Joanna Barrett Therapy & Wellness

01/16/2026

You are beautiful, you are 🤍. Altar items:

01/07/2026

Trauma does not define us.

From Lion's Roar, an interview with Jack Kornfield:

"Over the years, the great majority of people who are drawn to practice come because they’re suffering. The thing is that suffering isn’t wrong. It’s the first noble truth: There is suffering in human life. There is a lot of human-caused suffering in the world. The more greed, the more suffering. The more hate and fear, the more suffering. It’s possible to alleviate suffering, to become free from it. But this doesn’t free us from old age, sickness, death, and loss, which are part of the human curriculum. They’re the place where your heart learns compassion and where you learn true freedom. So, suffering isn’t bad. As you say, it is a gateway to awakening."

Trauma does not define us. In conversation with Lion’s Roar’s Andrea Miller, Jack Kornfield reflects on how, at the deepest level, we have always been free.

01/07/2026

I wanted to share a blog post I recently wrote reflecting on my year in 2025. Alongside it, I created a free downloadable journaling guide to support gentle reflection and intention-setting.

If you’re in a season of looking back, integrating lessons learned, or grounding before what’s next, you’re welcome to check it out. The journaling resource is linked directly in the post. ✨

2025 Year in Review & Welcoming New Beginnings in 2026

12/24/2025

Sunday morning yoga at Commonwealth Brewing Company in Fairfax, Virginia was such a special experience. In collaboration with Sun & Moon Yoga Studio, we moved through a grounding, intentional flow that honored the winter solstice and the shift into a darker, quieter season, while also inviting us to move toward the light with intention, reflection, balance, and renewal.

The space was filled with warmth and ease as we flowed, breathed, and connected together. Practicing alongside new friends made the experience even more meaningful, a reminder that yoga is as much about community as it is about movement. So much fun, so much connection, and so much enjoyment.

I'm deeply grateful for everyone who showed up and shared in this practice. Below is the poetry I read:

WINTER SOLSTICE BLESSING (Daily Om)
We honor the darkness on this longest night, holding space for rest, release, and reflection. We welcome the wisdom that emerges in stillness and the seeds of light quietly forming within. May this solstice remind us that renewal begins in the dark, and that the light returns in its own time.

WELCOMING THE SOLSTICE (Kristen Roderick)
The Winter Solstice marks the longest night of the year, when darkness peaks and the light is reborn. From that point on, the days slowly begin to lengthen — a quiet promise of renewal.

Also called Yule, Modranight (Mother Night), or Midwinter, the Winter Solstice is a sacred pause. It marks the death of the old self and the transformation that comes from surrender, turning inward, and deep listening.

This is a passage into liminal space, where ordinary structures fall away. Solstice rites often emphasized silence, darkness, and vigil as invitations to remain present within the unknown.

Archetypally, this is the descent into the underworld or the womb of the earth. In the darkness, we make room for grief, intuition, memory, and ancestral presence. Roles, identities, and expectations fall away.

The dark is a teacher that softens, reorganizes, and restores connection to inner wisdom. The return of the light marks the completion of that cycle.

Winter Solstice reminds us that entering the dark is part of the process of becoming.

12/22/2025

As the darkness deepened, I was reminded that the light will return, as now is a time to celebrate the light, even in the darkest of times. As I was reminded of the cyclical nature of life, I recalled that the darkness is a time of rest and rejuvenation, and the light is a time of growth and expansion.

From here onwards, the sun will shine a little brighter and longer. May it light up any darkness in your life.

12/17/2025

Join me this Sunday, December 21 at 9:00am for SIP, SWEAT, REPEAT, a morning of yoga flow, fun, and community at Commonwealth Brewing Co in Fairfax, Virginia!

This class is open to all levels and a great way to relax, get centered, and enjoy time with friends (and meet new friends)! After class, stick around for brunch with friends (plus discounted beer and coffee).

Commonwealth Brewing Co. Fairfax (10426 Main Street, Fairfax).
Doors open at 8:45am
*Bring your own yoga mat
Tickets are free, but sign-up is required:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sip-sweat-repeat-tickets-1976482105182?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Gratitude to Sun & Moon Yoga Studio and Commonwealth Brewing Company FFX!

♥️ Joanna Barrett Therapy & Wellness ♥️
www.joannabarrett.com

Join me on Sunday, December 21 at 9:00am for SIP, SWEAT, REPEAT, a morning of yoga flow, ease, and community at Commonwealth Brewing Co in Fairfax, Virginia.

This class is open to all levels and a great way to relax, get centered, and move into your day with friends. Bring your own mat, come as you are, and settle in. After class, stick around for brunch plus discounted beer and coffee for participants.

Commonwealth Brewing Co. Fairfax
10426 Main Street, Fairfax, VA
Doors open at 8:45am
Tickets are free, but sign-up is required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sip-sweat-repeat-tickets-1976482105182?aff=eivtefrnd&utm-campaign=social%2Cemail&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-source=strongmail&utm-term=listing

Gratitude to Sun & Moon Yoga Studio, Commonwealth Brewing Company FFX

❤️ Joanna Barrett Therapy & Wellness ❤️
www.joannabarrett.com

12/09/2025

Join me on Sunday, December 21 at 9:00am for SIP, SWEAT, REPEAT, a morning of yoga flow, ease, and community at Commonwealth Brewing Co in Fairfax, Virginia.

This class is open to all levels and a great way to relax, get centered, and move into your day with friends. Bring your own mat, come as you are, and settle in. After class, stick around for brunch plus discounted beer and coffee for participants.

Commonwealth Brewing Co. Fairfax
10426 Main Street, Fairfax, VA
Doors open at 8:45am
Tickets are free, but sign-up is required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sip-sweat-repeat-tickets-1976482105182?aff=eivtefrnd&utm-campaign=social%2Cemail&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-source=strongmail&utm-term=listing

Gratitude to Sun & Moon Yoga Studio, Commonwealth Brewing Company FFX

❤️ Joanna Barrett Therapy & Wellness ❤️
www.joannabarrett.com

12/05/2025

Back in late October, I co-hosted a retreat with It's Lifey , that is still deeply embedded in my heart. The 2025 Widows’ Wellness Retreat was created as a soft landing place for this tender chapter of life for women who have lost their partners. This weekend offered a space to breathe, rest, be witnessed, and feel supported in community. I share more about the retreat and what this gathering offered in my newest blog post. Read the full post here: joannabarrett.com/2025/12/04/widowsretreat2025/

If you or someone you love is walking this path, please also check out It's Lifey's upcoming HopeHub, which is linked in my blog.

11/28/2025

What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you were thankful for yesterday?

Research studies have shown that when you focus on gratitude:
‣ you see more and more that you are grateful for, which is usually the “good stuff.”
‣ you are training your brain to find the silver linings in the “bad stuff” (I’m also thankful for the brain’s ability for neuroplasticity).
‣ you can decrease pessimism and depression, leading to a more fulfilling, abundant, and enjoyable life.

So let me ask you, What are you grateful for today?

11/26/2025

Gratitude As A Pathway Back To Yourself Meditation is now posted on Insight Timer!

🧘 Please join me for this 10-minute meditation, which invites you to settle into your body, soften your breath, and return to the quiet inner place where gratitude naturally rises.

🧘‍♀️ You’ll move gently through grounding awareness, heart-centered reflection, and silent repetition of steadying phrases that help you reconnect with what’s supportive in your life, even during heavier seasons.

🧘‍♂️ This practice is designed to bring you home to yourself, offering warmth, grounding, and a renewed sense of clarity that you can carry with you into the rest of your day.

https://insig.ht/OjHnZXGTBYb?utm_source=copy_link&utm_medium=live_stream_share

11/25/2025

My mentor, Elena Brower, has done it again with another deeply touching and beautifully crafted piece of work. Her latest book, Hold Nothing, feels like an invitation back to myself, page by page. This gorgeous book is an entryway home, a gentle guide for the journey inward, and a reminder of what becomes possible when we soften and listen. It’s already become my newest companion for exploring my inner landscape, and I know I’ll return to it again and again.