Today is the shortest day of the year and the beginning of winter in the northern hemisphere, whereas in the southern hemisphere, summer is starting and today marks their longest day.

The winter solstice is celebrated around the world and is often connected to celebrating the sun/light (as the days get longer from here onwards), rituals to stay healthy throughout the winter, warm baths in hot water springs or candles/bonfires.

Do these ingredients not sound like those of a beautiful self-care day? For today, how about you think about yourself first (in a good way of course). Find the strength to say “no” when you are asked to do something you really don’t want to do and instead, treat yourself with something you LOVE to do. Doing something for yourself is vital for a happy life. If you keep putting yourself last and are suffering while doing it, you teach people how to treat you and that they can do whatever they please with you.

On top of that, if you think you are doing everyone a favour by putting all their needs first, think again. The energy you will have if you take care of your needs will completely shift your entire surrounding. Taking care of yourself, is not selfish or egoistic, it gives you more energy and spreads more joy to your families and friends.

Today is the perfect day to step away for a few hours and pamper yourself – go to your favourite gym-class, take a long bath, ready a book you love, meditate, go for a walk, go shopping, go to the movies, paint, write, knit, bake – do what you love and embrace the coziness of this dark pre-christmas day.

What are your goals in life? Are you chasing the right dreams?

Stating your Values is going to help you find the answer to these questions. The more your goals are aligned with your ethics, the more you will burn for them and really try to accomplish them (of course there are also other reasons in play but this can really change the way you define your goals and give you a different sense of fulfilment).

First: Think of 3 people you admire, look up to or intrigue you in some way. What is it that you like in them? Is it a certain characteristic? Is it something they stand for? Is it their belief system or their accomplishments? Take some time to think about this before moving on to the second exercise.

Second: Go through the list of the “Value-words” and choose 5 or less Values you identify or would like to identify yourself with.

Third: Reflect on the year that has passed and see if you have been living according to your values. What are 2 incidences where you feel you should have acted differently and how can you improve your actions next time, to be more in tune with your beliefs.  Also find two events in which you feel proud in your actions, as they align with your values.

Fourth: Think about the upcoming year and your goals. Are they inline with your values? How can you make changes to become more in tune with what you believe in and who you want to be?

How to start meditating (for beginners):

1. Mediation doesn’t need to be tied to a specific time of the day BUT it will help you make it a habit. If you decide you will mediate at some point during the day, the time flies by and before you know it, your day is over.

2. Choose a peaceful spot, which you dedicate to mediation. If you are living in a small apartment and you can’t have a spot solely for mediation, choose a place that is linked to resting (e.g. close to your bed), not working (e.g. your desk). Create yourself a unique atmosphere for your meditations, which won’t take up much of your time to set up (e.g. candles or fairy lights).

3. It doesn’t matter how you sit, as long as your spine is as straight as possible, and you have the connection to the ground, either with your feet, or directly seated on the floor. If possible, do sit in  lotus, but for the beginning it is simply important to get our bodies used to sitting still for a prolonged period of time.

4. As a hand position I prefer placing my hands into my lap, the right hand placed into the left hand with the tips of the thumbs touching (Dhyana Mudra). Many people prefer to sit with both hands on their knees, using the Gyan mudra (thumb and index fingertips touching, the other three fingers spread out straight).

5.Meditation is not about forcing yourself to stop your thoughts.Instead: every time a thought comes, you let it pass by and don’t hold on to it. To help yourself stay focused and not wonder off like little red riding hood, its best you start with a focus on your inhales and exhales. Every time your mind thinks of anything else, you bring it back to your breath.

6. This is a super basic method – “simply” focus on your breath – but you have to start small and with the right foundation. There are many techniques to mediate and what I have found, is that everyone needs to find their own little method. What I find helpful ist if I don’t jump into mediation right away but instead do my breathing practice beforehand.