Tag Archives: wellbeing

Garden Day at TARAGGAN Educational Gardens ☀️🌿

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Today we visited TARAGGAN Educational Gardens and what a beautiful day it was! The sunshine really lifted everyone’s spirits 🌞😊 Our members worked incredibly hard, getting stuck into weeding one of the garden plots 🌱💪 It’s amazing to see the teamwork and dedication – everyone played their part and made a real difference 👏

Gardening has so many benefits 🌼💚

🌿 Helps reduce stress and anxiety
🌿 Boosts mood and wellbeing
🌿 Encourages physical activity
🌿 Brings people together and builds friendships

It was also lovely to see John, who once ran the community garden – a really special moment for everyone 🌻👋 Days like this show just how powerful being outdoors and connecting with nature can be 🌳✨ Already looking forward to the next visit!

Chair Yoga with the lovely Lisa!

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At our most recent chair yoga session we used stress balls to exercise our fingers, did some great stretches, and practiced yoga poses while holding on to the back of our chairs.

We named our poses “Tree Pose” and “Surfing Pose” – and even had a special Sleeping Beauty Yoga story for our relaxing time, accompanied by soothing music.

Everyone had so much fun and left feeling happy and relaxed. Thank you, Lisa! See you next Tuesday afternoon at 12:30pm.

Chair Yoga – Fun & Relaxing!

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Another brilliant Chair Yoga session yesterday! Kirsty said she loved everything about it – and we all agree!

Here’s what we got up to:

We made calming breathing aids using pipe cleaners and beads – perfect for when we’re feeling anxious.
We used ribbons on wands for some gentle arm and shoulder stretches.
Enjoyed some lovely chair yoga movements and stretches.
A few of us even got down on the floor for some extra poses!

We ended the session with relaxing music to help us wind down. Lisa will be back with us in three weeks – and we can’t wait!

Relaxation & Movement with Chair Yoga!

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This afternoon, we had a wonderful Chair Yoga session with the amazing Lisa Harwood from EchoYoga! We explored the power of sound and vibration using singing bowls – special bowls that create deep, soothing sounds when played. Some members even balanced them on their bodies to feel the vibrations travel through them!

We also enjoyed some gentle chair stretches and yoga poses, helping us improve flexibility, strength, and relaxation. To end the session, we closed our eyes, took deep breaths, and embraced a moment of calm and mindfulness with peaceful music. A big thank you to Lisa for another fantastic session – we can’t wait for the next one!

Wellbeing Wednesdays – Reflexology

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Last week, as part of our Wellbeing Wednesdays project, we had our first monthly reflexology session with Emma. Reflexology is a therapeutic technique where pressure is applied to specific points on the feet, hands, or ears, which are believed to correspond to different parts of the body. This therapy can be especially beneficial for individuals with learning disabilities and autism, as it helps reduce stress, improve mood, and ease physical tension.

In our session, we focused on the feet, but Emma will also cover hand reflexology in future sessions. Many of our members felt more relaxed and comfortable afterward, and we look forward to the continued benefits of these sessions.

A special thank you to the Gwent Regional Partnership Board for funding our wellbeing project. We have lots more planned over the coming months, including chair yoga sessions, mental health coping strategies, and much more!

Cookery

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At Friday’s cookery session, Gareth chose to make lasagne – sheets of pasta floating in a lean beef bolognaise and cheese sauce, served with vegetables and garlic bread as side dishes. Our members and volunteers helped prep the vegetables, bolognaise and lasagne ready for cooking, and the end results tasted amazing – well done everyone.

Thanks to Amy Jones and Ffion Poole who ran the quiz whilst we waited for the lasagne to cook, and thanks to Tracy Tregaskis, Sam Evans, and Cheryl Smith for volunteering in the kitchen – you all worked so hard. Next week, Lisa has chosen to make chicken curry and rice.

Art and Wellbeing

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Yesterday we held the 5th and final session of our art and wellbeing project with Liz from Islwyn Art Project CIC. The canvasses look fantastic, and we’d like to thank Liz, who’s been amazing to work with.

This is feedback we received from one of our members and volunteers, Morgan, who attended the art and wellbeing project.

When Elizabeth first came to Caerphilly People First five weeks ago, everyone was looking forward to see what she had lined up for us. As the weeks went on we found that the arts sessions were really enjoyable. Today was the last session with Elizabeth, but at some point she’s going to be coming back to do more creative things with us. After these sessions I have more confidence to draw and be artistic.