Welcome to this week’s Newsletter: the first of February after the 12 weeks of January — or so it feels like sometimes!!!

I hope you have had a good week. Although still struggling with a chest infection, I have dipped my toes further into teaching, so gradually building stamina and strength. I also now have a better idea of what is happening in my spine and hips, which is good because I can now start to work on improving mobility and balance in my body. I will share some of this over the next few weeks, but don’t worry, you can use the snore-law if this doesn’t interest you … No offence!!!

Your Whole Self this week is all about the comfort of the familiar — nothing wrong with it, welcome it.

All Face-to-Face Classes are ongoing this week, running to timetable. We have also got replacement classes for those we had to cancel due to weather early in January. Although we have directly messaged those who attend these classes, here are the dates:

• Monday — Old Woodhouse — replacement classes are on 16 February
• Friday — Rempstone — replacement class 20 February
• Friday — Old Woodhouse — replacement class 27 February

These classes have been added to the Catchup System so if you cannot attend please book a Catchup as usual.

Online Classes are running to timetable, with all Live sessions being recorded and added to the members’ jtp.zone website for 24/7 access.

See you in class.

JTP Book Club

I have two books on the go at the moment, neither of them fiction. First, I am reading Sir Chris Hoy’s memoir All That Matters. I am really into memoirs and autobiographies at the moment and this is particularly poignant as he talks about his diagnosis of Stage 4 cancer and how he chooses to face this life-changing disease and focus on the moments that matter. Of course it has sadness, but also how he demonstrates the focus and strength that won him 6 gold medals when faced with this health challenge. If you are interested in autobiographies then I can recommend this; you don’t have to be interested in sport.

The second book I am dipping into is I May be Wrong by Bjorn Natthiko Lindeblad. I have only just started this but as someone who likes ‘control’ in my life, this is all about letting go of the small stuff; accepting the things you cannot control; managing difficult emotions; facing yourself and others without judgement. In his mid-twenties he swapped his career as a business executive for a life as a forest monk. I think I am going to learn a lot.

If you have any ideas for some fiction I would love to hear from you, as I am looking for a new, good read.

Step out of your comfort zone … 

To be honest, I get a bit fed up when I hear this. 

Celebrities asked why they are doing SAS Who Dares Wins? Because I wanted to do something that pushes me out of my comfort zone. 

Or on Strictly Come Dancing (which I love of course), celebrities will often talk about the outfits, the razzle-dazzle, the spray tan, which for many of them is… stepping out of their comfort zone. 

However, I want to sing the praises of the familiar. 

There is something deeply comforting about the familiar — the same walk you’ve done a hundred times, the same cafe to meet up for a coffee and catch up, the same pair of boots. Even in class sometimes when you are being taught an exercise or movement that your body recognises straight away, it provides familiarity and when something is familiar, the nervous system relaxes, the mind lets go of gripping and holding, and it gives a sense of safety. 

Sometimes it can feel that the world is constantly nudging us to try something new, improve, upgrade or change and suggest that familiarity is almost boring. However, familiarity is often where contentment lives. It allows us to settle rather than brace, and from that place we breathe more freely, feel more grounded, and allow ourselves to just be. And when we visit the familiar — the same restaurant, the same holiday resort, the same pub — it can feel like we are coming home.

All this talk of familiarity should not replace exploration of new things, or curiosity to discover what is possible, I simply want to say that growth doesn’t always come from novelty. Sometimes it comes from repetition, consistency, and keeping the basics in your life. We will still notice something new when we return to the familiar because every time we go there, we will have changed in some way. 

In class you will often hear the teachers talking about the fact that every time we show up we will be in a different place physically and emotionally, so we aim to make our classes feel supportive, familiar movement with familiar faces. A shared space where we move together week after week, day after day.  This gives a sense of consistency and community which allows the body to relax, the mind to soften, and the whole self to feel held, which is just as important as the exercise itself. The comfort of familiarity.

So this week, you might gently lean into the familiar. The cafe you know. The walk you trust. The small habits that quietly support you. 

Contentment doesn’t always shout — sometimes it whispers, “You’re safe here.”

Have a great week everyone. Keep looking, moving, and feeling good. 

With love and support,

Jane xxx