Holiday Chalet

The smell of cinnamon and warm apple cider wafts throughout this merry home, greeting all visitors with a cheerful welcome. In the family room, a wide metal grate embossed with gold decorates the familial hearth. The cozy fire lets out a gentle hum, and its warmth casts a dancing light around the room. It's the perfect backdrop for our annual holiday dinner, and we're so excited to share this special night with you. While the host gets ready in the kitchen, enjoy the many personal touches meant to make any guest feel at home. There is a wide selection of coffee table books to read and snug chairs to curl up in. Flickering candles carry the scent of cranberries, and old records play lazily in the background. In the window, snow swirls in beautiful circles. A dog appears in the doorway and nestles up on the warm carpet, his chest rising and falling as he snores. There is no better night to relax amongst friends and loved ones. But before we immerse ourselves fully, let's pause for a short wind down exercise. Tonight's exercise is a really simple breathing exercise. So when you're ready, let's begin. So first, get yourself comfortable. Now just bringing the attention to the breath, just noticing where you feel it. In the nose, the throat, the chest, the diaphragm. You're nice and relaxed. We're going to be taking a deep breath in for four, holding it for four, and then breathing out for six. So are you ready? Let's begin. In for four. Two, three, four. Hold it for four. Two, three, four. Now breathing out for six. Two, three, four, five, six. In for four. Two, three, four. Holding for four. Two, three, four. Out for six. Two, three, four, five, six. In for four. Two, three, four. Holding for four. Two, three, four. Out for six. Two, three, four, five, six. In for four. Two, three, four. Holding for four. Two, three, four. Out for six. Two, three, four, five, six. Great. Now returning the breath to normal. The sound of gentle music drifts through the house, and into the library. A sprig of mistletoe hangs in the doorway. Peering into the room, you see rows of cedar bookshelves lining the walls. On the shelf closest to the door, there's a large leather bound Atlas, a navy blue dictionary, worn from use, and an encyclopedia of plants and flowers. On the far wall, between two overflowing stacks of books, a telescope faces a snow-filled window. There's a desk next to the telescope centered perfectly in the window's rectangular frame. On the desk, you see an antique typewriter, and a figure skater spinning in a snow globe. You lift the snow globe slowly, watching the granular snowflakes drift under the glass. When you glance up again, you see the real snow outside falling thickly. Inside the library, everything is warm and tranquil. On the shelves, there are novels and collections of poetry. There are...