‘Tis is the season of snowglobes. Those little mini winter wonderlands, magically swirling with sweet scenes, and sometimes accompanying music, activated by the twist of a knob below. As I unpacked our little collection to deck the proverbial halls last weekend I was reminded of how similar we are to snowglobes.
This season with all its excitement and anticipation can create strife and anxiety with never-ending to do lists. The mental chatter that it arouses is like the snow in the snowglobe, swooshing through our heads, keeping us in an ongoing state of mental engagement, sometimes even downright panic. In yogic terms, this is our chitta vritti, our mental chatter. The yoga teachings tell us that we can quiet this chatter with practice. So what to do?
Yogic principles apply here. First, check your breathing. Is it slow and ragged? Can you lengthen it and keep it steady? Did you notice a shift when you invited in that sense of calm with slower breathing? Activating your parasympathetic nervous system allows the body to feel at rest, not challenged and whipped up.
Second, notice: are you getting worked up because you can’t find the perfect gift for someone, or maybe a coveted parking spot at the mall? Take a moment to allow that observation to sink in, come back to your breath, and consciously choose to let the winds that whipped your snow in your snowglobe up and around you, to settle down. Maybe make light of your situation or choose not to engage in all that whirling. Allow the snow to settle, and move on.
Here in New England we haven’t gotten any real snow yet, but when the temperatures drop it is the season to make my warming chai tea. Here is a recipe I have thrown together over the years. My whole family loves it, and I hope you do, too. The measurements are all very rough, you can adjust to your liking!
Warming Chai Tea
In a pot add:
About 10-12 cups of filtered water
3 organic black tea bags
Spices:
~1 T whole cloves
~1.5 T cardamon pods
2-3 cinnamon sticks
~1/2 inch of fresh ginger sliced
Bring to a boil and then lower the temperature and bring it down to a simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
Strain before enjoying with a little raw honey and almond milk, or whatever you like!
If you prefer a lighter tea, take the tea bags out early on. You can substitute with decaf black tea but it is super hard to find as organic–they sell the Allegra brand at Whole Foods (in a brown box) in case you go looking for it.