In all cultures there is a recognition of the healing power of nature — a natural source of healing for the disabled and the well, alike.

Holidays can be meaningful and memorable, or they can be a time of stress and depression. Take heed of these tips for the holiday season in order to ensure that this is a special and rewarding time for you and the ones you love.

For some prone to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the recurring dread of impending winter can be offset, at least for a little while, by finding enjoyment in what nature provides us along with these shortening autumn days. For me, that means apples and pumpkins.

Certain dates and the events that took place on them have resonance and meaning for us; they shape our sense of who we are, individually and collectively. TV schedulers like to run documentaries on the anniversary of important events, reflecting on the experiences of those involved with the benefit of hindsight, and usually ending by asking how far we’ve come and what we’ve learned. Could this be a useful exercise for us as individuals too?

For about five days in January, Atlanta was paralysed by a freak ice storm that turned mighty interstates into ice rinks. However, the real spectacle was watching Atlantans deal with this unexpected and unwelcome visitor.

A time to slow down and recharge, or a dark nightmare of miserable tension? A lot depends on whether we have to keep going with our usual hectic lives…and on our attitude. Here are some things I have learned from winter in Poland.

Druids, Norse, Christians: it’s been universal for us over the centuries to have concocted various ceremonial activities and festivals to coincide with major astronomic events.