Season: Summer
Element: Fire
Moon: Quarter
Happy Wednesday!
Tomorrow is the last quarter moon in the element of fire. If you need support to balance the intense yang energy of the summer season, the next Rest Curation is on Sunday, July 27, 2025 from 1:30pm - 3:00pm. Note: This will be the last free Rest Curation in the chalet that I will be hosting in 2025. Or get tickets to the Wild Zen Yoga Fest coming up this weekend on July 18-20, 2025. Katelyn and I will be leading a meditative walk on Sunday, July 20, at the Fest, so the next Rest Walk will be on Saturday, August 9, 2025 from 10:00am - 12:00pm. Please sign-up to reserve a spot and remember, as Tricia Hersey writes in her aptly named book, Rest is Resistance.
In last week’s post I wrote about anxiety, which is the imbalance of the fire element, along with coping techniques to try and unavoidables to consider. In this week’s post I want to focus on how anxiety arises in me. As many of you know, I am constantly saying that we need better, more authentic models to help us navigate these chaotic times, so let me model how I am working on my anxiety presently. Note: I am not a trained professional in anxiety so please take the below as just a personal brain dump.
Here are the four buckets for the causes of my anxiety:
Scarcity is my #1 anxiety bucket. For me, scarcity usually relates to money and takes the form of concern about my project / workload versus my spending and bank account balances. In the past, I could get myself into a pretty bad scarcity spiral if I didn’t get a project — or worse, if I found out that another designer got the project instead. Ego! A scarcity mindset can be closely linked to ego-based thinking, which can create a deep sense of lack or insecurity. If left unchecked, this can lead me to behaviors driven by fear, competition, and a desire to protect my self-image. These are not positive ways of behaving. They are in fact below-the-line behaviors which are incredibly anxiety producing. I don’t want to live this way. So, to this anxiety I now say, “Let me stop the anxiety created by scarcity and realize that this world is abundant! I work hard and will continue to get the projects I need to meet my budget. I am enough.” See my Abundance post for more on this.
Perfection is my #2 anxiety bucket. For me, perfection usually relates to anything that does not turn out the way I prepared for it. I’m a pretty type A person, so I try very hard to be organized, detailed, and prepared. When I make a mistake, I can get very anxious about the repercussions and even question my ability to prepare. For instance, on Sunday I forgot to cancel my free 3-month AppleTV subscription and was charge $9.99 for the month, even though I had put a calendar reminder in my phone to cancel it on Friday. I prepared three months ago to cancel it with that calendar reminder and was so distraught with myself that I forgot to do it that I was pretty anxious all day Sunday. Why was I anxious? Because in my mind my perfect track record of being on top of things was tarnished and I wasted money on a subscription I do not need (see above on scarcity and spending). It was a mistake, yes, but who cares? So, to this anxiety I now say, “Let me stop this anxiety created by trying to be perfect and embrace that we all make mistakes! I am human, not a robot, and from time to time I will get things wrong. It is ok.” See my Mistakes post for more on this.
Society or societal pressure is my #3 anxiety bucket. For me, societal pressure relates to anything the majority of people are doing that I am not. Is this FOMO? Maybe. I’m a rule follower, so if I see everyone doing something that I am not I can get a little anxious. As a mom, anxiety rears its ugly head when my daughter isn’t doing exactly what the other girls are doing. I know this sounds insane (believe me I hear it), but I can get anxious when other moms talk about sports, camps, and reading. I am fully aware that these are my triggers and also that my daughter wants nothing to do with these things. Isadora has a group of girls that she has been friends with since kindergarten and we are very lucky because they are all kind and studious girls. Three of these girls are avid readers and took to the reading very easily. My daughter does not like to read and, although she can read, she would always prefer to do other things. When I start comparing my daughter to her friends, I get filled with anxiety. FOMO starts up and I become anxious about letting my daughter watch her pad or play video games too much, thinking that in doing so she will not be as smart as her friends and consequently will have a horrible life. As Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy” and I will add a cause of anxiety. When I take a breath and stop the comparison, I realize that my daughter has different interests from her friends and that is ok because she is unique and smart in her own ways. So, to this anxiety I now say, “Let me stop this anxiety created by trying to conform to societal pressures and embrace that we are all unique! I do not need to compare myself with anyone. I am happiest when I am my authentic self.” See my Authenticity post for more on this.
Future or future thinking is my #4 anxiety bucket. For me, future thinking relates to anxiety about what is yet to come. One of my favorite quotes ever is “If you are depressed you are living in the past, if you are anxious you are living in the future, if you are at peace you are living in the present” from Lao Tzu, semi-legendary Chinese philosopher and author of the Tao Te Ching. This quote is so applicable to me because I do indeed feel depressed when I think about the past and anxious when I think about the future. I have been feeling incredibly anxious lately when I think about the future especially with all this chaos happening in the US government, in the wars around the world, and the state of our climate and environment. The only thing that is certain is change, so if I want to be at peace I need to live in the present. There is no way of knowing if the change to come will be good or bad. Perhaps it will be both, but we need to be rested, ready, and at peace when it comes to deal with it in a positive way. So, to this anxiety I now say, “Let me stop this anxiety created by trying to predict the future and embrace that change is the only certainty! It is ok to live in the present, to rest, and to be at peace. Trust that the future will unfold as the universe intended and you will be ready to meet it.” See my Gemini New Moon post for more.
These times are trying, so give yourself permission to REST. Information on upcoming Rest Curations, Rest Walks, and Sound Curations are at the bottom of the post. And please pass this Substack onto a friend or family member to broaden this amazing CRC community and to give the gift of rest to those who need it. If you don’t live in West Michigan and want to hold a Rest Curation in your local community, please email me at abby@cascadefengshui.com for the script and music information. Or email me if you would like to organize a private Rest Curation for friends, family, or colleagues.
Note: Rest products are still in the works, but I am leaving the paid subscriber Rest Readings, Rest Recipes, Rest Rituals, and Rest Recordings on the newsletter for a month or so. If you want to contribute, consider becoming a paid subscriber through Substack:
REST READING
Check out all of the rest reading recommendations in Resources on my Substack page.
REST RECIPE
Continuing on with the joyful pasta I wrote about in last week’s post, I wanted to share my favorite pesto recipe again. This recipe was adapted from Adrianna Adarme’s Tallarines Verdes recipe and is packed full of healthy ingredients. I discovered Adrianna when I lucked upon her delightful book, The Year of Cozy, at the library. You can also check out many amazing recipes on her website A Cozy Kitchen. So, here is the recipe for Pesto:
2 cups spinach
1 cup basil*
5 ounces parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
1/2 shallot
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
Cube the cheese, then place all the above ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Store the pesto in a glass jar in the refrigerator or freezer. I like to use Le Parfait 500 ml Super Jars for the fridge and 8 ounce mason jars for the freezer. Also, I have been known to change the Parmesan cheese to Manchego, the walnuts to pecans or pine nuts, the evaporated milk to almond or oat milk, and will even add some parsley into the mix if I have some to use up. Feel free to be creative.
*Basil contains magnesium, which can help with relaxation, rest, and sleep.
REST RITUAL
Today’s Rest Ritual focuses on the power of birdsong. Per a 2013 study and a 2022 study, “Exposure to birdsong has been documented to engage the auditory cortex in a manner that reduces activity in the amygdala, the brain’s center for fear and anxiety responses. This auditory input has been shown to enhance cognitive function, promote neural plasticity, and alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression.” This is all to say that birdsong can lower anxiety levels, improve mood, and create a sense of calm. In the article Benefits of Birdsong: 5 Ways Birdsong is Good For You, Rebecca Self writes, “For individuals who experience anxiety, birdsong can have an even more profound impact. A study with 295 participants discovered that listening to birdsong helped decrease symptoms of paranoia, making people feel more at ease. This calming effect is even more noticeable when compared to traffic noise, which tends to worsen mood and increase anxiety.” So take some time if you can during these final weeks of summer to go outside and listen to the birds.
I am particularly fond of the mourning dove’s song. Their calls, which some describe as mournful, fill me with a sense of calm and freedom since I commonly associate their song with summer. In Michigan, I usually hear the mourning doves singing in the early morning and late afternoon — what many of us call the golden hours. I love the golden hours when the sunlight is soft, bringing about a certain glow to the world. I highly recommend taking a walk in the woods in the golden hours in order to hopefully hear the mourning dove’s song and to soak up the warm and calming delights of summer. For inspiration, check out Jhené Aiko’s song Mourning Doves which I think captures this mood:
Thank you so much for reading! I hope this has been enjoyable. May you have a restful end to your week and weekend.
Below are the upcoming 2025 Cascade Rest Curations (links to Eventbrite are underlined):
REST CURATIONS
Guided body scan, energy clearing, vagus nerve reset, yoga nidra exercise, rest / sleep, wake up, and meditation over an hour and a half. All Rest Curations will take place on the Sunday near the new moon at the Liebestraum Chalet in Alto, Michigan:
Rest Curation - Sunday, July 27, 2025 from 1:30pm - 3:00pm
REST WALKS
Monthly dynamic walks to bring both energy and relaxation. These guided walks will start with a circle to stretch and to set an intention to ponder based on the element of the season. The first 30 minutes of the walk will be in noble silence and the last 30 minutes will be open to conversation and observation. The walk will finish with a circle to reflect, share, integrate, and finally stretch. If you have been hesitant to join a Rest Curation, please consider signing up for a Rest Walk since this a more active entry into yin energy. All Rest Walks will take place on the Saturday near the full moon at a park near Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Rest Walk - Saturday, August 9, 2025 from 10:00am - 12:00pm
SOUND CURATIONS
Join us to celebrate the element of each season with sound immersions by Kara Markovich at the Liebestraum Chalet in Alto, Michigan:
TBD
And if you are interested in my feng shui and interior design services, please see my website at www.cascadefengshui.com and contact me at abby@cascadefengshui.com.