Good morning,
Let me start by wishing you all a Happy New Year!
Ah, January 1st - we have a whole fresh year ahead.
I like the image of a new page in a book.
It works well because we can acknowledge the previous pages/chapters/parts as essential components—making up the story of our lives—but each new year is a fresh start.
A fresh, new page.
What I am less keen on is the idea that we have to reinvent ourselves and our lives in some kind of drastic way (though, of course, we are all free to do as we feel to, and if that’s useful, then go for it, I’m not judging), simply because I think it can be unhealthy to place that much pressure on ourselves.
We are who we are and our lives have their own particular flavour. You can burn the old book - the old you - if you like, and start all over again, but I think it’s far more conducive to lasting change if we can acknowledge our experiences and use them to grow and evolve in more meaningful ways.
After all, there is no such thing as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, there is just life and living and it’s all such a mystery.
We don't have to have it all figured out.
I'm not even sure that we can have it all figured out.
Surely, that in itself is just an illusion?
As difficult as it can be sometimes, I try to hold onto realistic expectations that are grounded in self-acceptance.
I attempt to envisage my dreams and goals without putting too much strain on them, or on myself.
People will no doubt have their own thoughts about this, and thoughts about me (maybe you should, I hear you say), and that’s okay.
We all gotta do, what we all gotta do.
Anyway, I digress, and I will now get to the point of this newsletter, which is just to say that, this year, TYL will be going quarterly.
I have recently taken on the role of editor for a not-for-profit, and combined with my MA studies, there are more demands on my writing time.
But I look forward to continuing with these yogic offerings, spread out over the four seasons, with the first issue of 2025 due at the start of spring.
The content will be the same, with similar ideas as a guide, setting up how our practices might unfold with each new season.
Right now, we are still in the depths of winter and by listening to our bodies, we know that what we need most is rest, and holding on to gentle hope.
So, go slow.
Just to give you an idea of this year’s publishing schedule, here is what I am aiming for:
Spring (March)
Summer (June)
Autumn (September)
Winter (December)
That’s it for now.
All that is left for me to do is to express my heartfelt thanks for your support, time and energy reading TYL.
To those who pay, thank you. I trust that you will still find value in the quarterly issues.
And, to those of you who would like to know, I have started a new Substack called The Glimmering Tide (the first one coming mid-Jan) which will be a written meditation on life in these times.
I would love to welcome you to this more personal newsletter, where I intend to write regular candid reflections about all sorts of things, always with an element of my mindfulness and yoga practices, but in relation to so much more.
I will undoubtedly get it wrong and make mistakes along the way, but I hope it will be an interesting journey through the coming year. It would be wonderful if you could join me.
So, please feel warmly welcome and invited.
*I haven’t automatically added TYL subscribers (like I could) because I feel that would be presumptuous. I would rather leave that up to you to decide because, if your inbox is anything like mine, then it makes sense to only subscribe to the things that truly align.
May peace, health and prosperity be yours in 2025!
With kindness,
Louisa x