New Year, new beginnings

Frinton-on-sea

With a New Year, often comes the pressure to set intentions for the year ahead that leave us feeling deflated if we don’t meet them. I prefer to set visions or aims to act as guidance, that keep me heading in the right direction, rather than keeping to anything rigid that I feel I have to achieve.

I’m sure like many people, I am pleased to see the back of 2021. It was a challenging year for my business, home life and wellbeing but there were good, no; there were GREAT things to come out it. For many years I had been hoping to achieve my dream and train as a yoga teacher, something I had postponed since 2015 when I found out I was expecting my daughter. But as a single Mum, this dream always seemed so far out of reach. When lockdown happened and many courses went online, I finally had the opportunity to study YTT (once primary schools had reopened). This was the greatest gift. It may have been a very different experience than I imagined, without being able to train in Goa or Costa Rica, I didn’t have the connection and sense of community I had hoped for; but it was still the first step on the path to becoming a yoga teacher and sharing with others what yoga has provided for me over the years.

Over the summer holidays, I then built my own website and as I’m a bit of a technophobe; this is something I am incredibly proud of. (No coding was involved thankfully!) Over the summer and autumn, I had the pleasure of teaching friends a class each week which helped me build my confidence as a teacher. I have also been fortunate enough to teach one-to-one classes to my pre-existing facial and massage clients.

This year, I wanted to start off on the right foot and spend New Year’s Day at the beach. The beach is our happy place - the fresh sea air, collecting shells and finishing the day with fish and chips. Unfortunately my daughter had chicken pox on NYD but we did make it to Frinton on Sunday 2nd January and it was marvellous. It was a cold, bright day and we spent hours walking up and down the beach collecting some big and beautiful shells so we left feeling very content. I also have two potential yoga retreats in the pipeline for the year ahead. The first being at a stunning Glamping spot surrounded by wild flower meadows and lavender fields. Assuming Covid allows it, I will release further details over the coming months. Finally, we are exploring the possibility of moving nearer to the coast in the next twelve months. Being somewhere naturally beautiful, slowing down and connecting with people we vibe with, is high on my list this year. Also, a better connection with myself. Finding the best, happiest version of me and making sure that my little person is happy too. These are the important things in life <3

Joanna Warren