Combine a surf trip with a yoga, Pilates and wellbeing holiday on the sunny island of Fuerteventura. Azul Yoga and Pilates Retreat is an eco villa with a laidback and friendly vibe just 10 minutes from the beaches and surf of Corralejo.

Run by surfer and Pilates instructor Jamie Isaac and his wife Karissa, this holistic retreat has a team of international instructors offering a daily programme of yoga, Pilates, meditation and tai chi plus surf packages. Classes at the villa vary from relaxing hatha yoga and mediation to dynamic vinyasa flow and core strengthening Pilates. Classes are small (12 people max) so you?ll get plenty of personal attention in a relaxed atmosphere.

Classes are held in the mornings and evenings leaving you free to hit the surf during the day. Perfectly located between the north shore and the east coast, Azul is in a prime location for some of the best waves of the island.

Be sure to explore the island too: hire a bike, go for a volcano or coast walk, visit the Corralejo Dunes National Park, swim in the crystal clear lagoons at El Cotillo or take in some culture in the island’s old capital, Betancuria.

For surfers as with the other Canary Islands, Fuerte has a range of waves to suit all abilities, from learners’ spots like Glass Beach to the experienced riders-only tubes of Spew Pits near Cotillo.

Unwind after all this activity with a full body massage (included in the retreat package) or try some holistic therapies and some pampering in the spa.

Food is another essential part of the retreat experience. Brunches are leisurely and varied (fruit, cereals, home-baked bread, eggs, pancakes, cheese, salad…). Evening meals are planned and prepared by resident nutrition expert, Jo Dombernowsky. Jo creates inspiringly healthy and tasty food with Moroccan influences using fresh vegetables and herbs from the villa’s garden.

Azul runs special retreat weeks including nutrition and detox weeks, vinyasa flow courses and intensive Pilates weeks. This is a great way to have expert tuition in a beautiful location.

Visit  www.azulfit.com for more details.

Viva Lost Vegans!

As a special end to the trip the crew headed to Las Vegas to catch the Cirque du Soleil Beatles Love show, which was mindblowing.  However, it was equally devastasting to uncover that captive dolphins are held in The Mirage hotel in Sigfreid and Roy’s secret garden.

We made it our mission to stage a protest, and the sadness that hit me when leaving the strange city in the desert was nothing compared to what the dolphins must feel on a daily basis, day in day out, going round and round their tiny tank.  As surfers we can feel out of sorts if we don’t get wet for a while, but imagine being a dolphin and never experiencing the ocean, these marine mammals may well be born in captivity but they belong in the wild.

Captivity issues are something Women for Whales will be focussing on once our campaign for the South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary finishes in July 2012.  Thankfully the UK banned dolphinariums in 1993 but almost 300 whales and dolphins are held captive in European dolphinarims and zoos still to this day.  And worldwide there are nearly 200 establishments, of which the US, Mexico and Japan are the biggest culprits with the largest number of captive facilities.  Take a look at the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society for more information.

Wendy and I reunited in the jungle

Out of Vegas I took a one way ticket to Central America, where I would be spending the next 6 months in preparation for the International Whale Celebration #2.  Sincerely grateful to glimpse the ocean again, I was looking for warm water, challenging breaks and environmental projects and knew Costa Rica would be the place to start.  On arrival I was completely spoilt by my friend Nancy of Rica Surf, who took me surfing with her extensive local knowledge, introduced me to the local cuisine (gallo-pinto) and led me to some amazing waterfalls.  From there I headed onto Santa Teresa to be reunited with Wendy, who I used to team up with to run Roxy Girls Weeks in Morocco.  I settled into life here in Mal Pais, and have been teaching yoga, surfing my new Bing board, enjoying the nature overflowing all around and moving forward with the Women for Whales initiative (painting murals, visiting schools and holding events).

Tropico Latino's beautiful yoga shala

Wendy and I are excited to announce that we will be teaching retreats together at Tropico Latino featuring yoga, surfing and adventures in this magical place.  We can’t wait to share the amazing lifestyle, waves, surroundings and food the Nicoya Penninsular has to offer, we believe this to be the perfect setting for healing, relaxing and rejuvenating.  Whether its taking your yoga practice to the next level, giving some time back to your self or taking a leap of faith into something new – this retreat is suitable for both beginners and practicing yogis alike!  The dates are:

• April 8-14 & April 14-20 2012
• May 6-12 & May 12-17 2012

Picture perfect beach on your doorstep

The retreats will focus primarily on Quantum Yogaâ„¢ where students will learn about their own individual mind-body type (dosha) according to the ancient Indian healing system of Ayurveda, accompanied by yoga sequences to balance their dosha.

This will be teamed with restorative sunset yoga, incredible organic food, surfing lessons and sessions, and all situated one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

If you have any inquiries, you can drop me an email at natalievfox@hotmail.com or for more info go to Wendys Yoga.  We hope to see lots of SurfGirls there!

Until then I’m packing my bag and heading off into the jungle for a meditation course, then following my heart to where the whales are in the Osa penninsular!  Stay warm ladies, and if you can’t face the surf then check out the flights to Costa Rica where it’s always HOT!  Pura Vida xx

It all in the oats!

Gin is the cure
Well we all know alcohol is often a reason for feeling terrible during those morning hangovers. Gin is actually a really good cure for stomach problems. It’s been considered a cure since the 1800!

Burning calories whilst eating…as if!
A stalk of celery contains approximately 6 calories. But the mere act of digesting a stalk burns more than 6 calories, resulting in a negative caloric intake.

Chocolate IS good for you!
Despite chocolate (dark chocolate with high a cocoa content) being considered actually quite good for you, it is also considered to be really good for an upset stomach.

Quite Simply…
The top snack for pre and post surf is quite simply, a banana – a good source of carbohydrates and protein, a great energy snack. Plus it wards off cramps when you’re out there doing your thing.

Need some revitalization?
The Acai berry is a sweet and nourishing berry that can be had as a whole fruit or fruit juice. The choice is all yours. It provides energy and revitalizes you with stamina. Sounds perfect to have before a surf.

Words by Annabel Mitchell

If you are struggling to get out the back consistently, not sure how to turn or to duck dive, confused by swell reports, want to buy your own board but have no idea where to start, or your pop-up is a bit of a disaster.. then look no further.

Our Surf Sistas Coaching week in association with Oakley and Surfgirl Magazine aims to get you out of the white water and onto those elusive green waves.

Our Surf Sistas courses are all about enjoying the ocean together, embracing our potential and taking brave steps forward with the help of experienced and understanding coaches.

This 7 day course is jam packed with plenty of water time alongside understanding oceanography, meeting a local shaper, and learning about surf health and fitness.

You will also have the opportunity to dip your toes in some of our favourite beach activities like an adrenaline filled coasteering session and a trip to the flowrider! Yew!

Our Surf Sistas coaching team are the most surf stoked people we know. They are dedicated to helping girls to progress with their surfing, so come and join our surf sistahood and experience the rush of surfing for yourself!

We haven’t forgotten about goody bags! Every girl participating in the course goes away with a gorgeous Oakley surf tote bag with 2 Oakley tops one from the active range and one from the lifestyle range, plus the latest edition of Surfgirl Magazine. We also have some of the latest Oakley eyewear to give away as prizes during the week, so start practicing your pop-ups now ladies!

See below for the full course lowdown and how to book:

COURSE OVERVIEW

SATURDAY -
Focus on: Introductions
2 water sessions

Its day 1 and we will start with introductions and showing you around the Surf School, our base for the week. Once we are all kitted out with surfboards and wetsuits we will head to the beach and get comfortable in the surroundings of the UK’s world famous surfing spot; Fistral Beach.

We will start by breaking down learning to surf into easy steps, and whatever your current level we will tailor our tuition to your individual ability. Each water session throughout the week will include a safety brief and warm up, and conclude with a debrief.

SUNDAY
Focus on: Improving Techniques
2 water sessions

Turtle rolling, paddling, duck diving, board control, turning, positioning… there are plenty of things to learn to take us to the next level. We will start concentrating on different subjects, expanding your knowledge and practice of the skills needed to improve your ability. We will also touch on areas needed to enhance your progression and discuss why they are so important; such as fitness, nutrition, focus, core strength and stability.

MONDAY
Focus on: Conditions, Oceanography & Typography
2 water sessions

Based at Ripcurl’s ESF surf school we are in walking distance of some of Cornwall’s best surfing beaches. Today we take a trip to either South Fistral, Little Fistral or The Bay for the morning session, to sample the difference in conditions through experience. We will identify the contributing factors to good surf, and look at the basics behind wave formation. We will look at tides, wind, swell and how these contribute to daily surfing conditions. We will then apply this knowledge to understanding and using surf reports.

TUESDAY
Focus on: Surf style
1 water session

Surfing is all about looking cool (joke!) so today we look at the range of style within the surfing genre. This goes from stance and performance, to different types of equipment and surfing gear.

To delve into surf culture further we will chill out and watch a girls surf film for an in depth look at surfing from the female point of view. This is followed by an afternoon trip to Revolver surf shop to check out some retro boards (and for some tea and cake) then to some other other local shops to compare a more mainstream approach.

We will end this perfectly chilled out day with a sunset surf session, to catch the last rays over the Atlantic.

WEDNESDAY
Focus on: Expanding our knowledge
1 water session

Confidence in the water comes from believing in your ability, being able to deal with situations and thinking on your feet; we will meet a local Lifeguard to give us some crucial first aid and lifesaving tips. We will also use this session to look at surfing etiquette.

During the afternoon we will cover theory work including the history of surfing, information on the surfing industry , its governing bodies, surfing charities, competitions and worldwide breaks.

To deepen our knowledge of our equipment we will take a trip to a local shapers workshop and to meet a ladies wetsuit maker.

THURSDAY
Focus on: Assessment
2 water sessions

We will take the time to go through your progress individually, help you develop a self critique of your surfing and use video coaching to identify improvements needed.
To put together what you have learnt throughout the week, we have developed a theory quiz and will go through each question with you, making sure you understand and have stored the information.

FRIDAY
Focus on: Pamper, Rest & Rejuvenate
1 water session

For those keen we’re offering a dawnie – and from what you have learnt all week – by now you’ll hopefully know why!

The rest of the day is for activities that will help you unwind after an action packed week and add to your surfing experience. We have a range of options for you to choose from including Coasteering, Yoga, Massage and Spa Treatments.

In the evening there is a celebratory BBQ to end a fantastic week followed by a night on the town (if you’re game!)

Pheeew! Thats a full week ..but remember all activities are optional. You are free to take some time out to relax and enjoy the Cornish beach life, whenever you choose, our number 1 goal is simply making sure YOU have a good time. Please remember as well that surfing is very dependent on the conditions, so we may swap the itinerary around to make sure we are surfing at the optimum times!

HOW TO BOOK YOUR SPACE:

Our Surf Sistas Cornwall Coaching Week is £229. This includes:
- The course as detailed above including final BBQ.
- Wetsuit and surfboard rental for the week
- An amazing Oakley surf sistas goody bag (including t Oakley surf apparel and the latest Surfgirl magazine)

* Please note that the optional activities on the final Friday are extra.

If you need accommodation please let us know when you book. We have various accommodation packages available for the week (Surf lodge, B&B, Spa Hotel) . All accommodations are in walking distance from the Surf School.

To make a booking or ask us a question email info@bigfriday.com

Getting 100% ready for your next surf requires a holistic approach. Without the right kind of food your body will never perform at its best. Have you ever tried running after a Whopper Meal?!

Don’t worry about going on a strict regime – instead, mix and match your favourite foods from our suggested list to create balanced, healthy, energy-boosting meals. If you need to shed a little weight, stick to lower portion sizes, but feel free to increase the volume on the days when you’ve been extra active.

Three squares or six mini-meals? That’s your choice. Eating small, frequent meals has been all the rage lately, but that approach doesn’t fit everyone’s lifestyle. Instead, focus on getting all of the recommended servings of each main nutrient group – it’s up to you how to arrange them. In other words, if you like to eat a big breakfast, it’s fine to have more food then – you’ll just compensate for it later in the day. Or, if you prefer to snack and nibble all day because larger meals slow you down, simply spread out your daily allowance and feel free to graze all day long!

Super Surf Snacks

Grab one of these balanced mini-meals for a quick, wholesome snack. Each one contains a portion of protein and healthy carbs designed to tide you over until your next sit-down healthy meal.
• Wholewheat tortilla spread with almond butter and banana slices
• Cold cooked chicken with an apple and handful of almonds
• Wholewheat pita bread with hummus, lettuce, cucumbers and olives
• Two boiled eggs and an orange
• Celery sticks spread with cream cheese and topped with raisins
• Wholewheat tortilla spread with mashed avocado, diced tomatoes, onions and
coriander
• Cup of black beans and brown rice
• One cooked mashed sweet potato mixed with cottage cheese
• Smoothie made with frozen berries and non-fat yogurt
• Small handful of Surfer’s Snack Mix (see next column)

Surfer’s Snack Mix

Mix together 1/4 cup each of raw, unsalted almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, raisins and unsweetened flaked coconut. Nibble on a small handful 30 minutes before surfing and watch your energy – and your performance – soar!

Bottoms Up!

Be sure to drink up to three litres of pure water every day – more if you’re a coffee drinker. This will keep you hydrated so your muscles can work and you can surf better longer. Muscle cramps usually come from dehydration, so drink several ounces of water before you paddle out and more when you come back in.

SAS commend SWW for voluntarily providing SAS with real time information on raw sewage discharges from Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). There are now 44 beaches around England and Wales where SAS are providing free real time text message sewage alerts after raw sewage is discharged. Sites included in the Sewage Alert Service offer surfers, water sports enthusiasts and beach users the best beach experience possible.

Photocall: TUESDAY, June 21st SAS campaigners, SWW, the EA and tourist leaders will welcome the south west beaches to the Sewage Alert Service at the Shoreline Café, Eastern Esplanade, Paignton, Devon, TQ4 6AG, from 10.30am to 12pm on Tuesday 21 June 2011 next to Paignton Sands – one of the beaches on the site included in the scheme. SWW will also be launch a new website that promotes CSO discharges.

The new beaches in Cornwall and Devon are:

• Breakwater – Torbay (BF)
• Challaborough – South Hams (BF)
• Gyllyngvase – Cornwall (BF)
• Meadfoot – Torbay (BF)
• Paignton Sands – Torbay (BF)
• Preston Sands (Paignton) – Torbay (BF)
• Polzeath – Cornwall (BF)
• Porthminster – Cornwall (BF)
• Porthtowan – Cornwall (BF)
• Salcombe South Sands – South Hams (BF)
• Westward Ho! – Torridge (BF)
• Woolacombe Village – North Devon (BF)
• The Towans (Godrevy) – Cornwall
• Porthleven (West) – Cornwall
• Crantock – Cornwall
• Bude (Summerleaze) – Cornwall

(BF denotes Blue Flag)

During the April bank holidays SAS reps asked over 50 beach users at Porthtowan, Bude and Widemouth: When untreated sewage is discharged at this beach do you believe you should be told? 100% of people asked wanted to be told.

The Sewage Alert Service gives the public power to make an informed decision on how and when to use the water and helps them avoid the threat of sewage pollution. SAS’s online map will automatically update whenever there is a CSO sewage spill and SMS text messages will be sent for free to anyone who has signed up for this service. Sign up at www.sas.org.uk or by texting “SAS (beach name)” to 64446 (messages are charged at your normal network rate, then alerts are received for free whenever they occur).

Visit Cornwall’s Director, Malcolm Bell says: “We all know how the quality of our bathing waters has been transformed over the last 20 years. BeachLive and SAS’s text service are exciting new services which will give our visitors information they can use. It’s live information that will add to our world class beach management and our competitiveness as they won’t be getting this in any other European country this summer.”

South West Water’s Operations Director, Stephen Bird says: “We look forward to working with SAS on our new BeachLive service. We have invested £2 billion over 20 years on transforming bathing water quality and this should demonstrate that on a hour by hour basis as well as giving visitors information they can really use on any risks from overflows.”

Campaign Director Andy Cummins says: “It’s great that local and visiting surfers, water sports enthusiasts and beach users throughout Cornwall and Devon can choose to use beaches that inform them immediately when raw sewage is discharged. Ensure you’ve sign up for our free real time sewage text alerts and remember, no news is good news at these beaches.

Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients

For the buns:

625g/1.3lb strong white flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tsp salt

2 tsp ground mixed spice

45g/ 1.5 oz unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing

85g/3oz sugar

1 lemon, zest only

1½ tsp fast-action yeast

1 free-range egg

275ml/10fl oz tepid milk

125g/4oz mixed dried fruit

For the topping

2 tbsp plain flour

vegetable oil, for greasing

1 tbsp golden syrup, gently heated, for glazing

Preparation method

For the buns, sieve the flour, salt and ground mixed spice into a large mixing bowl, then rub in the butter using your fingertips. Make a well in the centre of the mixture, then add the sugar, lemon zest and yeast.

Beat the egg and add to the flour with the tepid milk. Mix together to a form a soft, pliable dough.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Carefully work the mixed dried fruit into the dough until well combined. Knead lightly for 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.

Grease a large, warm mixing bowl with butter. Shape the dough into a ball and place it into the prepared bowl, then cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for one hour to prove.

Turn out the proved dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knock back the dough. Shape it into a ball again and return it to the bowl, then cover again with the tea towel and set aside for a further 30 minutes to rise.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten slightly into a bun shape using the palms of your hands. Cover the buns again with the tea towel and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Grease a baking tray with butter and transfer the buns to the tray. Wrap the tray with the buns on it loosely in greaseproof paper, then place inside a large polythene bag. Tie the end of the bag tightly so that no air can get in and set aside in a warm place for a further 40 minutes to rise.

Preheat the oven to 240C/475F/Gas 8.

Meanwhile, for the topping, mix the plain flour to a smooth paste with 2 tablespoons of cold water.

When the buns have risen, remove the polythene bag and the greaseproof paper. Spoon the flour mixture into a piping bag and pipe a cross on each bun.

Transfer the buns to the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. As soon as you remove the buns from the oven, brush them with the hot golden syrup, then set aside to cool on a wire rack.

Happy Easter!

Thank goodness for Spring sunshine.  We have survived the winter and are about the experience lighter evenings when the clocks go forward on 27th March.  So what are we all going to do with the longer days and evenings?

Life can be pretty crazy at the moment.  The Middle East has been protesting its way to democracy, there is enormous human tragedy in Japan as the earth shifts and changes, and what you once knew to be secure can change in an instant if someone you love is ill or goes away.  It can be humbling and inspiring to think that no matter what is going on in the world, there exists beautiful waves, sunshine, and surf sessions to be had.

Spring time is all about renewal- new life coming through where things were dead or dormant for what seemed like a long time.  It’s time to get creative with our own lives and start enjoying what we have in front of us…

If you are close to a beach or coastline, regardless of whether it has waves or not, it’s time to get down there.  Drag friends out of hibernation, get beach bbqs going, play beach volleyball/football/bat and ball, and get a good dose of light going on in your weekly routine.  If you are blessed enough to have swell coming through, then get into your winter wetsuit (it’ll still be cold for a while yet) and brave your first Spring surf session.

If you are landlocked and missing the water- get planning.  Get some mates together and plan a road trip to the coast, or a holiday to the ocean.  Remember the feeling of plunging into the water for your first surf session of the season last year?  There are few things that beat it, so make a point of picking yourself up, planning a surf trip and enjoy what Spring has to offer.

Friends

One of the best ways to find balance is to have good friends.  They are our mirrors and have our best at heart for us.  Whether it is simply surfing or working out together, the encouragement and the honesty that can be built between friends can be very powerful and inspiring.

Listen

Listening to your body is incredibly important.  If winter has been pure hibernation mode for you, building up stamina and flexibility will be key.  Everyone knows that exercising on a regular basis is good for your health and makes you feel great, but doing it can be another matter entirely.  Working out is just that- work.  Pushing yourself enough, but not injuring yourself can be a fine line.  So this is where listening comes in.  Knowing your body, going to exercise classes such as Yoga and Pilates can really help you to know your body better and its strengths and weaknesses.

Re-evaluate

We live in a society where we are told that we have to rush to get the latest fad and compete with celebrity looks every day of the week, without ever taking the time to see if we want to be part of it all.  If we were to hold ourselves up the examples in the media of what it is to be a ‘successful and desirable’ woman, then we could easily loose ourselves.

However, some interesting questions you can ask yourself are: ‘what do I want?’ and ‘what do I love?’.  Are the answers to these questions the same?  If not, then why would we go after something that we don’t love?  Pretty simple, but amazing that we convince ourselves that we want/need something that we actually don’t like.

So with the changing of the season, and suddenly the chance to start getting back into beach and Spring clothing on the horizon, let’s search for a healthy view of how we look and feel.