The Best YOU in 2026- jan 2026

Happy 2026, everyone!!!

Thank you so much for being here and starting off the new year with me in this special way of good ol’ email newsletters No, but really, I recognize I say it over and over again, but I’m so grateful for this community over the years and there’s something really comforting about building a relationship with one another- even if it’s over emails. SO.....HI! Welcome, you beautiful, deserving, incredibly hard working human. If you’re new here and one of your intentions this year is to clean out your email inbox, I won’t be mad if I don’t make the cut, but I hope you’ll make some space for this (: These newsletters come only once a month and I try to fill them with a lot of love & goodness and actual tools & resources for all of us (myself included!). The hope is you can spend a little time with them, utilize the journal prompts, enjoy some new tunes, & feel a little less alone. Thanks again for being here!

The first Monday of the month to start off the year do be feeling extra “get back to reality” right now. Is it just me? I hope that the holiday season was really special for each of you, and you’re feeling a refreshing sense of motivation & excitement for what’s to come. 54(!!) of you committed to the 2026 ISC! Whether it was during the live session, receiving the recording, or you haven’t gotten to it quite yet (which is SO okay!), so many of us chose being intentional this year, and I’m so stoked about that!

I’ve offered this ISC for 6 years now, and while I looove setting some intentions and doing some reflection to really embrace a new year, I’m also a huge proponent of not “needing” a new year, or new season, or really anything, to say “today is a new day and I’m ready to make a change and become better”. So if that also resonates, and you’re maybe not in the best headspace right now to set some kick-ass goals- that’s okay! Take your time. If I can help, I’ll be here when you’re ready I truly can’t wait to see how we all become more clear in ourselves, our purpose, and see those single words to capture an entire year’s essence plastered all over notebooks & social media!

This brings me to the next thing I’d like to chitty chat about on here- presence. And while I’m obsessed with this word, I promise it isn’t my word for the year. Presence in the sense of how we show up (words, actions, thoughts, boundaries, etc), day in and day out. Big or small. For strangers, acquaintances, loved ones, people we dislike. Our presence. For the people who have been around here for a while, you might have noticed something a little different. I “rebranded”! Yeah I changed some fonts and colors and redid my website (everyone who does website creation for a living you have my utmost respect because sheeeesh!!), but this rebrand has more on an emphasis on  mindful living. Truly an approach that is wholistic, well-rounded and about alignment -not in just a physical way, but an inner harmony kind of way. My personal yoga journey, as well as my teaching career, has never been just about getting on a mat, being one person, and then getting off to be another. Instead, I’ve always encouraged what we practice in yoga to translate into real life- patience, introspection, strength, resilience and so much more. So without dragging on too much about this, I just want you all to know what you can expect from this space now & going forward. A space for connection, for authenticity, for eliminating ego & comparison, mindfulness, and more joy in the simplest of things.

When I was thinking about what I wanted to include and share in this month’s newsletter, it came down to considering how we can be the best us this year. How this year, we can be the most loving, most rested, most caring, most supportive, most ______ (you fill in the blank) versions of ourselves. 2025 taught me a lot. Like so much! And I know I’m not the only one is working on health, relationships, communication, and overall, being more mindful. I want to extend some of the big ones, or shall I say “gold nuggets” from the year

*Our worth is not determined by other people’s perceptions of who we are- that great saying “What other people think of me is none of my business”

*We maybe know half of what someone is going through. How can we extend more patience, compassion, & understanding?

*Speak kindly & clearly. As much as we want other people to be able to read our minds at times, they can’t. And we can’t read theirs. Say what we mean and mean what we say.

*Listening is a beautiful skill becoming harder and harder to find. Remember how it feels when someone stops what their doing and listens, & extend that same respect & love to others.

*Am I pouring more into social media and this made up world with people I might never see in person, than the humans I love and am closest to? Why does this wider scope of perception matter more than checking in with friends and family?

*Our health is such a gift! When we don’t physically feel well, everything is that much more challenging!

*The grass is greener where it’s watered & nourished. Focus on the grass in front of you.

*Increase the number of rejections we receive simply by increasing the number of possibilities we’re creating for ourselves. Be okay with and find the value in the “no”.

*Don’t slip into identities- release them, rewrite them, and change the script every. single. day! Allow ourselves to change over and over again.

That's it beautiful people! Have an amazing day, week, month & year- I can’t wait to see how we all grow in 2026!