January always asks something different of me.
This year, it asked for slowness.
I used to treat January as a month to sprint into new plans, new ideas, new energy. But the more sound work I hold, the more I realise how much power there is in beginning again slowly.
This month I set up my bowls at the Yoga Shed for the first sessions of the year, and instead of diving into perfection, I focused on presence. One sound at a time. One breath at a time. It reminded me that rest is not an indulgence at the start of the year, it's the foundation for everything I want to build.
Bothy Sound in 2025 feels like a deepening rather than a reinvention. A growing into. The bowls feel warmer in my hands. The gong has a new patience to it. And I feel a little more grounded in the work than I did this time last year.
If January teaches me anything, it's this:
You don't need to start strong.
You just need to start true.
— Douglas