Honouring The In‑between: Imbolc, Winter, And Listening To The Body

Abigail Twigg
12 minutes ago
2 min read

January Isn’t the New Year

We’re taught to believe that January is a clean slate, a moment to reset, rebrand, and rush forward with new goals. But for most bodies, January feels anything but fresh. It is often heavy, quiet, and slow. And that isn’t a failure, it’s seasonal truth.

Long before productivity culture and calendar years, people lived by light, land, and survival. Winter wasn’t something to push through; it was something to respect. January was never meant to demand clarity or momentum. It was meant to hold stillness.

What Imbolc Really Represents

Imbolc, traditionally celebrated at the beginning of February, is often described as the start of spring, but this is a misunderstanding. It was never about flowers blooming or life bursting forward.

Imbolc was a checkpoint. A survival marker.

In cold, dark climates, it signalled that people had made it halfway through winter. Food stores were assessed. Fires were tended. Light was returning, yes, but subtly. Quietly. Nothing was expected to grow yet.

This was a time of tending, not transforming.

Your Body Knows the Season

Even now, with central heating, artificial light, and constant stimulation, our bodies still respond to winter. Energy dips. Nervous systems crave rest. The instinct to move more slowly isn’t laziness, it’s biology.

When we override this rhythm, we often feel disconnected, exhausted, or stuck in cycles of guilt for not being ‘productive enough.’ But the body isn’t broken, it’s speaking.

Imbolc invites us to listen.

Not to rush into change, but to notice what needs warmth, care, and patience.

The Power of the In‑Between

Modern culture struggles with liminal spaces, the moments that aren’t endings or beginnings. Yet these are often the most important phases.

The in‑between is where integration happens. Where nervous systems settle.Where quiet intentions form without pressure.

Winter doesn’t ask for big visions. It asks for presence.

How We Honour This at Flowstate

At Flowstate, we move with the seasons rather than against them. This time of year isn’t about intensity or achievement; it’s about embodied awareness, gentle movement, breath, and rest.

We create spaces where slowing down is encouraged. Where listening to your body is valued. Where tending your inner fire is enough.

Whether through mindful movement, stillness, or sound, our practices are designed to support the nervous system and honour where you truly are, not where you think you should be.