January 2026 Newsletter

When Hope and Reality Collide

I can’t help but be real about what I’m feeling right now.

I don’t feel hopeless, but I do feel disappointed, upset, and concerned about what this year may bring. Especially when I look not just a few months ahead, but a year… or three. And still, underneath that, I hold a deep belief that something good is trying to happen. That sometimes what’s good isn’t what we want. And sometimes things have to get uncomfortably clear before meaningful change can take root.

That belief doesn’t make things easy. It just makes them survivable.

This year has already offered plenty of reminders that things are hard. The world feels chaotic and painful, and closer to home there are real stressors, too: communication breakdowns in relationships, the financial pressures of capitalism, parenting dynamics, the logistics of daily life, and the quiet overwhelm of “too many things all at once.” 

Life is a lot. And when we start a year expecting things to magically be different, or that this is the time we will finally do ALL the things we “should” do, we are setting ourselves up for failure and disappointment. And we don’t have the bandwidth for that. 

Updating our expectations for winter

If you came into this year expecting January to feel like a reset, only to find it already feels heavy, there’s nothing wrong with you.

That expectation wasn’t realistic.

The calendar change doesn’t instantly change the world. Big problems don’t disappear overnight. And winter is not the season for pushing, optimizing, or “becoming your best self.”

It’s the season for roots.

If you’re disappointed that you’re not showing up with perfect habits, iron-clad discipline, or unstoppable motivation, pause and reassess. You’re not failing, you’re living in winter.

Trees don’t grow leaves in January.
They grow foundations.

This is the time for small, doable steps. Gentle consistency. Progress without perfection. Stretching roots instead of forcing blooms.

Create a Reflex

When the world feels overwhelming, we don’t rise to our best intentions; we fall back on our habits.

That’s why willpower isn’t enough in moments of stress.

We need reflexes, not strategies.

A reflex is simple:
When this happens, I do that.

Not later.
Not after you think it through. In the moment,

your body reacts.

When you see a disturbing headline.
When your chest tightens.
When your thoughts start racing.
When your nervous system is activated before your mind can make sense of what’s happening (especially if you’re neurodivergent.)

The question isn’t “How do I fix this?”
The question is “What do I do immediately to bring my body back down?”

Your reflex should:
• Lower stress hormones
• Bring you back into your body
• Be easy to remember
• Be something you’ll actually do

For me, that reflex is dance.

When in doubt—dance.

Not perform. Not choreograph.
Just turn on the music and let my body move.

Dance shifts me out of thinking and back into feeling. It moves energy through me instead of letting it get stuck. It changes my mood, my perspective, and my ability to respond instead of react.

Once my body settles, then I can ask:
What do I need next?
Rest?
Action?
Connection?
Advocacy?
A nap?

Movement creates choice.

And choice creates agency. 

Let this year be livable

I have big goals that will take years to fulfill. But I’m not relying on their completion to give me joy today. We need things today to hold on to, not far-off ideal outcomes. What matters is choosing things that are sustainable, enjoyable, and kind to our nervous system.

For my health this year, that means moving my body in ways I’ll actually do because I enjoy it.
Not perfection.
Not giving it my all.
Just dancing.

As we move into this year together, I invite you to:
Lower the bar just enough to make progress possible.
Choose ease where you can.
Care for your body well, because it matters.
And trust that you can figure things out as you go.

You’ve survived everything that’s come before this moment.
That counts.
Give yourself credit.

The world doesn’t need you burned out or frozen.
It needs you regulated, rooted, and alive.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure what will actually work for you this year, you don’t have to figure it out on your own. It helps to talk it through, what your situation is, what’s realistic, and what would genuinely support you right now.

Sustainable steps will always take you further than forced momentum. If you’d like a space to think strategically and gently about the year ahead, let’s talk. 

Upcoming Event

Monthly Clearings

A quiet, monthly pause to clear emotional and energetic residue and come back into alignment. Live at 5:55 AM with a replay available to receive at your own time. 

Through guided practices and nourishing community connection, you’ll leave feeling grounded, inspired, and ready to flourish in the year to come. Join us for this beautiful year-end tradition and begin 2026 with renewed energy and purpose.

REGISTER NOW

Deep Frequency Clearing

A calm, frequency-based clearing that works at the root of patterned stress responses. No emotional processing or effort required, just presence, receptivity, and integration.

REGISTER NOW