We know we are beyond lucky to have ended up quarantined in an epic mountain retreat, with a yoga studio, south facing garden and views for days. It doesn't seem fair that we take daily walks in stunning alpine forests, watch the crocuses bloom in Alpine meadows and the sun set over 3000m peaks of the Austrian Alps….. Oh sorry, got a little carried away there. We are thinking of you all, wherever you may be, and hoping you are all most importantly, safe and healthy. We know you are probably bored. We know that you are probably getting a bit fed up with online pub quizzes. So here are our top five lockdown activities that you can do regardless of where you live!
The sun is shining and we know the Brits among you are desperate to get to Tescos to buy charcoal for your BBQs. European readers must understand that in Britain, as soon as the sun comes out, it is basically law that you wear minimal clothing, get sunburnt and blacken some sausages on a grill in your garden.
Alas, we are vegan up here at MoaAlm so as the sun came out and the Brits amongst us stoked the fire, our vegan chefs created some delicious vegan ‘BBQable’ goodies. Why not Challenge yourself to have a BBQ using only vegetables? Ever made a seitan burger? Or even a vegan sausage? Want to try some yummy vegetable kebabs? Check out our delicious recipes here:
https://www.wearactive.com/post/ultimate-vegan-burger
We don’t know about you, but as soon as quarantine began we wanted to eat. All. The. Time. We also began spending a lot of time on our phones and computers. As quarantine dragged on, we felt it was a good idea to cleanse ourselves of these new habits for a brief time.
It doesn’t have to be intense. But do something to make your mind and your body feel good. How about challenging yourself to give up sugar for three days, or maybe coffee? Go a bit further and give your insides a cleanse by following a detox plan like Becca and Ligita, our plant based cooks at MoaAlm. Or maybe you need a different kind of detox? Why not turn your phone off every evening at 6pm or instead of watching TV for an hour, do an hour long yoga class. Detox your mind.
https://www.wearactive.com/post/detox-at-moaalm-mountain-retreat
We have had a right old laugh with Bob from Australia who has been instructing us on our online painting course. Xania is definitely the rebel of the classroom and if poor old Bob was in the room, she definitely would have been sent to detention for answering back. Skillshare is a fab website which is currently offering a free 2 month membership. Take your pick from watercolour painting to line drawing and let your creative juices flow. It is also therapeutic to hurl verbal abuse at the teacher when they move on too quickly or don’t praise your work. We found shouting at Bob to be really helpful, obviously Bob cant hear us, but that made it all the more cleansing!
https://www.skillshare.com/home
We have quite an eclectic taste between the six of us isolated here at MoaAlm, but here are our lockdown book recommendations:
Lottie: A Single Swallow by Horatio Clare. The author narrates his journey across Africa following the migration of the swallows. Good for escapism, and for those who love poetic travel tales.
Ryan: A short walk in the Hindu Kush No one can go anywhere at the moment, let alone the wilds of Afghanistan. Join Eric Newby on one of travel writing’s most epic journeys.
Craig: The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday. Digestible daily wisdom. The original quote is followed by an explanation with modern day examples.
Xania: The Humans by Matt Haig. A story about trying to fit in with society when you have been abducted by aliens.
Becca: Demain by Hermann Hesses. The realms of day and night, two different worlds coming from two opposite poles, mingled during time.
Ligita: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. The memoirs of Gilbert after embarking on a journey of self discovery.
We know it may take a while to persuade your Dad to take part, but trust us, everyone will love ‘Move with Colour’s’ ten minute dance tutorials. It is the biggest disappointment in the MoaAlm household that Ryan as yet as always been ‘busy’ during our rehearsals, but the rest of us have channeled our inner sass and sexiness (for some it took a lot more channelling than others) to crack out some fab routines. We all agree that the ‘Britney’ session is the best-you can find it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFum7xK5hcU
Like the sound of some of these? Try them out then send us your pictures or videos (especially the ones of you dancing). And don’t forget, whilst we are doing all these fun activities, we are also working hard to prepare for our summer season. If you didn't already know, we have introduced flexi bookings. This means you can book your holiday safe in the knowledge that if the dreaded Corona means you cannot travel, you won't lose your money and can rearrange for a later date. You can find out more about our holidays here: https://www.wearactive.com/
We are hopeful to be able to share this beautiful region of Austria with our guests this summer!
Sending love from the mountains and hoping you all ‘bleibt gesund!’
Lottie, Ryan, Craig, Xania, Becca and Ligita xxx