From "Go Time" to Gentle Time

Redefining Self-Care After the Holidays

Have you gotten your Year of the Fire Horse off to a galloping start?

After a beautiful trip to the US to spend time with my family and soak up the snowy scenery, truthfully, I’d say my Lunar New Year eased in with a slow and gentle saunter. And even with the blizzard-induced flight cancellations and travel disruptions, I wouldn’t have had it any other way!

But stepping back onto the dance floor again this week has seriously taken a lot more effort!

I’ve heard it from a handful of students and fought my own inner voices this week as I huffed and puffed my way red-faced through class. There is a certain frustration that comes from the pressure to get back to it … back to the routine, into shape, or into that second chance to start the new year.

Admittedly, when I return to Taipei from trips home, I’m also carrying a bit of extra weight from self-imposed expectations and enthusiasm for the future (along with the extra pounds of shoes and snacks in my suitcase! 😜).

What am I building for myself in Taipei? What comes next? Man, I wish I had started yesterday!

"So, come on, it’s go time!" I often tell myself with a bit of impatience as soon as the plane touches down.

This month we are focusing on self-care, and the timing feels so fitting. In the past, I might have defined self-care as a night out, an extra slice of pizza, or one of  those t-shirts that reads "rosé all day!"

But currently, true self-care feels different. It feels like a chance to explore what I actually need in a moment, whether it’s to recharge, to thrive or to be at peace. It’s about coming closer to myself rather than taking a fleeting vacation from my responsibilities.

And what do I need now more than ever after a long holiday? It is a sense of gentleness, patience, and presence. It is about meeting myself where I am, not where I think I ought to be.

Always, and I imagine forever, dance will be that beautiful space where I can truly be with myself even when I am surrounded by a crowd of others. Every extension of my arm or flex of a muscle invites me into the present moment. It pulls me away from worrying about "what should be" and grounds me in "what actually is."

Instead of wishing for the next big life event, waiting for the coming of Spring, or forcing the holiday heaviness to lift, what might a gentle, graceful, and gratitude-filled start to this month look like for you?

If it involves joyful movement, you know where to find me!

Keep moving!

xx,

Katie