An Intentionally Slow Start to the New Year
Lean into the quiet and gentle pull inward this January...
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“Slow living is all about creating time and space and energy for the things that matter most to us in life, so ask yourself what you have to gain.” - Brooke McAlary
I hope you had a gentle and nourishing Christmas and New Year. I am so excited to share my first Slow Sunday Letter of 2024! I love the energy in January. After the lights, sparkle and noise of Christmas, I really embrace the slower energy offered in January. I love getting my new notebooks and thinking about my intentions for the year ahead. There is a gentle hum of anticipation as we move into a New Year, and I think January has a lot of quiet power. A time of fresh starts and new beginnings, but also a time to slow down and get cosy. January is a wonderful month to embrace Slow Living, if you lean into the quiet and the gentle pull inward.
An Intentionally Slow Start to the New Year
So, how is the beginning of the year going for you?
I haven't always embraced the slow energy of January, in fact historically January has felt like a really demanding and overwhelming month for me. With so much external pressures to ‘hit the ground running’. There can be a lot of pressure as we embark on a New Year to be ‘your best self’, to join the gym or start moving through your resolutions or goals. You feel behind, before you have even started.
Slow living has given me so much peace and calm, and never more so, than as I take my first steps into the New Year. I am easing into 2024 with intentionally slow energy. I am bursting with inspiration and motivation for the year ahead, but I am allowing for a quiet, slow, and mindful approach. I feel so reflective and thoughtful this month, I want to take my time to think about the path I am on and what direction I am heading in.
There is no rush to figure it all out straight away, and then start taking giant leaps forwards. First and foremost you are enough exactly as you are. You do not need to be ‘more’ or ‘better’. January is a time to embrace wonderful you, whilst feeding on the optimistic energy and magic of potential that January gives.
My Word of the Year
“Breathing dreams like air.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald
One of the ways I have leaned into this gentle approach, is in choosing my word of the year. I have really taken my time, and enjoyed the process of discovering what word was going to choose me this year. I use the word as an anchor and reminder throughout the year of where I’d like my focus to be. It acts as constant inspiration and a nurturing guide, always with me.
My word of the year 2024 is DREAM.
I am so excited to start dreaming...
As I worked through
Word of the Year Workbook I started to feel pulled to the word ‘dream’ and ‘daydream’. I realised I have limited my dreams and myself over the years. My focus has been solidly on healing and self-discovery over the last few of years. I have moved through some really difficult times, as well as learning how to manage my anxiety, so dreaming has been non-existent! I’ve been concentrating on getting through ‘day to day’ living and building myself from the ground up. Through embracing Slow Living as a guiding philosophy and creating a life that feels authentic to me, I finally have that precious peace and calm in my soul. This year, I feel ready to recapture the magic of dreaming and believing in my dreams.Gentle Inspiration
Feeding my spirit this month…
1) Non-Fiction Book Club – The Artist Way Julia Cameron
Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way is often called ‘life changing’ – it is a 12-week programme about learning how to unblock your creativity. Julia guides you through a personal renewal to rediscover your passions, open up opportunities for growth and self-discovery, while harnessing a deeper connection with your creative self. I am only one week in, but I am feeling so inspired and closer to my creative voice than ever before.
has created a safe, supportive and wonderful opportunity to explore this book alongside a community of others. As we progress, I'm sure this support will be invaluable.2) Winter Writing Sanctuary
I have adored taking part in Beth Kempton’s Winter Writing Sanctuary, I feel like it has unlocked a side of me I haven’t tapped into in years. I wrote my first poem since my school years – (many many years ago!) and while it is far from perfect – I really do feel proud. It just goes to show what is waiting within, if you just give it an opportunity to speak and the space to be heard.
The Year Gone By
As the sun sets on December 31st,
I look back over the lessons of the year gone by.
The year that taught me to go slowly.
To notice the beauty in the slowness.
The slowly changing seasons,
The tree outside my window, moving through the year with grace and ease.
From branch, to bud, to leaf, to colour, to fall, back to branch.
The reminder of the slow passage of time and it's transformation.
The swans that multiplied on the river,
that grew day by day, from little grey cygnets to glorious white swans.
Gliding across the water together,
A symbol of togetherness and family.
The gentle sounds of the house, ebbing and flowing.
The click of the light switch on and off - day by day.
The new kettle as it boils and bubbles, each morning.
The creak of the bottom step as we ascend and descend.
The familiar face reflecting back at me in the mirror,
Hair longer, eyes clearer.
Older, wiser, and more at peace with each passing day.
The joy and calm of slow living in my heart, in my soul.
The year gone by, now transferred into memories, stories, moments.
Each day added together to form a snapshot of time.
Now, in the past but living and breathing within me, with its guidance and lessons.
The year gone by, the year that taught me to go slowly.
3) Dream Oracle Cards by Theresa Cheung
I have wanted some oracle cards for a long time… and I have been patiently waiting for the call to the right pack for me. I stumbled upon the Dream Ritual Oracle Cards and immediately knew I had found the right cards for me. Influenced by my word of the year, Dream – these oracle cards offer 48 dream work rituals, powered by the energy of the moon to unlock nocturnal intuition.
January Journal Prompts:
Channel the gentle vibes of January and use it to seek a closer connection with your inner voice.
If you journal regularly, or if you don’t at all – grab a pen and a notebook, curl up under a blanket, light a candle and make yourself a hot drink – consider the following questions…
How am I feeling right now?
What is my spirit calling forward to me?
What new dreams are asking for my attention?
What do I feel ready to begin?
How can I slow down this month?
A Slow January
“Plants and animals don’t fight the winter; they don’t pretend it’s not happening and attempt to carry on living the same lives that they lived in the summer. They prepare. They adapt. They perform extraordinary acts of metamorphosis to get them through. Winter is a time of withdrawing from the world, maximising scant resources, carrying out acts of brutal efficiency and vanishing from sight; but that’s where the transformation occurs. Winter is not the death of the life cycle, but its crucible.” - Katherine May
As the seasons change and the demands of nature shift in gentle rhythm, so do you. Give into its gentle lessons, and softer moments and you will emerge rested, and ready to move onward. A slow January has enormous purpose, a period of quiet, inward reflection will serve to comfort and reinvigorate you for the coming seasons.
I really hope you embrace the slowness of January and use it to move intentionally into 2024. In doing so, you will give yourself the precious gift of time to build up your energy, which will support you as you move deeper into the year.
If you feel able, please do share how you feel called to slow down this January … and as ever I am here to help you embrace slow and gentle living in any way I can.
Thank you for being here,
With Light & Love
Emily xxx
I love how DREAM seems to be a great theme for the year. I am working towards manifesting my own dream of becoming a full-time writer. Reading this was very inspirational. Thanks.
A poetic reflection on the year gone by. It beautifully captures the essence of slow living and the profound lessons learned. Here's to a year filled with dreams, creativity, and the joy of living slowly.