NEW YEAR
Hope lives in the blankness
of each new calendar square,
the footsteps of a few appointments
already scrawled across those
pristine, snowy fields. We leap at
this chance to hit the reset button
on life, to pause here at the cusp
and draw a deep breath before
time starts peeling away the pages
of January, February, and March,
faster and faster, sending them
into the scattering wind.
– James Crews
I, like many of you, was in hibernation mode these last couple of weeks. Sometime around mid-December I started saying “that’s a January problem,” and closing my laptop in favor of opening a book and getting cozy by the fire. Then January 2nd rolled around, and it was practically the weekend, so I said “that’s a January 6th problem.”
Well here we are – I guess it’s time to face the things we’ve been putting off until the “New Year.” I do love this New Year poem by one of my favorite poets, James Crews, and his reminder to “pause here at the cusp and draw a deep breath before time starts peeling away the pages…”
Maybe we don’t have to succumb to our culture’s insessent forward momentum in January. It is still winter, isn’t it? Nature is still slow and dark, hibernating. What would it be like to ease into the new year (an arbitrary date anway)? Even if our calendar this week is full of meetings and emails and driving kids to and from school and activities and whatever else feels pressing, can we find moments to pause at the cusp and draw a deep breath?
If this feels near to impossible, we are here to help with the structure of your practice and support within community. Your teachers and I are here to remind you to take that deep breath and big, releasing sigh. Remember – in any moment, we can tap into the wisdom of going slow when the rest of the world is speeding up.
Here are some opportunities this month and next to be with Source community and ground yourself with the pace of your inner nature:
- Next weekend – help me welcome Jeni Martinez, long time local teacher to the Source Yoga community. Jeni is one of the cofounders of Three Trees Yoga in Federal Way, has been teaching for 35 years, and has been recently moved to Tacoma after a few years living in Spain. I am so happy to welcome her to our teaching staff. Her January 19th workshop sold out almost immediately – so we added a date – January 12th. There are just a few spots left, so don’t wait to sign up for Movement, Meditation, and Mantra – a workshop for creating wholeness. She will also be offering this as a 6 Week Series beginning in February.
- Join me for a special winter one day retreat January 26th in Indianola, WA. Water, Earth and Sky: Grounding Ourselves in Nature. Through awareness practices, we remember the truth that we are of nature.
- Join Karen Laura Peters for her once monthly Restorative Yoga and Live Music. January’s event is sold out, but reserve your spot early for next month – February 7th.
- Our next Postnatal Yoga with Baby series is with Skye Deuel – and on Saturdays – perfect for those that can’t make a weekday class. This is a 3 week series and runs February 8th-22nd.
- Our schedule is now posted January-May, so check out and sign up for your classes!
We look forward to seeing you this New Year in the studio (or in our continued online classes!),
Erin Joosse | she/her
Source Yoga | studio director
