Winter Wisdom

It’s been a busy winter between joyful visits with friends and family, near-and-far, and weathering my first cold and flu season with an infant (I don’t think I’ve ever been sick this frequently in my life). It’s given me lots to write about over at Inner Fire!

Each member of my extended family has different desires and expectations around gifts, which inspired a festive article: How To Give Presence During The Holidays. When my husband asked me years ago what the most important, defining part of Christmas was, my knee jerk response was, “The cheese ball my mom makes” (Whoops, I meant, spending time with family and friends. He still hasn’t let me live this down). Needless to say, this is my favorite alternative to gift-giving during the holidays:

Hungry belly. Humans bond over food, and this is truer than ever over the holidays. If your diet differs from your loved ones’, consider ways to participate in meals without compromising on your needs. Maybe make a hearty quinoa and beet salad to share, and pair it with parts of the group meal that are within your diet. Maybe throw your ideals out the window for a day and dig in. Make a choice that works for your situation.

Whether I’m visiting frosty Canada or in chilly Northern California, there’s one constant: I’m always cold. For other yogis who cannot bundle up enough in the winter, I wrote 10 Fiery Yogic Practices To Get You Through The Winter Months. My method of choice it to warm up from the inside by combining two of the ideas I listed: spice and hot tea:

Try antioxidant-packed turmeric tea.

Having a baby last year threw me into survival mode for a bit, and I’m just getting back to setting goals that extend beyond keeping my family clean, clothed, and fed. Here’s an article about how to power up your 2016 goals: The Secret To Making Your New Years Resolutions Stick. I’ll give it away; the secret is defining your sankalpa:

Well-formulated New Years resolutions are specific, measurable, realistic goals broken down into steps with deadlines. Your sankalpa is the fire that ignites these goals.

This year, I didn’t get around to setting my New Years resolutions until February, but I’m okay with that. Instead of getting started exhausted from the holidays and getting over a cold, I’m beginning rested, healthy, and focused. Join me! It’s better to be a month late than to wait twelve months until 2017.

How To Give Presence During The Holidays

I love that Inner Fire lets me write articles about non-materialism, even though it would help the company’s bottom line more if we gave each other nothing but clever tank tops and exuberant yoga tights during the holidays. Here’s a quote from my recent article, How To Give Presence During The Holidays:

There is nothing wrong with giving and receiving presents; according to Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages book series, “for some people, what makes them feel most loved is to receive a gift.” However, Chapman explains that others do not understand or express love by receiving or giving material things; they would take a word of praise, a warm hug, or family storytime in front of the fireplace over all the gifts in the world. A strong focus on gifts during the holidays can leave these people feeling drained and unfulfilled.

Read the full article over at Inner Fire to get some non-physical gift ideas to nourish your loved ones’ souls.