Longevity Elixirs ~ Winter Solstice ❄️
Happy winter solstice friends,
In thinking about this time of year and how I can best support you, I've been thinking about 🎶 a few of my favourite things 🎶 – and it's not an Oprah Wi$h Li$t. Instead, it's a few of the resources/practices/exercises I've been using when my body starts to feel rigid.
I watched a reel about why crystal bowls are so powerful, and the crux of it was this: they sound magical because vibrations can pass through, but as soon as you prevent the edge of the bowl from vibrating, via your hand clamping down, the sound becomes flat. Why? Because the sound barrier has become rigid. Much like sound bowls, the body is the same way.
So here's my roundup of tricks I'm using to stay vibrational this holiday season. Maybe vibrational is like Mean Girls "fetch" so instead I'll say, "tricks I'm using to stay soft, open, and allowing the emotions to move through me [...]."
And if you're feeling TLDR, here are 5 super simple ways to de-stress:
The key to all of them is to notice your state before and after. Remember that if your stomach lurches, rumbles or releases gas – you are relaxing.
1. Legs up a wall. I do this before bed. 3-5 min. minimum.
2. Breath in for 4 sec. (through the nose), hold for 7 sec. out for 8 sec. (through the mouth). Do 3 times.
3. "Vooing" x3. Look up Sarah Baldwin’s work, who trained with Peter Levine.
4. Drink a warm beverage. It signals calm and safety to the body.
5. Light a candle and put your thoughts to paper. Maybe 12 things you're grateful for today in December (12), or 25 things you're grateful for in 2025, or, three things you're grateful for because 3s have potency. The simple act of lighting a candle tells the brain it's time to reflect. As read in Jade Miles' book Huddle: Wisdom, skills and recipes for building a tomorrow of togetherness.
Below are my go-tos (baking/eating, listening, screaming, streaming, gathering) when I have a little more time to create inner space . . .
Elixir 1 ~ Recipe for Solstice Shortbread
I bought Victoria Harrison's The Solstice Yearbook earlier this year by chance in the fall. I thoroughly enjoyed being inspired by her wisdom for the autumn equinox and her winter content has been just as juicy. She writes, "Winter Solstice baking is all about remembering the sun in the middle of winter, so recipes often include warming spices and sunshine citrus flavours." Aka put a little sun in your baking, even go as far as making them in a round tray 🌞
Ingredients: (makes about 8 slices)
115g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened
55g (2oz) caster (superfine) sugar
Zest of 1 orange
180g (6oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
1⁄2 tsp ground mixed spice (apple pie spice)
* bonus: I added a shake of turmeric because it feels like sunshine powder.
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/Gas 3 (325°F). Line a 22cm (81⁄2in) circular cake tin with baking (parchment) paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl.
3. Add the orange zest, sift in the flour and ground mixed spice (apple pie spice), and mix together until smooth.
4. Gently turn out the dough and press it into the cake tin, pushing the dough right to the edges and smoothing it out equally across the tin.
5. Use a knife to score the dough into triangle wedges, and prick the surface with a fork. (As well as adding decoration, this allows the steam to escape and prevents the shortbread from bubbling up while cooking.)
6. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until a very light golden colour.
7. Remove from the oven, re-score the lines, then sprinkle with a little granulated sugar and leave to cool in the tin.
Elixir 2 ~ Crystal Sound Bath (~13 min.) by Tomoe Yoshida
I've tried tuning forks, gong baths, and other meditative sounds, and nothing puts me in it deep, quite like crystal sound bowls. This is a free one on Insight Timer that I listen to almost every day at my midday break. I even did it before sitting down to write this.
* IMPORTANT: Make sure you use headphones that can split the sound (ie. sound only in the left, and vice versa).
Click here to listen.
Elixir 3 ~ Scream to Clear Out (~13 min.) by George R. on Open
As someone who doesn't express anger easily, I've found this specific meditation to be extremely helpful. The nights I do it before bed, I sleep great, and I feel noticeably better the next day.
Idk what it is about George and this exact track, but it's perfect. I'm not a regular subscriber to Open, but I have been before, and I enjoyed it. I still have access to this meditation, so I hope it's free for you too.
Try it for yourself here.
Elixir 4 ~ Hjem til Jul ("Home for Christmas", the Norwegian TV series on Netflix)
I described this series today to a friend as Taylor Swift's discography in a charming Scandi aesthetic. It's like Stars Hollow (from Gilmore Girls) meets The Summer I Turned Pretty. The writing is perfection, the cast - oh so delightful and brilliantly spot-on, and the music is pop yet raw.
It's like 12 dates of Christmas with a protagonist who shamelessly embodies her full spectrum of emotions. Also, it's back after 5 years of endless popular demand. We watch it every year.
Learn more here.
Elixir 5 ~ *BONUS Watch a sunrise 🌅
On Sunday, December 21st I was blessed to have two friends join me to watch the sunrise on the Solstice. Evan (above was our resident sunrise expert). We met at Calgary's own(/faux) Stonehenge, known as Tom Campbell's dog park. It was dark at 7:50 am, and it was steadily growing colder from -17C.
We were asked by a dog owner if we were a church group gathering.
Sumit said "We are the opposite."
I enjoyed this.
This act is potent because it's how our ancestors celebrated the light in the darkest time of year. Paulo Coelho also talks about the magic of dawn and dusk in his first book The Pilgrimage, on his quest on the Camino de Santiago. There is magic in transition. The time in between.
I'd like to do it again on the last day of the year to say farewell to the last sun of 2025 – and to thank them for lighting my path all year long.
My final farewell to you (for 2025) is that you have a wonderful holiday season filled with laughter, ease and joyful gatherings.
A lovely gift from you would be a reply back to this email with other tips and what else you would like to see.
Happy Winter Solstice,
Justine ☃️