IMBOLC Meditation into the belly of the mother
Into the belly of mother Earth
Devotion (Bhakti) is often related to deities, saints, sacred texts, and a practice of devotion to the Divine. But what if we turned our devotion inward? What would it mean to truly devote yourself to your body, not as a project to be fixed or controlled, but as something deserving of your time, your attention, and your care? It is an act of reverence, a recognition of your body as both a temple and as an extension of the Divine.
To devote yourself to your body is to meet it exactly as it is, with loving awareness—embracing both its imperfections and the often unnoticed perfections (yes, you do have them!!). It means honouring the unique nuances that make your body yours, the scars that serve as gentle reminders of both your strength and your resilience.
Bhakti is love in action, an offering of care. Bhakti is expressed in the small, sacred moments of our lives, such as when we open our eyes in the morning and enjoy our first stretch of the day, when we take a deep, full breath in and when we honour the gentle awakening of our stiff bones after a long cold winter we are embodying Bhakti.
Imbolc is the perfect time of year to devote ourselves to our bodies and notice the shifting rhythms of nature within our own skin. We have listened deeply over winter, and now we feel the gentle call to act and move with intention. Can you feel yourself slowly coming back to life?
Imbolc is celebrated as a season of renewal, often described as 'the return of light'—a midway point where winter gently transitions into spring. It's tangible here in Scotland and very welcome, too, as winters can be long, dark and harsh. And now the days are beginning to lengthen. Can you feel it? The joy in just those few extra minutes of daylight.
In Scotland, the Celtic goddess Bridgid (Brìghde) is connected to Imbolc. She is the goddess of healing, poetry, and, of course, fertility, as well as the protector of the home. Devotion to the body can be seen as an act of reverence -- both to our home and to her. After all, our bodies are our first homes, the sacred dwelling of our Spirit. We often want to renovate and discard parts of ourselves as though tossing out the bathwater and the baby. But our Spirit is not something to be torn down and rebuilt; it is nestled deep within the very bones that are us, waiting to be accepted, nourished and loved, not necessarily rebuilt.
Imbolc is the perfect time to devote ourselves to the body. Do you feel the stiffness that has crept into your bones over winter? That gentle stirring—the quiet call for movement, warmth, and nourishment—urging you toward spring? I believe this is the Great Mother guiding us to awaken, much like a mother tenderly caresses her child from slumber. In yoga, it is Shakti, Prakriti—the very matter of our being—stirring in response to Purusha, the light of consciousness. Action infused with intention, moving us towards the light. Can you meet yourself and your body with active devotion?
Much love and happy Imbolc xx
Gem xox
