Inner Vision
Set your sights on the life you want to live
Season: Spring
Element: Wood
Moon: Quarter
Sense: Sight (Eyes)
External Work: Office / Workout Areas
Internal Work: Anger (Imbalance) & Patience (Balance)
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I will also be hosting a Substack Live on Thursday, May 7, 2026, from 1:00pm - 1:30pm EST for a Qi Gong Practice. The 30 minute practice will consist of a relaxing yet energizing set of movements focused on our inner vision. I will also be putting the video up for FREE that evening for those of you who are not able to make it in the afternoon. The video will go into the paid feed the following day, so don’t miss out by becoming a paid subscriber:
Finally, I will be hosting a feng shui workshop at The Leslie Studio, 4290 Cascade Rd. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546, on Saturday, June 20, 2026 from 10am - 11:30am. The workshop will feature the five elements and tips and tricks on how to apply them in your space and life. We will also be celebrating the summer solstice! Reserve a spot by contacting The Leslie Studio via phone at 616-942-9322 or their website.
Saturday is the last quarter moon in the feng shui element of wood and the season of spring here in the Northern Hemisphere. Last quarter moons are for inner work which can lead to letting go, clearing, and protection. This is a time to envision what we want our lives to look like by releasing what is no longer working. We can clear away the fog of expectations, preconceived notions, and stereotypes that are not ours and set our sights on the life we want to live into.
I am a visual learner, so during this time of wood, which in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is associated with the sense of sight and the eyes, I thought I would lean into the visual. During a coffee with my friend Teske last week, she mentioned that she makes a vision board at the start of each year. Of course, I was totally inspired and also perplexed. Why had I never made one of these before? As a visual learner, I should have been making these for years, so no better time to start than now. Here is how I made mine:
Values - As I have written before, every year I review my values to make sure that I have an up-to-date list of words that correlate with my present values. Since 2017, two values have stayed on the top of my list: calm and creativity.
Values Word Cloud - I created the below word cloud for my 2026 Values using this free word cloud generator which I displayed on my computer background through the water element season (winter):
2026 Values Word Cloud Vision Board - I created a vision board based on the largest words in my Values Word Cloud: calm, creativity, balance, accountability, adaptability, authenticity, curiosity, recognition, and uniqueness. I also included two words I am loving right now: nourishment and community. So here is what I came up with:
Starting from the largest top center image, the stones on the sand represent calm, balance, and flow — a word that was not on my values list but which I now want to include. Moving clockwise to the right, the clinking of glasses is for recognition, since I’d rather have a “cheers” than awards or medals. The hands with paint brushes represent creativity, but they also remind me to get messy, to not be too precious, and to stay away from perfection when creating. The meandering stream is for authenticity, since nothing is more authentic than nature and the water of a meandering stream will always goes where it wants. The octopus represents adaptability and uniqueness, since they are such flexible and resourceful creatures. The girl with the magnifying glass represents curiosity and encourages me to stay childlike in my wonder and awe of the world. The hands above the dining table represent nourishment and community — I love the concept of “breaking break” and this image conjures that feeling. And finally, the raised hand is for accountability. This image is about taking responsibility through acknowledging “yes, that’s me.” We definitely need more of this in the world.
My 2026 Vision Board is now the background of my computer and will stay up until the summer solstice on June 21, 2026. I am really enjoying changing my computer background each season, so I can’t wait to see what I create for the fire element / summer. I hope you all are inspired to make your own vision board and thank you, Teske, for such a wonderfully creative idea.
Rest Reading
Check out all of the rest reading recommendations in Resources on my Substack page.
Rest Recipe
Avocados have been on sale for a couple of weeks now, so in order to use them up we have been making rice and bean bowls here at my house. These simple and nutritious bowls are super yummy and easy to make. So, here is the recipe for Rice & Bean Bowls:
1 cup basmati rice
1 can black beans
2 ears of corn
6 small tri-colored peppers
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 onion
1 tomato
2 avocados
1 lime
1 bunch cilantro
1 can black olives*
Salt and chili powder to taste
Cook the rice per the package instructions. Drain and wash the black beans. Wash and cut the corn off the cobs. Dice the peppers, onion, and tomatoes. In a large frying pan, heat the oil and sauté half of the diced onion and all of the peppers and corn until tender. Add the black beans and cooked rice and toss to combine. Add salt and chili powder to taste and sauté for 2-4 minutes until well combined. Make the guacamole by mashing the avocados in a bowl and then adding the other half of the onion, tomatoes, and salt, chili powder, and lime juice to taste. Drain the black olives and slice into thin rounds. Pick the leaves of the cilantro off the stems, wash, and finely chop. To assemble a bowl, add the rice and bean mixture and top with guacamole, cilantro, and black olives.
*Black olives can aid sleep because they contain magnesium, calcium, and tryptophan, which support melatonin production and regulate sleep cycles.
Rest Ritual
As I mentioned above, the wood element is connected to the sense of sight or the eyes per Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Sighted people use their eyes constantly and as our computer and phone usage increases it has been shown that blinking decreases which creates dry eye. Also, the content that we view on these devices can overstimulate our eyes and lead to strain. Your eye muscles need a break just as much as the rest of your body so let them rest.
To combat dry eye and eye strain, here are 3 simple exercises:
The 20-20-20 Rule = When you’re focused on a task, pause every 20 minutes to focus on something that’s 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Blink Break = You blink less when you’re focused on a TV or computer screen. If you start to notice dry eyes or the beginnings of a headache, stop and try to blink at a normal rate.
Palms for Relaxation = Gently cup your palms over your closed eyes until all the afterimages fade to black, about 30 seconds. Make sure not to put any pressure on your eyes.
If you like these, here is a video for some more eye exercises to try out.
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. As Tricia Hersey writes in her aptly named book, Rest is Resistance.
If you would like 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 pop-up Rest Curation for friends, family, or colleagues.
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.