Choose Your Own Adventure

Hi dear friend!

Happy New Year!

How did you ring in 2025?

I couldn’t help but laugh when I thought back to how I rang in 2024. I quite literally kicked my way into the new year, stubbing three of my toes on my bed frame! Thankfully, this year is already off to a smoother start–I haven’t stubbed a single toe! I made sure to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground on New Year’s Eve to avoid another mishap.

For our first letter of the year, I thought that it might be fun to explore a “Choose Your Own Adventure” activity.

This activity is inspired by our 7-day somatic yoga journey to self-compassion, where each practice has its own intention tied to self-compassion. These practices provide dedicated time and space to explore each intention on the mat. However, when we step off the mat, it can be challenging to carry these qualities into our everyday lives for various reasons.

I thought it would be a fun idea to invite you to explore at least one of the seven themes off the mat at some point this week. You’re welcome to explore more than one, or all of them, if that feels right for you. And you’re welcome to opt out of exploring this activity altogether if it doesn’t resonate with you. 🙂

Choose Your Own Adventure!

1. Nurture

I invite you to reflect upon your understanding of the word ‘nurture.’ If it feels good, close your eyes and repeat the word ‘nurture’ either in your head or aloud. As you do this, what words, images, colors, emotions, feelings, and beliefs come up for you? I encourage you to stay open and curious about whatever surfaces without passing judgment.

Now, consider ways that you can nurture yourself. In other words, consider what feels good and nourishing in your body.

Activity: I invite you to take some time this week to nurture your inner world. This could mean going to bed earlier to feel more rested in the morning, or engaging in a creative activity or hobby that brings you joy. It might look like saying “no” to make space for what truly aligns with your values. It could also be about listening to your body’s needs, making time for play, or spending time learning something new.

Self-nurturing is truly a compassionate gift we can offer our mind and body.

2. Presence

In our fast-paced world, where distractions are endless and constant noise surrounds us, cultivating a sense of presence can be a real challenge. In addition to this, our minds naturally wander, often shifting between past worries and future concerns, pulling our focus away from the present moment.

When we explore ways to ground ourselves in the present moment, we offer a compassionate gift to both the mind and body. This practice helps create space for inner peace, balance, calm, and a deeper sense of connection to ourselves, others, and the world around us.

One thing that often pulls our focus away from the present moment, disconnecting us from our body and its internal sensations, is technology.

Activity: I invite you to disconnect from technology to reconnect with yourself. Choose a day this week to spend at least three hours without any technology–no phones, computers, TVs, or other devices. During this time, explore tech-free activities. Afterward, take a moment to reflect on how this experience felt in your body–what thoughts, emotions, feelings, beliefs, or judgments surfaced during the time spent away from screens?

3. Curiosity

Children are naturally curious, asking an endless stream of questions in an attempt to better understand the world around them. Some of my fondest memories as a classroom teacher were the moments spent outdoors with my students during our outdoor learning time. One moment, in particular, stands out. One of my students came running up to me, his eyes full of excitement, telling me he’d found an insect he’d never seen before. He led me over to where the insect was sitting, and as he observed it, he started asking questions. “Can it fly?” “What sound does it make?” “Where did it come from?” “What does it eat?” Now, I didn’t have any answers to his questions, but instead of shutting down his curiosity, I responded with, “These are interesting questions. I’d love to hear what you think.” I simply listened, encouraging him to explore his thoughts freely, without worrying about being right or wrong. It didn’t matter whether he was correct or not–this practice was about nurturing his curiosity, letting it guide his explorations, and allowing his imagination to take the lead.

As adults, we often suppress our curiosity for a number of reasons, one of which is that curiosity can feel vulnerable, and vulnerability can trigger feelings of fear. The thought of asking a question and risking sounding "dumb"...yikes! Friend, I’m here to tell you that curiosity is a superpower. It fuels a growth mindset, encourages reflection and open-mindedness, builds empathy and connection, promotes emotional and intellectual growth, and sparks creativity. It can also lead us to be more compassionate towards ourselves and others.

Activity: I invite you to go on a curiosity walk. As you walk, really take in the world around you. Choose at least three things you see–whether it’s a tree, a building, an animal, or a plant–and start asking questions about them. For instance, if you see a tree, you might wonder, “How did this tree get here?” “How tall is it?” “How old is it?” “What animals might use this tree for shelter?” Ask as many questions as you can think of, and let your imagination guide your explorations.

4. Release

When we release what no longer serves, we make space for qualities that we would like to nurture within–compassion, love, joy, gratitude, courage, resilience, empathy, honesty, creativity, humility, and so on. To bring this process to life, imagine a large yellow sponge submerged in water. When you take the sponge out of the water, it feels heavy due to the water it absorbed. As you gently wring it out, the water gradually releases, leaving the sponge lighter and more open–just like the space we create within ourselves when we release what’s no longer in alignment.

Activity: I welcome you to release what no longer serves through a somatic shaking practice: https://youtu.be/yEwonufcSQQ This video, released in December, offers a fun and energizing way to release stress, tension, lingering emotions, and worries. Shake it off, let it flow, and shed what no longer serves!

5. Restore

What does ‘rest’ mean to you, and what is your relationship with it? For many (myself included), the idea of rest can stir up some internal discomfort, as we live in a culture that expects us to be ‘on’ all the time. In this environment, busyness is often associated with success and productivity. But without taking time to rest and care for ourselves, we can quickly find ourselves worn out, emotionally overwhelmed, sick, and ultimately heading toward burnout. Rest is not just important–it’s essential.

Activity: I invite you to find a quiet space free from distractions and sit in stillness for at least 10 minutes. There are no goals, objectives, or anything to do–just the opportunity to simply be. Afterward, feel free to write down your thoughts and reflections from the experience.

6. Gratitude

As we cultivate a deeper connection with gratitude, compassion naturally flows, extending to ourselves, others, and the world around us. With that said, accessing gratitude can be challenging for many reasons. During my experience with chronic pain, gratitude was the last thing on my mind, as fear consumed me and felt inescapable.

Fortunately, I discovered another practice that felt more accessible during this season of my life–a glimmer practice. This practice encouraged me to notice one thing in my environment that brought a smile to my face: the sound of birds chirping outside, the warmth of the sun on my skin, the smell of cookies baking, or the rhythm of rain hitting pavement. This practice served as a gentle reminder that even in the midst of hardship, there is so much beauty around me to appreciate.

Activity: I invite you to go on a glimmer walk. During your walk, take a moment to pause and notice the things that spark warm, fuzzy, and joyful feelings within. Savor these precious moments, and if it feels right, express gratitude for its presence in your life.

7. Trust

This activity is all about building trust with yourself. When you trust yourself, it empowers you to make better decisions, grow personally, bounce back from challenges, and practice self-compassion. It can strengthen your connection with both yourself and others, inviting you to step into your authenticity.

Activity: I invite you to go to bed at the same time each night for one week. To ensure that you’re getting between 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night, work backwards from your wake-up time to find an ideal bedtime that fits your schedule. For example, if you usually wake up at 6am, schedule your bedtime for 10pm. Consider adding some self-care activities into your nightly routine to help your mind and body relax before bed. By sticking to a consistent bedtime, you’re building self-trust and reaffirming your commitment to your overall well-being.

I hope these activities bring you joy, spark new insights, and deepen your connection with yourself.

And if you haven’t joined yet, it’s not too late to start our 7-day somatic yoga journey to self-compassion!

Click on the image or the button below to join Day 1 of our journey.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read this letter!

I appreciate you!

Enjoy the rest of your day, and wishing you a lovely week ahead.

With love,

~ Rachel