You may have noticed that the last update was quite short. This one will make up for it so put the kettle on and settle down.
I will start with a funny story. After the Christmas lunch I went for a walk. I took a short cut, got confused as to where I was, tried to remedy the situation with another short cut and had to be rescued!
I always look forward to the middle of January when it is no longer necessary to wish everyone and his dog Happy New Year!
2022 on one hand hasn’t got much to live up to after 2021 set such a low bar. On the other hand, we are all so hoping this will be the year that life returns to normal, there is a lot of pressure!
I use the term ‘rest’ loosley because Christmas can be pretty active! A change in routine will feel like a holiday and a rest from me is the best present I could think of 😉
Looking forward to celebrating with many of you at the Christmas lunch on Thursday, 12.30pm Coffee Couture, and the evening party on Friday, The Jolly Farmer at 7.30pm.
Anyone not attending has homework, it will be dancing 🙂
I call this the Christmas Mantra! We all say it when there is suddenly so much to do before the big day. As long as we take time to enjoy the fun as well as the organising, that’s all good. There are many people who would love to still have the pre-christmas panic but life has calmed down. It is a different phase of life. No less wonderful as there is more time to enjoy everything that the festive season brings.
There are three weeks of Tessfit until Christmas. Christmas parties are booked, Christmas playlists are underway and I have just had permission to put some decorations in the studio 🙂 Sounds like I’m all sorted doesn’t it?
The truth is, just like everyone else, I am starting to overbook myself, over shop and over think! Chaos is just around the corner!
Ever since the studio classes returned, the Young at Heart classes have gone from strength to strength. The people who attend have also gone from strength to strength! Not only improving their balance, coordination and energy levels but more importantly, their laughter is louder, the chatter more difficult to control, the behaviour worse….those are the things that matter most!
As you can see, I received some fabulous photos which prove that Autumn is still showering us with it’s beauty. Thanks to everyone who sent their pictures 🙂
Although I am not willing winter on, I am elated that the Christmas television adverts have arrived! “My life is complete” I shouted when the John Lewis one popped up. Apparently that was a bit over the top but it was an exciting moment!
This week there are two videos which should make you smile, some party details, an apology, some missing leaves and the promise of a new blog. What more could you want?!
I was scrolling through my photos for inspiration and I saw these. You may think they are terrible but I think they prove that cameras on phones have a secret life of their own…!
Mine chose to capture me ‘looking up,’ ‘looking down,’ looking where I was going on my bike, and the beauty of an autumn sky.
Some of you will be looking forward to half term and having your children around a bit more. Some of you will be worried about how you can balance work and childcare. Some of you will be on Grandparent duty. Some will fall into the category of not knowing it is half term and then there is the couldn’t care less group!
This week I wanted to start with these two. Kelly & Kate. There is no mistaking that they are sisters, and very pretty ones at that! Kelly is a key member of the Venture Fitness team and many of you will know her from there. Kate is undergoing treatment for a very rare type of bone cancer and enduring a gruelling fight for her life.
We all know that waiting for a new season, a new year or even a new day does not make sense when something needs to change. However, as the leaves start to fall and our routines change with the weather it can bring it a new determination.
The good the bad and the ugly faces of Autumn….Let’s start with the good!
Our world becomes more vibrant in the autumn, colours make us stare in wonder as though we have never seen such beauty. It is a special gift that never fails to impress.
I was so pleased that this newsletter was ready in record time last week…the title tells you the ending of this sad tale!
I am always very happy when I can start an update with a big welcome to newcomers 🙂 There are have been quite a few recently and it is time to say an official “Hello and welcome!”
When I saw this photo it reminded me of the many beautiful things I have seen in my life, simply by looking up. There are poems, short films and quotes about looking up from your screens and escaping social media etc. but my thoughts were simpler than that. Basic even. I see so many people walking with their eyes cast down. It is a habit, and it is a bad one.
I decided on the title of this update before I embarked on the first stage of my holiday. Having completed it I am now not sure it is so appropriate! Trevor had a 3 stage cycling race which gave me 3 days when I would have a few hours completely to myself in the middle of nowhere. The middle of nowhere became the middle of lostness! It involved walking, running and cycling, in that order and each day had varying amounts of lostness.
Everyone knows the dangers of being unhealthy. No one wants to become unwell. The benefits of looking after our health are well documented. Most of us try, but why are we not consistent? Why do we take a break from looking after ourselves?
I nearly didn’t write anything this week as not much has happened apart from a bit of rain, some classes and a few olympic medals. Then I made an awful cake, read an interesting quote, heard a good joke and suddenly I had a lot to share with my faithful and tolerant readers!
With the school holidays underway,many daily routines will be disrupted. I used to love the disruption, a time of slight chaos, uncertainty about what day it was or even what time it was. A bit of muddle and mess every now and again is good for the soul.
“I really miss complaining about the cold” said most British people this week!
It has been a hot one and not many have had good things to say about it. I myself was so fed up with the continuously cold weather that I am determined not to complain! We somehow need to become more resiliant to temperature changes.
Yes it’s true, the heat is about to be turned up. I am so confident this is true that I have bought another fan for the studio! It would seem we are destined for a topsy turvey summer and maybe that’s not such a bad thing? We can embrace the gift of rain when our gardens need it and at the same time prepare for days on the beach when the sun does shine.
July is here and I don’t know about you, but I am struggling to get my head around the fact that we are more than half way through 2021. Not only that, we keep getting blasts of summer then have to dress for winter again. It is all very confusing!
This update is not late, it is all part of a cunning plan! As the charity ride to Norwich starts on Friday I won’t be writing to you again until it is all over. By delaying this one, you won’t miss me so much!
One minute it felt as though lockdown would last forever and suddenly there aren’t enough days in the week to fit in everything we can now do! Meeting friends, staying with family, visiting pubs, restaurants and cafes, attending fitness classes, cycling to Norwich…!
I don’t know about you, but the sensation of feeling warm again just as we are all allowed back inside is amusingly ironic.
When we are warm everthing feels more relaxed. The days are not longer, but they stretch ahead of us full of possiblities. Time is not split between getting cold and warming up which leaves us with more energy to do truly enjoyable things.
The title of today’s update is from a line in a song written by Pink, one of my favourite singers. I have her on repeat whilst enduring indoor cycle training! Each time I hear those words it makes me think about all the people I know who just need that little bit of extra courage to step away from their fears. It also makes me smile when I remember the many people who I have had the priviledge to watch take that step.
The wait is finally over, and what a long wait it was! As we start our 2021 journey back into fitness together, remember this saying:
“Don’t look back, you are not going that way.”
I like to think of Tessfit as a place for positivity. Somewhere to recharge your energy and share your ambitions for a healthy, happy future.
This time next week the last Zoom and Garden classes will have been completed. I will be panicking about being fully prepared for the studio classes, coping with 16 classes instead of 7 and whether or not I will cry when I see everyone together again!
Welcome to the last update of sunny April. It has been a bit windy at times but what fun we have had trying to stop our food from blowing off its plate as we enjoyed some outdoor dining! I read that Mother Nature needs a hot flush and I don’t think it was fake news!
I am in London today for a long awaited reunion with my daughter, Chloe. Her life was turned on it’s head as she was seconded to the intensive care unit during both the worst stages of the pandemic. To say I am proud and have missed being able to support her in person would be the understatement of the year!
I was intrigued by your first purchases. The most exciting and frequent things reported were tin openers and library books! What does this tell us? I have no idea!There have been a few questions cropping up recently and although various updates have mentioned the answers I decided it was time to make a list. I love lists! Below is the result.
Tomorrow we can shop till we drop, have our hair cut, go to the gym, swim in a pool and many other wonderful things. The one thing we cannot do is attend an indoor fitness class. This is not a complaint, just a fact that I want to make clear in case anyone is confused! Our time will come and when it does I intend to be the most excited fitness instructor in Devon!! Hard to believe I know 😉
Freedom is coming, bit by bit. Don’t rush it. Don’t be too hasty. We want it to be forever. Enjoy every reunion but don’t forget to check whether that long awaited hug is going to bring joy or anxiety. Show your love with consideration. We will all get there in our own time 🙂
If I was a clock right now I would be springing forward with all my might! The shorter, darker days were a bit rubbish really.
Welcome British Summer Time 🙂
I am very pleased to announce that this charity won your vote and I think they are quite pleased!
“We are absolutely delighted you have chosen our charity to fundraise for, and this is an incredible challenge to take on!”
A strange title? Goes with the Tessfit territory! First a boast, that I have had my first vaccination and was a brave soldier. AstraZeneca yesterday and have since been on a long bike ride and run just to check I was alright!
I think by the time we are all back in the studio the volume of antibodies accompanying us will help everyone to breathe easy, literally!
58 Days to go 🙂
Happy Mothers Day to all the mums out there and to everyone who forgot, here are some flowers!! Lots to talk about this blustery week so we had better get on with it.
There are now 2 discount codes that I have added to Gymcatch for you. Both will give you a £3 discount in total. They can be used for back-to-back classes and for bookings of 3 classes in the same week. The latter is available now and can be used for Zoom and Garden classes. If you would like to take advantage of the discounts please ask me for the code you require.
With your support Tessit has raised £4106 for charities over the last 3 years. I make an annual effort. You choose the charity. They are the rules.
My annual effort for charity this year has been decided and you won’t be surprised to hear that once again it will be pushing me so far into the ‘magic zone’ I might need medical help to get me out!!
I am over the moon to confirm that the news is really real!! The final countdown has begun. If 79 days seems like a long time, try counting the number of days since you were last in the studio!
Studio classes will resume on Monday 17th May 2021 🙂
At the very beginning of our multiple lockdowns I wrote a list, the imaginative title was ‘Lockdown List!’ I thought it was important to have some focus on what I wanted to achieve during this time-rich period of my working life. Looking at it now, I realise that there were three categories:
Things to purchase
Things to finish
Things to start
Whatever you are doing today, ignoring it, celebrating it or just getting through it, I will be raising a glass to all the realtionships that have made it this far! When ‘quality time’ becomes ‘all the time’ it takes some embracing. Well done!!
I am never keen on asking for anything from my loyal clients but this is so important I really need to! If you feel able, would you give your support by writing a review for me to describe your experience with Tessfit?
It does not matter how brief or detailed it is, or about which part of the business. You will be helping others who are looking for help with their health, fitness and wellbeing to take the next step.
“Each and every day is the opportunity for a slight readjustment, it’s important we don’t see them as failures but small turns in the direction in which we are going.
To change the way you’re doing things dosen’t make you a failure, it doesn’t mean you are flawed.
Merely that it’s time to try a new approach”.
Yes I have finally bitten the bullet and what better day to start than my birthday!
Classes will go live on Monday 1st February at 10:00am and this is what you need to know:
The Timetable – Mondays 10am Pilates & 6.30pm Body Logic – Wednesdays 10am Body Logic & 6.30pm Pilates
TessTalks is a new service that fits perfectly with a national lockdown! I have written a blog which explains what it is all about and the link is below. Here are some details by way of introduction.
TessTalks will be a video or voice call (you choose), coaching and guidance session.
Someone recently observed that I was ‘very good’ at letting my environment lift me. It is not something I had thought about before but on reflection I had to agree. I might be in a studio full of lovely people, at home surrounded by photos and candles or walking on the moors. The feeling is the same. A cross between contentment and butterflies. Hard to explain, but no matter what happens, it will always be available, to me and to you. We just have to remember to be open to receive.
We made it! Despite all the tantrums and tears, Christmas happened and here we are on Boxing Day wondering the same things we do every year. Why did we worry that everything would be ok on the day? Why did we drink so much? How did we manage to eatall that food? Did everyone like their presents? etc. etc.
If your tree isn’t up you can’t be in my gang! Seriously, this only happens annually so plenty of time to plan the tree buying/putting up. No excuses accepted!
Now the fairy above has been making her way to the top of Christmas trees in my parents home for 60 years. As one of 4 children I got the priviledge every fourth year. It was very exciting and a moment to be cherished…for another 4 years!
Christmas 2020 will undoubtedbly be different, and for many it might well be worse than 2019. However, it is just one year. How many ‘normal’ Christmases have we already had? How many future Christmases are there ahead of us? With that in mind we shall go forth into this Christmas with acceptance of what we can’t do and joy at what we can 🙂
The wait is finally over and we now know which tier we are in. Maybe not what we hoped for but it could be worse. Tier 3 and there would be no fitness classes allowed. So I write this with a huge smile on my face and not a small amount of relief! The rules are very clear and I know you will help me to adhere to them.
