You Don’t Have To Rush Into The New Year
The Gregorian New Year is almost here—January 1, just a few days away.
In the U.S., that date tends to carry a lot of weight: Fresh starts, resolutions, vision boards…and a sense that we should be gearing up, getting clear, deciding where we’re going and who we’re going to be next.
But honestly?
For many of us, this little liminal stretch between Christmas and New Year’s is a wonderfully weird no-man’s-land. I love it. Round-the-clock pajamas, random mealtimes, and lots of hurkle-durkling. And because I’m in the Midwest right now—cold, snowy, cocoon-y—I fully surrender to these hibernation days.
And yet, you might also feel that little inner pressure, or regret, if 2025 didn’t shape itself the way you hoped. A little sadness in closing a chapter before you feel “ready.”
So let me reassure you:
you actually have more time than you think.
In the Chinese calendar, the Lunar New Year doesn’t arrive until February 17. And in TCM there’s a saying:
“The tail whips the hardest.”
We are in the final tail of the Yin Wood Snake year—a potent time for last bits of shedding, releasing, composting, and letting old skins fall away.
Yin Snake energy asks us to go inward—to listen, to shed the unnecessary, to attend to whatever final pieces are ready to loosen before we step into something new. Maybe like a little backstage preparation before we open the curtains.
And what are we opening into?
The Yang Fire Horse.
Even just the name gives you a sense of the shift coming: intensity, outward expression, forward momentum. But we’re not there yet! And that’s the beauty of this moment.
Right now is perfect for:
dropping into the last days of the Snake
noticing what still wants to release
reflecting on what you’re ready to stop carrying
giving yourself permission to be in-process
If you want a little more context, here’s my blog from last year about the Yin Wood Snake—it may help you reflect on what this year has been working in you.
Stay tuned for more about preparing for the balancing Yang energy of the Fire Horse as February approaches. But for now, let’s honor the year we’re still in—its waning days, its last teachings, its invitations.
x Kaita
NEW YEAR'S DAY
VIRTUAL PRACTICE
I’m opening up Thursday's virtual practice to all newsletter subscribers.
Members will also get access afterward to the replay, on demand.
We’ll take time to pause, listen inward, move gently, and gather in community as we cross into 2026.
90 minutes total (class for about 60 min + optional sharing)
11:00–12:30 p.m. CT
I’d love to start the year with you—slow, intentional, spacious.
