The Calm Christmas Podcast with Beth Kempton

Here we are completing another circle around the sun. We have clambered across the fabric of another year, stitched together adventures, stories, and memories, darned some holes as neatly as we could, knotted threads of new colour into our lives, and we are now here at the edge looking back across all we have woven in the past twelve months. This is a wonderful time to focus on gratitude, to reflect on the year gone by, choose what to leave behind in this year, do some gentle dreaming fo...

These are the days in between. The liminal space that hovers beyond the festivities and the before the arrival of a fresh New Year. I call this time 'the Hush', when the world slows and some kind of portal opens up. This episode is all about making the most of this precious time and it includes:Ideas for different ways to spend these days in betweenA beautiful winter visualisation to help you open to whatever might be calling youA full moon bathing ritualA comforting recipeOur nature cornerSo...

It’s nearly Christmas Eve. Can you feel the magic hovering? If ever there was a time to take a deep breath and let go of all that has not been done to embrace what is here, that time is now. Pull up a chair and relax, my friend. It is Christmas, after all. This very Christmassy episode will ease you into Christmas, reminding you what really matters and encouraging you to let things be perfectly imperfect.This episode includes: A little story from the Arctic CircleA letter from Father Chr...

This week's episode is dedicated to those we love and miss, to encourage us all – me included – to take all the time we need to feel all the things we are going to feel in the days ahead. I hope you find this episode to be a comfort. Of course I am not going to tell you how to be or what to do as you face Christmas without a loved one, or face it carrying any other sense of grief. What I am going to do is share some ideas for pausing, honouring and remembering our loved ones, along with...

This delicious episode is all about festive feasting – from the main event to all those gatherings and feedings in between. I adore cookbooks and share a lot in this episode, along with some other food-related delights. I hope it gets you flicking through your own recipe books and planning for some special time around the table this year.This episode includes:- Snippets from some of my favourite Christmassy cookbooks- Tips for reducing the s...

There is a particular kind of joy in the simple act of curling up in an armchair with a book on a winter's day, or going to a café with nothing to do but take in the next chapter, or going to bed early and sitting up against soft pillows to read by lamplight. Words can be a real comfort in the darkest of seasons - both those we read and those we write. I hope this episode inspires you to pull down a favourite book off the shelf and have a read, or perhaps treat yourself to some poetry, or a n...

Did you know it is scientifically proven that decorating for Christmas can actually make you happier? Oh yes my friends, it is in the interests of our health that we get those fairy lights up... With the weather getting chillier outside, it is the perfect time to start thinking about how to make our homes festive and cosy, and a sanctuary of wellbeing and rest for the winter. This episode includes:Lots of ideas for decorating in a way that engages all the senses, and brings nature indoor...

Today is all about mindful gifting. Listen to this before Black Friday hits! It’s almost impossible to think about Christmas without thinking about presents, and I know it’s still early, but starting to think about mindful gifting now can save us stress, save us money, help us give things that will genuinely bring joy, and give us time to enjoy the process of dreaming up ideas, making or buying, wrapping them and delivering them in good time.This episode includes:Why being more mindful about ...

The modern world calls us on us to be visible, to be sociable, to be ‘out there’ and tell everyone about it, not to mention to fill our days rushing from one thing to the next to keep up with everything society makes us feel we should be doing, nevermind the pressure from advertisers to create the perfect Christmas, and the knowledge that we are soon to be bombarded by visions of other people’s perfect Christmases online in the coming months, and it is a lot. This year I want to entertai...

Come on in out of the wind, my friend. I am so glad you found this old cottage, hidden away as it is in a small village in the South West of England. Come on through to the kitchen, pull up a chair. There are gingerbread stars fresh out of the oven and steaming tea in the pot. How have you been, my friend? I am so glad you are here and I’ve got so much to share with you.What a joy it is to welcome you to a third season of The Calm Christmas Podcast, timed just as autumn turns to leave and in ...

Friends, it's nearly time! The Calm Christmas Podcast is back for a new season. Our theme for this year is 'Seeking slow this winter'. The new season will begin on November 8, and then new episodes will drop every weekend until the new year. Over the past few years Christmas has become, for many, overcommercialised, and a time of stress and exhaustion. The Calm Christmas Podcast is about turning away from that kind of holiday season, and instead finding joy and spreading cheer without sacrifi...

Christmas is coming. Can you feel it in the air? I can, and I love that feeling. And it’s why I am here with you again, for a special edition of the Calm Christmas Podcast. Rather than a whole series this year, to honour my own need for proper rest this winter I have created you a bumper special episode, to help you settle in to a cosy winter. This one is longer than usual at almost an hour, so get yourself a hot cuppa, or pull on your boots and head out for a lovely long walk as you li...

Welcome to The Hush – that precious, liminal space between Christmas and New Year. In today’s episode, the final one of this series, we explore the idea of ‘less doing, more dreaming’. These are the days in-between. This is a precious time to breathe deeply, savour moments with loved ones or alone and feel the world slowing just for a moment. It's a time for reflection and releasing, meandering, and dreaming. This episode includes a very special visualisation to help you open up to what might...

So here we are in Christmas week! This week I am sharing a few quiet words and a couple of festive recipes (for you and for the birds) to bring a sprinkling of calm as the festivities peak. With inspiration from Julia Baird, Emma Mitchell, and Maya Angelou. Wishing you whatever kind of Christmas you want and need this year.Beth XxPhosphorescence by Julia Baird p.286 (William Collins)Making Winter by Emma Mitchell (LOM Art)Untitled by Maya Angelou in Celebrations: Rituals of peace ...

Ease yourself through the holiday preparations with this gentle episode all about rest, including a host of ideas for taking care of yourself as winter moves in. With inspiration from Liza Dalby (@lizadalby), Jilly Shipway, Shiva Rea (@shivarea108), Lucy Brazier (@brazier.lucy), Claudia Hammond (@claudie_hammond_), Gareth Owen, Katherine May (@katherinemay_) and Sonoko Sakai (@sonokosakai).Featured in this episode:East Wind Melts the Ice by Liza Dalby (Chatto & Windus)Tending the Heart Fi...

A lovely, relaxing episode to ease you into a place of restfulness this winter, including a beautiful meditation, some gorgeous winter poetry, and some tips for finding calm in the chaos. With inspiration from Hakuin, Brian Patton, Roger McGough, Mark Strand, the Royal Horticultural Society (@the_rhs), Joey Hulin (@joeyhulin_writer), Isobel Carlson, Donna Hay (@donna.hay), and Country Living (@countrylivinguk).Featured in this episode: Untitled poem by Hakuin from Three Zen Masters by Jo...

This episode is all about nesting – getting your home and heart ready for the winter, with natural Christmas decorations, and ideas for mindful crafting. With inspiration from Laurie Lee, Ariella Chezar (@ariellachezardesign), Lucy Hunter @lucytheflowerhunter, Truman Capote, Lizzie Kamenetzky, Cleo Wade @cleowade, The Royal Horticultural Society (@the_rhs), and my mum!Featured in this episode:A Village Christmas and Other Notes on the English Year by Laurie Lee (Penguin Classics)Seasonal Flow...

It’s time to dive into Christmas gifting, with a host of ideas for mindful, meaningful gifts and some innovative ways to wrap your presents to surprise and delight. We have inspiration from JRR Tolkien, Michelle Mackintosh, Hollie McNish, Laura Pashby, Laura Fleiter and Kerstin Niehoff, and some lovely festive projects to try. Let this episode inspire you to give more love while spending less money and creating less waste this year.Featured in this episode:Letters from Father Christmas by JRR...

Today’s episode is inspired by festive food, but not in an obvious way. We explore what fermentation can teach us about Christmas, learn how to make hoshigaki (dried persimmons) and spelt digestives, and explore the tradition of Stir Up Sunday. This episode is packed with tips for nourishing yourself with food and herbal remedies this winter, along with some gorgeous wintery words from some of our finest writers. With inspiration from Yoshihiro Imai, Nigel Slater, Lucy Brazier, Good Housekeep...

From watching starling murmurations to cooking up a vat of hot soup, from long wintery walks and forest bathing to practicing calming breathing exercises, this episode is full of ideas for gentle ways to slow down, inhale the season and exhale the stress. And with a host of get ahead tips to make sure your holiday preparations all come together in good time, you’ll feel more ready than ever for the approaching winter. With inspiration from Nick Acheson, Melissa Harrison, Charles Dickens, Jill...

I have loved Christmas since I was a child. The hopes of snow and flying reindeer, that special Christmassy feeling in the air. I still sense that as a grown up, but the festive season seems to come with a lot more pressure these days. This year, instead of trying to create the perfect Instagrammable Christmas, what if we just relaxed and focused on what really matters? Welcome to Season Two of the Calm Christmas podcast with bestselling self-help author Beth Kempton. This series is all about...

Welcome to Series 2 of the podcast! This quick intro tells you what goodness I have in store for you over the coming weeks, with new episodes every Wednesday throughout November and December. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any of them!

Welcome to 2021! Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and breathe it in. The freshness of the new year, in all its potential and possibility.Episode 12 includes:Why new year's resolutions are a waste of time, and why it's time for a New Year's RevolutionThree gentle yet powerful principles for entering the new year in an intentional yet stress-free wayA special Christmas wish for youDownload the transcript hereThe books mentioned in this podcast were: Desiderata of Happiness by Max Ehrmann / ...

These are the days in between. The liminal space that hovers beyond the festivities and before the fresh New Year. I call this time 'The Hush' and this episode is all about savouring it.Episode 11 includes:Ideas for making the most of this time between Christmas and New YearA couple of reflection questions as we round out the yearSome inspiring poetry to carry us into the new yearThe books mentioned in this podcast were: The Everyday Alchemist’s Festive Season Reimagined by Pia Jane Bijkerk /...

We're here. It's Christmas Eve. The year is almost over and the magic of Christmas is still hovering. This short but atmospheric episode will help you connect to this very special moment in the year, and focus on what really matters.Episode 10 includes:Some beautiful words about Christmas including my favourite seasonal poem by Maya AngelouA few of my own memories of Christmas Eves past, and hopes for this oneA special Christmas wish for youDownload the transcript hereThe books mentioned in t...

2020 has been challenging in so many ways, and many of us will experience heavy emotions this holiday season, at the culmination of the year. If you are looking towards the festive season with a sense of dread, knowing that it will be extra difficult this year, this episode is for you. I hope it is a friend at this time. Episode 9 includes:Comforting words for difficult timesSome inspiring ideas for taking care of yourself as you feel what you are feelingHonouring of the Winter SolsticeT...

Do you love Christmas food but want to enjoy it without the stress this year? If so, tune into this week’s mouthwatering episode for tips on stress-free festive food preparation, snippets from some of my favourite cookbooks, and a couple of recipes I love to make at home.Episode 8 includes:Top tips for stress-free festive food preparationDelicious words from some wonderful festive cookbooksRecipes for chocolate peppermint sticks and spiced mulled cider or apple juiceThis week’s ‘Get ahead tip...

To gather or not to gather, that is the question this year. Gathering is a huge part of Christmas for many of us, but the impact of the pandemic means that without doubt this Christmas will be different. This episode is full of ideas for making it special, whoever you end up spending it with.Episode 7 includes:Tips for avoiding stress if you are gathering with others this yearTips for making Christmas special if you aren't gathering with others this yearA challenge to inspire connection with ...

Had enough of the pressure, expense and waste of excess Christmas presents? Tune into this week's episode for tips on mindful gifting, and ideas for saving money and reducing wrapping waste this holiday season. Episode 6 includes:My three guideposts for mindful giftingA fun exercise to help you prioritise your gift spending this yearIdeas for gifts for children that are good for the wallet and the planetTop tips for saving money and reducing waste when wrapping giftsThis week’s ‘Get ahea...

Lose yourself in a flurry of wintery words from some of my favourite writers across food writing, nature writing, fiction, creativity, poetry and more. These are words to soothe the soul. There's also a special seasonal writing exercise for you, and we look into the tradition of the Christmas pudding.Episode 5 includes:The benefits of reading inspiring words, and writing your own, in the dark seasonSnippets of some wonderful writing from words that make you notice more to words that celebrate...

Explore what a slow Christmas might look like, with top tips and some lovely creative ideas, and discover the origins of the Christmas tree!Episode 4 includes:The benefits of slowing down and simplifyingTop tips for a slow Christmas this yearSimple crafting and natural decoration ideasExploring the origins of the Christmas treeThis week’s ‘Get ahead tips’Resources mentioned in this episode: Inventing the Christmas Tree by Bernd Brunner / The Winter Writing Sanctuary/ Kokedama how-to video fro...

Take good care of yourself, and discover comfort and joy this winter. Episode 3 includes:Mindfulness in the darkest seasonLooking to other countries and cultures for ideas on staying warm in cold weatherFinding comfort and joy in winterThis week’s ‘Get ahead tips’Resources mentioned: Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton / bbc.co.uk / worldnomads.com / Gardening Through The Year by Ian Spence / The Book of Hygge by Louisa Thomsen Brits / The Winter Writing Sanctuary &n...

Christmas can be a very special time, but it can also be a very stressful time. And given everything that has been going on, who knows what will unfold this holiday season? What if, for once, we just relaxed, and gave ourselves permission to focus on what really matters? Welcome to the brand new Calm Christmas podcast with bestselling self-help author Beth Kempton. “Just like my book of the same name, I hope the Calm Christmas podcast inspires connection, belonging, self- care, nourishme...

Be inspired to make magic and memories this holiday season. This episode is all about enjoying the glorious autumnal season we are still in, while making some early plans for Christmas.Episode 2 includes:Embracing the autumn while preparing for winter (including some fun activities to try in all weathers)Pondering how Christmas might be different this year, and how we can make the most of thatMemories of Christmases abroadThe one question you need to answer in order to create magic and memori...