More Joy Wellness

I LOVE Christmas time. It’s magical and bright and a little bit sparkly and a whole lot of cosy.

But over the years, something started to shift. A lot of my friends – people who once loved this season – began to dread it. And fair enough: the rising cost of living, social media painting impossible “perfect family” expectations, gifts getting more high-tech (and high-priced), plus the endless swirl of events, school concerts, travel, and traditions to keep alive.
The Christmas magic was slowly turning into Christmas panic.

Somewhere in the middle of noticing all of this, the 12 Days of Christmas Yoga Challenge took shape. A big swing to bring the calm magic and simple joy back to centre stage.

When I say “challenge,” I don’t mean it in the fitness industry version of the word. There’s no push for 100 chaturangas, and no gold star for powering through. The real challenge is choosing to intentionally slow down for 12 days in a row during the most chaotic time of the year.

It’s a challenge to show up for yourself.
A challenge to breathe a little deeper.
A challenge to tune inward when everything else is pulling you outward.

I launched the first one in 2024 back home in Rogers City, genuinely unsure if anyone would turn up. (I honestly doubted people would carve out an hour a day in December, it’s December after all!!) But they did. Some came for all 12 days. Others popped in when they could. And what happened in that little studio surprised me in the best way.

We moved a little.
We laughed a little.
We carved out a pocket of stillness between wrapping paper and to-do lists.

There was something really special about that collective exhale each day. We built a tiny sanctuary inside the season, just by showing up and breathing together.

Why It Means So Much

I’m genuinely excited for this year’s 12 Days group. Not because it’s fun (it is), and not because it’s festive (it definitely is), but because it’s grounding. It’s way to honour the end of the year with intention instead of exhaustion.

It’s the slowing down when everything else is speeding up.
The softening when the world feels sharp.
The returning home to yourself, again and again.

And sharing that with others is the part that fills me up the most.

Learn more by visiting our 12 Days Challenge page (where you can get a PDF or physical copy of the workbook for your own use!).