It's already 2025. Can you believe it? The celebrations for the New Year came and went so fast! Typically I don't do much on New Year's Eve during the day, but this year, or should I say 'last year' I did a lot. I worked a little in the morning, and then, in the afternoon I checked online to see if there were any yoga classes available at my local gym. Most of the teachers at the gym were already on vacation, so my expectations were low, but there was one. "Great!" I thought to myself, "I'll be able (1)to stretch out my stiff hips, and get (2)nice and loose for the New Year." I quickly got changed , filled up a water bottle, and (3)headed out of the door. Just as I was turning on the car, my son texted me, "Mum, do you want to go for a walk?" Well, I realized I would be doing more exercise than I had planned, which isn't a bad thing, of course. "Sure," I replied. "I'll be back at 5:45 after yoga."

When I reached the gym, there was already quite a large group of people gathering outside of the yoga room. They were taking off shoes and hanging up coats. "Help yourself to wine!" said the yoga teacher loudly, with a big smile on her face, as she raced past us to get something before the start of the class. "Wine?" I thought. "What is wine doing in a yoga class?" I walked in, and there on a little table were four bottles: Prosecco, sparkling apple cider, and two other drinks. I poured myself a glass of wine, got a yoga mat, and walked to my spot carefully, to avoid stepping on the many candles that were spread all over the floor. This was really festive, and the best part was that it was unexpected. My fellow yoga participants, who are usually very quiet, started to chat, laugh a bit, and losen up. The typical wine jokes started to flow: "I should come to this class more often," said one person. "If I do the downward facing dog wrong today, I'll just tell him 'Namaste'," said another with a giggle. We were already loose before we had even started! What a great idea, and what a lovely way to wrap up the year! At the end of the class, the yoga teacher told us how her favorite part of 2024 was teaching this class. We exchanged our appreciation of eachother, feeling very lucky that we had this opportunity all year long. So we raised our glasses, and all said "Cheers!"

1. 'To stretch out' really means just to stretch. You know how much, in English, we use prepositions. It's a little crazy, actually. LIke the phrase 'to tidy up'. There really is no need to say 'up'. It's more for the mood, a sense of completion and satisfaction. a. The physical therapist taught me how to stretch (out) my shoulders and hips. b. We stretched out the rope to measure it.
2. 'Nice and +adjective,' is an idiom, a short one based on the adjective 'nice'. 'Nice and' in this idiom aren't necessary, but as in other idioms, they convey a subtle sense or feeling. They stand for a word like 'pleasingly.' a. When we got home, the house was nice and warm. b. You worked hard to clean the house. I can see that it is nice and tidy!
3. 'To head out' means to exit or leave. It's a very casual phrase. Sometimes 'out' is left out. a. Are you heading out? I would take your umbrella. b. Did John leave already? Yes, he headed to the store two hours ago.