I am a yoga teacher & a mindfulness coach, a single mum to 2 beautiful kids, I run my own business and I am navigating myself through the menopause. Believe me, there have been times when I would have preferred to walk Hadrian’s Wall in bare feet. 

But it is a journey which might help others as they navigate their own, so, let us begin at  the beginning: 10 year’s ago, I was diagnosed with severe agitated depression, a diagnosis arrived at, or so I believe, because my youngest daughter was just a baby, we were living in Germany and around the same time, to top it all off, I underwent major lung surgery. Knowing what I know now, I believe this may have been the peri-menopause.

Although I had practiced yoga only intermittently at this stressful time it is actually when my passion for yoga & mindfulness grew deep and solid. Yoga helped me heal from the surgery while Mindfulness helped to get things on an even keel. I was so impressed with the help they gave me I was inspired to qualify to teach them to others & have been doing that ever since.

Fast forward through a couple of international relocations & divorce to the beginning of the pandemic, and I found I was not myself – again (but worse). I was flying off the handle at the drop of a hat, struggled with terrible brain fog & couldn’t remember anything. I felt anxious all the time & had panic attacks on the dog walk. My thoughts were dark, unhelpful, sometimes suicidal. I was utterly miserable.

It was only  when I thought of my age  that I began to wonder if these symptoms could be menopause related. As the light dawned my training & daily practice started to come into their own. 

I used mindfulness to stop my panic attacks & chose not to believe the unhelpful thoughts. I was unapologetic about carving out some time daily to practice meditation, yoga & gratitude, and spend time in nature.

Over time things improved.

I did lots of research, I invested time, money & energy on my own self-development, studying the science behind what I teach, completing further training & courses & much more to improve my knowledge, understanding & deepen my own spiritual journey.

At first the shifts were subtle, but on reflection I look back at some quite profound transformations. In less than 2 years I can honestly say I have never felt better. I feel like I am in love with life again & thriving & there was a time when I never thought that would be possible.

And this has inspired me to support more women in this life-changing transition. After all, I believe that I broke into pieces to let the light in – as Rumi sums up perfectly.

I am grateful for the journey, everything I have learnt, how I have changed & where we are as a family now.

Now, had you asked me 18 months ago I doubt I would have said that, the response might have been unprintable! But if I can do it, anyone can.

I hope you’ll join me over the next few weeks as I share some of my meno journey with you & I hope it inspires you to embrace some of these simple practices so you can create your best life for the rest of your life.

If you would like to find out more about creating your own self-care practices check out Alex’s FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindfulnessyoga4selfcare

Or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexbannard/

Incorporate short yoga sequences & meditations as part of your self-care toolkit with guided practices on Alex’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQlKZJ7MeyYc6lqkv6seISw

For more info check out www.alexbannard.com

Alex is based on the edge of the stunning Cotswolds & has been sharing her love for all things yoga & mindfulness for almost a decade, not just in the UK but also around the world. Having used her training & knowledge to navigate her own menopausal journey & create a life in which she is thriving, Alex is devoted in supporting other’s in this life changing transition.

Joffe’s  book of the week is WEST COUNTRY MURDER, the gripping and atmospheric new mystery from bestselling author Derek Thompson — out now for just 99p | 99c.

A literary festival. A dead body. No fingerprints . . .

A man is found dead in his car. The only clue is a book signed by local author Juliette Kimani, who is in town for the Wiltshire Literary Festival. If only the writer wasn’t denying ever having met the man . . .

Detective Craig Wild discovers that the victim was using a fake name. What did he have to hide?

If he can find the man’s real identity he might just crack this case.  But first he must deal with some very dangerous people.

CLICK HERE TO BUY WEST COUNTRY MURDER BY DEREK THOMPSON FOR JUST 99P | 99C.

You can watch a teaser trailer for the book HERE, and listen to a fascinating five-minute interview with Derek Thompson HERE

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GET THREE ADDICTIVE CRIME THRILLERS IN ONE INCREDIBLE-VALUE BOX SET. Detective Helen Carter Books 1 – 3  by Jodie Lawrance

“A genuine page turner.” Bestselling author Alex Gray

Another great setting:  An Antique Murder by Norman Russell

TThe Irving retirement home for actors in their twilight years is never short of drama.  Not least when legendary thespian Sir Frank Taylor is discovered dead in his bloodstained bed. A Nazi dagger plunged deep in his chest. The residents at the Irving are now living in perpetual fear. Who will be next?

OUT NOW — 99P | 99C

Last Resort by Dan Latus

‘You’re the best man for it, Jake.’

How often has Jake Ord heard that line? This time it’s his old boss Sir Giles Henderson asking him to babysit a Russian fugitive, of all things. But the Russians are always one step ahead.

And they’re closing in . . .

For more books on offer from Joffe: here

All corners of the world? Yep, from Mexico to Zambia to Australia

NEW Two Bees is a range of  pure honeys from all corners of the globe. The Two Bees honey experts go to the ends of the earth (quite literally) to track down top-notch local farmers and beekeepers and work with them to deliver delicious, and varied, 100% pure single-source, luscious, natural honey. No blends. No additives. No residues. No nonsense.  And they even go to the love of my life, Western Australia, so I had to try this particular honey. But more of that later. Let’s here more about Two Bees. 

Two Bees support smaller businesses, local farmers and the countries the honey comes from, by only transporting when in season, and by sustainable, eco-friendly methods.  The range includes:

Mexican Yucatan Pure Honey

A smooth, amber honey straight from the Mayan beekeepers of the Yucatan Peninsula. Here, the bees enjoy a gloriously lush habitat, foraging on the blossoms of Dzidzilche, Tzalam, Kanchunub and other exotic flowers.  I tried it. It is smooth, with a lingering taste as I looked down at the crumbs of my honey drenched scones. 

Mexican Orange Blossom Pure Honey

These bees have been feeding on the aromatic blossoms of Mexican orange tree plantations. This fragrant honey has an intoxicating, deep and satisfying soft, citrus aroma followed by a rich orange flavour and long-lasting floral accents. Believe me, it tastes as good as the scent. 

Western Australian Pure Honey

In this fertile habitat, bees forage on the native plants of Jarrah, Marri, and Banksia. The result is a unique, complex honey with a full-bodied earthiness, a subtle touch of malt, and a warm caramel sweetness. Oh my word, it took me back, right back to my favourite area, the big tree country around the best place in the world, after Yorkshire,  Margaret River. It is truly wonderful wonderful honey. 

Eastern Australian Pure Honey

The flowering eucalyptus trees of Eastern Australia are a true bee paradise. The resulting honey has a soft, rich sweetness of the blossoms, an elusive hint of menthol and an earthy depth.  It does indeed. 

Zambian Lowlands Pure Honey

Here, in this remote and diverse habitat, the bees forage all day long on tropical blossoms. The result is a rich, complex, dark honey with a strong, robust taste. A taste that lingered, and with it, somehow, echoes of its habitat. 

Zambian Mountain Pure Honey

Sourced in a unique habitat high up in the remote mountain forests of Zambia, this exceptional honey has huge notes of mountain blossoms. Silky-smooth in the mouth, it has a rich amber colour and intense floral accents. It is smooth, as smooth as Mexican Yucatan Honey. 

Frost Magazine is a supporter of ethical ‘anything’, so we were enormously relieved that we loved  Two Bees Honey as  this is a company which is  serious about honey and ethical, planet-friendly bee welfare. The Frost Magazine team also nurture bees in their own gardens  and have bee friendly areas with thistles and wild flowers,. Sadly we don’t have hives. This, however,  is  clearly no longer a problem, because we know where we can buy superior ethical honey – such great news. 

But talking about hives. Two Bees tell us they always source direct from the beekeeper, helping the economy and environment at the same time. They also take responsibility for the brand’s impact; Two Bees honey arrives by sea and is jarred in the UK. Production is seasonally led and new varieties will be added when the Two Bees honey experts – with over 40 years of experience – set out on their honey-sourcing adventures.

Two Bees Honey, RRP £5.99 for 250g, is available from twobees.buzz

A 6 pack assortment box is also available from twobees.buzz and amazon.co.uk, RRP £35.94

@twobeesbuzz #twobeesbuzz

The rail entry to Auschwitz taken by editor Margaret Graham in 2015

Today , 27th January, marks Holocaust Memorial Day, on which we  remember the horror that was the Holocaust. On this day I would like to tell you all about a man call Frank Foley.

Major Francis (Frank) Edward Foley was born on 24 November 1884 in my hometown of Highbridge, Somerset.

But who was he and why is he a hero ? Well he was a British Secret Intelligence Service officer. And as a passport control officer for the British embassy in Berlin, Foley helped over ten thousand Jewish individuals flee from Nazi Germany. 

At the 1961 trial of former ranking Nazi Adolf Eichmann, Frank Foley was described as a “Scarlet Pimpernel” for the way he risked his own life to save Jews threatened with death by the Nazis. This courage was sustained day after day despite the fact he had no diplomatic immunity and could be discovered and arrested at any time, Foley would bend the rules when stamping passports and issuing visas, to allow Jews to escape to Britain or Palestine, which at the time was controlled by the British.

Occasionally he went even further and went to internment camps himself in order to get Jews out, hiding them in his home, and helping them obtain forged passports. One Jewish aid worker estimated that he saved “tens of thousands” of people from the ravages of the Holocaust.

I can not imagine the amount of courage it must have taken him to do this time and time again under the Nazis noses.

Frank Foley is a national treasure, his story is taught at the school that my children attend and they are blown away with how many people he saved, as am I. He is a inspiration to us all. Highbridge remembers him and this is evident by a main road in the town called Frank Foley Parkway and having a beautiful statue of Foley stamping a passport whilst being embraced by a child.

We will never forget the Holocaust and may we never forget heroes like Frank Foley November 1884 – May 1958. May he rest in peace.