Season: Winter
Element: Water
Moon: New
Zodiac: Capricorn
Happy Wednesday!
The next free Rest Event is this Sunday, January 14, from 1:30 to 3:00pm. For those of you who are new to this newsletter, at the Rest Event you are guided through a body scan, energy clearing, vagus nerve reset, yoga nidra exercise, rest / sleep, wake up, meditation, integration discussion, and affirmation over an hour and a half. All you need is a yoga mat, pillow, and blanket for the experience. Just click on the link above to sign-up on Eventbrite.
Tomorrow the moon becomes new in patient Capricorn. Here is west Michigan, the earth and trees have been covered in a thick blanket of snow reinforcing the water element of winter. Snow is water of course! This kind of snow forces us to be patient as we drive on slippery roads, as we parent our kids who have a snow day and are home from school, and as we try to accomplished things even as the elements beckon us to slow down and hibernate. Patience is yin.
As I prepare for the Feng Shui Curation at the end of the month, I’ve been thinking a lot about yin. I know I use this word a lot in my newsletters, but let’s dive deep into what it means. Yin, represented in the symbol below as the right side of the circle, is energy that is soft, slow, relaxed, dark, and silent. Think of the calming effect of water, the mystery of the Moon, and the deep quiet of the night. New moons, like the one tomorrow, with their passive, feminine energy are the yin time of the month. Winters, like the season we are now in, with their coldness and long nights are the yin time of the year. So, tomorrow represents the yin time of the month in the yin time of the year. Lean into the double yin and rest. I gave you a Rest Ritual at the end of 2023 that has some suggestions for going all out yin if you are interested. And from a feng shui perspective, you can make your bedroom or cozy nook more yin by adding darker colors through painted walls, artwork, bedding, and drapery. Fill the space with lush carpets and soft pillows. Dim the lighting. Add a fountain, a photo of the ocean, or the soothing sounds of water. The water element is the most yin of all the elements.
If last week’s and this week’s feng shui concepts have piqued your interest, don’t forget to sign up for the Feng Shui Curation on Sunday, January 28, from 1:30 to 3:30pm for $44.00. I will be reviewing chi, yin yang, the five elements, the creative and destructive cycles, and the bagua map and will elaborate on how these concepts can be integrated into your home and well-being. Just click on the link above to sign-up on Eventbrite.
Note: Rest 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 a month or so. If you want to contribute, consider becoming a paid subscriber through Substack:
REST READING
Self Reiki by Jasmin Harsono
Healthier Together by Liz Moody
Missing Element, Hidden Strength by Tisha Morris
Decorating with the Five Elements by Tisha Morris
One Part Plant by Jessica Murnane
Breakfast with Seneca by David Fideler
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
As I said in my last newsletter, I am going to start a series of soup recipes since the NYT has said that 2024’s dish of the year is soup. I’ve already given you recipes for a great bone broth base, a chicken soup, and a curried pumpkin soup, so let’s mix it up with something really hearty. So here is my recipe for Potato* Soup:
1 tablespoons butter
1 onion
4 cups potato
4 cups broth
1 cup light cream
2 tablespoons fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste
Chop the onion and dill. Dice the potatoes. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and potato. Cook on low heat from 5 to 10 minutes. Add the broth, dill, salt, and pepper. Simmer until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and puree half of the mixture in a blender. Return the puree to the reserved mixture in the pan and stir in the cream. Garnish with toasted bread crumbs and dill.
*Have any of you heard of the Grand Rapids band Potato Moon? I just found them and I am loving their vibe!
REST RITUAL
How is your energetic hygiene? Did you know that people can suck energy? These people are affectionately called energy vampires and they are people who — sometimes intentionally — drain your emotional energy. There can be an energetic cord between every person and you -- people you have or have had a relationship with or even simply an encounter with. These cords connect you to energy vampires that feed on your willingness to listen and care or to interactions that are unpleasant and stay with you. This can leave you exhausted and overwhelmed.
Luckily, you can cut the cords of those and that which no longer serve you. Cord cutting is simple, and it’s energetically healthy to cut cords periodically. The cords being cut are lower vibrational cords associated with anger, depression / anxiety, worry, grief / sadness, fear, etc. Cords associated with love will grow back instantaneously, so there is no reason to fear cutting cords.
While thinking about what no longer serves you, what feelings comes up? Anger, depression / anxiety, worry, grief / sadness, or fear? In Traditional Chinese Medicine, anger connects to your liver, depression / anxiety connects to your heart, worry connects to your spleen, grief / sadness connects to your lungs, and fear connects to your kidneys. Or if you cannot connect to a feeling, is there a place in your body that feels tight, blocked, or sore when you think about what is no longer serving you? This is the location you want to focus on during the cord cutting.
Place your non-dominant hand below your belly button, which is your sacral chakra. Breath into this space and connect with your energy. With your dominant hand, place it on the location you identified above and breath into this space for a few moments. Then in your mind say, “I cut the cord of what no longer serves me,” while either doing a swiping, cutting, or chopping motion in front of that identified location in the body for a few moments. Place both hands on the sacral chakra and take a few deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth to return to a grounded state.
Thank you so much for reading and I hope this has been enjoyable. May your week be relaxing.
Below are the upcoming 2024 Cascade Rest Curations (links to Eventbrite are in the titles):
Rest Event
Date: Sunday, January 14, 2024
Time: 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Location: Liebestraum Chalet, 5505 Bancroft Avenue Southeast Alto, MI 49302
Description: Guided body scan, energy clearing, vagus nerve reset, yoga nidra exercise, rest / sleep, wake up, and meditation over an hour and a half.
Cost: Free
Feng Shui Curation
Date: Sunday, January 28, 2024
Time: 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Location: Liebestraum Chalet, 5505 Bancroft Avenue Southeast Alto, MI 49302
Description: Learn the key feng shui concepts of chi, yin yang, the five elements, the creative and destructive cycles, and the bagua map.
Cost: $44.00
Rest Event
Date: Sunday, February 11, 2024
Time: 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Location: Liebestraum Chalet, 5505 Bancroft Avenue Southeast Alto, MI 49302
Description: Guided body scan, energy clearing, vagus nerve reset, yoga nidra exercise, rest / sleep, wake up, and meditation over an hour and a half.
Cost: Free
Tea Ceremony Curation
Date: Sunday, February 25, 2024
Time: 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Location: Liebestraum Chalet, 5505 Bancroft Avenue Southeast Alto, MI 49302
Description: Learn the ritual of tea making and pouring, the benefits of herbal teas, the attributes of the water element, and what you can expect from the year of the wood dragon.
Cost: $44.00
Rest Event
Date: Sunday, March 10, 2024
Time: 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Location: Liebestraum Chalet, 5505 Bancroft Avenue Southeast Alto, MI 49302
Description: Guided body scan, energy clearing, vagus nerve reset, yoga nidra exercise, rest / sleep, wake up, and meditation over an hour and a half.
Cost: Free
Spring Equinox Curation - SAVE THE DATE
Date: Sunday, March 24, 2024
Time: 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Location: Liebestraum Chalet, 5505 Bancroft Avenue Southeast Alto, MI 49302
Description: Spring and yin themed menu presented as a cooking demonstration to learn and feast on with a rest event after.
Cost: Price Pending
Rest Event
Date: Sunday, April 14, 2024
Time: 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Location: Liebestraum Chalet, 5505 Bancroft Avenue Southeast Alto, MI 49302
Description: Guided body scan, energy clearing, vagus nerve reset, yoga nidra exercise, rest / sleep, wake up, and meditation over an hour and a half.
Cost: Free
Wood Element Curation
Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024
Time: 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Location: Liebestraum Chalet, 5505 Bancroft Avenue Southeast Alto, MI 49302
Description: Learn the depths of the wood element and how to integrate its attributes into your home and your life.
Cost: $44.00
Rest Event
Date: Sunday, May 12, 2024
Time: 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Location: Liebestraum Chalet, 5505 Bancroft Avenue Southeast Alto, MI 49302
Description: Guided body scan, energy clearing, vagus nerve reset, yoga nidra exercise, rest / sleep, wake up, and meditation over an hour and a half.
Cost: Free
Sound Curation - SAVE THE DATE
Date: Thursday, May 23, 2024
Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Location: Liebestraum Chalet, 5505 Bancroft Avenue Southeast Alto, MI 49302
Description: Join Kara Markovich for a sound immersion, various instruments such as singing bowls, crystal bowls, gongs and various other instruments, fill the space, allowing you to move into a state of deep relaxation.
Cost: $50.00
Rest Event
Date: Sunday, June 9, 2024
Time: 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Location: Liebestraum Chalet, 5505 Bancroft Avenue Southeast Alto, MI 49302
Description: Guided body scan, energy clearing, vagus nerve reset, yoga nidra exercise, rest / sleep, wake up, and meditation over an hour and a half.
Cost: Free
Summer Solstice Curation - SAVE THE DATE
Date: Saturday, June 23, 2024
Time: 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Location: Pending
Description: Summer themed catered meal emphasizing the balance of yin and yang with a rest event after.
Cost: Price Pending
Please note that I am still working on coordinating the curations marked as SAVE THE DATE. I will update these as details progress in future Substack posts.
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.