Yin Yoga This Wednesday + Portland Dates

Dear Subscriber First Name,

To help you slow down, reconnect, and move through this season with a little more intention, this edition brings together nourishment, reflection, and upcoming opportunities to gather.

Below you’ll find details on my holistic counseling rate increase, February Portland dates, a reminder about this Wednesday’s Yin Yoga & Guided Meditation session, and a simple, grounding recipe offering ease and nourishment.

I hope this note feeds you on more than one level and provides a moment of steadiness and curiosity as you move through the weeks ahead.

Wishing you light, presence, and a season of gentle growth.

Much love,

Tara

The limited series of Self-Discovery Sessions began on January 7th in Albany, and the group settled into a beautiful shared rhythm almost immediately. There was a sense of ease, curiosity, and quiet openness in the room—an early reminder of how powerful it can be to slow down, listen inward, and explore alongside others.

YIN YOGA THIS WEDNESDAY

This Wednesday’s session explores Yin Yoga & Guided Meditation, a deeply nourishing practice designed to help you soften, release, and reconnect. Through long-held, supported postures, Yin Yoga gently works with the deeper layers of the body—fascia, joints, and connective tissue—while creating space for the nervous system to settle. Paired with guided meditation, this session invites you out of effort and into presence, offering an opportunity to notice what’s ready to be let go of and what’s quietly emerging beneath the surface. No prior yoga experience is necessary—just a willingness to slow down and receive.

You’re still welcome to join! Upcoming sessions include:

January 21, 2026 - “Yin Yoga & Guided Meditation” - —> only a few spots left
January 28, 2026 - “Oracle Cards & Journaling”
February 4, 2026 - “Polarities & Squares Processing Techniques”
February 11, 2026 - “Putting it All Together & Closing Cacao Ceremony”

PORTLAND DATES

I’m happy to share my winter Portland dates! I’ll be in town February 17–24, 2026, and my Portland office hours are now open for online scheduling. I’m also exploring the possibility of a Portland-based group gathering or self-discovery session during this visit—if that feels nourishing or intriguing to you, I’d love to hear. After February, my next Portland availability will be in early July.

RATE INCREASE

Effective immediately, I am increasing my session rate to $175. This is my first increase in five years. If this change creates a financial concern for you, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I want to be thoughtful about accessibility, and I’m open to having a conversation about what feels manageable for you. I deeply value our work together and look forward to continuing.

So much of what we’re taught about growth is effort-based: think harder, analyze deeper, fix faster. But lately I’ve been noticing how clarity tends to arrive when we soften instead. When the nervous system feels safe and nourished, the inner voice doesn’t need to shout — it can whisper. Whether it’s through the foods we choose, the way we rest in stillness, or the quiet act of putting pen to paper without an agenda, insight often comes not from forcing answers, but from creating enough space to hear what’s already there. This season, I’m inviting curiosity over certainty, listening over fixing, and trust over urgency.

Avocado Toast with Smoked Salmon, Capers & Pickled Red Onion

Recipe adapted from Ellena of The Seasonal Kitchen

Designed to steady energy and soothe the nervous system, this recipe offers a balance of richness and brightness that helps the body soften out of urgency and into clarity.

Nourishing fats from salmon, avocado, and olive oil support brain and nerve health, while key nutrients like B12, folate, and magnesium help regulate mood and support calm signaling. Fiber paired with healthy fats keeps blood sugar steady, easing stress responses, while fermented and briny elements like capers and pickled red onion support the gut–brain connection. Finished with lemon and fresh herbs, this meal enhances mineral absorption and reduces oxidative stress.

Total prep time: 10 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients:

4 slices of sourdough bread
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed
2 avocados, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
6 ozs cold smoked salmon, ready to eat
2 tablespoon capers
1/4 cup pickled red onions
2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped
Sea Salt Flakes (like Maldon), to taste

Directions:

Step 1 - Toast

Brush the tops of the sourdough bread with olive oil and toast on a grill pan or in a toaster oven until the bread is lightly crisp. Or to make life easier, simply toast the bread and brush or drizzle it with olive oil once it’s out of the toaster.

Step 2 - Cut

Peel and cut the avocados into chunks, and cut the lemon into slices.

Step 3 - Assemble

Once the toast is oily and ready, place ~1/2 avocado atop the toast and lightly mash with a spoon. Squeeze a slice of lemon (or more, to your liking) over the avocado and sprinkle with a few sea salt flakes. Top with smoked salmon, capers, pickled red onions, and dill. Enjoy right away.

Do Ahead: If you’d like homemade Pickled Red Onions, prepare at least two hours, or up to a week, before making this recipe. If you’d rather shortcut, this store bought version is delicious.

Nutrition (per serving):

Key Micronutrients (per serving):

If you have any questions about anything written here or if you simply want to reach out, please don't hesitate to contact me. I'm always happy to connect and continue the dialogue.

If you know someone who might benefit from the insights shared in this newsletter, please feel free to forward it along. And of course, if you'd like to book a holistic counseling session or register for any upcoming events, you can do so through my website.

I look forward to connecting with you soon.

Much love,

Tara