Season: Autumn
Element: Metal
Moon: Full
Zodiac: Gemini
Happy Sunday!
Tomorrow is a full moon in Gemini. The November full moon is called the Beaver Moon because, per the Farmers’ Almanac, this is the “time when most trees and shrubs have shed their leaves. Frost gathers on blades of grass and beavers begin to build their dams before the ground freezes.” I am feeling a bit like a beaver — ready to shelter in my lodge after storing up sufficient food for the long winter ahead. Even though I didn’t have to prepare the Thanksgiving meal (thank you so much, Mom!), I’ve been cooking a lot.
The next Rest Event is on Sunday, December 10th, 2023 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm and I am ready for it. As we head into the end of 2023, I plan to focus on a daily rest / yin practice and how to integrate it into my work week schedule in 2024. For me personally, I need to take a few minutes after lunch to rest similar to a siesta. This time helps me reset before I start work again and to process information that I digested that morning. I’ve been thinking about the amount of information we consume on an hourly basis and it is a lot. In this high-speed world of connectivity, we need to remember to give ourselves time and space to process what we are absorbing in the news, on social media, in personal interactions, and through email and phone. Again, it is a lot.
With my rest / yin practice, I want bring more hygge into my daily life. Hygge is the Danish concept of coziness and comfortable conviviality that brings a feeling of contentment or well-being. I’ve been trying to spend more time in the Love gua areas of my home with my daughter and husband, wrapped in blankets and warm socks, sipping hot tea, and snuggling. We put our Christmas tree up yesterday and the glow from the lights is so hygge. This time of year is quintessentially hygge with the food, the friends and family get togethers, the decorations, the woolen clothes, the candles, and the lights. If you want to learn more about the concept, pick up Meik Wiking’s book The Little Book of Hygge.
Meik Wiking also founded the world's first Happiness Research Institute in 2013. They published a paper on the Happy Home in 2022 that is pretty interesting. In it, they identify key drivers of happiness in the home based on five case studies in Denmark and the United Kingdom. The key drivers are:
Balancing the private and the communal. The ability to maintain privacy while connecting with the local community has a significant impact on well-being.
Personalizing the physical layout. The ability to change the physical design of our home and neighborhood is critical to happiness.
Sensing nature. Our happiness is driven by our ability to connect with nature.
Experiencing local identity. Our home and neighborhood are important parts of our identity. Our happiness is dependent on our sense of belonging to a place - a home and a neighborhood.
Engaging in the decision-making process. This is our ability to influence and shape the environment in which we live has a positive impact on our happiness.
These drivers relate to my feng shui work since my clients and I work to personalize their spaces and to connect with nature through the five elements. Per the above, I am interested in integrating community connections also into my feng shui work. If the above drivers interest you, check out the full paper at Happy Home which includes ten recommendations for the above drivers.
And if you are feeling the need for rest, join me on December 10th. There are still a few spots open, so if you are interested to join, please RVSP at abby@cascadefengshui.com. You are welcome to bring a friend or two. Just let me know in the RSVP.
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
The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking
The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris
Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Simple Matters by Erin Boyle
Ikigai by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles
The Year of Cozy by Adrianna Adarme
How We Show Up by Mia Birdsong
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
I’m all about cozy meals now that winter is almost here. We were still able to get some fresh vegetables and herbs at our last pick-ups from our CSA, Green Wagon Farm, so I simmered them together with some ground venison to make a yummy Bolognese sauce. I ladle it over Local Epicurean pasta with a grating of parmesan and a sprinkle of truffle oil or under left over mashed potatoes to create a shepherd’s pie. So here is a recipe for Bolognese:
1 pound ground meat* (beef, venison, duck, or turkey)
1 onion
1 fennel bulb
3 carrots
1/2 bunch of celery
1 bunch parsley
2 cups bone broth
1 cup red wine
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Peel the carrots. Dice the onion, fennel, carrots, and celery into small cubes. Brown the meat in a stock pot or Dutch oven. When browned, add the diced vegetables and sauté until they are tender. Add the broth and wine and cook to reduce — about 30 minutes to an hour. Finely chop the parsley and add to the sauce. For a richer Bolognese sauce, add a splash of cream and stir before serving over pasta.
*This is a great dish if you are curious about trying alternative meats like venison and duck. I am huge fan of both and prefer to get the meat from local hunters, but you can also source online.
REST RITUAL
In the spirit of hygge, let’s light a candle and drink some tea. This simple tea meditation is from Permission to Rest by Ashley Neese. As she writes, “drinking tea has many rest related benefits, including decreasing anxiety and stress, increasing a sense of calm, giving an antioxidant boost as well as improved sleep and mental health.”
You start this meditation by selecting the tea. The best way to access the benefits is to drink a naturally noncaffeinated tea, such as herbal or rooibos. Ponder, what is your intention with your tea choice? Next, choose your vessel. How does the selection feel in your hands? Does it remind you of a specific time, place, or person? Wait for water to boil by finding a comfortable resting position and begin to lengthen your exhales. When the water is boiling, notice the beauty of the steam coming off the water. Carefully pour the water over the tea in your vessel and observe the transformation. Take your time watching the water change color and smelling the aromas rising from the tea. While the tea cools to a comfortable drinking temperature, practice mindfulness by staying in the present moment. Once it is ready, savor each sip. Feel the warmth of the vessel in your hands and the flavor of the tea in your mouth. When you feel the impulse to swallow the tea, do so, aligning with your own natural rhythm. Close the practice with satisfaction and extend gratitude to the Earth for bringing this tea to you.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope this has been enjoyable. May the start of your week be relaxing.
One more reminder on the upcoming events:
What: Rest Event
Where: Liebestraum Chalet, 5505 Bancroft, Alto, Michigan 49302
When: Sunday, December 10th, 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!
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.