Happy New Year! Like so many others, I use this transition from one year to the next as an opportunity to start new things, shift my focus, and realign with my purpose. I’m not one for “resolutions”. Instead, I set intentions for the year. This gives me a little more space - and grace - to continue to work towards my goals without ever feeling like I have failed or given up. The first of my intentions this year is to write more, so I’m going to start that process by sharing my intentions for 2024 with you. I hope they’ll inspire you to set your own intentions for this coming year.
Write More
I’ve always loved to write, and often do so for my job with Green Lotus Yoga & Healing Center. As coordinator for their blog and newsletter (among other things), I am responsible for creating content, as well as editing content submitted by others. For many years, this has fulfilled my desire to write and perhaps, because of this, my own blog has not grown in the the way that I had hoped it would. I am setting a goal for myself to write at least one blog post per week. I have so many ideas for topics to write about yoga, massage, spirituality, Ayurveda, philosophy, and my thoughts and daily experiences as a mom, AirBnB host, city girl turned cattle farmer, and partner to my farmer/biker man. I’d love to know if there are subjects you’d like to learn more about!
Prioritize My Health
Recently, I had the opportunity to be a case study for my friend, Lisa Kofakis, as part of her studies to become a Clinical Herbalist. Our first appointment reminded me that there are many things I already know that I should be doing to improve my health, and I’ve not been doing them. She also made recommendations for other things I can add to my routine, my diet, and my supplement schedule. My intention is to recommit to my health. Specifically:
No More Wheat - I used to be completely gluten free and, over the years, have made more and more “exceptions”. Because I’ve been diagnosed with a wheat allergy and Hashimoto’s Disease, it is in my best interest to be 100% gluten free - no exceptions!
Monthly Periods of a Fasting Mimicking Diet - Fasting has been well studied and proven to have many health benefits, but it is not for everyone. My former holistic doc, who is now retired, said “NO fasting for you!”. I am already nutrient deficient, so fasting would only worsen those deficiencies. A fasting mimicking diet provides the benefits of fasting while still providing nutrient dense food. I’ll be following the protocols for an overweight person with 2 or more risk factors and will be starting my first 5-day FMD in the next few days. I’d like to start on January 1 but it makes more sense to take a few days to transition from holiday eating to healthy eating before undertaking the fast. Follow my blog for info on the Fasting Mimicking Diet and updates!
Mindful Movement Every Day - I’ve fallen into a rut that many yoga teachers fall into. I’ve been so busy teaching (and doing massage, and other things) that I’ve neglected my own yoga and meditation practice. My body has been telling me - loudly - that it is not happy. My hip hurts, my knees hurt, my foot aches, my energy level and mood have not been great, and I feel stiff and achy all the time. I feel better when I move. Stretching helps keep my joints fluid and prevents my hip and knee from hurting. Walking improves my circulation and mood. Any type of movement improves my sleep, reduces my pain, and helps me feel better in general. Let’s be realistic - I’m not saying I’m going to work out or do a 60-minute yoga session every day. My intention is to do some type of intentional movement each day. It might be a 60-minute yoga practice, or it might be a few sun salutations. It might be a walk around the pasture or it might be a short qigong sequence. It might simply be stretching on the living room floor while we watch TV. The important part, for me, is that I do SOMETHING - every day.
Rename (and refocus) My Business
When I moved to Hudson from Minneapolis in 2005, I was primarily teaching yoga classes and workshops as an independent contractor, so starting an LLC made financial sense. The Hudson area and surrounding communities are known as the St. Croix Valley. Yoga in the Valley was the perfect name for my business.
SO much has changed since then. I’m not in the St. Croix Valley anymore and I have shifted back to practicing massage, which is what I was doing when I discovered yoga. Although I had continued to practice massage in Minnesota after I moved to Hudson, it was secondary to teaching yoga. I didn’t pursue getting my Wisconsin massage license until March of this year, when my friend, Lisa Kofakis of Silver Creek Herbals, opened The Healing Room at Silver Creek Herbals and nudged me to practice there.
As years of teaching yoga classes, trainings, and workshops had me feeling burned out as a yoga teacher, my passion for healing touch was reignited. The name, Yoga in the Valley no longer feels like a good fit. My intention is to rename my business. I have a name selected, that more clearly reflects the direction of my healing practice, but I’ll be holding it close to my heart until the official announcement coming, hopefully, in the next few months. At the same time, I will be making minor adjustments to my service offerings and pricing. I’ll also be offering wellness workshops including Stress Reduction Techniques, Seasonal Wellness, Introduction to CBD, and more.
Comments