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Image: I’m holding up Lunar New Year decorations, a Snake on one side and a Horse on the other.
Prepare for the Lunar New Year
So Long Snake, Hello Horse.
Can you feel it? Change is coming. On February 17 (our next new moon), we shall celebrate Lunar New Year and usher in the Year of the Horse.
According to tradition, in the lead up to the Lunar New Year we deep clean our homes, settle debts, and prepare festive foods to share with family and friends. It’s all in the name of warding off bad luck for the new year. Don’t forget to get a haircut! With preparations underway to send off the year of the Snake I am reminded of the creature’s periodic act of shedding its skin. During this process the growing snake simultaneously forms a layer of new skin while it molts the outer layer that is too small.
Growing up hearing the stories associated with the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, we young ones were often encouraged to think about what we could learn from the ancient tales. I’m 49 years old and I feel as if I’m finally able to understand why my elders kept prompting us to consider the hard-earned wisdom passed from one generation to the next through the fantastical fables.
At this threshold of my 40s into 50s, at the verge of Snake into Horse, I ask myself, “Are there habits, behaviors, attitudes, or thoughts that no longer fit?” Like the snake, am I willing to put in the effort to let those go? When those old patterns are cast off, which truths might be revealed? Imagine how comfortable and relaxed we might be in our fresh new skin!
Image: an AI generated watercolor style painting of eight wild horses running with mountains in the background.
Guided by a sweet song of unity.
Yoga teaches us we are interrelated with all of existence. The root word of yoga ‘yuj’ translates to unity. Yoga asks us to recognize our individual consciousnesses are one with universal consciousness. This means the sweet song of my unique heart energy is already resonating with cosmic courage and compassion. The roots of yoga teach us; abiding in our heart we are in our true nature – joy.
When we reside in that heart space, clarity emerges. Releasing our tendency towards paradigms that seek to divide us comes to be easier. As we find and make space for what uplifts and upholds our true nature, our experience of collective joy becomes lucid and effortless. Practice ‘on the mat’ (so to speak) enables us to be guided by our heart song when we are ‘off the mat.’
In Chinese folklore the horse represents strength of heart and unwavering perseverance. Horses equally symbolize joy and social connection. My mom tells me, the chat around my hometown of Hong Kong predicts the year of the Horse will be characterized by movement and change. This prediction makes me both excited (I love to move my body), and anxious (what might the changes mean?). I can hear my elders prompting me, “What does the horse teach you?”
The parting gift of the Snake is an invitation to release what we have outgrown so we can continue to discover and share the light already inside. The inspiration from the Horse is to, ‘go together, go with heart.’ May we continue to move and breathe together through the year of the Horse.
KUNG HEI FAT CHOI!
Congratulations & Best Wishes for a prosperous new year!
January 2026
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How do we know what to let go?
Listen to your heart.
It sounds simple, yet the practice of tuning into our inner wisdom to hear our heart is challenging in our noisy world. The practices of yoga are tools to help us get past the interference. These techniques help lessen the distractions and allow us to attune to the essence of our being.
Many associate yoga with the corporeal practice, but Asana (postures) and Pranayama (breath exercises) are just two aspects of the vast and profound teachings of yoga. The physical practice was my entry to yoga and has kept me on the path for 27 years. Early in my journey I began to discern my body is a portal to the more subtle realms of being. When I move mindfully and breathe consciously, my chattering mind starts to quiet. I begin notice the calm, sweet song already in my heart.