A day in the life on a Pilates retreat!

This year will be the fifth year that I'll be returning to the beautiful island of Mallorca to run my Pilates and nutrition retreats. Each time I come back I fall in love a little more with the island. As a teenager I’d had family holidays to the Balearics but it wasn’t until I returned for my first retreat to Deia with Bloom Retreats that I truly appreciated how special a place it really is. 

Deia, now famous for being the location for filming of the Night Manager is a stunning artists’ village, a world away from hectic city life. Everyone notices this special, tranquility almost immediately. 

What does a typical day involve? 

8.30am

Wake up and have a cuppa and a snack (yes we serve real tea and real coffee - I'm a big advocate of balance and enjoyment so there are no strict rules on what you can and can’t have on our retreats!). 

8.45am

Make our way to our beautiful Pilates spot outside by the pool or in the holistic garden. The temperature is usually perfect at this time in the morning and we do our Pilates class listening to the sounds of cockerels, donkeys and cicadas. 

The first Pilates class of the day is a chance to energise, stretch and get ready for the day - whether that is a day of lounging by the pool or a day hiking in the nearby mountain range. Either way, you take it at your own pace. 

10am 

After class we’ve all worked up an appetite so we go straight to brunch, which has been prepared by the amazing Monika.  This typically consists of local fruit, goats cheese, avocado, grilled tomatoes, my homemade granola and a selection of local breads. 

11am 

There are optional activities during the day - one of my favourites being a walk over the mountains to a gorgeous port called Soller. We stop for fresh orange juice on the way at a stunning rest point and once we get to Soller we have a picnic on the beach (or some people prefer to choose some local tapas). 

3pm 

In the afternoon those who want to can hire paddle boards in the sheltered bay of Soller - it’s the perfect place to try paddle boarding for those who haven't before.

Once we get home at around 6 everyone is usually pretty exhausted so we have a gentle stretch and relax before another delicious dinner cooked by our incredible professional holistic chef Nicola (www.nourishbynicola.com) 

Ruth’s retreats in Deia runs will be from the 18th - 24th May (6 nights) and the 1st - 7th October (6 nights).  Prices start at £875 for a shared room. For more information please visit www.ruthtongue.com or email ruth@ruthtongue.com

Pilates in the Wilderness

Last weekend I was lucky enough to be invited back to teach Pilates at Wilderness festival and what a weekend it was!

Outfit by LuLu Lemon

I'd been up-graded to the big top and pitched as a 'master class' so nerves were a little higher than usual - especially when I arrived and saw that both classes were sold out. But once I got into the beautiful Sanctuary yurt where I'd be teaching I knew that it was going to be FUN!

Friday afternoon's class was an energising core strengthener to get everyone ready for the weekend but by the Saturday's class I focused more on those stretches needed when you've been sleeping in a tent for two nights (lots of spine twists and neck releases!).

My favourite part of teaching was seeing such a range of people - from mums and daughters, to couples, to hen do's and people just turning up for a lie down!

Other highlights from the weekend were a SUP yoga class with Rosie Markwick on the lake, a Rocket yoga class with the brilliant Marcus Veda and of course loads of dancing with my girls. Oh and how could I forget? The salted caramel espresso martini from the Lavazza tent was to die for.

Glitter courtesy of the Mermaid Cave

Outfit courtesy of Jilla Active

Recovery time with sis

Worst part of camping - glamping next year!

Stop and reassess

What are you doing for yourself? 

It’s all too easy, particularly in the run up to Christmas to put ourselves at the back of the queue when it comes to priorities - the yoga classes go out of the window, the festive food and drinks flow, sleep is at times just an added bonus, and the stresses of managing a personal life, work life and holding everything together can at times feel too much. 

On top of this, when we’ve finally made it through the stress of Christmas and New Year we’re told we should be hitting the gym, cutting out carbs and making plans to take over the world in 2017. 

So let’s just stop for a minute. Stop and reassess.

When was the last time you had a day for you? A whole day dedicated just to you. Where you weren't thinking about your kids, or partner, or work, or friends, or where you weren’t thinking about fitting in that run before going to a nephew’s birthday party and then rushing round the shops before they closed? The chances are it’ll probably be a while ago. 

We’ve got the perfect way to start your year with some well deserved self-love. What does this mean? It means looking after you so that you can be the best possible version of yourself for 2017. Benefitting not just you, but everyone else around you.

I’ve teamed up with two amazing women, Lucy Faulks, life coach, meditation and mindfulness practitioner and founder of Technotox and Tanja Mrnhaus, leading stylist at IDCouture to put together a day you’ll leave feeling inspired, motivated and a whole lot healthier in body and mind! And we’re not only bringing this day to London, but also to Manchester. 

Reflect, Recharge, Redefine will be held on Saturday 28th January at the Greenhouse in Homerton. A day combining Pilates led by myself, confidence and styling workshops with Tanja, mindfulness meditation and personal goal setting for 2017 with Lucy, vegan cookery, healthy food and drinks provided by CPress all day and the chance to meet some other like minded people.

Reflect, Recentre, Recharge will be held on Sunday 8 January at Yoga Central in Manchester.
A day combining Pilates and a ‘food for mood’ workshop to ensure you’re eating the right foods to maintain optimum health and energy. Mindfulness meditation for stress reduction and a values and meaning workshop to set personal, meaningful goals for 2017, plus healthy food and drinks provided.  Sponsored by Northern Power Women. 

The details

Where? London - The Greenhouse, Homerton. 

Manchester - Manchester Yoga Central 

When? London - Saturday 28th January, 10am - 4.30pm

Manchester - Sunday 8th January 11-4.30pm

Tickets? Are limited so get yours here 

London https://redefine2017.eventbrite.co.uk

Manchester https://recentreandrecharge.eventbrite.co.uk

About the organisers:

Ruth Tongue

One of the Sport Stylist ambassadors, Ruth Tongue is an MSc qualified nutritionist and STOTT Pilates teacher and has been working in health and wellness for over 10 years. She works with athletes, footballers, children and businesses to improve diet and health. As a nutritionist and health expert, Ruth contributes to many national and international publications such as Top Sante magazine, Running Fitness magazine and Women’s Fitness, as well as regularly appearing as a nutrition and health expert for the BBC. Ruth teaches Pilates across London as well as running regular retreats and events in Mallorca, the South of France and most recently Mexico! 

www.ruthtongue.com ruth@ruthtongue.com 

Lucy Faulks

Lucy Faulks is CPCC life coach and member of the ICF, running coaching programmes for both businesses and private clients. She Founded Technotox - A Wellness Centre for the Mind in 2015 and runs workshops, courses and classes on emotional wellbeing and the building blocks of happiness. She is also a mindfulness practitioner and has written articles for Everyday Mindfulness and Mindspace. 

www.lucyfaulks.com | www.technotox.com