Intentional Living: December Reflections on Radiance, Value, Faith, and Celebration
- Amanda Curd
- Dec 24, 2025
- 4 min read
As December comes to a close and we step toward a brand-new year, I’ve been reflecting on the words that shaped this season: radiance, value, intention, faith, and celebration.
These aren’t just themes I chose for content — they are qualities I’ve been living, questioning, and growing into. This year marked a period of deep evolution for me personally and professionally, and at the heart of it all has been intentional living — choosing how I move, how I show up, and how I guide others forward.
Growth, I’ve learned, isn’t about certainty. It’s about awareness, courage, and a willingness to evolve.
Intentional Living: Bringing Mind and Body Together
Intentional living means aligning how we think with how we move — and how we care for both over time.
If we have a sharp mind but a body that doesn’t respond, we feel frustrated and limited.
If we have a strong body but no clarity or presence, we feel disconnected.
And if we neglect either, we risk losing the very things that allow us to live fully.
This is the foundation behind my workshops, retreats, and evolving offerings — creating spaces where mind and body work together, so you can support not just who you are today, but who you want to become.
As I often remind my clients:
“An intention is something you guide your life by — it’s your North Star. But intentions are only as powerful as the actions you take to support them.” ANC
Radiance: Allowing Yourself to Be Fully Present
Radiance isn’t something you chase — it’s something that emerges when you’re present in your body and honest with yourself.
It shows up when you stop forcing and start listening. When you move with awareness instead of expectation. When you allow yourself to take up space without apology.
One of my favorite reminders this year has been:
“Radiance comes from being connected to your body, not disconnected from it.” ANC
Radiance grows when we slow down enough to notice what’s already there.
Value: Honoring What You Choose to Care For
Value isn’t measured by productivity, aesthetics, or how much you get done in a day. It’s reflected in what you choose to protect and prioritize.
Your time.
Your energy.
Your health — now and in the future.
This year reinforced something I believe deeply:
“What you consistently make time for reveals what you truly value.” ANC
Caring for your body isn’t indulgent — it’s foundational. And the choices you make today shape how you’ll move, feel, and live years from now.
Faith: Trusting the Process, One Movement at a Time
Faith doesn’t always arrive as a bold leap. Often, it shows up quietly — in consistency, in showing up again, and in trusting that small steps matter.
This year, as my work has evolved beyond Pilates alone and into yoga teacher training, workshops, gatherings, and retreats, faith has been essential. Stepping into something new is exciting — and uncomfortable. It asks you to believe in the process before the outcome is clear.
Pilates has always taught me this lesson, and it’s one I return to often:
“Faith is trusting that strength builds quietly — one intentional movement at a time.” ANC
Faith isn’t about having certainty. It’s about continuing to move forward, even when the path feels unfamiliar, trusting that what you’re building — in your body and in your life — is taking shape beneath the surface.
Balance, Yoga, and the Rhythm of Life
Yoga has brought a beautiful complement to my movement practice — not as a replacement, but as a balance.
More listening.
More intention.
More connection between breath and body.
Does this mean I’m slowing down all the time? Absolutely not.
It means I’m honoring a rhythm — much like the ocean — with natural rises and falls. Strength and softness. Effort and ease.
True balance isn’t perfection. It’s responsiveness.
A Gift as We Enter the New Year
As we step into a new year, I want to offer you a moment of pause.
I’ve created a 5-minute intention meditation — a short, grounding practice to help you breathe, reflect, and gently set your direction.
You’ll be able to find it here:
No pressure. No fixing. Just space.
Celebration: Community, Connection, and Shared Moments
Before rushing into what’s next, it matters to pause and acknowledge what’s already unfolded.
This year, one of the things I’m most proud of is the community that has grown around this work. Through Gatherings, classes, workshops, and shared experiences, people showed up — not just to move, but to connect.
When I look back at the photo montages from our Gatherings — the conversations, the laughter, the quiet moments, the shared meals — I’m reminded that celebration isn’t always about milestones. Often, it’s about bringing people together and creating space where everyone feels seen, supported, and welcome.
Community doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built intentionally — one conversation, one class, one shared experience at a time.
As I often reflect:
“Celebration is recognizing how far you’ve come — and honoring the people who walked alongside you.”
And that celebration naturally leads us forward.
Carrying This Community Into the Year Ahead
Closing Reflection
As this year comes to a close, I invite you to ask yourself:
What helps you feel radiant?
What do your daily choices say about what you value?
What intention do you want to live into — not just set?
Where might faith be asking you to take a brave step forward?
Let’s pause, breathe, and thrive.
Yours in longevity and empowerment,
Amanda Curd
Anchor to Life Pilates