Roll with the Tides

It's a New Year! And it's also still Winter. So, take it easy.

Happy New Year, Fellows.

In recent years, I’ve changed the way I’ve thought about the new year, resolutions and new beginnings. In my twenties, I bought into the idea of the new year being a time to find determination, a new sense of self, a brand new slate. I went to the YMCA more. I drank lots of juices. I journaled. I displayed loud gestures of renewal even though I felt more like sleeping, sitting, reflecting. As they do, these new “habits” died hard.

In my early thirties, I dismissed resolutions as a necessary part of the new calendar year. I elected to reflect on the past year, and emphasized New Years Eve as a symbol of how I might theme the year ahead. As a new business owner, instead of buying into renewal at the new year, I shifted into trying to sell the idea to other people, even though it didn’t resonate with me.

Now I find myself rounding the corner to 40, and having learned that Winter is, in fact, a time for hibernation and Spring is a time for fresh beginnings, I have resigned to following my body’s instincts and in business, encouraging you to do the same. Let’s roll with the tides—your body’s instincts are rarely wrong.

There is a realness to wanting to find discipline and control after a season of social activity, laxity and a total lapse in daily structure, but sometimes diving into intensity doesn’t feel intuitive. The first thing I did (and I did it by happy accident, btw) when I got back into January after a very disorienting December, was 45 minutes of foam rolling. I hadn’t worked out, rolled, even intentionally moved in a month. Starting with foam rolling wasn’t just a nice way to ease back into my body—it was an amazing experience in mobility, mind-body connection, ache relief and empowerment. In a small period of time, I felt embodied, in control and grounded. I was ready to start anything else. I felt so great about this class, that I wanted to share it with you.

Instead of embedding videos in this Substack reader like I usually do, I’ve uploaded this one to my youtube channel. Grab your roller, settle into a quiet, warm space and put some relaxing music on. Click the button to access.

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Another happy accident…meet Murray! He turned up in a neighbor’s yard, scared and hungry. As soon as he saw my 5yo, he relaxed, snuggled and played. As it turns out, he’s only about 6 months old and needs training, but he is incredibly sweet. I think he was a gift from the universe (i.e., my mom—thanks, Mom 💖) that we just couldn’t refuse.

With Love,

Maggie (and all my critters)

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