Wednesday Wellbeing: wellness tips for a holiday by Zoe

Take your wellbeing rituals on holiday  

 

I’m away for the next few weeks! We love to stay in Port Isaac, a traditional fisherman’s village on the North Cornwall coast. It’s set in an area of outstanding beauty. We pack the car up with what I, not others, consider to be essentials! This includes our beagles, my Vitamix (yes seriously this always comes in so handy for smoothies, salad dressings, soups, lattes and juices), kitchen knives, spices & groceries (I love to cook on holiday!), yoga mat, books, magnesium bath salts (a non-negotiable end to each day), essential oils (nature’s medicine kit), a diffuser for the oils, my pillow and we head off for some rest and relaxation.

 

Taking time out is essential to restore balance and enjoy new experiences, reconnect to ourselves and our loved ones. I’ll still meditate twice a day and practice kundalini yoga but I’ll also take lots of time out in nature to get my fix by walking, swimming or just being. I find cooking therapeutic and relaxing so we eat in a fair bit with the added bonus I get to have foods that make me feel good which I can’t always find in restaurants! I do focus on getting lots of good quality sleep and will avoid things that impact on this. For example, avoiding alcohol. We diffuse blends of essential oils in the morning and evening as these can have a potent impact on emotions and wellbeing. Each night I have a long salt bath to promote restorative sleep and top up my magnesium levels.

 

Some of my top tips for in and around Port Isaac  

 

• Check the tide app and make the most of visiting beaches at low tide. The perfect time for barefoot, beagle walking and swims in the sea while it’s warmer. So many good spots to choose from! Some of our favs are Daymer Bay, Port Gaverne, Rock, Trebarwith Strand & Polzeath for a surf.

• Get your body in the sea every day, even if it’s raining – salt water and cold water are a wonderful therapy for the body and mind. If you take a dip in the morning you’ll glow all day!

 

• Headland hikes are easy in North Cornwall, explore the walks around Port Isaac and soak up the stunning scenery and take pictures galore to feed your soul when you return home. I love getting up early and incorporating a walking meditation with our beagles (Maltie and Mungo) while it’s quiet.

 

• We love Trebarwith Strand. Great spot for a surf or body board, stunning scenery and dog friendly beach. Visit at low tide for the sand then decamp to the huge rocks to watch the tide roll in. Take a picnic or eat at the Port William Inn to ‘drink’ in natures beauty.

• I love a swim at Rock and a walk across the sand or through the dunes at high tide to Daymer Bay. Both dog friendly beaches and sand for miles at low tide, with turquoise blue sea when the suns out. Perfect for barefoot walking & soaking up natures high vibes. Treat yourself to a full body massage at the St Endoch Hotel Day Spa to end the day.

 

• Book in advance for Nathan Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen nestled in to the harbours edge in an original old building in Port Isaac. Enjoy plates of fish tapas and Cornish treats followed by a stroll around the port and perhaps a listen to the Fisherman’s Friends.

• Breakfast at the Port Isaac Pottery is a treat. Their hot chocolates are the best in Cornwall! Dog friendly and you can pick up a handmade mug to take home.

• Take a scenic stroll down to Port Gaverne for a swim or spot of cliff jumping (if you’ve got a wetsuit?! Perfect for teens and adults that love a bit of a thrill.

 

• Good sleep is essential. I always bring silicone ear plugs as the seagulls like to party hard in Port Isaac and a silk eye mask!

 

I’m looking forward to our break! This year it will be my husband and I, my son and his girlfriend and a stray nephew here and there! John Bray are our go to holiday rental accommodation provider. They’re based in Port Isaac and Rock.