Hi Reader,

Happy New Year 🤍

January is often framed as a time to start fresh and come out strong. But to me, it feels like a pause and a good time to reflect and plan, action comes slow. This season doesn’t have to be about rushing into what’s next. It can be a time for observing, reflecting, and gently listening inward before naming what you want to grow.

This past year, yoga was still very much part of my life, even if it didn’t always show up on camera. I spent more time living, traveling, teaching, hosting my first retreat, and being with people I love, while yoga quietly supported me in the background. That feels like a win.

💡 January’s Yoga Practice: A Slow, Intentional Return

This week, I rolled my mat back out after a bit of a break after coming back from my retreat and then planning for holidays I felt low on time, but really just wasn't prioritizing yoga. Between work, teaching, travel, and the holidays, my personal movement and meditation practice had slipped to the side.

Instead of a dramatic reset, I chose a simple 30-minute practice on youtube. Following someone so no need to think through the flow, no teaching, no agenda. Just movement and breath. It felt amazing.

January doesn’t have to mean starting over. Sometimes it’s just a clean line in time and a chance to check back in with yourself.

In Ayurveda, winter brings an important lesson. While nature rests, human nervous systems can tip into stagnation if we only slow down.

Ayurveda teaches that like increases like: Cold + stillness + heaviness → more cold, stillness, and heaviness.

So winter asks for:
• Warmth
• Circulation
• Consistency
• Steady movement (not intensity for intensity’s sake)

This doesn’t mean pushing harder. It means moving enough to stay awake and warm, while resting enough to stay nourished.

A few ways to practice this:
• Start with one small, consistent habit
• Choose moderately warming, steady yoga flows
• Focus on frequency over intensity
• Let your practice support your energy, not drain it

A little inspiration for your at-home practice:

• Meditation for a fresh start: https://insig.ht/pUABQTcMDZb​

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Where You Can Find Me This Month

💻🧘🏽‍♀️ Online Yoga ​
​Tuesdays | 6–7pm MST
Saturdays | 8am MST | 3pm UTC

Online classes are designed to help you move, breathe, and reset from the comfort of home — especially during this slower winter season.

Sign up here: yogimaria.com/online-yoga/​

🌴 Costa Rica Retreat
​I’ll be sharing it more publicly on social media later this month, but I wanted you to have early access to the details (and first look at room options). We’ll be in Nosara, in Costa Rica’s Northern Pacific, a Blue Zone with the same slow and grounded retreat energy.

▶️ General Info | Rooms + Rates​

💬 Affirmation of the Month “I allow myself to begin gently.”

Wishing you a calm, grounded start to the year 🫶🏼

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Sending my best,
✨ Maria
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P.S. Any questions or if you just want to chat yoga things, reply to this email

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Useful links​

​Private 1:1 Yoga​

​Online Yoga​

​Costa Rica Retreat Info​

​​Shop the Desk Yoga Cards​