Hello, my dear Frankies! 🌸

Is it just me, or is it starting to feel a tiny bit like spring?!

It’s really not that cold, the sun keeps making an appearance, and our weekly events list is slowly starting to fill up again…I’m taking all of that as a very good sign of spring. ☀️

And apparently we’re heading into spring feeling very well and wholesome here in Franklin 😂

This week we’re celebrating with Michelle Keenan, whose beautiful Pilates and yoga studio in Waiuku is turning ONE! 🎉 I’m becoming increasingly convinced Franklin is turning into the wellness capital of New Zealand, so I always love seeing another local wellbeing business reach a big milestone like this. ♥

And the wellness theme continues this weekend with another very cool local event: Gareth Edwards’ Breathing Seminar at RX Fitness 235 in Waiuku.

So have a read, check out all the lovely local things happening this week, and I’ll see ya out there!

R. and the Frankie Team xx

P.S. There were heaps of job opportunities listed in Franklin over the last week or so - make sure you check out the "Job Vacancies" highlight on our Instagram page!​

No loud music, no mirrors, no pressure: meet Michelle Keenan Wellness 🌿

There’s a particular kind of fitness space that can feel a little intimidating when you’re getting back into exercise.

Loud music. Bright lights. Giant mirrors. Heavy weights, complicated machines and people who know exactly what they’re doing.

So Michelle Keenan wanted to create the opposite.

And this September, Michelle Keenan Wellness celebrates one year since opening her Waiuku Pilates and yoga studio: a small, peaceful space designed particularly for women who want to feel strong, capabl0e and confident in their bodies as they get older.

For Michelle, the focus is on functional strength and mobility: being able to bend, lift, carry, move well and keep doing the things you love for as long as possible.

Now 52, with almost 30 years working in health and wellness behind her - and 26 years teaching pilates! - Michelle also knows that whatever you do for your health has to actually fit into your life.

Around 15 years ago, while completing her yoga teacher training, Michelle was a single mum with a two-year-old son. She was proud of herself for squeezing her yoga practice in at night once he was asleep. Then a senior teacher told her mornings were really the best time to practice.

It stuck with Michelle (but probably not for the reason the teacher intended). Because when you’re raising children, working, running a household and juggling everything else, the “perfect” wellness routine isn’t always possible.

Michelle firmly believes we can move the needle on our health and wellbeing with small, sustainable changes that fit our actual lives.

And that philosophy runs through her Waiuku studio too.

Classes are deliberately small, giving Michelle the ability to notice how each person is moving, adapt exercises around injuries or limitations and make sure people feel supported.

“I never want anyone to leave one of my classes feeling like they sucked and couldn’t do it,” Michelle says.

She wants classes to be challenging, but for people to leave feeling empowered and capable.

There’s no loud music, wall of mirrors or bright, hectic environment. Instead, the studio is calm, relaxed and personal, with reformers and other Pilates equipment all available right here in Waiuku.

And while Pilates might feel particularly popular right now, it’s certainly not a new fitness trend. This year marks 100 years since Joseph and Clara Pilates opened their first New York studio in 1926.

A century later, its focus on strength, controlled movement and mobility fits perfectly with what Michelle wants for her clients: bodies that continue to work well for decades to come.

So the timing feels rather fitting: 100 years of Pilates, and one year of Michelle Keenan Wellness.

🎉 Come and try a class

To celebrate, Michelle is running special $20 introductory classes for new clients on Saturday 29 August.

It’s a chance to see the studio, try the equipment and experience what Pilates feels like in a smaller, more personal environment.

Places are limited, so get in touch with Michelle directly to book your spot.

Whether you’re returning to exercise, working around an injury or simply thinking more about how you want to feel in another 10, 20 or 30 years, Michelle’s approach is simple:

Get stronger. Keep moving. And make it work for the life you’re actually living. ♥

Michelle Keenan Wellness​
📍 Waiuku
🎉 Celebrating one year this September
Follow on Instagram or get in touch here!

vigetolny

Unscramble the letters above to find the Franklin-related phrase! Answer at the bottom of the newsletter!

Could changing the way you breathe change the way you live your life? 💨

Breathing is one of those things we do all day, every day, without giving it much thought.

Until we’re ying in bed wondering why we can’t switch off. Or until we're stressed and wound up tight. Or until we're halfway through a horrible workout and gasping for air 😓

That’s exactly why RX Fitness 235 has invited Gareth Edwards from Valour Human Performance to Waiuku for a special Performance & Wellness Breathing Workshop this Sunday.

And before you write “breathwork” off as a little bit woo-woo, Gareth approaches it very much from the performance AND wellness side.

He’s an Oxygen Advantage breathing coach, strength and conditioning coach and qualified personal trainer, and began specialising in breathing after retraining his own breathing in 2020 with some of the best in the field. His work now looks at how the mechanics and physiology of breathing can be used alongside training, recovery and everyday wellbeing.

There’s some interesting science behind it too. The diaphragm isn’t only involved in breathing; it also works alongside the trunk muscles during movement and stability, while controlled slow and diaphragmatic breathing has been shown in studies to influence physiological stress responses and improve measures of stress and mood.

But the really useful part of Gareth’s workshop is that it’s practical.

You’ll look at your own breathing habits, learn what’s actually happening when you breathe, and explore ways to use breathing around training, recovery, core strength and stability, stress, emotional regulation and sleep.

The RX team specifically asked Gareth to come because breathing is something they see as relevant both inside the gym and outside it. And the goal is for everyone to leave with something simple they can actually start using straight away.

💨 Performance & Wellness Breathing Workshop

Sunday 23 August​
⏰ 10.30am–1.30pm
📍 RX Fitness 235, Waiuku
💰 $99 per person
📖 Includes a take-home breathing booklet

Spaces are limited, so book your place through this registration link if you’d like to join Gareth this Sunday.

Have you read Coffee News this week? ☕ Pick up a copy in your favourite café or scan the QR code to read on your device!

👉 Want a featured note on the notice board? - Simply book your feature here or just send us a quick email and we'll help you out!

Thursday

📸 $25 Pop-in Photo Day — Buckland Hall — 9:00am–12:00pm — A budget-friendly pop-in photo session for the whole family. More info here​

🎉 Housie — 78 Nelson Street — 11:00am–1:00pm — Come along for a fun round of housie with the community. Check it out!​

🧠 Quiz Night — Pukekohe Golf Club — 6:30–8:30pm — Test your trivia knowledge at this weekly quiz night. All the details here​

🍹 Cocktail Happy Hour — Little Ed — 6:00–7:00pm — Enjoy all your favourite cocktails at a discounted price.

Friday

🃏 Friday Night Magic (Magic: The Gathering) — Otakumart Pukekohe — 6:00–11:00pm — Weekly Magic: The Gathering tournament night for all skill levels. More info here​

⛳ Japan Study Tour Fundraiser Golf Day — Clarks Beach Golf Club — 9:00am tee time — A four-person Ambrose golf day raising funds to support a local student's teaching study tour to Japan; $100pp includes lunch, teams limited to 18. Register by emailing shanehair@yahoo.com.

Saturday

🇵🇭 Buwan Ng Wika – Filipino Language Month Celebration — Pukekohe Library — 10:45am — A celebration of Filipino language and culture for Language Month. Check it out!​

🎤 Awit Ng Lahi – Filipino Nationalistic Singing Competition — Franklin Arts Centre — 10:45am — A nationalistic singing competition celebrating Filipino heritage. All the details here​

🎬 FMC Mountain Film Festival — Parkside School, Pukekohe — 7:00pm — An evening of adventure and mountain film screenings. More info here​

🏫 Pukekohe High School PTA Quiz Night — Pukekohe High School — 6:00pm — A fun fundraising quiz night with prizes, raising money for covered outdoor shelter for students. Check it out!​

🧘 Sound Bath — Sanctuary Sound — 2:00–3:30pm — A relaxing sound bath session to unwind your weekend.

Sunday

📿 Couture Beading Workshop — 55D Colombo Road — 10:00am–12:30pm — Learn couture beading techniques in this hands-on workshop. All the details here​

🏡 Healthy Home, Healthy Planet Expo — Pukeoware Hall — 10:00am–3:00pm — A free community expo full of practical, money-saving ideas for a healthier, more sustainable home, with free food, expert advice and door prizes.

🛍️ Franklin Country Market — Pukekohe Park Raceway — 8:00am — An UpMarket experience with homegrown produce, handmade crafts, food trucks and live music. More info here​

🧘 Sunday Stretch Sessions — Rx Fitness235, 42 Belgium St, Waiuku — 9:00am (45 min) — A guided stretch session with The Stretch Collective. Check it out!​

🫁 Performance & Wellness Breathing Workshop — Rx Fitness 235 — 10:30am–1:30pm — Learn functional breathing techniques to boost performance, recovery, sleep and stress management; $99pp, includes a take-home booklet. Registration link​

monday

🍳 Good Food, Bright Minds — Cafe Queen, Waiuku — 7:00–9:00am — A free community breakfast for school kids, running every Monday during term time.

🧠 Quiz Night — Good Home Pukekohe, 65 Edinburgh Street — 7:00pm — Weekly quiz night, booking recommended.

🏃 Wellness Run Club — West Street Coffee, Pukekohe — 5:45am — An easygoing 5km loop run for all fitness levels.

Tuesday

🎨 Painting Club — Franklin Arts Centre — 6:00–8:00pm — Bring your current project along for two hours of dedicated painting time with fellow local artists, term time only.

Wednesday

🍺 Malt N Steel Quiz Night — Malt N Steel, Waiuku — 7:00pm — Weekly quiz night with teams of 2–8 and prizes up for grabs.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Anti-Social Social Club for Teens — 12 Massey Avenue, Pukekohe East — 3:30pm — A new, safe, inclusive after-school hangout space for teens of all social styles. All the details here​

🚒 Fire Station Run Club — Fire Station Eatery, Pukekohe — 5:30pm — Choose between 2.5km and 5km options, with spot prizes and bar menu discounts after.

Word Scramble answer: Longevity

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