is a shocking figure. I want to raise money for them to fund vital research, more personalised and effective treatments. Here are the facts from World cancer research....... £25 covers the cost of enrolling a patient onto a life-changing breast cancer research programme. £120 enables researchers to collect and ba...

 Through life so far, I've gone from not being able to walk, to running ultra-marathons. I couldn't read or write, and I've since published a book. I was small and unable to defend myself, I've now got 3 kickboxing black belts. I couldn't ride a bicycle, now I drive a car, motorbike and a camper van. I cried in assembly when my Mum and Dad came to watch, I now teach and lead classes of people in fitness, and sometimes they cry! I drank alcohol, felt shame, lost memory, lost dignity, now I am almost six years alcohol free and living the best life. I had no trust or faith in men, I'm now married to the perfect man, and have complete trust in him. I could go on, and on, and on, but I won't because I reckon you get the idea of what I'm saying? We, as humans are capable of pretty much anything we want to do if we are willing to try. The caption on my Whatsapp profile says, 'Everything is impossible, until it happens.' This phrase came from the wonderf...

 This week I have been inspired to write about Birthdays, because it's my husband's birthday on the 16th, and it would also have been my Dad's birthday on the 19th September. We all think about and celebrate birthdays very differently, culturally it's very different too, but just the difference between families celebrating in the UK is fascinating. As a family, we always celebrated on the actual day when I was growing up, and any birthday parties would be held on the weekend closest to the birthday. Because of this, the actual day is of great importance to me. I have even taken the day off work to celebrate with a very long run on the coastpath in the past. I believe that we should be celebrating, even more as we grow older. I hear older people say that they don't bother celebrating anymore, but that's the complete opposite of what I believe, we should be celebrating every year that we are here, it's an achievement, particularly if you have lost loved ones w...

 THIS is meant to be some kind of holistic wellness blog isn't it? That's what you're saying right now I'm sure. IT is! And what I did counted towards my happiness and wellness and that of hundreds of other people, mentioning first the children at the hospice in Fremington who will be helped by the thousand of pounds raised by this epic annual event. THEY reckon about 250 Mini cars (sadly not all classic) were in North Devon for the three day event over the bank holiday weekend. I have only just very recently taken on my 7th classic mini, known as 'Brown Betty' and so I didn't do all of the weekend, we haven't yet built up enough trust for that yet! If you've ever owned a classic Mini you will understand my worries. I could sum it all up in one sentence really, 'Minis make everyone happy!' THE people that drive them love them. The people that watch them beeping and bumping along the road adore them.  They are tiny cars with a big personality,...