12/27/2025
This Month – January 2026
“For a change, don't add new things in your life as a new year's resolution. Instead, do more of what's already working for you and stop doing things that are time-waste.” ― Salil Jha
A new year: If you’ve been a student at Yoga Magnolia over the years, you’ll know that I am a fan of resolutions. I make them every year – and I keep a list that I review at the end of the year to see how I’ve done. I do a Top 10. Usually I keep about six new resolutions, but the other four usually appear year after year after year. One of the reasons for this is either the resolution involves other people (so I’m only 50 percent responsible) and the other reason that I don’t keep those resolutions is because I am just not ready to do what I planned. So this year, let’s make resolutions that we have control over – our diet, our health, our schedule, our pursuits (that don’t involve others). Whatever they are, be realistic. I am optimistic about 2026. I am keeping my resolutions completely within my control – anything else … I surrender to the grace of God.
So happy New Year everyone. I’m sending this monthly email out early because of the schedule at the end of December.
Tricky Schedule in December: Christmas falls in the middle of the week, so I've amended my schedule. There will not be any classes on Thursday, Christmas day. We will have a Saturday class, December 27 at 8:30 a.m. The following week is even more confusing (family in town): No classes on Tuesday, December 30 or Wednesday, December 31. There will be a FREE 8:30 a.m. class on Thursday (no 6 p.m. class on New Year's Day). There will be a class on Saturday, January 3 at 8:30 a.m. The next week, we are back to a normal schedule. Hope to see you. If I miss you, Happy Holidays and best wishes for 2026!
Breath of the Month: In December, we did not focus on the breath. Instead we tried three-minute meditations. The first week we did a Loving Kindness meditation; the second week we did a candle-gazing meditation; the third week we did a count the breath meditation, the fourth week we did a movement meditation. In the fifth week we will do a Sat, ta, na, ma meditation. What’s this? Sa ta na ma (Sanskrit: स त न म) is the name given to a fundamental kundalini kirtan kriya, which is a type of meditation. It is one of the most important meditations in Kundalini yoga and it was popularized in the West by Yogi Bhajan. Also sometimes simply called kirtan kriya, sa ta na ma is said to help reorient the mind and prepare it for transformational change.
There are several definitions that can be attributed to the sa ta na ma Sanskrit letters. Some studies attribute no meaning to the letters at all, but instead encourage the practitioner to enjoy them for their sound vibrations. Sa ta na ma is often chanted as part of a Kundalini meditation as it encourages the energy to rise in the spine and expand to the head. This awakened energy can be used for enlightenment, increased awareness and for ta***ic practices.
In January, our breath of the month will be Bellows Breath. “Bellows Breath (Bhastrika Pranayama) is a vigorous yoga breathing technique using rapid, forceful, and equal inhales and exhales through the nose, mimicking a blacksmith's bellows to energize the body, increase focus, boost metabolism, and clear the mind, often done in rounds with a straight spine.”
Two Scholarships for 10-Classes of Yoga: I would like to thank Susanna Martin, our biofield tuner at Yoga Magnolia, for donating two scholarships for a 10-Class Yoga package. If you are feeling the pinch of Christmas, and your need some financial help, let me know. If you know someone who would benefit from yoga and you want to recommend them, let me know. I just ask that the person who gets the scholarship checks the yoga schedule first and makes sure that they can attend the classes. Thank you again Susanna!
Need a massage? Feel free to contact Vanessa directly if you would like an appointment for a massage. Lately she has been giving massages on Saturdays and Mondays. Call Vanessa Scaife on 252-314-0975 for more information. Gift certificates are available.
Help with your diet: Sarah Brinker is offering a free health history to see if health coaching is a good fit for you. Sarah is a certified health coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and wants to help you succeed at following through with your health goals – whether that’s to lose weight or rid your body of toxins. Schedule a free 30-minute health history. Health stories can be done in person or over the phone. Call Sarah on 919-353-0882 for more information.
Need a tune-up? Do you need to be more energetically balanced? Would you like to reduce anxiety and stress and feel calm? Biofield Tuning is a form of energy medicine that uses sound waves, produced by tuning fork vibrations, to re-tune the body out of patterns of stress and tension. During a Biofield Tuning, a client lies fully clothed on a treatment table as a tuning fork scans the body. Susanna Martin is now offering this service at the studio. To schedule a tuning, please contact Susanna Martin directly at 201-401-4234.
Om Shanti and Happy 2026!!!!
Brenda
