I Give You the Most Loving Start to 2025 (Zoom link for Sunday)

let this be the year of Being; the inner gift we need most now.

Photo by Shyam on Unsplash

This is the year that doesn’t have to be about becoming. Let this be the year of being. Let it be the year of letting the light in, slowly, softly, until one day you look up and realize that you, too, are glowing.
-Erin Whitten

I recently shared how I’ve replaced New Year’s Resolutions with New Year Responses and was delighted my idea resonated with so many of you.

One of our members,

Cory Welke

, made an interesting observation in the comments, noting that resolutions are often associated with external, societal pressure, whereas choosing our response to the new year is a gift that comes from within.

Cory’s words came to mind on the morning on January 1^st when I learned that tragedy had come on the doorstep of 2025. Only a few hours into the new year and a senseless act of terrorism had caused loss of life and utter despair in New Orleans.

As I felt sadness and hopelessness begin to take over my body, I paused.

How will you respond to 2025, Rachel?

Within minutes, I was bundled up and my feet were hitting the pavement. For as long as I can remember, I have always walked my way through pain and hopelessness. With each step, I felt stronger. I thought about gathering with you and what I might offer that could help us individually and collectively.

My friends, it is clear to me that cultivating peaceful responses within ourselves (no matter the chaos and discord around us) will be vital in the year ahead.

So, how do we do this?

We prioritize self-care. Why is this practice worthy of such prioritization? Because a ‘well cared for’ state of being positively impacts every aspect of your life—but that is not all, it also has the potential to impact the world. In the book, WHERE TO BEGIN, activist and poet Cleo Wade writes, “Self-care is how we claim peace of mind. When we know how to gift peace to our inner world, the pathway to creating peace in the world around us is so much clearer.”

Join me this Sunday, January 5, for our first Treehouse Gathering of 2025. We will talk about practical ways to cultivate a well-cared for state of being. What you can expect during this restorative gathering:

• An inspiring story of something I witnessed during my daughter’s first half ironman on December 15th

• Readings from Morgan Harper Nicholas and Africa Brooks

• Reclaiming “self-care” so it means something to us

• Different approaches to building self-care habits (including a Living Calendar, Bingo Wellness, and aligning yourself with the seasons)

• Setting yourself up to thrive by identifying key pieces of awareness you already possess

I hope you can join me on Sunday afternoon for what will likely mark the most loving start to a new year you have ever experienced. In case you can’t make it, I will be recording my 45-minute teaching segment. I will stop the recording before we have community discussion to protect the privacy of those in attendance.

If this is your first time climbing my treehouse ladder, please know this is a come as you are experience. I’ll be leading from a cozy, candle-lit space wearing my soft pants. I’ll have a warm cup of tea in hand and a “do not disturb” sign on the door. I invite you to do the same! You are worthy of this time for yourself.🩵

If you plan to come, can you let me know in the comments? It delights me to anticipate your arrival. Here is a time zone converter if you want to confirm what time you should climb the ladder from your neck of the woods.

🌳❤️ If you are a free subscriber of Rachel’s Treehouse and would like the full community experience, which includes restorative and enlightening online gatherings, access to my most deeply personal essays, and early notification to register for my events with limited spots, the cost is $5 per month.

My hand in yours,
Rachel