Bang the Gong at The Rising Sun country park and two ingredient Pizza Dough.

I decided to take a little break from writing yesterday and go for an adventure with my daughter at the Rising Sun Country Park.

We’ve just moved to the area where we’re currently living so there’s lots of new little walks to explore. It felt good getting out in nature. There’s something so humbling about getting lost outdoors.

It’s like my mind switches off and I feel grounded and connected to the earth.

I was reminded yesterday when I was listening to the soothing sound of my feet crunching along the forest floor and the birds signing in the trees of the sound healer I know.

She does sound healing therapy and yoga and I haven’t seen her for such a long time. I think that’s the one thing I’m missing most during the pandemic is that sense of a bigger connection with the world.

I started going to her lessons a few years ago, her business is called Dragonfly Yoga and she preforms Gong Baths.

What are Gong Baths?

They’re a sound therapy healing session. They start with yoga and move into meditation and chanting.

Chanting in a group creates a sense of connection so this is important for the energy in the room. It also helps to relieve the mind of stress and has a calming effect. It’s a bit like a choir I guess, except you don’t need to know how to sign.

My first gong bath was a dreamy experience, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I lay down on my yoga mat and wrapped up in warm socks and a jumper, then she handed me a pillow and a blanket.

I found it odd after working out, I was hot already but I kindly obliged and put on the blanket. Then I closed my eyes and listened. She had a selection of gongs that she tapped gently working her way both up scales and the dynamics, she chanted too.

The sound was mesmerising, I almost felt like I was in a trance. My body was floating in a happy space…

The idea behind this kind of sound therapy is that the sound waves travel through you and begin to heal your body with vibrations.

This is something I feel like I could do with right now, but in the meantime I will just have to settle for walks in nature. Here are some photo’s I took yesterday of our adventure.

My daughter is fascinated with flowers at the moment. She picks them wherever we go.

When my son got home from school we made some yummy home made pizza’s (I was craving comfort food).

I like to make my pizza dough with two ingredients. Technically it’s a flatbread base but it’s super simple to make and it makes it a bit healthier for myself and my children.

Here’s my two ingredient Pizza Base:

Plain Greek Yogurt 500g

Quinoa Flour 500g (any kind of flour will do if you don’t have this, like self raising, wholewheat, even plain)

Method

Preheat oven to 220 degrees (Hot)

(You can use less or more depending on how many pizza’s you’d like, you can also use different types of flour for different textures or to use things up as long as the yogurt to flour ratio is the same.)

In a bowl mix together until you get the consistency of dough. knead if needed but dough will get sticky if handled too much (you can add some more flour if you need too) the idea is to combine the ingredients. You’re not making bread here.

Heat baking tray in oven with 1 dessert spoon of oil on it.

Cut dough into four equal portions. Flour surface, roll out dough to pizza shape, move quickly and keep flouring as you roll. place flat bread onto hot tray, layer with pizza sauce and ingredients of your choice.

Place in oven on high heat. If oven isn’t hot enough dough will not go crispy so heat is important here. Cook for about 12 mins, keep an eye on it. Take it out the oven and serve. Repeat.

A perfectly quick and creative meal for children, my kids love getting involved when there’s pizza’s on the go.

Soph.