I was invited by Clwb Gwawr Caerdydd to do an evening's presentation focussing on 'New Year's Resolutions'. Where to start!?· The obvious route to take was dieting, but not being a fan of dieting myself, I decided to talk about 'aiming to achieve', rather than 'aiming to fail', which often happens with new year's resolutions!!

I talked about food and nutrition; using smoothies to increase your intake of fruit and veg in a day; increasing water intake; and swapping the odd cup of tea or coffee in a day for some fruit or herbal tea.· I took about 8 boxes of different teas with me and everyone was invited to try something new.·

We walked about active living too.· You probably already know that I'm not a fan of the gym, so we talked about doing things differently; parking the car at the further point of the car park and walking a bit further to the super market; getting out into the garden and getting active; doing tai chi; and swinging some poi!· The Club really enjoyed the poi and lots of members came up and did some beginners poi moves with me which was really good fun!

We talked about the benefits of complementary therapy, from Reflexology to Reiki, Chiropractic, Shiatsu and a few other therapies inbetween.· To finish the evening, we talked about having a 'peaeful mind' and the benefits of ensuring restful sleep and relaxation.· For the last 10 minutes or so we all did some meditation together.· Feedback from the Club was really positive and they said that the meditation had a really positive, relaxation effect.

So, a big thank you to Clwb Gwawr for their invitation and for giving me the chance to talk about all the things I am passionate about! Diolch i chi am eich gwahoddiad. Oedd hi'n noson wych!

Happy New Year! Happy Calennig! Calennig is a Welsh word meaning 'New Year celebration/gift', though literally translates to "the first day of the month," deriving from the Latin word 'kalends'. The English word 'Calendar' also has its root in this word. The tradition of giving gifts and money on New Year's Day is an ancient custom that survives even in modern-day Wales, though nowadays it is now customary to give bread and cheese. Many people give gifts on New Years morning, with children having skewered apples stuck with raisins and fruit. The Calennig was a small decoration with a great history.

It's that strange time between Christmas and New Year when you can really relax and have a chance to unwind. The mad dash of the Christmas roast is over for another year and you don't need to start planning New Year's Eve just yet! So, you're in that nice stage of limbo when you can wonder around the shops and pick up bargains if you fancy or go out for walks or maybe just stay in and watch some family movies.