This is the view from my living room window. Glorious, isn't it?

Having grown up in South Florida, I always dreamed about white Christmases, the thrill of canceled school on snow days and sledding followed by hot chocolate with marshmallows.

The reality, however, is that winter in the Northeast means slogging through slush on the way to work, slippery sidewalks and slowed services on public transit. Shorter and darker days can lower spirits. There's always an excuse to eat warm, comforting foods that may be a little short on nutritional value. And it's a challenge to get out and exercise when that means piling on three extra layers before you even set out.

But if we've learned anything here at Joyful Heart, it's that a regular practice of self-care can help significantly boost our well being, aids in the healing process and allows us to live more joyful lives. I started my meditation practice last weekend, but I was confident I could do more to keep well this winter.

So rather than opting to hibernate under the covers until the snow melts, I decided to enlist some advice from one of our regular wellness practitioners. Allison Talis is a healing arts practitioner and wellness consultant for the Joyful Heart Foundation. Allison will be sharing wellness resources and experiences and is beginning with a series of posts about winter wellness to get us through these colder months. Her first post will show up later this afternoon. Be sure to check back... and in the meantime, stay warm!