When Rest Feels Heavy: Winter Energy, and Trusting Our Rhythm

The beginning of February marks Imbolc, a celebration in the Wheel of the Year that honours the gradual return of the light. Coinciding with a full moon, it felt especially potent — a quiet reminder that even when change feels subtle, something is always shifting beneath the surface.

This winter, here in the northern hemisphere, has felt unusually heavy for me. The late arrival of snow and long stretches without visible sunlight created a sense of darkness that lingered longer than expected. Alongside this, as usual my daily routines began to shift.

I allowed myself to slow down. I rested more. I leaned into yin style yoga practices and quieter habits that felt supportive in the moment. Yet as the weeks passed, I noticed instead of feeling restored, my energy felt lower.

More restorative classes, workshops and yin with yoga nidra and sound, all deeply restful, yet still I felt tired.

At first, this was confusing. I had invited in rest with the intention of feeling more energised not less. I fought this a bit, pushed through some more dynamic, longer challenges I had committed to but it didn’t feel sustainable, I made space for more restorative practices again and trusted the process. Now the heaviness has started to lift and I’ve been reflecting on my winter experiences. With reflection, I realised  the rest I gave myself wasn’t meant to lift my energy. It was meant to hold me.

Much of my practices had become very yin and while they didn’t spark vitality, they supported what my system needed at that time. They allowed me to slow down and to rest and that is just as valuable.

Rather than feeling frustrated that I allowed myself get too slow, I’m grateful. Grateful that I didn’t continue to force and push when my body asked for rest. Grateful that I listened, and dropped the power classes I had signed up for, that I followed my intuition, understanding that if I kept pushing my body when it felt depleted I may risk injury. The heaviness is already beginning to lift, much like the lengthening days, and with that, my routines are naturally finding more balance again, a little more yang to meet the yin.

This is one of the gifts of a consistent yoga and mindfulness practice. It helps us develop self-awareness, notice and release self judgement, and turn toward our inner knowing. We learn to trust ourselves more deeply, rather than constantly seeking answers outside of ourselves.

So as February arrives, I’m inviting in a little more light each day — both physically and energetically. I’m checking in daily, listening closely, and allowing my choices to evolve with my needs.

When I live this way, I move through life with more alignment, compassion, and resilience. And sometimes, rest doesn’t energise us right away. Sometimes, it simply gives us permission to be exactly where we are.