706_Winter_2026 by Crystal Stevenson

Confidence Through Jiu-Jitsu

How Jamie Gomez empowered SW La.

Winter Doesn’t Have to be Blue

Mitigating seasonal depression A Practice for Everyone

Mindfulness at the Mantra Yoga Center

BIG CITY CANCER CARE, WITHOUT THE COMMUTE.

Hearing the words, “You have cancer,” is something no one wants to face. If it happens though, the Cancer Center specialists at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital are here with you every step of the way.

Say goodbye to long commutes for ongoing treatments — Memorial brings you cutting edge cancer care, delivered precisely as your oncologist prescribes — right here, close to home.

Your quality of life is important.

Stay Local for Cancer Care.

Michael Bergeron, MD Oncologist / Hematologist

Michael Broussard, MD Oncologist / Hematologist

Leroy Fredericks, MD Oncologist / Hematologist

Mohammad Khan, MD Oncologist / Hematologist

James Maze, MD Radiation Oncologist

Image credit: Freepik

Three Things

By Emily Burleigh

Three events to look forward to

1.Mardi Gras Twelfth Night

The festive beginning of Mardi Gras, the Twelfth Night Parade Extravaganza, will be hosted on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in the Lake Charles Event Center. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., and the event begins at 6 p.m.

2. Mardi Gras Children’s Day Parade

Kids will let the good times roll at the annual Mardi Gras Children’s Day Parade at 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 15, 2026.

3. The Harlem Globetrotters 100-Year Tour

The Harem Globetrotters will be making a stop in Lake Charles at 4 p.m. Jan. 18, 2026, in the Lake Charles Event Center.

Three Ways to Prepare your

1.Reorganize storage home for

the new year

Clearing out clutter and reorganizing closets, cabinets and shelves helps create a fresh start. A tidy space makes daily routines smoother and sets the tone for a more organized year.

2. Patch holes and refresh wall paint

A new coat of paint instantly transforms a room, making it feel brighter and more inviting. Choosing updated colors can energize your space and reflect the mood you want for the year ahead.

Three Resolutions for the new year

1.Live in the present

3. Move furniture and display new art

Rearranging furniture brings new energy into your home and can make rooms feel more spacious. Adding fresh artwork or décor highlights your personality and keeps your environment inspiring.

Focusing on the here and now helps reduce stress and makes everyday experiences more meaningful. By letting go of worries about the past or future, you create space for joy in the moment.

2. Practice Daily Gratitude

Taking time each day to appreciate what you have builds a positive mindset. Gratitude strengthens relationships and helps you notice the small victories that make life fulfilling

3. Pick up a passion project

Dedicating time to a creative or personal pursuit brings balance and excitement to your routine. Passion projects fuel growth, spark inspiration, and remind you of the value of investing in yourself.

tech tech tip tip tech tip

Dr. Steven Dabelow, Ph.D

Information Systems Technology Instructor Sowela Technical Community College

S S S

ometimes when you write reports, set up Excel spreadsheets, do your taxes, etc., you need to write out some math. Although I imagine that a good chunk of you reading this probably hate math, it is necessary to sometimes provide the math to be able to explain how you came to that conclusion. Most of us know how to write math, but what about typing it?

Sure, you could use something like Word to type it out, but what if you had A LOT of equations, or some really complex expressions, maybe something like what you’d find in statistics:

These equations can get pretty long and complicated, and they can be a pain to type these out using the equation editor in Word. So, is there a better way?

Enter LaTeX (pronounced “Lay-Tech” or “La-Tech”), an open-source software designed to handle these complicated equations. LaTeX is a special text-based language that does a lot of the formatting for you. Yes, it does involve you technically “learning how to code”, but once you understand the syntax, which is fairly straightforward, you’ll be typing out those complicated math expressions in no time!

For example, instead of trying to fight with Word and clicking a ton of different buttons to make the ugly equation above, this is what it would look like in LaTeX:

\begin{equation}

// Normally, the math below would all be on one line f (x|\mu, /sigma = \dfrac{1} {\sqrt{2\pi\sigma}} \exp\left( -\dfrac {1}{2} /left( \dfrac{x - \mu} {sigma} \right) \right) {2}

\end{equation}

Now don’t panic! This looks horrifying, I know, but here’s what that will turn into:

What took me more than 3 minutes to type in Word, I was able to write in seconds! (By the way, the font used is Computer Modern, which is the standard in LaTeX.) and

Let me walk you through what’s going on here. We start with \begin{equation} \end{equation} This tells the program that the stuff in the middle of those two things is to be read in as math. That double slash (//) is just a comment, so the compiler will ignore it, and you will not see that appear in your document. (Note that the math is split across multiple lines here for ease of breaking down what is going on here.

Now for the “math”, which is really just text. The first bit of stuff is the left-hand side of the equal sign. In particular, notice the/mu /sigma. and Those commands will “automagically” transform those two things into the Greek letters and . μ σ

Additionally, there’s the and\left( \right)

These two guys serve as grouping symbols that, again, will automagically adjust the size of the parenthesis as you add more stuff between them.

With that, you should be able to decipher what the rest of the code means. (We’ll go ahead and call this homework!)

Now I know not everyone is going to need to use something quite on the level as LaTeX, but if this sounds like it would be useful (and less frustrating) for you, then I highly recommend checking out Overleaf.com.

It is a free LaTeX writing platform that you can use in any browser, and it has a lot of useful features that will make diving into LaTeX for the first time easier. Overleaf also has a lot of developer articles and tutorials on how to type special equations, adjust the formatting of your document, etc.

It even comes with a bunch of free templates that you can download to write out chemical compounds, tests, or even music!

You can also download LaTeX itself (for free) by going https://www.latex-project.org. There are versions for Linux, Mac, and Windows, and some installation packages come with TeXStudio built in, a great (and also free) development environment for writing documents.

Hopefully, at least some of you that read this will have gained a valuable new tool that you can use to make your career easier. If you are a part of the crowd that might be a bit angry that I showed off some math in this Tech Tips article, before you grab your torches and pitchforks, let me just say that I’m sorry! (It probably will happen again!)

A Practice for Everyone

Yoga as an act of mindfulness and mercy

By Emily Burleigh

Yoga may have the reputation of being a complicated, skilled practice, but The Mantra Yoga Center is working to redefine the understanding of yoga in Southwest Louisiana.

Mantra Yoga has quickly become a familiar presence across the city. Whether at the Alzheimer’s Walk, the Wellness Expo, or other community events, representatives from the studio are easy to spot. And when they are spotted, they will be sharing their mission of making yoga accessible to all.

The studio offers monthly free classes on a donation basis, alongside special events designed to welcome newcomers and seasoned practitioners alike. As instructor and yoga-lover Anna Marcentel explains, “Yoga is for everybody.”

Mantra’s mission is simple, but profound. They aim to make yoga an uplifting and meaningful part of everyday life.

The studio provides a warm, open space where participants can connect, breathe, and form community. With 10 different instructors, each class offers something unique. One might even bring out the yoga drum to deepen the experience, Marcentel noted. Classes are tailored to all levels, from beginners to seasoned practitioners.

“The mission of Mantra is to make yoga an accessible, uplifting and meaningful part of your everyday life. Space connects, grows, allows you to breathe and just form community with people,” she said

Yoga is a reset for the mind and spirit that calms the nervous system and puts one into a “rest and digest” mode, she explained. Breathing and mindfulness practices help improve focus, cognition, and clarity, while also supporting emotional well-being. Research continues to explore yoga’s role in longevity and healthy aging.

Even better, yoga is a suitable workout for those who may have physical limitations.

“You can sit in a chair and do yoga. … It’s not standing on your head.” Yoga has been shown to ease anxiety and depression, improve pain tolerance, and even protect brain health — potentially reducing the risk of dementia.

That isn’t to say yoga doesn’t provide physical health boons. Yoga builds functional strength, lowers heart rate and blood pressure, and improves cardiovascular health, sleep quality, mobility, and joint health.

Prenatal yoga, offered Fridays at 10 a.m., is one of the safest forms of exercise during pregnancy, she added. Studies show it can lower birth complications and reduce pain. Yoga’s adaptability makes it suitable for every stage of life, whether restorative, athletic, or healing.

The practice fosters spiritual connection as much as physical health. In a world dominated by social media, yoga offers a chance to slow down and reconnect.

While the space of a yoga space is serene, yoga can be integrated into everyday. offering a moment of solace amongst all the hustle and bustle.

“If someone takes a vacation, you know it. … You just have a whole new set of friends or a whole new community that comes together beautifully.”

Chair yoga during a lunch break, mindful breathing before a meeting, or simply pausing for self-awareness are all ways to integrate the practice into daily routines. Marcentel’s favorite yoga quote captures this spirit:

“Everybody gets this idea that an advanced practice is standing on your head … but an advanced practice is sitting still for 10 minutes and being OK with that,” she adds.

Mantra opened two years ago, but Marcentel’s journey with yoga spans 15 years. She became a certified instructor in 2021, balancing her teaching with her career as a nurse practitioner.

What began as a hobby became a calling.

“I can be a high-functioning type A person, and so I think what drew me to yoga is that it allowed me to give myself a little grace,” she reflects.

Yoga has taught her to embrace vulnerability.

“It’s OK not to be OK. It’s OK to be overwhelmed or to feel what you are feeling.” Through yoga, she has learned to identify emotions, sit with them, and connect body and spirit. “Your emotions are within you and you learn how to work them up. You sit with them and really learn both your body and your spirit because you become all connected.”

But Mantra is more than a yoga studio. Deep

friendships form within its walls, she said.

“If someone takes a vacation, you know it. … You just have a whole new set of friends or a whole new community that comes together beautifully,” she said.

The center it’s a sanctuary for growth, healing, and connection. With classes for all levels, a welcoming community, and a mission rooted in accessibility, it continues to shape lives in ways that extend far beyond the mat.

“We start where we are, not where we want to be.” She emphasizes that yoga is free of judgment: “There is no judgement in yoga.”

READING NOOK

CalcasieuParishLibrarianReviews

We Do Not Depart

Author:

Han Kang

“We Do Not Part “by Han Kang is a haunting, lyrical novel that blends historical fiction, friendship, and the blurred boundaries between dream and reality. The story follows Kyungha, who receives an urgent request from her injured friend Inseon to return to Jeju Island and care for her beloved pet bird. As Kyungha makes the treacherous journey through a snowstorm, she finds herself pulled into a deeper, darker history— one rooted in a longburied chapter of Korean history. What begins as an act of friendship becomes a confrontation with the silenced voices of the past.

Han Kang’s prose is both haunting and ethereal, creating a dreamlike quality that immerses the reader completely in the atmosphere of the novel. She has a gift for weaving beauty into even the most painful subjects, allowing you to feel as though you are walking alongside her

characters—

sharing their cold, their fear, and their fragile moments of hope.

The novel does not shy away from heavy themes.

Song of a Captive Bird

Author: Jasmin Darznik

“Song of a Captive Bird” by Jasmin Darznik brings to life the true story of Forugh Farrokhzad, an Iranian poet ahead of her time, making her experience feel real and relevant to the world we live in now. The novel captures what it means to push against tradition, find one’s own voice, and pursue creative freedom in a world that is often hesitant to make room for something new.

Darznik successfully captures the struggles that so many women, artists, and dreamers still face today. She explores what it means to question the roles others assign to us and to have the courage to live authentically, even if it comes at a high cost at different moments along the path.

Review by Morgan

What I love most about the book is Darznik’s writing style; rich with imagery that draws readers into moments like standing in a garden where the fragrance of honeysuckle and ripe fruit drifts on the breeze and a fountain stream whispers in a courtyard nearby.

Review by Katie

Welcome to Murder Week

Author: Karen Dukess

During a round of scouring lists for my next batch of reads, a little voice in my head told me that I should probably cool it with books with “murder” in the title. I didn’t (immediately) disagree. However, I spotted “Welcome to Murder Week” among other new releases. Reading the description I saw phrases like “witty,” “murder mystery,” and “small British town.” Thus, I had no choice but to pack that little voice away where it would be snugly stowed until a later date (TBD).

Mystery lovers are invited to Peak District to immerse themselves in a classic English village whodunit as townspeople all participate in the performance that challenges attendees to identify the murderer by the end of the week. Village cottages become packed with excited and eager fans who sought out this specific adventure -- with one exception.

Welcome to Murder Week was a fun twist on typical mystery novels. The pacing and affable characters also made for an engaging read. While the central murder mystery might be fake, the appeal to lovers of classic British whodunits is very real.

Dead Silence

Author: S. A. Barnes

Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes is a suspenseful blend of science fiction and horror that delivers an eerie, atmospheric ride from start to finish. The story follows Claire Kovalik, a beacon repair crew leader whose job is on the verge of becoming obsolete. When her team picks up a strange distress signal, they follow it to an astonishing discovery: the Aurora, a luxury spaceliner that vanished over 20 years ago. Hoping the salvage claim will set them up for life, they board the ship— only to find whispers in the dark, flickers of movement, and messages scrawled in blood.

From the very beginning, the reader knows the outcome of Claire’s story, but it’s the tense, slow build of the events leading there that makes the novel so captivating. The dread is constant, lingering over every scene

and keeping you on edge. The tone and pacing bring to mind the grandeur and tragedy of Titanic mixed with the unsettling, claustrophobic horror of Event Horizon. You know something terrible is coming, but the uncertainty of when and how keeps the suspense high.

Review by Sheryl

Review by Morgan

The Big Black Door?

Rev. Weldon C. Bares First United Methodist Church of Lake Charles

An Arab chief told the story about a spy who was captured and sentenced to be executed by a general in the Persian army. This general had the strange custom of offering convicted criminals a choice between the firing squad and something he called "the big, black door."

The time for the execution arrived. The guards brought the spy to the Persian general. He asked, "What will it be, the firing squad or the big black door?” The spy paused for a long time. Finally, he made a decision: "The firing squad."

A few minutes later, after hearing the gunfire ring out, the general turned to his assistant and said, "They always prefer the known to the unknown. People fear what they don't know. Yet, we gave him a choice."

The assistant asked, "What lies beyond the big black door?" The general replied, "Freedom. I have known only a few who were brave enough to choose that door."

But the truth is that more often than not, the unknown does not hold monsters. It holds possibilities, and maybe even versions of ourselves that we have not yet met.

It’s hard to believe that a new year is now upon us. My prayer is that God will give us courage to face the future, to not be afraid of the unknown, to be willing every once in a while, to take a risk, to try something new.

May God bless all of us in the year to come!

But yet, we often hesitate because we fear what might be waiting on the other side. We imagine failure, disappointment, and change that we are not quite sure we are ready to handle

Sometimes the very best opportunities in our lives stand behind the threatening door of the great unknown.

WINTER DOESN’T HAVE TO BE BLUE

MITIGATING SEASONAL DEPRESSION DURING THE COLDEST MONTHS

BY ASHLYN LITTLE

With the winter season comes winter blues, but Lake Area Psychiatry is here to help.

Bethanne Carson is a board-certified adult psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner, and also the owner and CEO of Lake Area Psychiatry. She began her career in psychiatry in 2012 and says now more than ever she is seeing more awareness of mental health due to the media as a whole — with social media and the news playing a vital role.

Carson said the number of people making appointments to speak to someone climbs during the holiday season due to seasonal depression, but then starts to decline in January and February. The biggest misconception of seasonal depression is that it’s the “winter blues” and not serious. Carson said sometimes people think they can power through it on their own but it’s OK to ask for help. “You are not alone and a lot of people feel this way during the holidays,” she said.

“A lot of times when grief is involved it does feel like nothing will make this better and nothing will make it better not having the person with you, but you can start to feel better and start new traditions,” Carson said.

Seasonal depression is something that happens when the time changes and it gets dark earlier. The reduced sunlight plays a large part in seasonal depression because serotonin levels and changes in melatonin levels interfere with one’s sleep cycle. The most common complaint Carson said she hears during this time is clients having no motivation and low energy.

“The most common thing I hear is, ‘I just can’t do it, I have no motivation’ and I think that’s easy because there is so much to do and when you feel like you can’t do anything you get overwhelmed,” Carson said.

Oversleeping, overeating, low energy, no motivation and cravings for sweets and carbohydrates are some of the symptoms of seasonal depression, according to Carson. It also coincides with the holidays changing one’s surroundings — from walking into the stores to the holiday-oriented commercials — which can make it harder if the person is already feeling low.

An adult should get eight hours of sleep at night, but with it getting dark around 5 p.m. and the arrival of cold weather, it can be hard to not want to get home from work and immediately crawl into bed as if it’s much later. Carson said do not go to bed earlier than your normal time because one way to prevent seasonal depression disorder is maintaining proper sleep habits.

Establishing sleep hygiene also means not getting in bed unless it is time to go to sleep. Carson suggests trying to read for a little while and work on training your brain to make good sleep habits and fight the urge to go to bed earlier.

“When we go to bed earlier because it’s darker then we’re sleeping more which can lead to more symptoms and also our Vitamin D declines and that’s the main reason it starts. Then to top it all off the holidays and missing loved ones play a big part of it, as well,” she said. “Get enough sleep but not too much sleep.”

Light therapy is something else you might consider during the winter months to help with seasonal depression. A light box is a helpful tool that can imitate sunlight for 20 minutes a day. It is recommended to use in the morning because morning sunlight helps with evening sleep.

“You just sit the light next to you when you’re having your morning coffee or breakfast for 20 minutes and it does help with studies proving it is very helpful and can make a difference,” she said.

Therapy also helps with seasonal depression, sometimes medications and also lifestyle changes. She also recommends taking a multivitamin and vitamin D supplement to take, especially during the winter time and drinking plenty of water.

Also, get outdoor exposure as much as possible and practice selfcare. Carson also recommends finding a hobby such as reading, crafts, or even cooking to help keep your mind busy — which also helps with mental health.

“Hobbies keep your mind busy so that you get into a zone or rhythm where you’re just doing it and you’re not thinking because all of the neurotransmitters are working full force,” she said.

A consistent sleep schedule and maintaining social contact with friends — even if you don’t feel like it — can help tremendously. Carson recommends reconnecting and staying connected — and not just when it has to be for a reason.

Carson said to get help when you’ve been down for two or more weeks, if you’re having trouble functioning at work or school or if you have a loss of interest in life or feel worthless. If you are having any suicidal thoughts, call 988, the suicide hotline or immediately go to a hospital.

struggle with insomnia it’s hard to fall asleep each day but get up at the same time everyday and then in the evening have a routine where you take a bath, take your medicine, brush your teeth and try to go to bed at the same time every night,” she said.

A routine with physical activity of 20 to 30 minutes each day, five days a week is a good habit. The holiday season makes it easier to indulge in food because it is so available at this time — such as casseroles and sweets.

“A lot of times we all have memories of food that goes along with families and events that are comforting so when you’re feeling down, comfort food is a real thing and it’s also a real thing that is going to make the depression even worse,” she said.

“If you’re starting to feel down, call a friend or send a text. It may even be that you need to write down that you’re going to text someone each day to keep consistent social contact especially if you live alone.”

“If family and friends are saying you don’t seem like yourself, take a second look at that and maybe schedule an appointment for an evaluation. You may come in and we’ll say this is OK we just think you’re a little down but it may be more to it,” she said.

The main thing is to keep a structure during the holidays and when the time changes. Routine and having some sort of structure in your dayto-day life is important and can help prevent seasonal depression. Carson said it’s very important to try to get up at the same time each and every day; it’s also the easiest thing to control because going to bed at the same time can be difficult.

“More than anything it’s important to get up at the same time everyday. That’s the easiest thing to control because sometimes people who

Carson said when in the moment, eat in moderation, and don’t bring home leftovers. Try to eat as healthy as you can during the holidays. Food is a part of culture and tradition and without eating certain dishes it wouldn't be the holidays we all know and love.

“Some days you just need comfort food, say you want chicken and dumplings, you eat the chicken and dumplings then you get rid of the leftovers and you don’t continue down that path,” she said.

January and February tend to be the months where people start feeling better with the stress of the holidays, hosting and gift-buying over.

The holidays are especially tough for anyone who has lost a loved one. GriefShare is a national grief recovery support group that offers both local in-person meetings and online videos. The next local meeting will be in Westlake on Monday, Feb. 2.

Carson said it’s important for each person to decide how to heal around the holidays on their own terms and own timeline.

“People have to individually decide — ‘is it good for me to have a lot of pictures of memories up or is it not good for me to have them up,’ ” she said.

She recommends that for the first couple years after losing a loved one to do something different around the holidays. Instead of cooking a meal that holds memories, try something new that is different. Then over time incorporate the memories of the loved ones back as they can, knowing the holidays will never be the same but they will be good again at some point.

“If there are certain ornaments that bring back too many memories then try waiting a year to put them up and then get them out next year and see how you feel. There are no set rules on how things have to be done. Sometimes we get where the holidays have always been like this and we want it to continue.”

Parents who have children out of the house — whether in college or moving away starting their own traditions — can also feel a sense of grief during the holidays. Sharing the holidays with in-laws can also be tough when you’re used to having your child for every occasion. Carson said it’s important to set boundaries and set rules without feeling guilt during the holidays because you cannot be everywhere and please everyone during this time.

It also takes time to get rid of the guilty feeling and takes practice. Carson said it’s OK to start your new traditions and tell family members no.

“It's good if you can work it out where you can see everyone, but if that means taking turns between parents and in-laws and one being one holiday and one being the other then sometimes that’s the way it has to be.” she said.

“Understanding the changes is something that people tend to struggle with during this time of year — whether it is celebrating a group holiday on a different day,” she said.

Carson encourages those who are dealing with changes and have an open day or time during the holidays that used to be filled with family to reach out to others who are going through the same changes and perhaps make new traditions together.

“Holidays are a time of togetherness so reach out to family and friends and don’t be afraid of change or starting new traditions,” she said.

Lake Area Psychiatry offers a weekly blog on Facebook, Instagram and their website that can help those who are struggling. For those who fee like they are struggling, give them a call to schedule an appointment — and know you are not alone.

Happy New Year from

First United Methodist Church

We invite you to worship with us in 2026!

9:00 am Contemporary 11:00 Traditional Corner of Broad & Kirkman

Rev. Weldon Bares

Confidence Through Jiu-Jitsu

JAMIE GOMEZ’S GRACIE BARRA ACADEMY EMPOWERS STUDENTS WITH DISCIPLINE, RESPECT, AND LIFELONG STRENGTH

BY RODRICK ANDERSON

What began as a father’s desire to share with his children the same experience he had learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu has turned into many strong friendships and given thousands confidence, strength, respect, and leadership skills in the community.

Jamie Gomez, an accomplished jiu-jitsu champion and third-degree black belt, opened Gracie Barra Brazilian jiu-jitsu a decade ago and has spent that time teaching people of all ages and walks of life the benefits of jiu-jitsu.

“I wanted to have a very structured school with curriculum, uniforms, and just really professional,” Gomez said. “That is what motivated me to start this place — to have a

place that my kid can come and grow up in a traditional martial art school that teaches you values, respect, honor, and integrity, and of course take care of yourself.

“When I came to Lake Charles, there wasn’t a place structured in the Gracie Barra. I wanted a place where I could bring my kid and feel really good about the structure, methodology, safety.”

The origins of Brazilian jiu-jitsu can be traced back to Japan and the martial art of judo.

Gracie Barra, his brother Helio Gracie and others learned from the great Mitsuyo Maeda, then formed their own version and perfected it over many years.

Carlos Gracie Jr. started Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in 1986. The Gracie Barra program uses a standardized system built on seven essential building blocks to ensure safe, consistent and high-quality instruction. Its core philosophy emphasizes leverage, timing, and technique over raw strength, empowering smaller practitioners to succeed against larger opponents. It also emphasizes community, personal growth, leadership, and the belief that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu should be accessible to everyone.

Gomez, who was trained by Vinicius Magalhaes in Houston before moving to the area, said his first class had five students; now there is a second location in Moss Bluff.

Gomez said students can gain confidence they never had before.

“I always think to myself, like, what would a parent give to give their kid that kind of confidence?” Gomez said. “ What would they have to do? Is that not everything you want for your kid? Just to be able to stand up for themselves, have confidence in themselves, be able to go out into the world, not scared.”

Not only does the training help the student, but it can also spread to their family. Gomez said they have many parents who decided to give it a try after watching their children.

“We could give people an opportunity to learn the martial arts and enrich their lives for the better through the study of martial arts,” Gomez said. “It's got a lot of students, a lot of families that train together.”

One of those is now co-owner of the Moss Bluff location, Cynthia Davis, who is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

“So my daughters started training, and we moved to the area,” Davis said. “My husband found this place. They were already training in Texas for a very short time, so we we're looking for another school.

“I sat literally right there watching my girls train, and (Gomez) decided he was going to start a women's class. I jumped in that, did the class and just never got off the mats. The ball moved forward from that point on.”

Davis said it is rare that a new student doesn’t enjoy the program and keep coming back.

“If you could just walk through the doors and just try a class; very seldom does someone say, ‘I didn't like this.’ It really doesn't happen. It's so much fun. And it's hard.

I always warn people. It gets very addicting. You'll be thinking about it while you're showering, while you're driving, and you'll be waking up at night.

And it's a great way to become more fit, and to start the new year.

“You're going to get fit,” Davis said. “That's the No. 1 is you're going to shrink.

“When you walk out those doors to the outside, everything is so easy because you are doing the hard work inside here. Come train and really challenge yourself, not just physically but mentally and emotionally.

“It just starts to envelop your whole life. You start looking at all aspects of your life and how you can be better at this. This is the catalyst for you to move forward in your health. At the beginning of the year, everyone wants to go to the gym. But what keeps you coming back?

Something like this keeps you in shape because it is fun, you meet the coolest people.”

Gomez said the discipline needed to learn and use the moves to control and submit an opponent can help a student in life as a whole, such as eating better, mental health and helping others.

“From there you can say ‘I can change my eating habits, I can change the way I deal with people that frustrate me,’ ” Gomez said. “Disciple is what we do every day.

“We brush our teeth, take a shower, go to work. It doesn’t have to end there. We can do things for ourselves. We can do things to make our mental health better. We can do things to make our community better. And by being better, we are better.”

Another key trait that is taught is respect and unity.

“Everything we do is based on that team building, respect, control,” Gomez said. “You look at like every aspect of our school, our mat color.

“We have our uniforms that bring us all together. We have our culture, our rules and etiquette that bring us all together. We have leadership that brings us all together. You're part of something and people here are invested in your success, and they're here to help you succeed.

Davis said that the reasons people choose to learn Jiu-Jitsu can range from learning selfdefense, a core principle of the program, to just wanting to train with friends or improve their health.

“When you walk in, everybody walks in for a different reason,” Davis said. “You know, kids are walking in because they've been bullied, or maybe their parents just need somebody else to yell at their kid besides them. Who knows?

“And then, adults are coming in for different reasons, too. Maybe they're coming in cause their best friends train here. Maybe they're just tired of listening to their spouse begging them to come train. Maybe they saw Mr. Ricky (Campbell) on a video, and they're like, ‘Hey man, I know that guy.’

Gomez said he is a great example of what Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the Gracie Barra program can do for someone.

He was a high school dropout and eventually earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting and has won several world championships.

“You watch a good movie, your life is better,” Gomez said. “You have enriched your life.

“You read a good book, and get an education. These things enrich you as a person. The study of martial arts does the same exact thing, in my opinion. It happened to me. I am a perfect example.

“I was bullied. My family all spoke Spanish, and I couldn’t even speak English when I went to school. You can just imagine that nightmare. Martial arts helped me in a lot of ways. I just wish I had started when I was young. I started as a young adult in my 20s.”

Now he has a staff of six full-time instructors plus several part-time instructors and has trained multiple world and national champions.

“I am always reminded by my wife that I hit the jackpot with a lot of people here,” Gomez said. “My staff is very passionate and committed to the success of everybody else. I think that is the whole culture. It is definitely what I wanted.”

He said students range in age from 4 years old to people in their 70, and about 50/50 adults and children from many cultures and nations.

“As far as the community, when you walk in here, it is like the United Nations,” Gomez said. “You are literally meeting people from every type of culture. We have people from Brazil, Latin American countries, and Europe. It is pretty cool.

“I am fortunate enough to speak Spanish, Portuguese, and English. It is cool to be able to talk to different people as they come in.”

Gomez said to get started, students are looking at $250 to $350, including tuition, which is $150 a month for unlimited classes. Any additional family member is $100 a month each. Membership also gives you access to other Gracie Barra academies around the world.

“Gracie Barra is a worldwide organization,” Gomez said. “You can go to any Gracie Barra in the world if you are a member. You can just walk in there, say you are a member, and we give you a visitor card.”

Pinchin’ Pennies Pinchin’ Pennies

Expert advice on financial planning in the new year

BY ASHLYN LITTLE

Every New Year brings new dreams, plans and ideas for what you want to pursue this year. Those plans can be anything from house renovations, body transformations or career goals, but this year perhaps getting ahead of your financial planning might be at the top of your list. No matter the age you are, it's never too early or too late to start planning and being aware of your spending habits. According to Vaughn Scofield, Wealth Management Advisor and Certified Financial Planner at Merrill Lynch, you should always keep things current and updated and the beginning of the new year is a great time to take initiative.

“Just because you have a financial plan - say you made one maybe 5, 6, or 7 years ago - you want to keep your plan current because life changes and so do your goals and that is something that needs to be revisited at least on an annual basis and January is a great time to do that,” Vaughn Scofield said.

At Merrill Lynch, they work with clients to review their general life circumstances and long-term objectives to make sure their current plan still matters most to them. A misconception on financial planning is that your plan is just numbers and performance data, but your plan should reflect your values, priorities and your lifestyle.

“You need to clarify and define what is important to you because that really helps guide and determine every decision that you make — and you always want to make sure you’re prepared for the unexpected,” he said.

Preparedness for the unexpected is something you might not want to plan for but a necessity. Losing a job, becoming ill, or some type of life event can happen and it’s good to see what you are contributing each year and saving. Budgeting goes hand and hand with planning.

“You really want to look back at the prior year and just look at what you’ve spent and that will help you plan for the year ahead and create the flexibility for your lifestyle, but you also want to carve out enough savings to where you can reach your future goals and you should align your investments with your goals,” he said.

At Merril Lynch, they help clients at least on an annual basis review their investment growth to confirm it helps support you and your longterm goals. You don’t want to take any more or less risk than is necessary, you just want to take the appropriate amount of risk to achieve your goals. If you are someone who has never really saved before, for many reasons, whether you are living paycheck to paycheck, just starting out and learning the steps to take to save, or have never thought about it - the new year might be the time you take the first steps. According to Scofield, the first step should be creating an emergency fund and that can depend on your family size and lifestyle.

“The very first step before you ever think about saving or investing in the market is you need to have an emergency fund and that depends on each family and their unique circumstances,” he said.

Scofield recommends at least three to six months of fixed expenses on hand and that way if something really bad happens, you aren’t struggling to pull money from different areas. You also want to make sure you have proper insurance coverage, you want to protect your income and your assets.

Scofield said the beginning of the year is also a good time to revisit your will, your beneficiaries and your estate plans to make sure the way that you have things set up is still lined up with your current wishes. It’s also a good time to set up autopayments on your bills.

“The worst thing that can happen is something drastically changes in your family situation or dynamic and you haven’t updated it in years. Unfortunately, we do see that happen all the time and you don’t want to create a family headache if something does happen to you,” Vaughn Scofield said.

“You want things to kind of run on autopilot in the background so you can live your life and that’s why it is important — especially in the beginning of the year — to give yourself some parameters to work within, automate some things and streamline your bill payments - that way you can set it and forget it and live your life and as long as you revisit that on a periodic basis you’ll be better off than most people,” he said.

He also recommends different ideas to see where your money is going in and out — whether it be an app or an old-school notebook to keep up with your spending and what you’re bringing in each month, and what’s going out each month in bills, groceries, and more. It can be as simple as drawing a chart in the beginning to show your bills and fixed expenses to see how much is coming in and how much is going out.

Scofield knows some individuals who like to balance their checkbooks by hand and says there’s something psychological about writing it down with pen and paper. The same thing goes for spending cash versus swiping a card. It’s all psychological.

“Just by writing things down gives you a better idea of thinking maybe I shouldn't be spending $120 a month on entertainment or maybe we can cut back on going out to eat,” he said.

Financial planning and finances are also very psychological. It is very much about separating the fixed variables like your electricity, cell phone bill, rent, the things you can’t live without but how you’re spending the discretionary component of your income on.

“Some of this stuff is truly emotional and not numbers driven, it’s very behavioral and emotional and those things are important because psychology is more than half of this and we just want to make sure that we are working overtime to reach whatever is important to our clients,” he said.

Scofield said it’s important to not take more or less risk than is necessary and be sure that no matter what happens you will be OK.

“It doesn’t matter what we’re earning in the market and it doesn't matter how we have you allocated, you have to be able to sleep at night and it needs to be aligned with your long-term goals,” he said.

The new year is a good time to reset, refocus, and be proactive rather than reactive and work towards that financial confidence that you’re seeking and track your progress towards your long-term goals.

“It’s a good time to make sure you’re still aligned with what matters most to you and your family, that’s really the nuts and bolts and the heart and soul of what we do. ... every family is different and every situation is different and that’s why we create a unique financial plan for everybody in their family.”

Someone You Should Know

WHITNEY WHITEHEAD

What fuels your passion for art?

I love to look at something and turn it into my own version. I also enjoy that I have been able to turn my hobby into a full-time career to provide for my family.

What do you want people to feel when they look at your window art?

I want everyone to have a big smile on their face and feel happy when they see my paintings! That’s my favorite part of my job. If someone’s having a rough day, I hope if they pass one of my paintings it could spark some form of joy for them.

What is your favorite part of being a window artist?

I love when I’m given a few ideas for a set of windows and I can run free and come up with a design that matches the energy of the business I’m painting. I also love how my paintings make everyone happy when they see them!

What is the best thing about Southwest Louisiana?

The people! I am originally from southeast Texas, I’ve been here 12 years now, and everyone here is so awesome!

What was your last moment of gratitude?

Here lately I have been in awe of how I have grown as an artist, and business woman. I am so grateful for my clients, some have been with me for 10 years or so and they just keep coming back, for that I am extremely grateful!