Photo: Noelle Smithhart; Collage: PicMonkey/Nicole Bratt

Dear friends,

New year blessings to you! Another annual reminder that every ending is also a beginning.

Yesterday, my partner and I took a wander through the Union Bay Natural Area near the UW campus to birdwatch, walk the dog, and enjoy the stark beauty of winter. A highlight was seeing two elegant Trumpeter Swans – and not one, but four people I knew!

Tonight, I’ll offer my first class of 2023, a Restorative yoga practice where we’ll honor the fallow period of winter and “bless the seeds” of the year ahead. May you do the same, no matter where you are in the world!

Tomorrow, I’ll depart for my annual solitude retreat: a week away with no agenda other than to be present with myself. I use the time to step away from technology, rest and sleep as much as possible, write, meditate on the mat and in Nature, and steep myself in stillness.

Whatever rituals and events you use to mark the new year, may they – and you – be blessed.

Love,
Nicole

PS. I am seeking your thoughts! Have you found my offerings and spaceholding useful in the year(s) past? Would you be willing to take a moment to share that with me? Share the yogi love.

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Happy New Year! – Nourishing blessings

Nicole Bratt Yoga