A few people came online to do Yoga.

yoga talk

Regular yoga improves flexibility by gradually increasing the tolerance of your muscles and nervous system to stretching, allowing your joints to move more comfortably through a wider range of motion.

We had a great turn out for our return to the Finchley Charities' community plot at the Fuel Land Allotments. Ten Goodgymmers gathered, half at the Phoenix for the warm up run and half at the allotment gates for the task. We were met by the lovely plot coordinators Brigid and Les, as well as Carmel from the Finchley Charities. (A brief shout out to www.goodgym.org/v3/profile/sheela-guttula, who couldn't make it due to an injury - get well soon!)

With many hands, we made light work of the tasks: carrying logs from the back of the plot to the front to extend the palisade, weeding bindweed, horseradish and oak seedlings and watering the vegetables. We also admired the wonderfully weird icon of Jesus the group found by chance painted on an old slab resting by the shed, as well as a lovely tiger moth spotted on a fence near the plot.

It was great to see Jamie out again for his third session - hoping work commitments will allow for lots of future sessions. And thank you to Richard for suggesting the pizza and popcorn social afterwards for some of us.

Three brave Goodgymmers made the run from the Phoenix to Stephens House this week: Rachel, Abdikani and me, where we met the rest of the night's sign ups, Daniel, Abdulkadir, Richard and Subham, already in action.

Andy and Richard from Stephens House got us cutting back vegetation along the fence on East End Road - a follow up to our mission last month, but with much better weather this time. Daniel was behind bars - he drew the 'short saw' and was cutting down thicker branches inside the fence. Abdulkadir and Adbikani took on sweeping and bagging duties, while Richard and Subham manned the barrow, taking away the green waste for composting. Rachel and I chopped and cut along the fence, helping tidy the bigger bits.

We managed another 50+yards of fence and this side is nearly finished. Andy says there's another couple of fences to cut along, so we'll be back again soon to help them keep things tidy while the evenings are light.

On Tuesday 23 June, GoodGym Barnet braved the heat warnings (sensibly) to stay active and help our community at Highgate Wood... actually, a great place to be in this heat!

Most of us met at the Phoenix Cinema, where the conversation quickly turned to Britain’s highest recorded temperature: 40.3°C in Lincolnshire in July 2022. Richard won the debate! This week may not reach that peak, but prolonged heat, humidity and warm nights can be particularly challenging because our bodies and buildings have less opportunity to cool down.

After a gentle warm-up, we headed through the woods to meet Cindy. She enthusiastically shared news from a recent moth survey: 47 moths were caught and a range of different species.

We then visited the developing visitor centre, which will showcase the history and ecology of Highgate Wood—including a Roman pottery kiln dating from around AD 50–150. There will also be a Cindy corner.( that sounds like a legacy)

Our task was to repair a woodland fence that had been pulled apart to build dens. With plenty of willing hands, it was soon restored, leaving time for some Forest) bathing , stretching and movement with the breath.

Thanks to everyone who came along Please continue to take care in the heat—it is not only the highest temperature that matters, but also the duration, humidity and lack of cooler nights.

shout out to Abdikani on his first Community mission great effort!