Naomi Gottlieb-Miller

Hey Reader, This past weekend, I led my final Winter yoga retreat. It was wonderful and sad and I am so grateful to the women who showed up to move and write and share stories and listen and connect. I led this retreat and ones like it for 16 years. I love leading retreats but one of the hardest things for me in these situations was finding time to take care of myself in the midst of caring for others. At least, it used to be. Early on, I remember having trouble finding time and space to move...

Hey Reader, We're 11 days into 2026 and holy hell. Some days I wonder if it even matters that I teach movement. I'm proud of the work I do and also, it feels insignificant in the face of ICE terrorizing communities and murdering people in cold blood. Or people protesting and dying in Iran. Or the continued horrors brought on by this increasingly fascist administration. The state of the world sometimes makes me feel as though my work in the world is insignificant. I'm a fitness professional...

Hey Reader, Happy 2026! We're just 4 days into a new year and I'm not really interested in hearing about new year's resolutions. I am, however, really curious about what you want to prioritize in the days, weeks, and months ahead. There is a difference between a new year's resolution and a priority. (This leads me to my Movement Snack this week) Movement Snack this week: A new year's resolution is something you're kind of trying out. You like the idea of adopting a new habit or changing a...

Hey Reader, This past week, I've been reflecting on 2025. I'm probably not alone in this. 'Tis the season to contemplate and consider, especially now that the chaos of the holiday season is largely over and the dust has settled. Honestly, it's been a crazy year. I don't even know how to write about the horrible things that have happened within this country. It's been terrifying to watch the dismantling of democracy, communities terrorized by ICE, innocent people disappeared, and hate...

Hey Reader, Happy Winter Solstice! On this, shortest and darkest day of the year, I want to bring you a little bit of light. Movement is what provides a lot of light for me. In fact, after I write this, I'm heading out for a hike with my family. It's one of our winter solstice traditions. But it's the daily movement, getting on my mat or on my tap board or into the basement with my weights or out for a run, that really lights me up. Movement makes everything in my life a lot easier and...

Hey Reader, I know this is quite possibly the busiest time of year for you and the very last thing you need is more emails, but I wanted to reach out once again about my Winter Retreat. I've decided that this January is the last time I will offer my annual Wintering retreat. I love running this retreat. I love how it's evolved over the years from a strictly yoga retreat to something more interesting. I love the writing and sharing and connecting we do. I love the creativity and the...

Hey Reader, 'Tis the season to feel a combination of extreme joy and extreme overwhelm, am I right? Hanukkah begins tonight, the solstice is next weekend, and Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Boxing Day follow immediately after. Not to mention New Year's....(holy smokes, we're just over 2 weeks out from 2026. Anyone else feel like this is totally bananas?) During this time of year, I anchor into my movement practice with even more persistence because moving my body every day helps keep me grounded and...

Hey Reader, Last night I danced on stage with around 150 other dancers. Not all at once. That would have been chaos. Instead, I danced with the people I take classes with each week. It was similar to the dance recitals I did as a kid, only this was the grown up version. Adult dancers ranging from their early 20's to mid 60's were on stage doing ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, tap, and burlesque. I danced in 3 different dances -- jazz, contemporary, and my personal favorite, tap....

Hey Reader, When I was in my first yoga teacher training program, 20 years ago, sequencing came naturally to me. I had trained as a dancer prior to yoga, but more importantly, I am really good at puzzles and patterns. Fitting poses together in a sequence or over the course of a 60 minute class was a fun challenge for me. I got really good at leading my students through a class that never threw anything at them that they were not well prepared for. Smart sequencing is one of my teaching...