With Thanks

It’s late to be writing a blog post, all the doors and windows are open and I can hear the neighbours speaking a mix of languages, sometimes soothing, sometimes jarring. I keep writing anyway.

We’re all here in the in-betweenie bit of Christmas and New Year, a funny old place to be. Unless you’re away and definitely ‘off’, then everything’s essentially the same, just a bit quieter, hotter and with more flies.

Still it seems a good place, flies and all, to check in to check out and give thanks for the year that’s almost been. Many, many thanks to you, lovely people.

Whether you’re seeing in 2016 in sequins or in your onesie, I hope you’ve got to this point with some deep inhales and long exhales, with your shoulders down and a swing in your step. Maybe you’ve taken a moment to thank yourself for making it this far. Better yet, let’s take a collective moment because we showed up! For better or worse, we kept showing up and here we are. Go us!

I have vague plans to take a break although I struggle with that constant internal battle that accompanies every end of every year*. There is a very real urge to somehow complete and sort and make right every possible thing in my life that needs to be completed, sorted and made right. Seeking a sense of closure while embracing new beginnings and a truckload of good intentions all accumulating between the old and the new year can be overwhelming; especially so if you’ve got Virgo-esque type tendencies anyway.

I’ve decided to take a softly-softly approach to the whole resolutions thing and go with a bit of reflection instead. Some positive intentions of course, because, well, yoga, but mostly I’m all about seeing 2015 off with gratitude. Good, bad, I find it difficult to sum a year up into one tidy package. It’s more ebbs and flows and trying to accept that nothing is static, nothing is ever really ‘done’ or complete.

This year has been bursting. At the seams. Almost exactly like that time I made and promptly ate the ‘edges’ of the baked gifts. Then ate the new edges, the broken bits and … then I just ate all the baked gifts. And yes, it was the year you received candles.

I’ve worked hard. Mostly I’ve loved it; often I’ve questioned why I thought for one deluded minute this could be a thing. But mostly, and gratefully, at every turn I’ve continued to meet the very best kind of people. Also working hard and also mostly loving it too. Not all yoga folk either, in the sense that they’re practicing asanas, but those who have connected and sparked what makes up my yoga community, The Yoga Connection.

We’ve met up over coffee, in the changing room, in the midst of yoga events and, often in an over-familiar, stalkerish way (me, I mean), online. Sometimes we’ve done double takes walking down the street. “ Oh hi, Instagram-user-name, you don’t know me but I’ve seen you upside down and also at your partner’s birthday drinks. Love the new haircut, by the way!”

Bless your cotton socks and oh, my giddy aunt**. I hope you know how much I come back to your kind, encouraging words and your friendship, both real and virtual. Thank you with every fibre of my active-wear.

The generosity of some people continues to make my heart sing and while not everyone speaks to the same size audience, the power of yoga continues to grow us and have our back at every turn.

Thank freaking goodness, I say.

[blockquote]So thank you. Thank you to those of you who’ve taken the time to engage on this site, to use it, to tell others about it, to read my ramblings and to contribute and share what you’re about too.

Thank you to those of you who chat with me on social media and send emails with kisses at the bottom. My kind of people! [/blockquote]

I barely mention my own studios because I am hyper-alert to remaining neutral and available to the whole community without appearing to play favourites. Hopefully though, in the spirit of the season you’ll allow me this space to give a little recognition to the sister studios that provide me with my happy place and a host of incredible teachers whom I continue to learn from on a daily.

Hot Yoga Auckland and Om Yoga Studio, Fiona and Sandey, thank you for being your lovely selves, for all your support, your enthusiasm and your kindness.

I’m excited for what next year will bring. I’m looking forward to meeting more of you, for taking new classes, for continuing to throw myself up against that wall like it’s my job. TYC is all about playing a part in bringing the yoga community together so let’s consider how this works for all of us – students, as well as studios and teachers. All of us.

We’ll be a bit quieter over the next week, still available and checking in but our priority will be hopefully raising our eyes from our phones and trying to calm down taking it slower till we return with all guns blazing in the new-ish year.

Oh, yes.

Happy, Happy New Year! Be safe! Be awesome!

– Namaste,
Jane xx

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*Am I the only one who finds it ALL TOO MUCH?! Please tell me I’m not.
**Such worthy additions to any blog post, I’m sure you’ll agree.

PS. Have you had a look around the new site? We want to do more, to share what you’re up to, put the word out if you’ve got something to get loud about and make sure you’re heard. And there’s a whole country to cover! If you have any thoughts about how we could do things differently or questions then do get in touch. Pre-warn me though if I need to book a Jyutsu session. Thanking you in advance.

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© The Yoga Connection 2015