I don’t know about you but as the days got darker and shorter I have really struggled to find motivation to exercise and I love exercise! I have been observing the way the Winter has been effecting me, the slowing down, the less energy and I am actually surprised and how I have not reacted to this and forced myself to be a perpetual Summer. Instead I have found myself falling into the flow of Winter and enjoying it.
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The festive period can be a stressful, heavy time of year for many. So read on for Laura’s top tips for keeping the season light and bright.
One of my favourite winter past times is lighting the fire and taking the time to meditate or listening to a relaxation clip all wrapped up in a cosy blanket. I really have learnt to love the shorter Winter days where the energy of nature is just so still and peaceful. I love to marinade in that feeling and remember that these months too shall pass.
This unusual sponge cake recipe went down a storm with our retreat guests in September. It is flavoured with zesty lemon juice with the addition of poppy seeds to give a sweet earthy nutty crunch. Pefect for a special occasion or an everyday treat with a cuppa.
This Apple and Cinnamon Cake recipe was used by our lovely retreat chef Aimee on our retreats this Autumn to create a cake that tastes as good as it looks! You can also make this cake with almond flour or gluten-free flour if you prefer.
I often wonder why do we need to retreat? Why bother taking time out for yourself? Is it just a way to while away a few days or is it far more important than that? It always fascinates me how every year, by law, we have to have our cars MOT’d: if they’re not road worthy we find the money to fix them to get them back on the road. But when it comes to ourselves, we don’t have mandatory MOT’s (which by the way I think we should) and we often keep running ourselves into the ground without stopping… (more…)
Kelly uses apple cider vinager to give the cake a lovely soft moist texture, and includes cinnamon and nutmeg for a warming spicy twist to this classic vegan teabread. Another retreat favourite perfect for autumn!
We love Kelly’s chocolate cake. It is so rich and chocolatey with a squeeze of lemon for a citrus tang. Perfect with your favourite cuppa.
A spiced tea favorite transformed into a soft, frosted, date-sweet slice–this healthy Chai Spiced Quick Bread is the perfect cozy sweet treat! Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free. It’s kind of like a malt loaf. If you don’t need it to be GF you can easily put normal flour in instead of the GF flour, but I would still use the oat flour as it is very tasty.
This dessert is a mixture between an Aero and and After Eight, but it’s vegan and refined sugar free! It makes a lovely light finish to an evening meal. I like to cut into small squares and serve with coffee after dinner. But on retreat it was the main desert and cut into larger slices for an indulgent chocolate treat.
We’re proud to have been featured in Outdoor Swimmer magazine. The article gives an overview of what to expect at The Zest Life Yoga and Wild Swimming retreats with their perfect combination of yoga and swimming in the outdoors. Our retreats are held in stunning locations, choose the lakes and sea around Anglesey and Snowdonia in north Wales or the epic lakes of the Lake District. (more…)
