Hey Reader,

It's been a month, y'all! And I'm back with a rundown of what's up in movement for me in the past month, as well as in the months ahead.

Of course I have also been writing weekly essays over on my substack, What Moves You. If you're also subscribed there, you've definitely heard from me more frequently. Thank you for hanging out with me in both spaces.

In this monthly message, I'm offering a snapshot of my yoga and movement offerings from the past month: YouTube videos, upcoming programs, online studio updates, and other special events.

First up is my annual Winter Retreat.

I've been teaching this retreat for 10 years and it's my absolute favorite event all year long. We gather together to kick off the new year by reflecting on the past year and envisioning the year ahead.

This retreat will be full of yoga/movement (6 classes in total), delicious homemade food, and the opportunity to recharge for a weekend.

I incorporate 2-3 writing prompts into each yoga class, we do some collective art, and we share the stories of who we are, as well as who we are becoming in the new year.

The retreat is located near Harper's Ferry, about an hour away from downtown Silver Spring and 75 minutes from DC. We gather MLK Jr weekend, January 17-19, 2025.

To save your spot, all you need to do is put down a deposit and let me know if you want a private room (only 1 of these left), a shared double or shared triple. Link to save your spot is here.

If you have any questions at all, please let me know.

Here's what I shared on YouTube in September:

I released 2 videos in September.

(If you are not yet subscribed to my YouTube channel, subscribing is totally free for you and helps me out so much. Click here to subscribe)

This first one is a tutorial to give you options for twisting when twisting feels hard or impossible. The idea is to give you options in twists so you don't have to opt out. Try it out here:

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The second class is another twisty practice -- because I taught twists work all month long in my online studio, MOVE with Naomi, in September And in this class, I actually give you a peek into one of my full 8-minute flows classes, something I've never actually sone on my YouTube channel before. Check it out here:

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If you want more of these twist-focused classes, you can access them with a membership to MOVE with Naomi.

But if you want a taste of what we're doing this month in MOVE, watch this quick video:

This month in MOVE, we're focusing on upper body strength through biceps curls! Not to worry....we're not doing biceps curls in the flow classes but we are doing poses that use your biceps or engage them. In this video, I'm giving a bit of an intro to biceps engagement in dolphin pose, as well as cobra. But we're exploring a few other poses this month that use your biceps muscles to help support you including crow pose, forearm stand, and headstand, to name a few.

Already up in MOVE are 4 classes that approach biceps action in different ways: strength-based with weights, dynamic flow, mellow/restorative, and mobility. If you're curious what all of those different classes look like through the lens of biceps engagement, join me in MOVE.

My online studio, MOVE with Naomi, is an absolute labor of love. The classes I share there are not your typical yoga classes and not even your typical strength-based classes. My style of teaching is nontraditional, creative, curious, and intentional. If that sounds like your kind of movement adventure, I'd love for your to join me on the mat there.

I have a huge goal to have 100 people in my online studio. Having even double the number of members I currently have, would make the studio sustainable -- currently, it's essentially breaking even after paying the wonderful folks who help me run it, plus the basic overhead costs of running a business.

Despite the fact that many folks have gone back to in-person yoga, I still very much believe in the great benefits of online movement classes. They have absolutely changed my life for the better. If you're curious how and why, please email me to ask.
And if you'd like to give MOVE a try, use coupon code COMMUNITY2 and get 80% off your first 2 months of membership.
​Click here to get started.

A little more movement news:

In one week, I am participating in a virtual conference called Mental Health and Motherhood. The line up of panelists is incredible and I am so honored to be among them. You can currently purchase tickets to attend at 2 different price levels (if you can't attend all of the workshops all day on Friday October 11th, no biggie. You'll have access to all of the recorded workshops after the conference ends).

​Get more info here.​

I hope you can make it!

Lastly, if you you're not following me over on substack, I'd love to see you there -- I'm actually doing a HUGE GIVEAWAY that ends today. So if you subscribe (for free) and comment on this post, you'll be entered to win 3 things.

In September I wrote more in-depth, extensively researched essays. I wrote an piece debunking some big yoga and movement myths called, Your Body is Not as Fragile as Your Yoga Teacher Tells You It Is, which opened up some fantastic conversations in the comments. And I also published an essay inspired by Chappell Roan, but also including some of my own experiences called Public Facing People Don't Exist For Your Approval. Both of these essays are free to read, with or without being a free subscriber -- although I would so appreciate if you subscribed!

I also wrote 2 essays for paid subscribers. One is called More Than 10 Things I Hate About Motherhood, which made a few people angry but also showed who actually read the piece and who didn't -- because what I wrote might not be what you expect.
The other essay I wrote for paid subscribers is about whether or not Politics Belong in Yoga Spaces, which started some big conversations on my facebook page.

For paid subscribers I also include 1 of the September 2024 15-minute classes from my online studio, MOVE in each essay. This is one of the perks for joining as a paid subscriber -- each month you'll get 2 15-minute classes typically only available to MOVE members.

If you want to support my work and my art, please consider paying for a subscription. Your support makes a huge difference in terms of what I can create.

Art and writing are severely undervalued in our culture. We get so much for free. And I am happy to contribute what I can. It's why I have a free YouTube channel, still share at least once or twice a week on Instagram, and make more than half of my content on substack free.

I’d also be enormously appreciative if you are able to show your support for writers (like me) and the time we spend crafting words into sentences, paragraphs, and essays that we want to use as a tool for connection.

​Subscribe for free or for $5/month here.

That's it from me, Reader. I'll check in again at the beginning of November.

Until then, sending so much love.

Naomi