Bringing Warmth and Light into your House this Winter By The Holistic Shop's Margaret McGoverne  10 Tips for Restoring Inner Glow During the Cold Short Days Although we all welcome the advent of winter, with hopes of a white Christmas and snowball fights, the reality of cold short days and long bleak nights can seem never ending. By the time Christmas arrives we may feel frazzled and tired, bored or even mildly depressed. Even the external stimulus of presents and parties may not succeed in seeing us through the winter. It may be that the solution is an internal boost to our spirits - we may need to revive our "inner glow" and learn to appreciate even cold wet days as special. Days in should be seen as opportunities to create peacefulness and clarity in the home, in preparation for the coming new year. Although this may sound like a tall order, there are a few things you can easily do to create an almost instant lift in your spirits. Here are 10 tips to help you change your perception of winter and bring warmth and light into a chilly day: 1) Open the curtains or raise the blinds and let the light shine in. Sit by the window looking out, or simply read by the natural light. Feel what warmth there is from the sun through the window, and be appreciative of the fact that you are indoors and warm. 2) Try eating more hot soups and stews, curries and chilli con carnes - these are all hearty meals that are warming, comforting and nourishing. (If you use canned soups pay attention to the amount of sodium present - many ready-made soups are high in sodium.) 3) Go outside to reset your biological clock. Let natural sunlight counteract SAD (seasonal affective disorder). Appreciate the winter landscape: the bare beauty of trees that we never notice when the leaves are flourishing are particularly impressive against a winter sky. 4) Exercise to stimulate the mind and bring warmth to the body. Many of us are bored with treadmills and stairmasters that go nowhere. Change your routine. Dress warmly and go for a brisk walk round the nearest lake, forest or beauty spot. If you can get to the seashore, a walk on the beach is peaceful and inspiring, even if the sea is rough. Try some new classes in Pilates, Yoga etc; ask a friend to exercise with you. 5) Connect with people. Why not find out about volunteering work in your area? We tend to get isolated in the winter and stay indoors - get out and about, and try to meet positive people who will appreciate your effort. If you can’t get out, use the phone or email to stay in touch with friends and family. At home, use the long cold evenings as an excuse to wrap up with loved ones in front of the fire, lit by candles. Temperatures will soon rise! 6) Bring tropical plants into your home; their gracious leaves and evergreen foliage will lift your spirits and give you a taste of eternal summer. 7) Surround yourself with warming colours such as orange and red, both of which are positive and cheering. You don't need to redecorate your home; maybe a few new cushion covers or throws in warm tones, or just put something orange on the desk or coffee table. 8) Try a warm glowing candle light meditation. Light a candle in the evening and stare at the flame for about 30 seconds to a minute. Then close your eyes and breathe to your own natural rhythm and see what comes up for you in meditation. 9) Try a self-massage. Gently warm some carrier oil in your hands, adding a few drops of a warming essential oil such as Clary Sage, Cypress, Ginger or Marjoram, and massage your body from head to toe. Long strokes for the limbs, circular strokes for the torso. Make sure to massage the temples, and using your thumbs, make windshield wiper movements under and over your eyes. Feel the warmth pervade your body. 10) Simplify and de-clutter your home, room by room. Clean out the clutter and donate to charity things that you haven't used in years. In winter we tend to contract and turn inward - use this indoors time to organize your home and share with the needy. This will give you a true inner glow.
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