A Gentler way to begin 2026 — choosing a word to live by
At InsideOut Yoga, we’ve been exploring a quieter, kinder way to step into 2026.
- Not looking at what’s wrong or needs to be fixed
- Not sweeping or unreasonable resolutions
- Not impossible goals to attain
- Not ways to set ourselves up to be discouraged or defeated within the first two weeks of this clean slate of a year
Instead, we’ve been working with a theme word — a single word that feels supportive, grounding, and natural. A word that isn’t something to achieve, but something to use as a framework or a place to which we return, much as we use the breath in meditation.
I’m enjoying the gentleness of this for myself as well as the ways students are taking it on — Not as a giant “aha,” but as a soft place to land.
Why a word instead of a resolution?
So many of us are already carrying enough pressure. Resolutions often reinforce the idea that we’re behind, not enough, or need to be different to be okay.
A theme word offers something else.
It asks:
- How do I want to be with myself?
- What quality would feel nourishing to practice this year?
- What would support me in ordinary moments — not just on good days?
Words like ease, steadiness, trust, softness, clarity, belonging, patience, courage have been showing up. And what feels most inspiring is that they’re showing up, not as instructions, but as supportive companions.
How we practiced in class
We didn’t just think about the word. We practiced living it.
We noticed how it shaped:
- The way we breathed
- The choices we made in poses
- How we responded when we lost balance or felt judgment or force creep in
- How we returned — again and again — without critiquing, without making anything wrong
What stood out most was this reminder:
Manifestation isn’t about getting it right.
It’s about practicing return.
You can do this at home, too
I created a one-page reflection sheet that you can use on your own — no yoga class required.
It’s an invitation to:
- Choose a word that feels supportive(not demanding) to YOU
- Notice how that word feels in your body
- Identify one small, ordinary moment where you can practice it
- Offer yourself kindness when you forget. Because you will — and that’s an essential part of it. This is about setting ourselves up in a way that accepts and accommodates how our minds work. It allows us to work WITH our humanity rather than seeking to overcome it.
You can download the worksheet here and use it anytime:
You might spend five minutes with it.
You might return to it again and again.
There’s no wrong way to do this.
A gentle reminder
We’re choosing a word for 2026, not a promise to be better or more or different.
But choosing it as a way of coming home to yourself gently, kindly — moment by moment, breath by breath.
