By Debbi Murphy | January 17 – 18, 2026
The Threshold: 1966
In January 1966, I was thirteen years old, standing on the threshold between childhood and the “technicolor” world of my teens. I didn’t know then that I was entering the Year of the Fire Horse; I just knew I was shedding the quiet expectations of childhood and finding my own voice.
I felt a sudden, visceral need to ride the momentum of change. I inherently knew that to do so, I had to clear out the old versions of myself to make room for confidence and clarity.
And that I did!
I began questioning old assumptions and turning toward the new ideas flooding in through books, music, and media. I joined the “peace-niks” in politics—a move that greatly differed with my parents but dovetailed perfectly with my activist grandmother. I led marches, became a school newspaper reporter (and eventually the editor), and dove into school politics. In spite of being dubbed “the smallest person” in a junior high of over 1,200 students, I found my voice growing every day. In fact, my campaign slogan for office was: “I may be small, but I have big ideas.”
My perspective was expanding far beyond the borders of my “little” Kansas City world. Much like Dorothy Gale famously realized in the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, I looked around at the electric landscape of 1966 and knew: “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
A Lineage of Sovereignty
I didn’t find this voice in a vacuum. I was the daughter of a Swedish immigrant’s daughter—a woman who defined the word “sovereign.”
My grandmother taught in a one-room schoolhouse in northern Minnesota and lived late into her 90s in a farmhouse, managing the heavy labor of the land long after my grandfather passed. She was a powerhouse in politics. I can still see her big blue and white kitchen, and I remember the pride I felt looking at the letter of appreciation hanging on her wall from Hubert Humphrey, then the Vice President of the United States.
She was my blueprint. When I was 13, navigating the “black-and-white” world of junior high, her example was the “technicolor” light that showed me what was possible. She taught me that you don’t wait for power to be given to you; you harness it from within.
The Return: 2026
Now, sixty years after that first awakening in 1966, I stand here at seventy-three, seeing that same “stripping back” happening again.
2025, the Year of the Wood Snake, was never meant to push you forward. Its purpose was to strip you back to your authentic essence—much like the quiet, hard winters my grandmother faced in Minnesota. It was a year for shedding old identities.
But on February 17th, the energy shifts. We enter the Year of the Fire Horse—a rare energetic event that demands revolution, freedom, and sovereignty.
Getty Images
I am gathering our community one month early to prepare. My mission now is to act as a steward, passing on the reins of power that were passed to me in that blue and white kitchen. Join us for a weekend of clearing the debris of the past and harnessing the power of your future.
The Weekend Schedule
Saturday, Jan 17: Clearing the Path
12:30 – 2:30p | Transmute Chaos into Courage (Debbi & Doug)
2:30 – 4:00p | Heart of Yoga Breathing I (Bill Dial)
Sunday, Jan 18: Lighting the Fire
11:30a – 2:30p | Ignite Purpose, Power & Practice (Kimberly Azzarito)
2:30 – 4:00p | Heart of Yoga Breathing II (Bill Dial)
Who is this for?
This workshop is for the seekers, the leaders, and anyone who feels the “spark” of change. Whether you are finding your voice for the first time or, like my grandmother, you are ready to stand strong in your own “farmhouse,” we have a seat for you.
Registration & Pricing
Single Session: $30
Full Day Pass (Saturday or Sunday): $50
Full Workshop Pass (The Best Value): $85
[Register at SHANTIYOGASTUDIO.ORG]
Young “Activistis” I taught in 1966
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