This year I treated myself to The Almanac A Seasonal Guide to 2026. The introduction describes it as ‘a parcelled up year, ready to fall open and reveal sunrise and sunset times, moon phases, night skies plus nature, folklore, food and plenty of activities’. The theme of this year's almanac is the forests and the trees. It’s a wonderful book full of interesting facts.
January features the birch tree. The birch tree is widely seen as a symbol of new beginnings, and that meaning comes from both nature and cultural traditions. Birch trees are closely associated with spring, a season of rebirth, growth, and change. The light, clean bark is often linked to purity, clarity, and turning a new page.
The birch was apparently the first tree to arrive in Britain after the last Ice Age, preparing the ground for other trees to move in. Ruled by Venus, the birch is known as the Lady of the Woods and her essence is that of welcoming new direction. ‘Birch has magical cleansing properties that can help with this, releasing the old by shedding her bark. Birch is a transformative fire starter or you can sweep your troubles away by making a broom from birch branches’.
The almanac describes the dark of January as a great time to release old ways and shed habits that no longer serve us.
When I was reading this, it reminded me of meditation and how at its core meditation is an act of beginning again. In a breath meditation, each time our mind wanders and we bring our attention back to our breath, we are practising renewal. Breath meditation can help us notice what we’re carrying, maybe thoughts, stress, expectations or regrets, and allow us to come back into the present moment and release them gently.
Similarly, mantra meditation uses a word, phrase, or sound as an anchor for our attention. We repeat the mantra silently or aloud, letting it gently occupy the mind. There are traditional mantras we can use such as So’ham or simple phrases or affirmations such as Peace, I am here or Calm. The mantra isn’t meant to block thoughts; it gives us something steady to return to.
Beginning again is at the heart of meditation practice. It means that we notice that our mind has wandered without judgement and then gently return to the practice. This is meditation. Each return is a small act of clarity and kindness.
The practice of meditation is a way in which we can strengthen our connection with the present moment. Meditation can also help us remember that every moment in life is a chance to begin again. After a hard morning, a difficult conversation, or a long day, there is always the next moment. We don’t have the opportunity to begin again just once. We can begin again hundreds of times a day each time we notice reactivity, each time we pause before speaking, each time we notice tension in our bodies, each time we forgive ourselves. This is practice.
Life is full of beginning again possibilities. We can begin again right where we are, gently and with compassion. Life can become less about getting it right and more about returning wisely.
‘Meditation trains the return. Daily life gives us chances to use it’.