Restore & Replenish

Rest Before the Fire:

Entering the Year of the Fire Horse

A reflection on Chinese New Year, momentum, and why restorative practices matter right now.

February 17th marks Chinese New Year, a moment I always like to pause and check in with. It feels like a two-for-one refresh, a chance to look back, take stock, and sense what kind of energy we’re stepping into next.

This past year was the Year of the Snake.

For me, it was a challenging one. I tend to live in motion, and Snake energy is all about patience, stillness, and quiet transformation, the kind that happens slowly, beneath the surface. It asked for a lot of listening. A lot of waiting. And a lot of learning, sometimes the hard way, how not to push.

From Snake to Fire Horse

Now we’re moving into the Year of the Fire Horse, and the shift in energy is undeniable.

What makes this especially interesting is that the Fire Horse is a rare combination, the last time it occurred was in 1966. I wasn’t even born yet. There’s something powerful about stepping into an energy many of us have never consciously lived through before.

Fire Horse years are traditionally associated with strong yang energy, independence, momentum, innovation, intensity, disruption, and fast change. There’s movement here. Vision. Drive. A sense of let’s go.

And I AM ready for that shift.

Why Rest Comes First

At the same time, wisdom asks us to stay grounded in being before jumping into inspired action.

Fire needs a steady container. Momentum needs roots. Otherwise, we burn through ourselves instead of building something sustainable.

Rest, in this way, isn’t a pause from life. It’s preparation.

It’s how we integrate what’s been. It’s how we gather ourselves before acceleration. It’s how we move forward with clarity instead of force.

This is the energy I’ve been leaning into, and it’s what inspired me to offer a Restorative Yoga class at this exact moment.