Shake it off!

Hello and happy Monday!

Thank you so much for opening this letter.

I’m writing to you on a snowy day…yes, it snowed!

The world outside looks like a magical winter wonderland.

I went for a walk while the snow was gently falling, and everything looked and felt so peaceful. The trees were lightly dusted with snow, and the world was so quiet that I could hear the faint crunch of the snow beneath my feet with every step. The cool, crisp air felt refreshing against my face, and the Christmas lights, covered in snow, took on this whimsical glow. It was like I had stepped into a snow globe. It was absolutely breathtaking!

Whenever I spend time in nature, no matter the season, I make a conscious effort to slow down and mindfully engage my senses, taking in everything around me. This practice is deeply grounding and nourishing as it gently guides me back to the present moment. As I connect with the sights, sounds, and scents all around me, past worries and future concerns simply melt away, leaving me feeling calm, connected, and present.

I highly recommend taking nature walks, or if it feels better, sitting outside for a few minutes each day. Depending on where you are in the world, taking your shoes off and feeling the grass beneath your feet can be incredibly grounding. Use your time outdoors to engage your senses–take in the beauty of the natural world all around you, feel the sensation of the air against your skin, and listen to the sounds of nature. Breathe in the freshness of the air, or the aroma of the trees and plants around you.

You can deepen this practice by extending gratitude to the natural world for its many gifts that it offers us each day–gifts like the air we breathe, the vitamin D from the sunlight, the water that sustains life, the nutrient-rich soil that supports the growth of plants and the food we consume, the natural remedies that nature provides, and so on.

Spending time in nature and practicing gratitude are two examples of practices that can gently bring us back to the present moment. These practices are helpful because our minds have a tendency to time travel between the past and the future, frequently bypassing the present moment altogether. By taking a few moments each day to pause, breathe, and reconnect with the present moment, we can reduce feelings of stress and overwhelm, bringing more balance, calm, and peace into our lives.

Speaking of present-moment awareness practices, I’ve created a Somatic Full Body Shake practice to help you shake off stress, unhelpful thoughts, lingering emotions, physical tension, or anything else that just isn't serving you well at the present moment.

I felt inspired to create this practice for a few reasons.

This practice is partly inspired by the first hurtful comment that I received on one of my yoga videos when I first started my channel. It hurt so much that I actually cried. I pour my heart and soul into everything I create, so it was hard to believe that someone could dislike something I made with so much love and care. I let that comment linger in my mind far longer than I should have, and it made me question my worth–not just as a yoga instructor, but as a person. Yikes!

After a day or so, I realized that if I wanted to continue posting content on YouTube, then I needed to separate my self-worth from what I put out into the world. I also recognized that I needed to have strategies that I could call upon to help me manage rumination and release lingering emotions. Because the truth is, my teaching style won’t resonate with everyone, and that's okay. So, I asked myself, “How can I shake off hurtful comments?” And then it clicked–I could literally shake them off through dance. I turned on some Taylor Swift and danced to “Shake it Off.” As I moved, I imagined shaking those negative words out of my body and mind. By the end of the song, I felt lighter, energized, confident, and empowered. That comment didn’t have the same hold on me anymore. This practice invited me to get out of my head and into my body, inviting the emotions and feelings that I’d been holding onto to move and flow out. After all, emotions are energy in motion. Through this movement practice, I created space to release what no longer served me.

Peter Levine’s work also inspired this practice. He developed Somatic Experiencing, an approach that taps into the body’s natural ability to heal from adverse experiences. Levine explains that animals in the wild instinctively shake their bodies to release the stress and energy built up from a threatening event. This “shaking it off” response helps animals reset and restore inner balance. Humans can also benefit from this practice, as it allows us to release stored emotions, tension, and energy from the body. By doing so, it provides the nervous system with a reset, bringing us back to a state of presence and balance.

The final reason I created this practice is because the holidays are fast approaching. While this season can be filled with joy and excitement, it can also come with its share of stressors and strong emotions. I wanted to offer you a practice that could provide support during this time of year–a practice that helps you reconnect with your body and breath, and a practice that invites you to shake off and release what no longer serves to create space for what you would like to welcome into your life.

I invite you to “shake it off” with this somatic practice. You can join this practice by clicking on the image or the button below. I'll see you there!!

Here is this month’s free yoga calendar: https://www.yogawithrachelmarie.com/calendar​

Feel free to join a class whenever you can! These classes are super cozy and restorative, which can feel lovely during this time of year.

I’ve been working on something special that I cannot wait to share with you! I’ll be revealing the details in an upcoming video, so if you want to stay updated, make sure you’re subscribed to the channel and have the notification bell turned on.

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

I am so grateful for you and feel incredibly blessed for this community.

Thank you for your ongoing love, encouragement, and support.

Sending you love and light,

~ Rachel