Table of contents for Issue 20 in Planet Mindful

Every year, in the run-up to Christmas, I imagine myself enjoying magical winter walks, visiting food and craft fairs for handmade gifts, and marvelling at the twinkling fairylights in every home. But the reality of this time of year is often quite different, isn’t it? I’ll hold my hands up and admit that I’m guilty of neglecting my own self-care, online panic buying, and feeling completely overwhelmed as I try to make everything ‘perfect’. So how about this year, we all agree to reclaim the joy of this season? Let’s go for those long walks and notice the trees changing around us, let’s support those local businesses when we’re shopping for presents, and let’s slow down and consider how our celebrations are impacting not only us but the world around…

“Freshly cut Christmas trees smelling of pine – inhale deeply and fill your soul with wintry night.”JOHN J. GEDDES Oh, Christmas tree! Wondering whether it’s OK to buy a real tree this year? Look for the symbol of the British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA) or the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) when you’re buying – this will ensure your tree is ethically grown and harvested, taking birds and wildlife into consideration. Find one near you at pickyourownchristmastree.org.uk…

1 Reconnect with your mat “When the body’s nervous system is stressed, or feels under threat, it manifests in many different symptoms including panic attacks, insomnia, adrenaline, anxiety and depression. The body and mind feels overwhelmed. Yoga, breathwork and meditation can be so powerful when overcoming these responses, and in bringing balance back to the body. A yoga practice can nurture your ability to stabilise, ground and generate profound healing, allowing the body to enjoy calm, energy conservation and restoration.” Victoria Logan from victorialoganyoga.com and @travelinpixie_yogi 2 Minerals matter “Magnesium has been shown to help ease anxiety and panic attacks through its action on specific brain receptors that may be over-stimulated by specific neurotransmitters. It is known as nature’s tranquilliser and is important for adrenal health and to modulate the…

1 FIND CONNECTION IN A FOREST Try forest bathing (where you stand in woodland and absorb the sounds and smells around you, rather than powering through on a walk) or just take a walk in the woods. Be mindful of the smells, the air, the temperature and how it all feels to you. Take a moment to hug a tree (yes, it sounds daft but it can feel really healing), to feel the wind, and hear the leaves and animals. 2 OR BRING NATURE HOME… If you can’t get outside, then try bringing the outside in with houseplants, flowers and winter arrangements. Best of all, why not combine your forest bathing or winter walk with a forage? Bring home (keeping in mind how much you take!) sloe berries to turn…

If your brain’s super busy and you’re unsure how to move forward, you’ll need a tool to help process what’s going on. We created the Braintangle after being inspired by an art therapy technique. It’s essentially a brain-dump to help untangle all your thoughts and feelings, leaving you with some clarity and more importantly a real plan of action on how to move forward. And it starts with just a scribble! Take a pen and create a tangle pattern all over two journal pages, or one sheet of paper, then draw a cross dividing the page into four. You then write in the spaces of the four different sections: • how you’re feeling• why you’re feeling these things• what will help• a plan of how you can go about this…

1 Lush Lipstick, from £8 Pick up a refillable lipstick case (£8) from Lush, then choose from 21 lipstick refills (£10 each). lush.com 2 L’Occitane Shower Oil, £29 L’Occitane offer their iconic almond shower oil in 500ml refill pouches, or you can visit one of their five in-store refill stations across the UK. uk.loccitane.com 3 Flawless Hydrating Rose and Lavender Toner, from £15.95 Handmade in the UK, this vegan-friendly, all-natural toner comes in recycled refillable bottles – it smells incredible too! wearthlondon.com 4 FaceGym Supreme Restructure Firming Moisturiser, £95 Premium skincare can be sustainable too! This cruelty-free, luxurious moisturiser comes in an aluminium pot, which you can top up with refill pods made from 100 per cent recycled ocean plastic. facegym.com 5 Fiils Shampoo and Conditioner, from £26 Order the…

Fir Immortality, truth, friendship, loyalty, renewal, hope, resilience Clam, mussel Purification, love, good fortune Holly Protection, peace, hope, luck, success, balance Crow feather Wisdom, the shadow self, courage, transformation, magic Ivy Cycles of life, desire, rebirth Acorn Fertility, truth, protection (an acorn on a windowsill protects the home from lightning) Robin feather Sign from a loved one in spirit Bay laurel Immortality, success, victory, wisdom, money, psychic work, love, peace, cleansing…

There’s something magical about baking at this time of year. Time inside is treasured, and hearty desserts are back on the menu. Winter calls for comfort, and sweet cakes and bakes certainly offer their fair share of that. This is especially true in cold climate countries, such as Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Traditions here revolve around snowy outdoor adventures followed by hot coffee with friends, cinnamon-scented buns and toes warming by the fire. There’s a lot we can learn from these heart-warming customs. Gratitude in all seasons Winter is one of the most important times of the year to practise mindfulness and gratitude – so often, we focus on the lack of light or warmth, but when we embrace the beauty of the season and the rituals of…

Christmas Crackers Crackers are a great addition to the start of any Christmas meal. For children, it is great fun seeing what explodes from the inside. Chocolate always goes down a treat with the recipients. For adults, the trivia and jokes are part of the enjoyment. These can be bought from most craft stores, or you could write or type up and print your own. You could also make your own paper hats to go inside the crackers. You will need: • 10mm double-sided tape• Wrapping paper• Two cardboard toilet roll tubes per cracker• Compostable cracker snap• Two 50cm lengths of ribbon• Small gifts or chocolates• Paper hat• Joke or trivia 1 Cut a rectangle of Christmas wrap measuring 19x30.5cm. 2 Cut and stick a strip of double-sided tape along…

Reading… Have you ever found yourself at a cross-road in your life, or felt a little lost? This new book is a brilliant resource for working out what you really want in life (£10.99, Summersdale). Watching… Narrated by Kate Winslet, Eating Our Way To Extinction is an eye-opening look at how our food systems are impacting the planet, with a message of hope for the future. Listening to… How to be SuccesSoul is a heartfelt podcast that’s full of life-changing insights and conversations with inspiring voices in wellbeing, self-love and personal development.…

What advice would you give if you could talk to a younger version of you? According to new research by Thortful (thortful.com), some of our best guidance would involve believing in your gut reaction, reminding yourself that everyone makes mistakes, trying not to worry too much, being honest and helpful, loving yourself and not putting things off until tomorrow. Common themes in the responses to the study included self-love, self-confidence and taking life at a steady pace and not rushing into things. “The most important thing to remember is that no one has all their stuff together, and so on the outside looking in it may appear that they do, which is why you compare the back end of your life to the shop front of their lives,” says life…

SUBSCRIPTION FORM XDPS21 Please select the magazine(s) of your choice and your preferred method of payment: Code XDPS21. Offer ends 15 January 2022. *Savings are calculated from the UK shop/cover price. Prices listed on the covers are available to UK customers/recipients paying by Direct Debit only. We publish 13 issues of Colouring Heaven per year, 12 issues of Vegan Food & Living and Women’s Running per year, and 6 issues of Vintage Rock, Classic Pop, Planet Mindful and Italia! per year. You can select your start issue. Reasons to give subscriptions this Christmas Save up to 45% on the shop price* A gift subscription lasts all year Every issue is delivered direct to the recipient’s door Postage included in the price Take the hassle out of your Christmas shopping! WOMEN’S…

• Recycled crackers, £27 for 12 rspb.org.uk These plastic-free, fully recyclable crackers each contain a gorgeous wooden tree decoration, as well as the traditional paper hat and joke. • Recycled sari bunting, £14.99 oxfam.org.uk This 2m-long bunting is made from recycled sari fabric and makes a colourful addition to parties and celebrations all year round. • Bamboo plates, £18.99 for 25 wayfair.co.uk These attractive reusable plates are made from sustainable areca palm leaf and are completely recyclable and biodegradable. • Recyclable wrapping paper, £10.45 for 10 sheets and tags re-wrapped.co.uk Eco-friendly wrapping paper doesn’t need to be brown and boring. Re-wrapped.co.uk has a huge selection of bright colours, patterns and prints that are made from 100% recycled paper and can be recycled again.…

Press pause Stop. Breathe. Check in with yourself. How do you feel? Are your shoulders tight… are you holding tension in your jaw? Inhale deeply and feel your lungs slowly fill with air. Hold it for a count of five, then release for a count of five. As you breathe out, visualise all the stress you’re holding onto leave your body. Better? For more relaxation techniques, turn to p78.…

Tell us what you love about where you live… I live in the beautiful New Forest with my partner Nathan and our sausage dog, Reggie. I grew up there, so after a few years in London and Bristol we decided that – as we both work freelance – we could move back there and enjoy living a quieter pace of life in the countryside. Our home is a Victorian terrace – when we were looking I was pretty adamant that I wanted to live in an older house as I love the details. When we moved in we were quite naive about how quickly we could do things and ended up not having a working kitchen for about six months. I got quite good at cooking on a camping stove!…

BECKI CLARK An illustrator and designer inspired by nature, Becki lives in the New Forest with her sausage dog, Reggie. Take a peek at her creative yet restful home on p76. CAROLINE MEASURES Caroline is a coach and therapist who specialises in helping mid-life women. Her beginner’s guide to meditation is on p78. JANICE HOPPER Janice is a writer living in Scotland with her two young sons. She explores how the night skies can help us combat Seasonal Affective Disorder on p34. ALEX HOWARD After suffering with chronic fatigue in his teens, Alex went on to set up one of the world’s leading clinics specialising in fatigue. Read his advice on p42 this issue. FINN PREVETT AND ALI MCDOWALL The Positive Planners show us how to use journalling to find…

Morning light There’s something so beautiful about the morning light. The way it catches on cobwebs, and streams through the window panes to let you know that a new day has arrived. Getting up early means you can take the time to appreciate these special moments, before the world is awake and the busyness begins. Turn to p46 to read more about the benefits of early rising……

Easy wins Fed up with all the environmental doom and gloom? The best way to ease your anxiety is to keep on making switches to more eco-friendly behaviours. If you haven’t yet started using zero waste shops, put some handy Mason jars on your Christmas list and use them to store refills of rice, pasta, nuts, seeds, dried fruit and spices. Just remember to take them to the store with you to avoid unnecessary packaging.…

With 120 billion units of packaging produced by global cosmetic companies ending up in landfill every year, the stats on sustainability and the beauty industry are anything but pretty. From deodorant cans and shampoo bottles to single-use face masks and skincare minis, the waste is building up at a terrifying and unsustainable rate. If nothing is done, National Geographic reports that by 2050, there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic in landfills – the equivalent of 35,000 Empire State Buildings. Thankfully consumers are calling for change, with the British Beauty Council’s recent Courage to Change sustainability report sharing that 91 per cent of us want less packaging and 88 per cent want to be able to refill their cosmetics. So, is there a way to still indulge in…

Last year I was lucky enough to get an allotment just before lockdown hit the UK. It has been my absolute saviour and a place I love to spend hours sowing seeds, planting out and harvesting fresh produce. Growing my own food has given me such an enormous appreciation for the food we see on the shelves. So much time, effort and energy goes into growing it. It’s really quite astonishing. On the plot, the majority of my spring and early summer is taken up with sowing and preparing the beds before planting out (after the last frost has passed) and waiting through summer for the plants to grow, mature and a good crop to form later in the year. It could be months before you harvest your first veggie…