Welcoming the New Year with Open Arms
Just one real goal: Greet what arises
Well friends - 2025 was sure a ride. In the spirit of those irresistible end-of-year lists, here’s a quick rundown of what showed up in my life - and what departed the station:
I quit my job. That was not the plan. At 44, I had every intention of riding the government-employment train - in a job I truly loved, mind you - straight on through to minimum retirement age (57), at which point I’d have permission to do All The Other Things. Instead…well…circumstances changed. If I didn’t already understand that security and stability are illusions, and that “playing it safe” guarantees nothing, 2025’s federal employment landscape drove the message home loud and clear.
I became a health coach. What started as a way to take advantage of some unexpected time off by adding another credential to my toolkit has turned out to be yet another invitation to show up and be present for people I might never otherwise have met. I have worked with some incredible clients so far and have had the privilege of witnessing their journeys toward greater balance, wellness, and self-trust. I am beyond grateful that this work has called me to it and can’t wait to see where it leads next.
We welcomed four sheep (and three runner ducks, two geese, a few more chickens, new bee colonies, and four goldfish) to our little homestead! Trudy, Debbie, Alicia, and Emma arrived as yearling ewes. After a ten-week “date” with a rental ram, we’re now looking forward to lambs in the spring. The long-planned but sudden surge in the number of mouths to feed and hooves to trim has made this a year of fewer impromptu weekend trips and more urgent weekend projects. What we’ve traded in spontaneity, however, we’ve received back abundantly in rhythm, purpose, and quiet beauty.
Last but certainly not least - I started this Substack! My initial plan was to simply cultivate a forum for the short yoga videos, guided meditations, and plant-forward recipes that I was already sending clients, as well as a new home for the monthly update I send yoga students. Along the way, though, I remembered something important: after moving about every two years starting in college, at 17, to just over four years ago, at 40, the place where my husband and I have landed (a little mountain homestead in West By God Virginia) isn’t incidental - it’s at the heart of everything else I do. How this showed up here: a little land-use and food-access activism creeping into my Notes, a whole bunch of photos from sunrise-gazing and dog-walking. Expect more of all this in the coming year.
Today is January 1, 2026 - the day of resolutions and new beginnings. Or if we’re clever, we call them “intentions” and pretend that we’re not just merrily jumping aboard the achievement train by a different name.
I won’t be coy here: I do have some intentions, and not just the snarky “I intend to eat as much cheese as I want” variety. Here’s what I’d love to invite in this year:
Spaciousness: I learned very quickly, after April, that just because my time wasn’t accountable to an external “boss” any more, didn’t mean my new boss (me) wouldn’t try to schedule every minute of it. It is astonishing how deeply-coded productivity culture can be. Part of my continuing work is to give myself permission to just hang out, being unproductive, occasionally.
Curiosity and kindness - about people in particular. Every single person has a story to tell. Most people aren’t very nice to themselves. And very few people ever get the opportunity to talk about themselves as much as they’d like to. I’d like to carve out more time to listen.
Receptivity to what arises: 2025 definitively ended any thoughts of making plans with any kind of attachment to their outcome. I still have things I’d love to do this year - but am far more interested in finding out what little bends I’ll find along my path.
Your turn! I’d love to hear what surprises the universe had in store for you last year - and what you’re welcoming in this year.
Here’s to greeting whatever the New Year has in store with calm, clarity, compassion, and in the company of those we love.
As always - thanks for being here, and be well,
Havala
Yoga and Coaching links:
Local to me? Here’s my yoga teaching schedule. I also accept private clients - message me to inquire.
Seeking support for a healthy new year? I’d love to work with you.
Not a subscriber yet? Here’s a little peek behind the scenes:
Free subscribers to this blog have access to the full text of all posts, selected post audio, video, and recipe PDFs, along with a small paywall-free practice library.
Paid subscribers have access to the full audio/video/PDF archives (all yoga practices, guided meditations, and downloadable recipes) with post audio read by me, a human, not AI! (I’m also plotting some bonus audio - stay tuned) Paid subscribers also receive the gratitude of all the Spotted Dog Farm creatures for keeping them supplied with snacks.
Those have strong resonance with my being as well. 🙏🏽💜
what a beautiful way to honor a year of unexpected turns (I know that can never be easy) and meaningful growth. I always feel a deep sense of connection to the earth when I read your posts. There’s something deeply human (hard for me to explain) about living close to the land, the animals, and the rhythms around it. Thank you for offering us a glimpse into a life closer to nature that many of us only dream of...