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After the morning classes, I went outside to sniff around. Guidance directed me to walk a different path. There I found a left behind shovel which I borrowed to plant our Christmas tree in the nearby Victory Creek Park.

Gentle rain watered the tree as I returned the shovel to the place where I found it. If the mild weather continues, our little tree may take root and spread the memories of this holiday season for years to come. That last task opens me up for today’s Feast of the Epiphany on this first Monday of 2025.

How did you conclude your holidays? What will remain of your festivities? Ki to Happiness follows Guidance in conclusion of this Season of Light and plants the Evergreen to anchor the Joy.

Today concludes the 12 days of Christmas. It is the eve of epiphany. With it, we start to return to our regular schedules and rhythms.

Maintaining consistent practices throughout the festivities helps us stay healthy. Keeping a regular sleep schedule and eating wholesome foods makes a huge difference so the “flu season” is mitigated. Every effort to ground in the truth of our being responsible for our Selves rewards us.

How do you feel at the end of these holidays? Heavy, bloated and confused or light, uplifted and clear? Ki to Happiness takes responsibility by caring for the Higher Self through all seasons.

With this new year upon us, I am continuing to maintain my changed habits from the fall even as I add additional improvements. It takes discipline and commitment. Overall, it humbles me and deepens my compassion for students and clients who are making changes in their lives, too.

Fortunately, my disciplined yoga practice supports these efforts. Good habits invite other good habits like drums that resonate with other drums when percussed. The same is true of undesirable habits, which makes our choices important.

Are you maintaining the positive changes you made in 2024? How are you doing with the improvements you have intended for 2025? Ki to Happiness builds upon the progress of last year with conscious choices.

This holiday season has thrown off our regular rhythms. With midweek days off, this Friday feels more like a Tuesday. It makes me happy for my daily practices, stabilizing me in grounded gratitude.

No matter what the day on any calendar, or what the weather, conscious breath work and movement, meditation and prayer, walking and drinking water all center me. These choices have helped me face injury, illness, loss, change and all that life brings. “Absorbing the shocks of infatuation and sorrow” is how Charles Johnston translates the Yoga Sutra passage which I embrace on this Tuesday Friday.

What practices are independent of weather conditions and schedules? How stable are you when presented with the shocks of life? Ki to Happiness faces the fluctuations of life with the stabilizing tools of Hatha Yoga.

Bob and I tallied the votes of our participating 53 community members. The arm balance posture, Crow, Bakasana, won. Pranayama came in 2nd place and Happy Baby, Ananda Balasana, came in 3rd.

For those that have a hard time with their wrists in Crow, we will offer alternatives of forearm plank, Phalakasana, for arm and core strengthening, or Happy Baby for stretching. Other alternatives are also welcome like Horse, Vatayasana, for stretching and strengthening without upsetting wrists.

How do you feel about the results? Are you willing and able to adjust and adapt to your needs with the option of variations? Ki to Happiness respects the votes and variations.

Happy New Year, and new month with the new moon energy still upon us. Having removed holiday decorations, laundered the linens and cleaned the space, I opened the windows to let the freshness in. Cool 36 degree air cleared my head as I sat in my morning practices.

A few lingering fireworks went off to startle the cats. Otherwise the peace surrounds us with a promise. All is as it should be for optimal conditions for a blessed New Year. 

Did you celebrate last night in a way that allows you to start fresh today? What intentions do you have for 2025? Ki to Happiness welcomes the New Year with fresh optimism for a transformative year.

As 2024 ends, we say goodbye to those things we wish to leave behind. In doing so we are available to welcome 2025 and it’s new beginnings. As the new moon is still upon us, we have support for setting intentions, refining our choices and evolving.

Blessing each farewell redeems the effort involved in the past. This frees up the energy to make use of it for the future. Along the way, we build on all those things that continue with gratitude.

What ends with 2024 for you? What begins in 2025? Ki to Happiness is grateful for all that continues, leaving behind the past and welcoming the future.

Today’s new moon is the second one in the month of December. That is referred to as a black moon. It invites us to set intentions for the upcoming month as well as the whole next year.

The holiday season is always a great time to reflect on our relationships as well as our progress in the year. Especially this year, we are wise to do so, making good use of the black moon. I got some new tools for the occasion and will begin to use them today to build on all the positive transformations of 2024.

What has this holiday season revealed to you about your relationships and progress? How can you make use of that information as you set intentions for next month and next year? Ki to Happiness takes greater responsibility for health and happiness, building on the good parts of the past and letting go of the rest.

As this your concludes, we are all invited to reflect on the transformation 2024 has brought. I am grateful for Hatha Yoga Center continuing to serve its community. I’ve been blessed and honored to work privately with many of our members.

My family is happy and healthy. I have many friends around the world who have checked in with me during this holiday season. My spiritual connection has never been stronger. 

How is your reflection on 2024 going? Can you see how despite the many issues in your life, you are growing wiser? Ki to Happiness reflects on 2024 to refine intentions for 2025.

I’m happy to be instructing this morning‘s classes. Last year at this time I was unable due to injuring my left wrist. I’m grateful to have been able to get the classes covered, thanks to Chris List.

2024 brought a lot of challenges for all of us. I’m thankful that it is coming to a joyous conclusion for me, with my body intact and my heart full of lessons to offer others as blessings. I pray 2024 ends well for each and every reader, student, client, friend and family member of HYC for a great start to 2025.

Are you beginning to reflect on your lessons and blessings from 2024? What have you learned from your challenges? Ki to Happiness reflects with gratitude for challenges becoming opportunities for evolution and healing.