Season: Autumn
Element: Metal
Moon: Quarter
Zodiac: Aquarius
Happy Friday!
Tomorrow is a quarter moon in Aquarius. I am a Gemini sun and Aquarius moon astrologically, so I have a certain affinity to this assertive air sign. Your moon represents your hidden self in astrology and the Aquarian attributes definitely connect to what I am working toward as I embrace more yin and the beloved moon. Aquarians are free-spirited, eccentric, and deeply committed to working toward what's best for the greater good as opposed to the individual. That seems about right.
Even though the world is filled with chaos at the moment, I have been experiencing more and more people shifting their awareness to topics of energy and rest. Two weeks ago I purchased Ashley Neese’s book Permission to Rest, which came out September 19, 2023. In this beautiful book, Ashley eloquently hones in on so many of the topics I have been discussing at the Rest Events and this Substack. If you are as interested in rest as I am, pick up her book or you can hear directly from Ashley about her work on her podcast, The Deeper Call. I also loved her interview on the Wellness Mama podcast, where she has a marvelous conversation about bee keeping and how bees can help with parasympathetic regulation. This sparked my interest and I found a fascinating article about the benefits of bees from the Savannah Bee Company. In Savannah, GA, Savannah Bee Company features a bee therapy hut, which is an enclosed structure containing a large bench built over several open-top beehives. Screens in the bench allow visitors to experience and benefit from the sounds, smells and vibrations of the hives without direct contact with the bees. Here is a summary of the benefits:
Beehive air is highly-ionized and clean, which has been shown to benefit the lungs and respiratory system as well as have a calming effect on the mind.
A hive produces frequencies ranging from less than 10 Hz to more than 1000 Hz. Frequencies between 430 Hz and 530 Hz are said to be most pleasant to humans and are thought to induce deep states of relaxation and healing.
The buzz sound waves create air pressure and particle movement so not only can you hear the vibrations, you can also feel them. This light micro-massage balances the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and melts away stress and tension.
If you are interested in learning more about bees, here is another article about why bees are so important to humans, the planet, and food supplies.
In feng shui, bees are associated with good luck, happiness, prosperity, and peace. In many other cultures, they have become representations of hard work, diligence, industriousness, and orderliness. That is why Napoleon adopted it as his court symbol. For me, I celebrate the noble bee’s collaboration and community. They are my inspiration as this community of rest expands. And even though they are hard workers, bees still rest — sleeping up to 8 hours at night.
Note: Rest curations, products, and recordings are still in the works, but I am leaving the paid subscriber Rest Readings, Rest Recipes, and Rest Rituals on the newsletter for now. If you want to contribute, consider becoming a paid subscriber through Substack:
REST READING
Permission to Rest by Ashley Neese
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve by Stanley Rosenberg
The Art of Communicating by Thich Nhat Hahn
Burnout by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski
Saving Time by Jenny Odell
The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer by Dan Buettner
The Moon Book by Sarah Faith Gottesdiener
Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
Essential Oils to Boost the Brain & Heal the Body by Jodi Cohen
In Praise of Wasting Time by Alan Lightman
The Power of Ritual by Casper ter Kuile
Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
REST RECIPE
With the colder weather and the stresses of these days, I have been looking forward to evening baths. These are times to quiet my mind and let it process. I find that adding ingredients to my baths that relax muscles, nourish the skin, and bring me into parasympathetic does the trick. So here is a recipe for a Honey Milk bath:
1 cup Epsom salt
1 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons raw honey*
6 drops lavender essential oil
Draw a hot bath and add the above ingredients one at a time. Swirl the water to incorporate and soak for as long as you can — preferably for 30 minutes to an hour.
*Honey is rich in antibacterial, antioxidant and antifungal properties, it provides a soothing result and anti-inflammatory effects.
REST RITUAL
In Permission to Rest, Ashley Neese documents 35 different rest practices. Some of them are similar to the Rest Rituals I have sent on, but one in particular was definitely outside the box and my comfort zone. The practice is “Embody Nature” and it calls on imagination. In the book, Ashley instructs to “imagine being a carrot, growing in the dark deep soil” or “imagine being a cat taking a nap.” She asks, “what might you feel, see, smell?” Embodying these elements of the natural world leads to greater connection to your senses, your body, and your creativity. While engaging in this practice, Ashley says, “you might be surprised at the downloads you receive about rest!”
On the subject of bees, I tried this practice by imagining I was a bee in the bee therapy hut. I put on this sound of bees in a hive, closed my eyes, focused on the constant euphonious buzzing, and imagined breathing in the warm, honeyed air while feeling the vibrations from my flapping wings and flexing thoracic muscles. Through this embodiment of nature, my rest download was to pause, to breath, and to relax. Thank you, Ashley, and thank you, bees!
And thank you so much for reading! I hope this has been enjoyable. May your week wrap up with ease and may your weekend be relaxing.
One more reminder on the upcoming events:
What: Rest Event
Where: Liebestraum Chalet, 5505 Bancroft, Alto, Michigan 49302
When: Sunday, November 12th, 2023 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm
Why: Give yourself permission and come join me to REST
Who: Presented by Cascade Rest Curation in partnership with Cascade Feng Shui
How Many: Only 10 spots available, so please RSVP asap to abby@cascadefengshui.com if you would like to attend.
How Much: FREE!
If you cannot make the above date, again no worries. I will be holding the last Rest Event of 2023 on Sunday, December 10th from 1:30pm to 3:00pm.
Mark the date in your calendar and remember to RSVP me for the dates above.
And if you are interested in my feng shui services, please see my website at www.cascadefengshui.com and contact me at abby@cascadefengshui.com. I’m also on Instagram at cascade.feng.shui.