Hello Love,

It's not long after Christmas when the isles are already filled with Valentine's cards, candies, gifts, (and my favorite) chocolate. Have you ever stopped to notice how we live in a society that is always making us think ahead, plan ahead? Planning ahead is definitely a good thing(!), but just notice how much time you spend thinking (obsessing) about the future, or the past for that matter. For many, this aspect of "always planning ahead" leaves us living in anxiety. This is one of many aspects that yoga helps us re-train: how to recognize and choose to be in the present moment. "Life gives you plenty of time to do whatever you want to do if you stay in the present moment.” — Deepak Chopra

Well, February is here. January flew by. This month I am focusing on Self-Love in my classes. What is self-love? What does it mean to you?

I don't know about you, but I intend to, want to, choose to LIVE fully - every single day. Savor Every Second. AND still lead an amazing full life! The intensity of January was already showing its impact; I was feeling completely exhausted a week ago. Excited, happy, driven... all, yes. But exhausted. And I knew where it was leading me if I didn't take note soon.

The middle of winter carries a heaviness to it. In Ayurveda, it is known as Kapha energy (Earth/Water). To bring balance, we want to focus on activities/food/etc that bring a lightness (Vata/Air), and heat (Pitta/Fire). So we will continue to do so (yes, more breath of fire 😂). However, if you, like me, are constantly going, doing, thinking, BEing all the time in all the ways, it is very likely that you may be out of balance in vata, too.

What this means is that you first have to preserve, pull back, pause. Yes, we still need the fire. But a vata imbalance needs you to acknowledge how you may be overdoing it. To find balance when vata is too high, we actually need to find heat and also grounding - not things that add to the exhaustion. Confusing, I know. But there's a whole science behind what this means and why it works. You don't have to understand the science but here's some of the things you can do:

• Find ways to slow down, even if it's for a small portion of your day.
• Take scheduled minutes throughout the day to pause, breathe, just reconnect with your body and the ground.
• Drink warm teas, lots of hydration.
• Add spice/heat to your foods/drinks.
• Stay warm - warm socks, warm clothes.
• Give yourself a short oil-massage at least once a day.
• Opt for some exercise that helps you build heat but not adding to exhaustion: ex: strength training, breathing exercises (slow, steady build)
• Opt for yoga practices that help you unwind, slow down, give yourself some love. A gentle daily morning practice is AMAZING for helping bring grounded, centered, calm, focused days.
• Get plenty of rest: to bed no later than 10pm!

Last week, when I acknowledged what was happening, I gave myself permission this week to pause. I prioritized getting to bed earlier. I slept in a couple mornings. I opted for tea instead of coffee (which is dehydrating). I did some gentle walks on the treadmill instead of heavy workouts. I did more journaling to get out of my constantly thinking mind and reconnect to my deeper, higher knowing. I took Elissa's restorative yoga class. I tried to get back into a more structured routine for my day. I trusted that despite how much I needed to get done, that giving myself what it needed, I would in fact be in a better state to take care of all the things. And those that really didn't need to be tended to would drop off as they should.

So what does self care mean to you? What do you need this month to recenter and find balance? What does your physical body need? Mental body (mind) need? What does your energy body (pranic energetic state) need? What does your higher self need?

Please, gift this to yourself. Start small if you must. A 1 percent change is actually quite impactful over time. If you need help, reach out! Or schedule a discovery session so we can explore. Lastly, please plan on attending the first monthly Yoga Nidra at our private intimate studio this February 25th. We are honored to hold this space with and for you. 🙏🏻💕

Many hugs, xoxo

Jess