Activity: Five Slow Living Practices for Imbolc
Imbolc marks the quiet turning point between Winter and early Spring: a moment of subtle brightness, slow renewal and returning light. February can feel challenging, especially when life is still pared back, but tuning into the season helps ground us in gentle hope. Here are five slow living practices I’m embracing during Imbolc.
1. Get Outside
Even on the coldest, wildest days, a Winter walk can work wonders. Wrap up well, fill a flask with something warm and step into the fresh air. Whether it’s the woods, a nearby loch or the sea, the raw beauty of Winter has a way of clearing the mind and lifting the spirit. And coming home to warmth afterwards feels all the sweeter.
2. Nature Notes
The landscape may feel bare, but look closely and you’ll spot the earliest signs of the season shifting: hazel and alder catkins, tight buds on the branches and the first hints of green pushing through the soil. Bringing a branch of pussy willow or alder indoors adds quiet, seasonal interest and a reminder that change is underway.
3. Snowdrop Season
Imbolc is strongly associated with snowdrops: small, steadfast symbols of hope. Seek out your local patch or bring a pot of bulbs into your home. Their delicate white bells bowing over the cold earth are a promise that Spring will return. They’re some of the most uplifting flowers of the year.
4. Crafternoons
Wet, windy weekends are perfect for slow, cosy creativity. Finish a half-done sewing project, mend something by hand, or try candle-making, calligraphy or sketching. There’s something deeply soothing about making things at this point in the year, when time feels slower and the indoors becomes a sanctuary.
5. Gentle Planning
Imbolc is a season of beginnings: not rushing, but imagining. Use this time for gentle planning: small treats to look forward to, little rituals, or exploring a new route on your daily walk. Support a local bakery, bookshop or maker, or simply mark something joyful in the calendar. Even tiny intentions help create a sense of momentum.
