Healing HOME

We are now on the dark side of Winter Nights—the dawn of the cooling season, marked on 10/31-11/1. We light candles to symbolize warmth and light. Some of us get the woodstove warming the house for the first time since last winter. I’m conservative of firewood, so I wait until the downstairs gets a chill that necessitates wearing long sleeves and slippers or shoes. But we love our fire, not just for the heat but for the corner of firelight that we can muse into.

Still, it’s no replacement for keeping the curtains open during the day to let in as much natural light as possible. To maintain holistic wellness through the cool months:

• Cluster your houseplants around the windows that receive the most sunlight
• Arrange some seating so you can sit at the windows with your houseplants
• Have at least one full-spectrum lightbulb in each room
• Eat and drink the light—literally! Lemons, pineapple, oranges, golden delicious apples

As we settle into the hush of Winter Nights, let us remember that light is not only kindled in flame but gathered in small, intentional acts. A citrus slice in warm water, a sunbeam caught in a leaf’s curl, a chair angled toward brightness—these are the hearths we build when the days grow dim. Whether through firelight or fruit, through slippered steps or plant companionship, we tend to our inner glow.

May this season invite us to muse, to nourish, and to keep vigil with the light—within and around us.