"From December to March, there are for many of us three gardens -
the garden outdoors,
the garden of pots and bowls in the house,
and the garden of the mind's eye."
-  Katherine S. White 

So, It is not just a question of perceiving the cold temperature by skin but feeling through the inner eye far beyond what is in our vision. Winter is not only the season of chills and cool breezes, it is even the season of festivities. It is the season of bright colours, holidays and celebrations.

The mere mention of winter evokes images of sparkling snowflakes and skaters gracefully gliding across the ice. Although winter is considered as a healthy season but it also comes along with some complaints owing to the temperature.

Along with emotional issues such as mood swings and the urge to hibernate, the dark winter months also bring changes in the look and feel of an individual's skin due to the wind and coldness of the late fall and winter months. It also comes with its fresh load of diseases, frostbites, chilblains, cough-cold, jointpains etc.

Other than small discomforts and colds winter can be harsher at times and occasionally symptoms of hypothermia are seen in individuals. These include forgetfulness, drowsiness, slurred speech, change in appearance (e.g., puffy face), weak pulse, slow heartbeat, and very slow and shallow breathing.

So one should take care to KEEP WARM IN WINTERS. To combat the cool breezes and chilling temperature we need to cover ourselves in such a way that our body heat is preserved and we can do our work easily. Some of the small changes and attentions which can help us during the season are to layering of clothes starting by:

• LAYER ONE: Wear a thin, moisture-wicking shirt. Fabrics such as polypropylene, Thermax and Capilene pull sweat from the body, drawing it to the clothing's surface, where it evaporates, keeping you warm and dry.
• LAYER TWO AND THREE: Next, a moisture-wicking sweat shirt and top it off with a jacket that's waterproof, windproof and breathable and can push moisture to the surface.
• WEAR MITTENS OVER YOUR GLOVES: Mittens allow heat to escape around fingers and provide a warm pocket of air.
• DON't FORGET A HAT: More than 50% of heat loss is from the head. Look for wool hats that are lined with polypropylene.
• DAILY EXERCISE: Don't forget to exercise on daily basis to keep the blood circulation on a good level.

 Other than these changes we also have Homeopathy to protect and care for us if the season gets rougher.

 In this January Issue of our Ezine on "WINTER COMPLAINTS AND HOMEOPATHY" we have tried to include most of the complaints suffered during the season. The Skin, hair complaints, joint complaints, respiratory complaints and above all the melancholy most of all suffer from during these seasons. Also included alongwith are Homeopathic therapeutics of these winter complaints.

We aim at making our readers fearless of the cold and encourage them to enjoy its beauty and festivities. I am quoting below few lines of a poem which is enough to boost up one's spirit in the cold winters and give hope for the forthcoming springs. 

 "Just remember in the winter
far beneath the bitter snows
lies the seed
that with the sun's love
in the spring
becomes the rose"
("The Rose" by Bette Midler)

 Aiming for a better tomorrow.

Dr. P. Singh

Editor, Homeopathic Horizon Ezine.