Suzette Smith is the owner and founder of Shelter Island Pilates and Barre on Shelter Island, offering private, group, and online classes. In this essay, she explores the concept of “Stepping Into What Is Yours.”
As we step into a new year, I’ve been reflecting on the energy we’re leaving behind — and the one we’re stepping into.
The Year of the Snake invited us to shed. To let go of what no longer worked — old habits, patterns, beliefs, and even versions of ourselves that had run their course. Shedding can be uncomfortable, but it’s necessary. And whether you noticed it in real time or only in hindsight, many of us spent the past year clearing space.
Now, we enter the Year of the Fire Horse.
The Fire Horse brings bold movement, vitality, and forward momentum. This is not a quiet year. It’s energetic, action-oriented, and alive with possibility. After the shedding comes motion — but meaningful motion. The kind that’s rooted in clarity and purpose.
The Fire Horse reminds us that the body was designed to move. To swing, scoop, shake, breathe, and express. Simple, dynamic movements — arm swings in the morning, gentle body shakes to release tension, rhythmic, intentional motion — help wake up the nervous system, clear mental fog, and restore a sense of confidence and direction. Movement creates clarity.
This energy also asks us to break free from hesitation. Standing still may feel uncomfortable this year — and that’s not a bad thing. It’s an invitation to trust your momentum.
I often say in the studio: we do not chase — we simply step into what is meant for us.
Alignment has a feeling to it. You can sense it in your body. If something feels forced — if you’re pushing, gripping, convincing, or over-efforting — it may not be aligned. Force creates tension, and tension is information. When something is truly meant for you, there is usually a sense of ease, even when effort is required. Your breath flows. Your body feels organized. You move with intention rather than resistance.
In Pilates, alignment is everything. When the body is aligned, movement becomes efficient, strong, and sustainable. When it’s not, we compensate — and eventually, something speaks up. Life works the same way. As we move into this new year, I invite you to ask yourself:
– Where am I moving with ease?
– Where am I forcing?
– What feels expansive rather than heavy?
– What feels like a natural next step, not a push?
The Fire Horse supports courage, independence, and forward motion — but only when it’s guided by awareness. Let this be a year where you listen closely to your body. Where you move not by chasing, but by aligning. Where you allow momentum to build naturally, from the inside out.
If you’re feeling ready to reconnect with your body in a more intentional way, barre classes and Pilates sessions are a wonderful place to begin — or continue — that alignment. Whether you’re seeking strength, clarity, energy, or simply time to move with purpose, I’d love to support you this season.
Classes and private sessions are ongoing at our Barre and Pilates studios, and in our On-Demand library and as always, you are welcome exactly as you are.
Here’s to a year of movement, clarity, power, and purpose.