Simply Thrive

01/03/2026

Pilates in pyjamas 😆

28/02/2026

My dip in the cold tub on Thursday morning made me laugh a lot. I took my moment when the kids were happy eating breakfast. I’d forgotten my swimmers but couldn’t waste time running upstairs for them. So I went out in my towel and climbed in the tub. Well my dip was prolonged cos the bin lorry came up the road and where Johnny has recently given the hedge a major trim it is very hole-y! Typical they come round when I’m in my birthday suit! I enjoyed my embarrassed giggle!🤭

23/02/2026

My companion for my grey day dip. It was refreshing all the same. Either the water temp is rising as the weeks go on or I’m becoming more accustomed, or perhaps a bit of both. I never have my phone to take pics of my itchen navigation lock dips and the cold water tub in the garden doesnt make for a great photo!

19/02/2026

We took our church kids group on a farm visit on Sunday- and had a fab time. Our lovely farmer neighbours told us what it’s like to be shepherds and how to care for sheep. We got to meet lambs, chicken, sheep and horses. We transferred our new knowledge as we read Psalm 23 and thought what it means when it says the Lord is our shepherd. In mountains with wolves and dangerous terrain shepherds can literally lay down their lives for sheep. Remind you of anyone?

10/02/2026

A rare space has come up in my popular Monday evening 8pm Pilates class in Twyford. Get in touch if you’d like to give it a try.

04/02/2026

Quite different from yestersay’s walk! I’m so thankful for the sunshine and blue skies of today.

02/02/2026

Looking forward to Summer Refresh days !

02/02/2026

There have been a few insecure moments (ladies you know the ones that come at certain times in the month) in the last year, where I've felt an embarassment as a Pilates instructor. I've been carrying more weight than I would want, and is usual for me. But then I've reminded myself that I'm a real person reaching to other real people. I've had health issues, that have meant I can't run, and medication prescribed, the two combined resulting in weight gain. And whilst all the pictures of pilates women with their 6 packs and crop tops might be inspiring, what makes a good instructor is someone who can adjust moves as necessary, encourage and create environment where everyone feels welcome and able to work to their best no matter what their pilates mat neighbour is doing. And the reality is, that health and fitness is a priority however I am a whole person with a plethera of others' needs that I'm responding to and meeting, and my physical fitness is not the only one. So I am a whole person reaching out to other whole people to do the best we can for our bodies with the constrains of this particular season. And yes I'm rather more cuddly than desirable right now, but I can still hold a 2 minute elbow plank, so Pilates is still doing the trick despite my body's limitations at the moment.

04/01/2026

First wild swim of 2026 on Jan 1st. Here’s to many more this year. Im hoping to up it from once a week regularly to a few times a week.

04/01/2026

03/01/2026

Each year we plant trees. At least one for every new client I've had at Simply Thrive in the year past, and usually more. Last year we planted 50 larch and 25 oak. This year we planted wild service tree saplings. Have you heard of it? A deciduous broad-leaf tree which is not so common these days. It bears a fruit enjoyed by wildlife, and can be an indicator species for ancient woodland. Read more about it here, and keep an eye out for it.

Find out all about the rare, wild service tree, from where it grows in the UK to how to easily identify it.

31/12/2025

A frosty start to tree planting day ♥️