Jan 4
January can be a funny month. There’s an odd contradiction between the cultural energy of a new beginning, and the seasonal energy of not much happening: spring is still a long way off, January is definitely still winter in the natural world, and it’s the last time of year that I feel like eating salad or getting up early to meditate.
Being in nature - though a simple practice - can also be a profoundly embodying one.
My meditation practice changed a lot during lockdown. Some of the things that used to encourage me to practice had shifted, and I was given the space to notice that.
Stories have always seen me through the darkness. At this time of year, I tend to want to rush forwards into spring, but the power of stories is helping me to stay within nature's quiet space, with the cold and dark that's still here, a necessary part of the cycle that needs to be completed before the light and warmth can truly emerge.
For a long time, I was holding onto my online life, quite tightly. In an experiment, I have cut back my time online time to include only the unavoidable, or the highly valued. Of course, it’s a work-in-progress, and my mindfulness practice helps me navigate the challenges.
Sheila Bayliss 