so long 2021, hello 2022!
Dec 30, 2021
Hello dear Yogis, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!~
Well, my friends, it’s another hard year in the books, and just like 2020, 2021 has given us plenty of opportunities to learn about ourselves, and each other.
How are you doing today? How was this last year for you? I’ll be honest, it’s been exhausting for me. And also growth inspiring. What I’ve noticed is chance after chance to stop and say, ‘okay, is this about me?’, and if it’s not, how do I want to respond? Or can I simply listen? It does seem that our current collective society could use better communication skills going forward, and also patience. With ourselves, as well as with each other.
There are two things I like to do at the end/beginning of the year. I choose an intention word to guide me through the new year, in place of the “New Year’s Resolution”. And I also take time to look back at the ending year and notice the theme; something that stood out as my biggest lesson. Typically these tend to be intertwined in some way, and set the stage for the oncoming year.
I’m not completely sure yet what my word is for 2022, but my word for 2021 was ‘presence’. For me, 2020 felt as though so much of life was about just getting through until we could return to “normal,” and there wasn’t enough of living on purpose. Or enjoyment of life, for that matter, we seemed to be simply holding on. (This was also the theme of the year.) With that lesson in mind, when 2021 came around, I decided that regardless of how things were going to be that year, I wanted to make sure to be present in my life- to live fully, and with presence. Being present allowed me to notice a really deep lesson this past year. One that hasn’t been so easy to learn; or rather unlearn. “It’s not about me.”
Yep, just as I wrote in the first part of my letter to you, this has been an all encompassing, eye opening year of noticing what’s mine and what isn’t, untangling it and processing how to respond, or not. We’ll liken it to ‘staying in your own lane’ kind of work. It’s been messy and emotional, mind blowing and humbling. Oh, and super important if I want to continue to grow and be present in my life. And I’ll be honest with you again. I don’t know how I would do this self-study without the support of yoga.
At the end of each of my classes you’ll hear me say “may our yoga practice continue to support us in whatever way we might need,” and what I’ve just shared with you is one of the ways I take my yoga practice off my mat and allow it to service my life. I know that this practice supports me when life gets sticky, just as well as it does when I feel content. It’s not a magic remedy that fixes everything, rather it provides me with a counter weight that makes things clearer and more manageable-balancing things out a little bit more than before I began.
Sometimes it’s in the breathing, sometimes it’s in the movement, sometimes it’s in the quiet, and sometimes it’s in the community I teach or practice with… I never know exactly how I’ll be affected, but ultimately the details don’t matter in the how of it because it’s different every time, and that’s the real life magic. Or rather, that’s the freedom we hear so much about in yoga.
When I step onto my mat, or even into the studio door, it’s like taking a breath of crisp, fresh air after being in a hot, stuffy room. No matter what I bring with me—anger, frustration, overwhelm, fatigue, sadness, confusion, you name it—by the end of my time on my mat, I’m in a different place, and usually that place involves a sense of clarity and rightness. It helps me set aside whatever I’m struggling with mentally and emotionally, and physically move the energy within my body. I know, and can trust, that I WILL feel a little bit better than when I stepped in.
That’s the draw, isn’t it! When people ask me why I “do yoga” or “meditate” or continue with my yoga education even, well, it’s really just that simple. Because it makes me feel better, and allows me to help others learn how to make themselves feel better too.😊
As we welcome in 2022, may we approach this next year with kindness and patience. May we turn to each other with transparency, and listen with compassion. May we allow ourselves to be inspired by the challenges and encouraged by each new awareness. And may our practice of yoga continue to support each one of us, however we might need.
I bow with gratitude to share this practice with all of you!
warmly~
Heather 💖
