The seasonal energy of late fall leading to Yule, or winter solstice, is restful, gentle, nurturing, intuitive and receptive. Yet, instead of surrendering to this time of reflection and contemplation, we tend to ramp up the holiday preparations and fall victim to our own to-do lists and over-scheduled social calendars, leaving us feeling anything but rested or nurtured.

December is always our Uplifting Humanity issue, but before we can lift anyone else up, we must first take care of ourselves. Consider this issue an invitation and a permission slip to embrace rest, set boundaries and seek sanctuary without any guilt, shame or fear. Settle into a corner with a warm beverage in hand and flip through these pages to find inspiration for the coming winter months ahead.

In our article “The Upside toStress,” Sara Garvin, of FLOAT Boston, points out how important it is to practice interrupting stress and downshifting from it, even if only temporarily. One way of doing this is to float in water with more than 900 pounds of Epsom salt; water that is denser than the Dead Sea. I recently enjoyed a float session for the first time, and the complete weightlessness experienced while floating produced an unexpected escape hatch for the multiple layers of tension held within my body. I left the session relaxed, refreshed and recharged body and mind. I highly recommend that it be added to everyone’s stress-relieving toolbox.

Despite all the merriment that comes with this time of year, sadness can fill the hearts of those remembering lost loved ones. Angela Craig shares, in “Moving From Grief to Grace,” some healing practices that can help ease sorrow. One such practice is learning to recognize unusual signs.

Shortly after my dad took his last breath, I began to see 11:11 everywhere: on clocks, bills, length of phone calls, scoreboards, you name it. Along with 11:11 having significant spiritual meaning, my father had the practice of giving “high ones” with his index finger instead of high fives. It didn’t take long for me to realize that these regular 11:11 occurrences were not coincidental, and they were my dad saying hello and giving me spiritual high ones. These sightings still occur, not as often, but when they do, it is pure magic to feel his love for a moment. They remind me to take a deep breath, rest when needed and enjoy life to the fullest.

May you experience the magic of this season,

Nancy Somera, Managing Editor