Well friends & yogis…how was your month of February?

It was a month full of heart-health awareness, both physical and emotional.

A month of Valentine’s Day celebrations (and maybe chocolates?!).

A month when in my world we celebrated many birthdays, Black History & past presidents.

It was also a month when we in the Midwest had some unbearably cold and surprisingly warm temperatures…both extremes effecting our bodies, moods and daily lives.

And lastly, it was a month when some of us might have finally started to feel our new & improved rhythm & routine for 2026. Because let’s be honest…in January many of us are just trying to recover from the previous year. From the overwhelming holiday season and all the excess food/beverage/consumption and extrovert time that is wrapped into November & December!

So I’ll ask again… How was your February?

How is 2026 starting off?

Have you revisited your new year’s goals/intentions?

And as it relates to February’s Heart-health theme… How are you feeling in your heart…both emotionally and physically?

As I tie a bow on February, I am feeling all sorts of things!

Much of 2025 was about remodeling my home and my business. I am pooped to say the least…and very ready to move on from those exhausting building and planning stages.

My home is definitely live-able now…and just some remaining tile and painting for us!!

My new website launched in February, my new marketing plan is underway and we are deeply involved in the execution of our new Yoga Teacher Training program - so we will be ready to launch that in September of 2026!

So much effort, planning and time.

And so much STRESS!!

So the fact that a lot of things came to a head for me in February, Heart-health month, is so coincidental. Almost comical.

I put out a lot of content on the importance of the physical & emotional heart. I filmed a class and a few little videos for you guys…reminding you to slow down. De-stress. Take full breaths and put your legs up the wall.

And I was right there with you!!

We are all human (I think?!). We are all moving through our own stressors.

Whether they are coming from remodeling and improving your business like my current season of life…

Or maybe it’s stress from your own health. A family member or pets health. Your relationships with partners or family/friends. (Those were my stressors from 2018-2024!)

Whatever the stressors are, they are ever-changing & constant.

So this is the first monthly blog of mine…and it was in my marketing plan.

What is a blog?! Is it any different from the Sunday emails (or journal entries!)I used to send out?

It now has this fancy name, so that means I need to dig deeper. I need to sound smarter and more professional. Include all of the statistics and research that I can.

I need to have better grammar and less swear words.

I need to…DO BETTER BIZ!

So while I have been so excited about all the changes and improvements to Sunflower Yoga Therapy, I have also felt…STRESSED!

I feel that stress. It negatively impacts my heart health. Messes up my sleep, mood, heart-rate & blood pressure. Changes what I eat, drink and how I treat others and my beloved pups.

So then I get to remind myself… Practice what you preach!

I feel incredibly lucky to be able to sit and write about this. I feel lucky that I had the space this morning to sit, feel, breathe and…practice what I preach.

I laugh because I could’ve just copied and pasted what AI generated for me about Yoga Therapy & Heart Health…I gotta say, it was very robust, filled with statistics and very impressive!! In that moment that may have provided a second of relief as I was able to check something off of the list.

But for me, it actually caused me more stress. That quick fix didn’t allow me to slow down. To help me reflect and breathe. It wasn’t me.

It wasn’t authentic or raw.

So I’ll say it again…

I am right there with you my friends and fellow yogis.

We are all human.

We all have stressful lives and are just doing our best to live & breathe and get through the days.

And when we feel overwhelmed and stressed…my hope is that we can all take a moment to slow down, breathe, be ourselves and remember the tools that we have to help both our physical & emotional hearts.

And it is also my hope, to support you.

To be there and remind you that you are not alone. That you are (or will be) ok.

You deserve a moment, and you can ask for help.

From me.

From a friend or family member.

From a pet…or from the internet.

With the help of some trained professionals, my hope each month is to highlight a theme and share some small, bite-sized yoga therapy tools with you.

In February I shared a few short videos that highlighted a pose, breath & mudra of the month…all related to heart-health. All tools to support you.

I also created one longer yoga therapy practice for those who have the time and interest.

If even just one of you finds this useful, it’s worth it to me;-)

I’m here for you…please take care of yourselves.

Your physical & emotional hearts deserve it!!

Looking forward to wrapping up February & easing into March with each of you!

Next month you can look forward to the same videos & tools - as we focus on the Spring Equinox - and cleanse & renew.

We will also acknowledge:

• National nutrition month

• Women’s history month

• Cerebral Palsy awareness month

• Multiple Sclerosis awareness month

• World sleep day!

Sending all of you much love, peace, heart-health, authenticity and…stress reduction!

Biz & pups (Ivy & Noch!)