Ma-pril-ay

Sunny Outlook

Ma-pril?  Ay, I know, made-up word, sorry about that, but needs must due to missing March and most of April ... apologies, I was off on far flung adventures, retreats, cooking classes, hanging on to life's shirt tails, etc!  So Ma-pril it is - double-bubble back-to-back 2-for-1 kinda monthly-ish newsletter, you lucky lot.  How are you?

If you're new here (Kirsty, Harriet, AMC, Sarah, Joanne, Amanda, Marzi, Kirstin, Gail) - wishing you all a very warm welcome - thank you for signing up.  What a lovely few weeks it has been too, a much sunnier outlook since my last ramblings.

And yes, I have been out in public in flip-flops already, and yes, I know I’ve always said life is better in flip-flops… that is, unless you’re in Antarctica!  One of the many reasons for the distinct lack of comms.  I was on the most epic adventure, hiking with guanacos and braving Drake’s Passage in 10-meter swells to reach the 'End of the World' with my husband, John … oh and a lady called Emma, who I met 2 years ago in my local town to chat all things Gin & Yin, who just happened to be on the same boat, approx. 8,300 miles away from where we both live?! How Bonkers is that?  Needless to say, it was the most breathtaking and slightly surreal trip from kayaking in freezing waters beside glaciers bigger than skyscrapers, to spotting humpbacks the size of double-deckers, to waddling with the cutest (if a tad smelly) gentoo and chin-strap penguins.  

Oh, and I also did the Polar Plunge!  Whilst I don't have the T-shirt to prove it … I am never repeating it … like ever … although I did also say that about the Arctic Enema on the Tough Mudder now that I think about it? .. hmm? To see what the plunge looked like, go to my Instagram page and click on 'Wild Things' under highlights (fasted jump to ladder swim ever recorded!).

Anyhoo, when we got home, world events had taken a turn for the worse and I had 5 days to decide if my Barefoot Bliss Goa Retreat was Goa-er or no-Goa.  Truthfully, the ‘what ifs’ of running a retreat weighed heavy, but in true British style we kept calm and carried on - I had to pinch myself (several times) that we were all there safe and sound in bamboo huts on the beach, with incredible yoga teachers, delicious food, making flower garlands with lovely group of ladies was utterly heavenly - we could pretend for a short while that the world was at peace.

And now May is knocking and one thing is for certain - Spring has not let us down, thank goodness for that!  To keep you feeling uplifted, here are a few funderful things to keep a spring in your step:

1.    If you’re a fellow play on words person, it’s quite ££ but you’ll love this company called Word Play Clay - https://www.wordplayclay.co.uk/all-over-the-shop

2.     Salad-ivating …. If you’re looking for some spring salad/food inspo and you love ‘toast’ and ‘halloumi’, you’ll love @emilyontoast and her easy colourful recipes. 

3.     Get out on a Flower-ful Walk – This is so sweet and easy to do, take a piece of card, draw a v. simple vase, stick some holes in it and voila, what a lovely-budly card/gift this would make. https://www.instagram.com/p/DWIK9xLD043/?ck_subscriber_id=2764398954

4.     Become a Birding Bestie – I’ve heard a few people talk about this App that identifies birds by photos and sounds.  A bit like the ‘Picture This’ App for plants minus the sound obvs … although have you ever heard rhubarb growing?  It’s actually properly noisy.  Check out the Merlin App here https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org

5.    Active April / Meaningful May - I often see these Action for Happiness calendars - they're simple but effective, particularly if you stick it up somewhere visible -  https://actionforhappiness.org/all-calendars

 Oh and guess what, you’ll also find the word ‘gin’ in ‘Spring’ … no spelling bee points for that one, but still made me smile.

What's been happening at Gin & Yin

Here's a glimpse of what we got up to in Goa - we enjoyed the best yoga and meditation classes, we sweated (a lot), we laughed (a lot), we cooked, we shopped, we tried new things, we met new friends and we ate great food - all in all with everything going on in the world we were delighted and grateful to be there.  Thanks also to Natalie, the founder of the beautiful 'Sacred' brand, for her facial oils in our goodie bags - check out her lovely retreat day coming up later this year - https://sacredskincare.org/products/beauty-in-stillness-one-day-retreat  

We also had a wonderful Saturday afternoon in April learning how to cook 'The Thali Way' with Nidhi Verma, the founder of 'Meri Rasoi' cooking school and co-founder of The Cookaway - see photo below.  If you love cooking and you also wondered what we ate in Goa - check out Nidhi's Goan Prawn Curry & Coconut Rice box to make at home - they are honestly delicious and really enjoyable to make too - try it and let me know what you think:  https://www.thecookaway.com/menu/details/goan-prawn-curry-with-coconut-rice-339?srsltid=AfmBOoqNJauMhledHo_CWQ_foLQLL3vv98NZcy-sByaydlV7prppe6Sw

 What's coming up next?

Root to Rise Retreat

Monchique Mountains, Portugal

3 Nights - Thurs 28th - Sun 31st May 2026 - Only 2 Rooms Left

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If you'd benefit from stepping away for a few days, to be fully taken care of, to nourish and listen to your body, to enjoy incredible food, to enjoy being in the heart of the mountains, to rest by the pool and enjoy a wonderful massage, this could be just what you need to give you an overdue boost and recharge.

From Thurs 28th - Sun 31st May, a small group of us are heading to Casa de Cura—a space described as the "antidote to the modern fast-paced world." It is an off-grid sanctuary where time doesn’t exist, the air is sweet with mountain minerals, and the energy is pure Yin.

What's on offer?

Daily yoga in an open-air yoga shala (Yin, Hatha, and Nidra) - A cacao and sound session - A morning mountain hike, delicious food and space and time to simply be.

A deposit of £350 secures your place. Sharing Options from £825 pp -

Or Private double £1,000 pp

Yes Please

SAVE THE DATE

Where Nature Meets Paradise Retreat

Lanzarote - Thurs 17th - Sun 20th September

3 Nights 

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Where volcanic textures meet palms and unexpected greenery. This incredible property sits in the heart of Lanzarote's protected wine region, La Geria — think whitewashed walls, volcanic stone, a César Manrique-inspired lagoon pool. Beautifully designed by it's owners, in a landscape that feels otherworldly. We'll practice yoga, we'll walk trails across lava fields with views that will stop you in your tracks, plus we'll spend an afternoon tasting the island's famous Malvasia wines at the surrounding bodegas.

Days will be spacious and unhurried with wellbeing and welldoing at the heart of it all. There will be time to simply sit by the pool, have a proper conversation and breathe. It's also a short 4-hour flight from the UK, no jet lag, and the weather in this part of Lanzarote is reliably warm and sunny. We are in for an absolute treat on this retreat.

Interested??  Email me hello@ginandyinretreats.com and I'll make sure you don't miss out.

“Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with

abandon or not at all” 

Harriet Van Horne

Whilst this isn't Nidhi's quote, during our workshop she said the best dishes are made with 'love and patience', which is exactly what she had in abundance on our fun and fabulously tasty Indian Cooking class this month, what fun we had - thank you, Nidhi.  

If you're interested in more cooking classes email me at hello@ginandyinretreats.com and I'll keep you informed.

Last but by no means least, I had to move my 'Walking Phone Photography Safari & Social' with Jet Black Squares to Sat 5th Sept from 2 pm to 5 pm in Kings Cross, London.  Tickets are £55.  Apologies again to those of you booked on, I hope you can make this new date - link below.

Sounds Great

Righty ho, must dash - I'm now heading off on an Ayurvedic Retreat Day meeting the founder of 'Mauli Rituals', Anita down at the Cowshed for a lovely day with Niki Perry, founder of Blessed Yoga - more on that in my next download.

Until then, thanks for being here to the last 'x' - I hope to see you all soon, on something or other, sipping something or other, somewhere or other rather lovely.

Ruth xxx