March 2026
“If you seek peace, be still. If you seek wisdom, be silent. If you seek love, be yourself.” -Becca Lee
Dear beloved,
I’ve often lauded the benefits I’ve experienced since making a yoga practice part of my daily life, and if you follow my stories on social media, you’ve likely been forced to bear witness to that practice, since I often share sped-up recordings of my mat sessions there.
When I say “mat session,” I mean the general ritual of bending, stretching, and moving my body intentionally in conjunction with my breath.
But I tend to forget that yoga is so much more than that, and I feel like these days, it would behoove us all to consider that.
Yoga is also…
…showing up when no one is watching (aka why I don’t share EVERY mat session).
This is called Tapas, devotion without applause.
…saying no when my body says no.
This is called Ahimsa, choosing not to harm or abandon yourself.
…telling the truth even when it would be easier not to.
This is called Satya, living in alignment with what is real
…not reacting immediately, letting the wave pass.
This is called Pratyahara, building mental immunity to external stimuli
Yoga also means…
…allowing inner peace to exist regardless of external circumstances.
This is called Santosha, the wisdom that contentment is not complacency, it’s peace.
…watching yourself with curiosity instead of judgment.
This is called Svadhyaya, self inquiry because awareness transforms
…trusting what is unfolding without gripping the outcome.
This is called Ishvara Pranidhana, strength in surrender
…not chasing what isn’t meant for you.
This is called Aparigraha, the art of not grasping or attaching
And that’s not even the half of it. #alwayslearning
It’s enough to consider for now, though, don’t you think?
Yoga may be most commonly known as poses (the Asana) and breathing (the Pranayama), but more than twisting in certain shapes or exhaling for certain counts, I’ve come to understand that yoga is about training for life off the mat.
How you breathe when things don’t go your way. How you carry yourself when emotions rise. How you speak when faced with an uncertainty. How you show up for yourself again and again. How you come home to yourself again and again.
This is the real practice.
Soul Fitness Habit Tracker
Checking in…
MOVEMENT
I discovered this one hour and forty four minute YouTube video of “walking” through the streets of Paris as late afternoon descends into evening, and I’m obsessed. There’s a whole series of cities, and I plan on checking out all of them in due time. Peek into tiny pockets of the world in 30-minute increments from my very own walking pad in my very own home? Bet.
NOURISHMENT IN MY BODY
In general, there is room for improvement here. I paused taking the creatine, because it was making me throw up; then I paused taking the i70, too, because that’s what I threw up. Le sigh.
Of note: about a week after I stopped taking the i70 (with allllll that Vitamin C), I caught a head cold. A week after that, I noticed the skin on my shins was, like, so dry it itched.
That head cold thwarted my appetite; as a result, my energy reserves have suffered. Sipping broth when nothing else appeals, helps.
NOURISHMENT ON MY BODY
Hydrating from the inside out is always the best first method, but using a thick, nourishing, no-nonsense body cream is another valuable approach, especially in this type of harsh winter climate. My go-to is Nivea, and I make it a point to purchase the German formula over the American one.
Head cold = lots of nose blowing. Bag Balm (with a drop of Eucalyptus oil mixed in) to the rescue! I’ve gone through BOXES of tissue recently, but my sweet little nose is still soft as can be.
I’ve also used my Gua sha tool to help drain my facial lymph nodes, my vibration plate to get the lymphatic fluid moving through my body, my infrared light face mask to help zap the gunk out (I’m pretty sure that’s how it works), and plenty of gentle self-massage.
I’ve been adding a small scoop of bentonite clay powder and Epsom salts to my bubble baths in an effort to counteract the drying effect of the hot water. Fun to feel silky smooth, instead.
SLEEP
My sleep is solid lately, and for that I remain grateful. I’ve given myself extra down time this month, because that’s what we do when illness comes calling. We rest so we can heal.
SPACE
New lights over the kitchen island, a new swag light in the living room corner, and ooh, that feeling of tucking away the last of the winter/Valentine decor and putting fresh tulips in vases all over the house. The best! As for me and my house, we are ready for spring, and I got the pastels to prove it.
SENSE OF CONNECTION
My Galentine Brunch and Punch was a feel-good event filled with laughter, yummy food, and some casual goal-setting. We made punch cards and I handed out heart- and star-shaped hole punches as party favors.
Through my League of Women Voters membership, I’ve volunteered to be on the Voter Registration team that enters into nearby correctional facilities to help eligible inmates register to vote. I had my orientation in January, but my shadow date got bumped to mid-April, so it looks like I’ll be starting after the April election.
That said, did you know Wisconsin has a state Supreme Court election EVERY SINGLE SPRING until 2029? (Now you do!) This year, on April 7, we’ll choose between Chris Taylor and Maria S. Lazar for the seat that Rebecca Bradley is vacating. I personally hope Chris Taylor is appointed, but I don’t share that type of thing when I’m registering people to vote, I just say that kind of thing here, in my own letter where my own opinions get to live.
For Posterity: March
Guiding Thought: We are the powerful ones…the light has already won - that’s why so much darkness is being exposed right now. It’s because of all this light we are shining. Keep shining.
Top Goal: Making memories, which means a delicate balance of being present in a moment AND documenting as much of an experience as possible so the memory stays alive as long as possible.
Looking Forward to: a long weekend in Paris mid-month with my husband! Ooh la la! Oui oui!
Main Focus: Managing my energy by staying in my lane. My happy, joyful, optimistic, blessed, charmed, delightful, hard-earned, well-deserved, abundantly beautiful lane.
Watching: So many sports. The Winter Olympics (NBC), where the badass U.S. women SLAYED and reminded me what it feels like to be proud of my country (and men’s hockey can suck it); the Super Bowl (Bad Bunny was perrrrrfect); some of the NBA All-Star hoopla; Is It Cake? Valentines Edition (we’ll watch any Edition they’ll throw at us, frankly); and Shrinking (Apple) - season 3 is about moving on, and every episode so far has been so satisfying; The New Look (Apple) About Parisian Fashion Houses’ response during Nazi-occupied WWII - I’m forcing this one on James because we have tickets to The Dior Museum in a couple weeks and Christian Dior figures prominently in the series.
Reading: Say You’ll Remember Me (Abbey Jimenez); Carrie Soto is Back (Taylor Jenkins Reid); Yours Truly (Abbey Jimenez); The Frozen River (Ariel Lawhon)
What I Love About This Time of Year: spring! the first baby buds are peeking up through the backyard dirt! trading Valentine’s decor for Peter Rabbit /Beatrix Potter / my grandmother’s bunny collection! St. Patrick’s Day! gradually warming average temps! a lot of my favorite people have birthdays!
Reflecting on: friendship. How to define it, what to require of it, where to nurture it, when to release it, how best to grieve it.
I have this friend who: owns the tastiest Vietnamese restaurant in Bay View, Wisconsin. My dear college pal, Carina, and her husband Mark, own and operate Hue Asian Kitchen (2699 S Kinnickinnic Ave, in Bay View), a casual restaurant & lounge with a Zen vibe & a menu of Central Vietnamese cuisine & Asian beers. They also host “Shrink-N-Drink” sessions once a month on Monday nights, where you can submit anonymous questions that a licensed psychologist will answer to the group at large while you eat dinner. Brilliant! I’ve got March 23, April 20, and May 18 in my calendar - meet me there?
I’m thinking of you with a full heart and hoping you find moments of respite today. Drink some water, yes?
I’m already counting the minutes until we can be together again.
Cheers to your health, your boundaries, your fortitude, and your attitude, my friend - remember, life is what you make of it.
How empowering is that?!
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Happy March to you, Alex! 💚💚