Over the past few weeks we’ve been exploring what “winter” energy looks and feels like through some simple intention-setting questions to set the tone for the coming year.
These questions aren’t to get you setting a bunch of goals and doing all the things that create overwhelm.🤪
That’s actually not the function of winter.
Winter’s about letting the ideas come to the surface then simmering. Marinating without a plan for how they’re going to take shape. Listening with presence rather than jumping right in.
Can you be OK with letting your presence, how you show up and want the year to feel be enough for this season?
Having the courage to say “yes” and do small things often that speak to this, reminds your nervous system of the person you want to be and the way you want to feel.
Sometimes it’s in the simmering that clarity emerges.
All those ideas and intentions, they’ll become clear visions and plans after they’re given the space to breathe first.
Yet far too often that’s where it stops. The intentions or goals don’t ever take shape. They get lost in the rush of life or lack of discipline to follow through.
And before you know it, it’s June and you haven’t even looked at the intentions you set at the beginning of the year.
🙋♀️I’ve been there myself. (Heck, I’m still sitting on a half-finished idea of creating a Rhythm Reset Deck)
When space is built in for those ideas to take shape though, they begin to grow.
With support from others, they emerge from darkness.
🤓Space to have your thoughts, intentions, and even worries witnessed. 🫶Space to show up as yourself and make honest connections with others and yourself.
->You don’t have to have a particular goal or project in mind when you attend a retreat, you just have to show up and see what comes up for you.
Winter Solstice Candlelight Yoga Retreat 2025
One of the things I hear most often from retreat participants and clients is how grateful they are for the space to process, integrate and pour back into themselves because they just don’t do it on their own.
I’ll be sharing about these retreats more in the coming days, but for now, I invite you to look back over the answers to the questions we’ve journeyed through this month.
8:30 AM • All Levels Welcome This class is generally blend of a flow-based practice and a restorative/yin practice.
MONDAY – Restorative/Yin Practice
5:30 PM • All levels welcome A restorative class with longer held postures & mindful breathing to build stress resiliency & bring balance to your fast-paced life.
WEDNESDAY – Yoga + Breath Work Flow
8:30 AM • All Levels Welcome Active, flow-based practice integrating strength, balance and mobility. Intentional breath work practices included.
THURSDAY -The Weekly Breath Reset (Virtual)
8:30 AM • 30-minute virtual breath work Your breath has the power to change how you experience stress. Harness that power of your breath to start your day with intention.
Kids & Family Events:
FEB 2 – Kids Heart-Full Yoga Storytime
10:30 AM • Webb Shadle Library • Pleasantville, IA Join us for a joyful and calming experience designed especially for kids. Little ones are invited explore a heart-centered yoga story time filled with movement, imagination, and fun.
Special Events:
SATURDAY, MAR 21 – Awakening into Action Spring Retreat
9:00 AM • Dan-D Farms • All levels A gentle emergence from winter. You’ll awaken your energy, clear mental clutter, and reconnect with the sense of possibility that lives inside you.
6:00 PM • Cordova Park Classroom 1378 Highway G-28, Otley IA 50214 Join MCCD and Cairn Yoga and Wellness for an evening of White Pine Trees and grounding yoga practice.
Sample a pine-based tea as a sensory way to connect with the tree.
Gather by the fireplace for a gentle, grounding yoga practice inspired by the strength and steadiness of trees.
Registration required by February 10, 2026 at 4PM.
Please bring a mat or blanket to practice on. Other yoga props will be provided. This event is part of the Nature & Yoga Fireside Series. We will have a new topic each session. Join us for as many sessions as you would like. The fee is $25 per class; each class has its own registration.
AT YOUR CONVENIENCE – Personalized Group Stress Resilience Training
TBD • At your location or at the studio In these sessions I guide groups through practical, embodied practices—like breath work, mindfulness, gentle movement, and/or emotional awareness—to build stress resilience. Each session offers simple, effective tools to help participants reset, regulate, and respond with greater calm and clarity in everyday life.
The podcast:
Listen to Health Harmony Happiness with Cathy and get show notes at CairnYogaWellness.com/Podcast or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!
