About Us
Welcome To Western Wellbeing
In 2017, fed up with the unsustainable demands of our traditional careers, we founded Western Wellbeing, a yoga and wellness business. Mark had been a medical doctor for over 19 years and Pip started her career as a solicitor before moving into business consultancy. Neither of us had a strong sense of job satisfaction and we were painfully aware that our children were growing up rapidly and we were going to miss out on both their lives and ours unless we made some changes.
So, Mark resigned from his full time GP partner role and now has a portfolio career and Pip retrained as a yoga teacher. We wanted to use our skills to help other people in a holistic and tangible way and Western Wellbeing allows us to realise that ambition.
Our philosophy
We try to make decisions every day that will improve our wellbeing. That might be anything from making time for yoga, going for a walk in our beautiful Devon countryside, working in our woodland, playing in the sea or on the beach, sitting by the fire on a cold day and reading a good book or eating delicious, nutritious, fresh food.
Goodness knows we are not paragons of virtue. We have days when we make unhealthy choices or when life doesn’t seem to stand still for long enough to let us think about our wellbeing, let alone do something that feels good for our souls. Those are the days when we need each other even more. We remind each other to take a break. To do something life affirming or soothing, energising or restful depending on what is needed.
Wellbeing is a way of life and we will help you to make positive choices everyday that will help you to become a happier and healthier person.
Our Team
Meet The Team
Pip Fresch
Yoga Teacher
Pip has been in love with and practicing yoga for over 25 years. She qualified as a yoga teacher through Dan Peppiatt’s ground breaking, “Yoga Like Water”, 200 hrs Teacher Training program in May 2017, www.yogalikewater.com, has a Level 3 QCF Diploma in teaching yoga, (200 hrs), and is a fully accredited member of the Independent Yoga Network. Pip is currently studying Therapeutic Somatic Yoga for healing and recovery.
Mark Fresch
Doctor
Mark qualified as a medical doctor in 1999. After 8 years as a GP partner he left to follow a portfolio career mixing general practice in various forms for the NHS and MOD with hospital medicine, appraising GPs, Western Medical Acupuncturist, running a GP service within the A&E department at the North Devon District Hospital and teaching at Exeter University Medical School.
Mark also works in the field of wilderness medicine. Amongst other trips he has taken several teams up Mount Kilimanjaro and in November 2019 led a team of 34 to Everest Base Camp for Marie Curie. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, an Officer of the Council and Member of the College of Remote and Offshore Medicine, member of the Wilderness Medical Society and currently working towards his Fellowship in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine.
He also runs (a lot) and completed his 100th marathon in 2018.
Karen Mottram
Massage Therapist and Yoga Teacher
Karen has been a massage therapist for over 20 years and has qualifications in body massage, aromatherapy, Indian head massage, reflexology, deep tissue massage, holistic facials, Thai massage and is FHT registered. She has also been practicing yoga for 20 years and qualified as a teacher alongside Pip through Dan Peppiatt’s” Yoga Like Water” Teacher Training Course. Karen works part time at the North Devon Hospice, is on the committee of “Ask for Jake”, a wonderful mental health support charity and is training to be a counsellor.
Karen loves traveling, surfing and walking Alfie and Leo, the best dogs in the world.
