Softer Start: Stop Doing Too Much and Find Your Rhythm This Winter

A 3-week group series for anyone who is ready to divest from hustle culture and learn how to live with the rhythms of themselves and nature in a sustainable way. “This series made me realize I was attempting to do too much at once and not letting myself rest enough, and now I’m working toward better balance and living in rhythm with nature.”

While hustle culture tells us to hit the ground running on January 1st, our bodies are telling us to start slowly.

Every January, the message is the same: set big goals, push harder, fix everything at once, go to the gym every day, start a diet, and so on and so on. If you’re already tired, that message can feel like one more thing you’re failing at.

But what if you’re not failing? What if there’s a deeper, wiser part of you who knows that this time of year isn’t about pushing? 

Ayurveda, the ancient sibling science of yoga, teaches that this time of year is meant for rest, nourishment, and turning inward. Wanting to move slowly isn’t a sign that something is wrong, but rather that your body is really in tune with the nature around you! 

Softer Start is a three week reset to stop overdoing it, start listening, and build a sustainable way of living that actually lasts.

This is for you if…

• You’re already doing too much, and the idea of a pile of New Year’s resolutions makes you want to lie down.
• Your body is asking for gentleness and you keep overriding it.
• You want to start the year with intention, without the overwhelm or the January burnout.
• You feel the pull inward this time of year and want to honor it instead of fighting it.
• You want small shifts that stick, not unsustainable overhauls.
• You’d like an anchor to come back to when life gets stressful.
• You do better with gentle structure, support, and accountability without pressure.
• You’re ready to say ‘no thanks’ to the patriarchal messaging of hustle culture 

What you’ll walk away with

• A rhythm that fits your life. You’ll learn what winter asks of your body and mind, and how to live in step with the season instead of against it.
• An anchor. A simple daily practice of checking in with yourself, so you have something steady to return to, especially when things get stressful.
• Clarity around transitions. Learn to honor the shifts between seasons, days, and chapters of life with more intention.
• Permission to rest. You’ll see clearly where you’ve been pushing too hard, and you’ll have real tools to ease off without guilt.

What people are saying

“I have had an anchor to fall back on to remind me to connect and check in with myself where I am at the moment. It has given me support to help me stay grounded in a stressful time.”

“The idea of honoring transitions really landed with me. It’s something I think about but don’t do enough, and having that reflected and validated in the class has helped me get clearer on wanting to be more intentional with them.”

“Amberly’s Softer Start series is an opportunity to gently root into wintry modes of reflection and visioning. She offers a space that can be as simple or involved as you want to make it, and is brilliant at encouraging small shifts rather than unsustainable overhauls.”

“This series is a great way to ease out of the hustle and bustle of January and to stay grounded during this time.”

How it works

Softer Start is a 3-week group experience rooted in Ayurveda and gentle, somatic yoga. Each week has a theme, and each theme gives you something to understand, something to practice, and something to reflect on.

• Understand your season. In our live sessions, we explore the Ayurvedic view of winter: which elements are dominant right now, how they show up in your body and energy, and how to find balance within them. Spoiler alert: It’s a very different perspective from what dominant culture tells us this time of year.
• Practice self-care that fits. You’ll learn Ayurvedic self-care practices and receive clear guidance on weaving them into your daily life, even on low-energy and/or very full days.
• Move, breathe, and settle. Each week includes a gentle, somatic yoga practice with breathwork and optional mantra or chant. No experience needed.
• Be held along the way. Between sessions, a small, private group chat offers encouragement and connection, so you’re not doing this alone.

What’s included

• 3 live group sessions on Zoom. Theme presentation, the Ayurvedic perspective, discussion, and live Q+A. Every session is recorded, so you can catch up anytime.
• 3 live gentle, somatic yoga practices. One per week, with movement, breathwork, meditation, and optional mantra to match each theme. Every session is recorded, so you can catch up anytime. You’ll also get PDF documents with stick figure drawings and notes of all the classes–yours to keep forever so you can return to them again and again.
• Daily rhythm guidance (Dinacharya). Easy-to-follow support for each phase of the three weeks with PDF documents guiding you through each step. Yours to keep!
• Weekly emails. Overviews of everything covered each week plus journal and reflection prompts to sit with between sessions.
• A private WhatsApp community. Daily check-ins, shared inspiration, and space for questions and community building.

Dates

Live sessions are held on Monday evenings at 5:30pm and Saturday mornings at 9am for three weeks:

• Monday, January 4th: Inquiry
  • Yoga: Saturday, January 9th
• Monday, January 11th: Discernment
  • Yoga: Saturday, January 16th
• Monday, January 18th: Embodiment 
  • Yoga: Saturday, January 23rd

Can’t make a session? Full recordings are included.

Investment

$150 Space is intentionally limited to keep the group small and personal.

A note from Amberly:

I created Softer Start because I am passionate about divesting from hustle culture that tells us that January 1st is a time to start expending all of our energy on dieting, going to the gym, and overhauling our lives when in reality it is the dead of winter and Mother Nature is asking us to move slowly and turn inward. I’m so tired of seeing wonderful, capable people running on empty during this time of year, then feeling guilty for resting. Winter isn’t asking you to push or pile things onto your plate. It’s inviting you to root down, turn inward, and nourish yourself so that when Spring does arrive, you’re able to bloom from well tended roots. My goal is to offer a space that’s as simple or as involved as you want it to be, where small shifts are enough to create a big impact. For those of you who are ready for a gentler way to begin the year, I’d love to have you.

Questions

Do I need yoga experience? Not at all. The practices are gentle, accessible, and adaptable to wherever you are.

What if I can’t attend live? Every session is recorded, and the group chat keeps you connected in between.

Do I need to know anything about Ayurveda? No. I’ll guide you through everything from the beginning.

How much time does it take? As much or as little as you have. Each class is 60-minutes long, but all are recorded so you can view them when you have space. I’ll offer practical and doable ways to implement each practice we discuss.

Ground now in winter’s stillness, so that when spring arrives you’re able to bloom from well nourished roots.