Dear Friends,

I have become a major fan of Olympic Gold Medal-winning figure skater Alysa Liu. After becoming a phenom at 13, enduring a punishing, medal-focused training schedule, she dropped out of skating at 16. She traveled the world, played other sports, went to college, and got herself back. Then she decided to return — but on her own terms, with new coaches and a new system in which she held the reins:

"She has been much more engaged in the process of creating the program from beginning to end – from picking the music, to every aspect of the choreography, to her dress and hair and makeup," Scali [her choreographer] said. "She knows what she wants and how she wants to represent what she is doing on the ice."

The result? Watch for yourself:

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That's What I'm F*cking Talking About!

This performance - and Alysa's attitude going into it - is a masterclass in how to want. Nobody makes it to the Olympics without tremendous desire. It motivated her, powered her, lit her up. And yet, from everything I've gathered, she wrapped that desire - her libido for life and for skating - around the joy of the thing itself, not clenched around the outcome. She happened to get the gold, but watching her delight during and after her skate, don't you get the sense that if she hadn't medaled at all, she would actually be okay? The joy was in the desire and the expression itself. In being 100% herself, in charge of her life.

I had some professional rejections recently (more next newsletter!) and it's been difficult. My logical mind knows that misaligned "no's" make space for more aligned "yeses" but I still felt devastated by the loss of what I thought I wanted.

When I ask myself how to "Alysa Liu" the situation, though, it becomes clear: the libido for my project lives in me, not in any outside force that rejects or accepts me. As long as I stay devoted to my work - the truth and the joy of it - nothing else matters. That is the gold I'm really seeking, and it's always mine to claim.

Where in your life do you need to learn this lesson? Where are you clenching around an outcome that is not within your control, and suffering as a result? Can you trace your desire back to your joy? Can you reclaim that joy, one moment at a time?

Let This Be The Year You Flourish

Alysa Liu didn't win gold by grinding harder. She won by going deeper, on her own terms.

That's exactly what Flourish invites you to do. This is not another self-improvement project you add to your pile. Flourish is a real commitment to getting back in the driver's seat of your life and finding your way to deep joy.

​Flourish is a Jewish Mindfulness Immersion and Certification Program. Over 12 weeks (March 10 through May 26), you'll immerse yourself in Jewish and Buddhist wisdom and practice and learn the essential skills to guide others. Each week includes live group sessions, on-demand instructional videos, guided meditations, rich Jewish source material, and journaling prompts. You'll also be part of a lively WhatsApp community and a cohort of people showing up together in community, cheering you on.

By the end of the program, you'll have the inner steadiness and the practical skills to hold, guide, and lead others in meditation with real confidence.

This is the only Flourish cohort this year, and seats are filling. If are craving a community of serious practitioners, and hungry for more daily joy, consider this your sign.

​[Reserve Your Spot] and feel free to use the code YS_2026 for $100 off.

Curious if it's right for you? Just hit reply to this email and let's talk. No pressure - just an exploration of fit.

Retreats!

There is nothing quite like a meditation retreat to jump-start your practice, re-set your life, and reconnect you to what really matters. I am co-teaching on a bunch this summer - hope to see you there!

Sending much love your way from snowy Connecticut,

Yael

Yael Shy is the CEO and Founder of Sefira Wellness with over two decades of supporting others in uncovering their inherent worth and capacity for deep joy through mindfulness. She is the author of the award-winning book What Now? Meditation for Your Twenties and Beyond (Parallax, 2017) and teaches at NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service. You can find her on Instagram at @yaelshy1. 2299 Summer St. #1249, Stamford, CT 06905 ​Unsubscribe · Preferences​