About Us

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At The Happy Starfish we are dedicated to providing a wealth of information, products, workshops and articles all aimed at celebrating health, happiness and peaceful living. We believe that life should be an awesome adventure filled with love; love life and life will love you back. Are you willing to surrender what you think you are for what you could become? Are you ready?

Wednesday 27 May 2015

Vegan Pasta Sauce


I made this for dinner last night and it was so yummy I had to share.
I cubed half a butternut squash and two sweet potatoes. Drizzled with oil, sprinkled with herbs and roast in the oven for twenty minutes until they were soft. I then blitzed them in a food processor with a can of coconut milk and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. I heated the sauce, adding vegetable stock until it reached the consistency I wanted (I used about 1/3 pint) and seasoned.
In a separate pan I melted some coconut oil and tossed in chilli flakes, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and toasted over a low heat.
I served the sauce over pasta with a sprinkling of crunchy seeds. Delicious.

Friday 15 May 2015

Mental Health Awareness Week

2014-05-06-Mental-Health-Week
 
Count your blessings
Count? My mind is hazy. I cannot concentrate on the simplest of tasks.

Snap out of it
Snap? I have slept for twelve hours but still don’t have the energy to move.

A good meal will cheer you up
I told you I cannot eat. My throat is constricted, my stomach a mass of swirling emotions.

Turn that frown upside down 
I try. I really do, but my face feels like a grotesque mask.

If you can’t be bothered to help yourself
I am screaming for help, can’t you hear me? But the room is silent and you turn away.
 
 
It is Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK. Depression is not something you choose.
 
We have experience in teaching Mindfulness within the Mental Health field to sufferers and carers. 
Please contact us for more information.
 

Wednesday 6 May 2015

The simple life

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The simple life is the best. To live an uncomplicated, stress free life is something people often talk about, but if the simple life really is the best why aren’t we living it?

Realistically, there are not many of us who could go and live up a mountain, or deep within nature. We have friends, family, people we care about. We have careers that are necessary to pay for the homes we live in. We work hard, we want nice things, holidays, evenings out.

We get tired. We want entertaining. The days of standing around the piano singing are long gone, we stream movies, shop online, check social networking sites an inordinate amount of time.

We often eat in front of the tv, plates balanced on our laps, smartphone in hand, the tv on in the background.

The harder we work, the more we want to rewards ourselves with material possessions and holidays. The pleasure holidays and new purchases give us is often fleeting, leaving us dissatisfied, wanting more, so we work harder. We worry more. We overthink. We miss the present moment.

We put huge amounts of pressure on ourselves to have the ‘perfect life.’

Mindfulness enabled me to strip back my life, to step away from the drama, to break the endless loop of unhelpful thinking, to get back to basics and really appreciate what I have, right here, right now.

‘Life is simple but we insist on making it complicated.’

I don’t entirely agree with this quote. Life isn’t always, can’t by its very nature always simple, it can be wild, unpredictable and challenging, but the more fully present we are, the simpler life feels and the more contentment we have.

How complicated is your life?