"The wisdom of the practice is in the pauses, not the poses."

Hello Everyone and Happy New Year,

As the first month of 2026 begins to wrap up, I’m feeling motivated—emerging from my January Pause and ready to begin implementing all the inspiration that has been quietly accumulating. Taking the first month of the year to recoup my energy after the holidays, reflect on the year past, and allow space to sense what the coming year may bring has long been a personal rhythm for me as an Aquarius. Pausing feels natural and comfortable to me. I am very Kapha, after all. And yet, I know this is not the case for everyone.

From a very young age, we are conditioned by our society to always be doing and going. Over time, our nervous systems become accustomed to constant reacting, grasping, and racing. Slowing down can begin to feel uncomfortable—or even impossible. Integrating pauses into our routines takes practice, and a certain amount of courage. It becomes an act of self-care and self-inquiry, and, in a broader sense, a quiet rebellion against the pressure to always be productive.

When we pause before we act, pause to reflect, pause to truly experience the moment, and pause to notice the subtleties of the body, the breath, and the mind, we begin to cultivate wisdom. This wisdom supports clearer discernment, greater clarity, and more sustainable energy.

In the coming months, I’ll be diving deeper into my Pranayama and Meditation practices (and trainings) as a way of continuing to expand this inner wisdom. This feels like a meaningful way of gifting myself a commitment to pause—of valuing these subtle practices as equally important as all the other tasks of my day and of my yoga practice. I’m really looking forward to sharing this journey with you each week in class, and also in a more structured way this Spring with more offerings both in person and online.

In the meantime, I would like to share some information about Yoga Therapy and working with me one-on-one. I have added a page on my website that explains what exactly Yoga Therapy is and what type of conditions or ailments it may be helpful for. While I am not yet a certified Yoga Therapist, I am deeply trained and experienced in guiding one's yoga practice in a therapeutic way. In the months leading up to my Yoga Therapy Practicum (hopefully by summertime I will start seeing people formally), I would like to offer you all the opportunity to consider working with me in private sessions where I can be of service in any way. This may be refining or adapting your practice, exploring new practices like Pranayama or Meditation, guidance on developing a restorative/yin like practice or just simply having a private yoga class for yourself, or for yourself and some friends.

On my website you will find a page dedicated to Yoga Therapy: https://www.jmountainyoga.com/pages/yogatherapy

And a page dedicated to Private Yoga Sessions: https://www.jmountainyoga.com/pages/privateyoga

You can book private session with me by clicking the link on either of these web page and I am offering you all 10% off through the month of April using the discount code SADHANA.

I look forward to hearing from you with any questions or curiosities you may have about working one-on-one or Yoga Therapy in general. And I look forward to seeing you all each week in class. As always you can stay up-to-date with my schedule by visiting my webpage www.JMountainYoga.com and I will be in touch again soon with any changes or additions to my usual weekly offerings.

P.S. If the theme of Pausing this past month resonated with you, I encourage you to get the newly released book The Power of the Pause by Jillian Pransky. I think you will really enjoy it.