Welcome to this edition of Dimanche (That Means Sunday), a roundup of things that caught my eye this past week.

The first week of the new year flew by. I spent part of it on vacation with my boyfriend in Hermann, Missouri, a cute little town about an hour and a half west of St. Louis. It was nice to relax and get away from day-to-day life for a bit.

When I got back to work on Thursday, things were pretty hectic. I ended the week feeling somewhat drained and wishing that I was still on vacation. As I told one colleague, the week after the holidays is the longest short week ever. So Saturday morning, I decided to go to a yoga studio down the street for the first time. It’s been a while since I went to yoga but I thought that it would help me relax.

I was right. It was a new studio so I didn’t know what to expect, but the teacher was welcoming and encouraging. I felt my body unwind gradually throughout the practice, and by the end, I surprised myself by easing into somewhat difficult positions.

At the end of class, my teacher told us a story about how she had a rough year once and by the end, she was feeling completely overwhelmed. She started to go back to yoga to relax and revive herself. Her teacher told the class to close their eyes and picture their inner self. She visualized herself in a challenging yoga pose in a peaceful room with bamboo, and she ended up painting her vision and giving it to her yoga teachers as a gift.

When my teacher told me to visualize my inner self yesterday, my mind immediately went to a lush green forest with lots of fields. It was startling because at this time of year, my insides start feeling like what’s around me. Winter is my least favorite season and looking at dark, grey, dreary landscapes only depresses me more.

Still, it helped to realize that I carry around a part of myself that’s unaffected by external circumstances. Also, it made me realize that spring will come, eventually. I’m going to go back to that image of the green forest this week whenever I feel overwhelmed in the new year. I’m also going to remember that life is about balance. At least, that’s what my yoga teacher tells me. I tend to agree.

Without further ado, here is Dimanche:

We had a glorious day of early spring-like weather yesterday and I took advantage of it by going on a hike with my boyfriend at Pere Marquette. The park is about an hour away from St. Louis next to the Mississippi River and Illinois River. The hiking trails are beautiful but challenging. If you persist, though, you’re rewarded with a great view from the top of the cliffs (see the photo at the beginning of this post). 

If you’re on your way to Pere Marquette, you should stop for a second on the Great River Road. The road runs alongside the Mississippi River and it goes through some cute small towns including Grafton, Illinois. My boyfriend and I stopped at a cute fudge shop for ice cream on the way home.

Apparently, it helps to hold a grudge. I initially thought this story about holding grudges was ridiculous, but then I read it and it started to make a lot of sense. Holding grudges can help if you think of them as lessons learned and internalized to protect yourself. Also, they can help you process negative emotions instead of burying them or shrugging them off. Read more about grudges in this New York Times story.

I’m loving this new profile of Samin Nosrat. Nosrat, the author of the popular cookbook and Netflix show “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat,” is as genuine as ever and discusses her rise to fame. I like the fact that she goes to a psychic because admittedly, I do the same thing. I wish I could meet her in real life. Check out the profile in The Guardian.

I’m not always into New Year’s resolutions, but this approach caught my eye. A writer was inspired by an illustrator to make a visual representation of her wishes for the new year called “Less This, More That.” You write stuff in one column that you want to cut down on and stuff in the other column that you want to increase in the new year. I’m keeping mine on my desk at work so I can check in with it more often. Learn more in The Cut.

Beyonce and Jay-Z filmed a music video in the Louvre and now everyone wants to go there. The music power couple filmed their video for “APES**T” in the Parisian museum and now it’s seen an uptick in visitors. I had to laugh a little when the Louvre Director said that he’s happy Americans artists are interested in an archaeology and historic art museum. Some stereotypes never die, unfortunately. Read more in Reuters.

The grocery store in “A Star is Born” is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Anyone who saw the movie with Brad Cooper and Lady Gaga will remember the grocery store from the pivotal scene (SPOILERS AHEAD) where Cooper and Lady Gaga wrote a song together in the parking lot that would make Lady Gaga’s character famous. Apparently, the store is also a landmark in L.A. Read more about it in this story from The Ringer.

Last but certainly not least, everyone in St. Louis should go to Yoga In DeMun. I can’t say enough good things about the studio. As I mentioned before, I went for the first time yesterday and had a fulfilling and rejuvenating practice. Check out their website for more information about class schedules and rates. 

Enjoy your week! Here’s a song to get you started.