The Art of Being Still

Long before I picked my paintbrushes back up, yoga was the one thing that managed to quieten my mind.

Back then I was working as a fashion buyer - a job that was every bit as hectic as it sounds. Tight deadlines, constant decisions, a mind that rarely switched off. Yoga was the one space where, for an hour at least, none of that could follow me in.

What I didn't realise at the time was that I'd go on to find that same stillness somewhere else entirely - in paint, in texture, in the slow, deliberate act of building a seascape from reclaimed materials. The feeling is remarkably similar: that sense of presence, of being fully in the moment, of connecting to something quieter and bigger than the to-do list. It's a big part of why I love weaving creativity and yoga together in my retreats and creative experiences - they come from the same place in me.

So when I found myself rolling out a mat on Fistral beach recently, with one of my own Fistral paintings printed beneath me, it felt like everything had come full circle. It was a genuinely special moment — practising yoga on the very beach that inspired the painting, feeling the same stillness in both.

That moment is where this came from.

Introducing the 'Swell off Shore at Fistral' Yoga Mat

I've just launched a limited edition yoga mat featuring my original painting "Swell off Shore at Fistral" - digitally printed to capture all the texture and movement of the original artwork, right down to the wave detail.

The original painting has since sold and is now in a private collection, so this mat is a new way to bring a little piece of it home, in a limited first edition of just 15.

It's made with a non-slip natural rubber base and a soft, biodegradable surface - as kind to your practice as it is to the planet.

Come and see it in person

If you'd like to see the mat (and try it!) before deciding, I'll have a sample in the Barn Studio at Melancoose during my residency from Monday 29th June to Friday 3rd July - pop down any time that week for a look or a roll-out!

And if you're local, or fancy a trip down to Cornwall, my next Ocean & Creativity Retreat at Melancoose is this Saturday 4th July - a few spaces are still available. If you've already got your mat by then, bring it along. I'd love to see it in action, and you're welcome to bring it to any future retreat or workshop you join me on too.

The Art of Being: Ocean & Creativity Retreat 

Wherever you roll it out - beach, studio, or living room floor - I hope this mat brings a little of that same stillness into your practice that yoga has always brought into mine.

With love from the studio,

Gemma

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