Reflections for your Yoga Practice at New Year

As we begin another calendar year we often feel the call for ‘new beginnings’.  This can be refreshing – letting go of the year behind us and looking forward to the one ahead.

But remember that you are perfect, and you are enough - this may be a new year, but nothing needs to change unless you want it to.

 I like to begin the year with reflections and I do this in a few different ways – guided reflecting sessions with trusted teachers, journaling, spending time in nature just ‘being’ and seeing what comes through my mind.  Sometimes these reflections are home and family related and sometimes they are career related, and sometimes they focus on my yoga practice.

I’d like to invite you to reflect at this point of a new year on your yoga practice. (although you can of course do this at anytime)

Take a comfortable seat and maybe a journal or a paper and pen and see where these reflections take you.

 One of the key practices of yoga is reflection.  The mindful quality of our practice, where we take moments of pause to feel both our body and mind and how they are responding to our yoga – be that physical practices or meditative practices.

 Another key practice of yoga is coming to the present moment. Being aware of where we are and how we feel right now.

So as we start this new year it’s a good time to reflect back on and look forward to our yoga practices.  And then also let go of past and future and be in the present.

Reflecting back:

1.    What does your yoga mean to you? Why do you go to class/practice yoga?

You can think of this from various perspectives - physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, socially. 

2.    How has this changed over time?  How has your yoga practice evolved as your life’s journey shifts and changes?

 Sometimes one area of yoga feels more important than another, or you feel you need a particular practice more – quieter, stronger or slower practices -these may reflect different things happening in your daily life, aging, injury, even what you need at different times of the day.

Looking Forward:

Do you have a wish for your yoga practice in the next few weeks, months or even year ahead?

Make this a gentle wish, not a rigid routine change. Something that overarches your practices such as practicing with more compassion for yourself, or being more present or adapting to what you need at any given time.

And right now:

 Take this moment to sit or lie down and just feel deeply through your body, notice the movement of your mind and be with exactly what is.  Be in the present moment, right here, right now. This is what your yoga is really about.

Thank you for taking this moment of gratitude for your yoga practice and our collective yoga practice.

Our practice connects us deeply to ourselves and others and the world around us. It helps us to go into the world with more awareness and more kindness and this ripple affect will touch all those around us for the better.

For the coming year I wish for your yoga to support you through the joys, challenges and all things in-between  as they'll come and go as always.

I wish you a happy, healthy, kind and peaceful 2026.