Lucky Foods for the New Year 🍀🧧🤞😉

Happy New Year, everyone! I wanted to have a little fun with this blog, so I am sharing some 🍀lucky foods🍀 to bring in the New Year. 

Enjoy!

Black Eyed Peas

 📸 Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@jasmine_waheed

Because black eyed peas resemble coins, they are believed to bring prosperity. To ensure extra luck, some people add corn kernels because they look like golden nuggets. This is a tradition in the south which demonstrates frugality and promotes prosperity in the new year.

Buttered Bread

 📸 Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@rodolfomarques

New Years Day in Ireland is also known as “Day of the Buttered Bread.” Tradition says buttered bread placed outside the door symbolizes an absence of hunger in the household for the year to come. I will be serving this one for sure. Who doesn't love the simplicity of delicious, hearty bread and butter?

Raisins

 📸 Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@andreas_haslinger

Tradition in Spain says 12 grapes or raisins eaten before midnight (one at each chime of the clock) will bring good luck for all 12 months of the coming year. Provided you finish all 12 before the stroke of midnight, you will be all set.

Greens

 📸 Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@heatherbarnes

Because of their bright green color, hearty greens like kale, spinach, and collards resemble money. Belief has it, the more you eat, the more prosperous you’ll be (and healthier, too). Greens will be served in my home, for sure!

Pigs

 📸 Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@fraumuksch

In some countries, (including Cuba, Spain, Portugal, Hungary and Austria), pigs symbolize progress. Some say it’s because these animals never move backward. In my book, foods shaped like pigs (chocolate figurines, perhaps) count, too. This vegetarian girl will pass on the real thing!

Unbroken Noodles

 📸 Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@jckbck

Signifying longevity in Asian culture, a stir-fry of unbroken noodles is a tradition believed to bring good health and luck in the New Year. Anyone who can eat at least one long noodle without chewing or breaking it is said to enjoy the longest life and best luck of all! In China, Japan and other Asian countries, it’s customary to eat long noodles, signifying longevity.

Lentils

 📸 Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@bettysubrizi_

As lentils resemble tiny coins, the custom of enjoying lentils in the New Year is a common Italian tradition said to bring wealth. Going deeper into the myth, when cooked, lentils plump with water, symbolizing growing wealth. Lentils are also considered good luck in Hungary, where they’re preferred in soup.

Cornbread

 📸 Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@ralppie

Golden yellow and delicious, cornbread is especially popular in the South. Because its color is similar to that of gold, this bread is enjoyed by those hopeful for a prosperous year. A favorite throughout the year, cornbread is especially served as a New Year’s treat. it's fun and easy to make, and delicious too.

Clementines

 📸 Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@diaduit

Round fruits, such as clementines, are enjoyed on New Year’s Day as their shape signifies the old year has come to a close, and the coming days hold the promise of a fresh start. Clementines resemble coins and symbolize wealth. This is something I will be adding - I love the flavor and the bright, gorgeous orange color.

Whole Fish

 📸 Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@gregor_moser

In Chinese culture, serving fish whole (both head and tail intact) symbolizes prosperity, abundance, and a good year to come (from start to finish). According to Doris Lum, a Chinese cuisine expert, the Chinese word for “fish” sounds like the word for “abundance,” one of the many reasons fish has become a go-to good luck food.

I am wishing you a prosperous, healthy and happy new year, to bring you all the joy, adventure and love your heart can possibly carry. ❤️‍🩹😍💪

 

If you would like to see more, please subscribe to my blog by sending an email to HolisticSpiritualLiving@yahoo.com. 

Follow me on Instagram for daily posts and subscribe to my YouTube channel (my links are on the side bar).

Does anyone want better sleep? 🙋🏻‍♀️😴😊

Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@kstonematheson

Seriously, what a question! 😂

We all have natural biological clocks and rhythms. Following a 24 hour cycle, these rhythms respond mostly to light and dark. This process affects our health, involving our hormone release (including melatonin), eating habits, digestion, and body temperature. Things that can interrupt this rhythm are jet lag, time differences (including daylight savings time), electronic devices, and dramatic life events. Once our circadian rhythms get off kilter, it can difficult to get back on track without a conscious effort to realign ourselves. As it turns out, there’s more than one schedule to follow, according to our chronotype. 

So, what’s a chronotype? 

According to Dr. Michael Breus, a clinical psychologist and sleep medicine expert, chronotypes are genetic. The theory is it comes from our species’ need for survival, with different individuals needing to watch the fort at night, and others during the day. There are four chronotypes, the Lion (morning person), the Bear (daytime person), the Wolf (a night owl), and the Dolphin (who has difficulty creating a schedule and is more prone to insomnia).

Here are the four types, along with some relevant tips (a link below is provided for you to take the quiz, but can you guess your chronotype first?):

🦁Are you a Lion? 

A Lion is a morning person, typically waking up naturally as early as 4am or 5am. For this type, it is best to eat breakfast within an hour of getting out of bed in order to synchronize the body clock to the day. As Lions are at their peak in the early morning, this is the time they should be doing their most productive tasks that need top focus. With lots of energy early on, they tend to wane after lunch, and should be doing lighter cognitive activities thereafter. Exercising late afternoon (between 4pm and 6pm), eating dinner afterwards, and then binge watching TV at night is great for their chronotype. An early evening shower is best in order to relax and get a good night’s sleep. Typically, Lions are high energy, are very interested in their health, are organized, and have a list for just about everything (or in my case, a spreadsheet). 

🐻Perhaps a Bear? 

The Bear’s schedule is tuned into sunrise and sunset. They typically get up at 7am, and go to bed around 11pm. Lucky them! This makes the 9am-5pm workday perfect for their chronotype, and gives them enough energy throughout the day to get work done, and ease into the evening. Bears do well to start their day at 7am, then follow up with breakfast within the hour, followed by a cool shower. Their peak performance time is 10am - 3pm, ideally getting a nap in at 2pm. Lighter tasks are recommended thereafter until 6pm. Exercise and dinner at 7pm, followed by binge watching TV works best for them in order to unwind. Bears like, and need, 8 hours of sleep, so the proper wind down, including an evening shower after dinner, works best. Bears get the work done, are affable and fun to be around, and make great friends.

🐺Or maybe a Wolf? 

Wolves are night owls. They wake around 7am (or later), and go to bed at midnight (or later). No surprise, their peak performance time is late afternoon into late evening. If at all possible, a nap around 2pm is perfect. Doing research, making plans, and memory recall is best after 6pm. Exercise is best around 7pm. 9pm and later is their best time for socialization. A hot shower or bath is recommended late evening, before bedtime, so they can wind down and get a good night’s sleep. Wolves are intelligent and creative - often artists, musicians, and authors, and most are risk takers who don’t follow traditional norms.

🐬Or somehow a Dolphin? 

Dolphins are the insomniacs and have a difficult time with any sleep schedule. Because they are light sleepers, they have irregular sleep patterns. Being very sensitive to sound and light, they are easily awakened. As they naturally get less sleep, it is recommended they get out of bed around 6am, and then take a morning run and cold shower to get invigorated to start their day around 7am. Eating breakfast at 8am, or shortly thereafter, works for them. Dolphins are most productive starting at 3pm, with exercise at 6pm. A hot shower or bath at 9pm winds them down for a midnight bedtime. Dolphins are intelligent and perfectionists.

All chronotypes, except Dolphins, do best to eat within an hour of waking, followed by a nap at some point in their day. All four archetypes are advised to stop eating two hours before bedtime, taking an hour to unwind lets the body know it’s time to wind down and get ready for sleep. This routine sets our body clocks, and prepares us to greet the day. People who follow their correct chronotype schedule have said they have gotten better sleep, lost weight, and feel in sync with their bodies.

To find out your chronotype, click here to take the quiz. 

For more in-depth information (and to change your life!), read Michael Breus' book: 

“The Power of When: Discover Your Chronotype--and the Best Time to Eat Lunch, Ask for a Raise, Have Sex, Write a Novel, Take Your Meds, and More” by Michael Breus. 

It has helped me a lot, and a few surprises have worked in my favor, happy to say! 

If you would like to see more, please subscribe to my blog by sending an email to HolisticSpiritualLiving@yahoo.com. 

Follow me on Instagram for daily posts and subscribe to my YouTube channel (my links are on the side bar).

I had a dream…to mind my own business! 😳🙈

I would like to share a dream with you I had in the hopes that it inspires you, and wakes you up to your own “dreams.” In this dream, I was was sitting at the edge of a lake watching the most amazing sunset I had ever experienced. It was magical with colors I hadn’t seen before, both electric and awe-inspiring. I was staring at this enchanting sky, completely taken away by the sheer beauty of it all, allowing the experience to take me outside of myself to another place. All the pieces of life felt like they were in place.

And then suddenly, I heard whispering off to my left. I had to make the decision to continue watching this beautiful sky or look to see what was happening. From habit, obsessive behavior, or just “needing to know,” I turned my head away from this gift to see what was going on. 

I could see there were people in the darkness, but I couldn’t make them out. They were silhouettes speaking in muffled voices. It was not menacing or threatening, but because I wasn’t sure what they were doing, I took all my focus away from the sunset to see what was happening. Again, wondering if they were planning something that I “needed to know about.” It turned out to be nothing. 

When I turned to look back to the sky ready to take in the sheer magnificence of it all, the sunset was gone. I lost the moment. How many moments do we lose, “needing to know” what other people are doing? Saying? Living? Choosing? All of which has nothing to do with us? 

In my dream, I lost the magnificent sunset, but it symbolized so much more. When I awoke, I took this dream as a huge lesson to stay focused on the beauty, the splendor, and the promise of what can be.

I often take pictures of sunrises and sunsets to always remind myself not to lose cherished moments. It’s not easy, and I for one, am always working on this.

May your days be filled with many ongoing moments that will take your breath away, and may your life be everything you want it to be. With clarity, focus, stillness, and courage to implement what we want (not to mention minding our own business!) we can make it our reality. 🙏🏻

 

If you would like to see more, please subscribe to my blog by sending an email to HolisticSpiritualLiving@yahoo.com. 

Follow me on Instagram for daily posts and subscribe to my YouTube channel (my links are on the side bar).

Feng Shui - Design Your Space to Transform Your Life. ✨🌈💫

I have loved Feng Shui, an ancient study on the energy in our environment and how it affects us emotionally, spiritually, physically and psychologically, for as long as I can remember. I am fascinated with its theory and love the feel of a room when it is feng shui’d. It makes a difference.

The theory involves placement of furniture and decorative items, color and organization and how it affects us. It creates flow in space that can be seen, and mostly, felt. We feel we belong in a space if it is done the right way. There is much to it, given that each area of your space, (building, home and rooms within space) defines a certain aspect of your life. Done the right way, it can have a very positive effect on all areas of happiness including love, wealth, health, relationships, reputation, creativity, wisdom and even our own sense of purpose. 

Above I posted a Bagua chart which demonstrates different areas within space to be thoughtfully placed. The energy will move through a home, building, and individual rooms, which is advantageous to us. 

I have written a brief description of each area below. I will be writing more on each area, and will go into more depth in future posts, so keep checking back.

Number 1 area, the bottom middle space, is career or journey, our purpose. The question, (what most of us think of) is “why am I here?” and “where am I going?” This location in our space should include water, as it moves and affects our emotions and drive, as life constantly moves. In this area, we can place actual water of a fish tank, or even just a picture of moving water. Another idea would be pictures, or decorative pieces, of where you want to go and what you would like to be doing. If direction is an issue for you, think of placing maps here to give you a path of your journey. Blue and black are great colors for this area.

Number 2 area, the top right corner, is the corner of relationships. For intimate relationships, the most important room to look at is your bedroom, as it is the room which denotes the most intimacy, closeness and safety. As in all spaces, there should be no clutter in this room, as it can create confusion and overwhelm. Edges should be soft, as it is comforting and nurturing. Colors should be soft and warm. Fabric should be comfortable and cozy. There should be no sharp edges or stark images, as they are unyielding. If you are a single person looking for love, take note of this area, as well as all areas in your home, and discard solitary figures. Pairing up items (even candles) will create the energy of twosomes. The visual will be important. This corner is also about female energy, so if you want woman power, make sure this area is perfected.

Number 3 area, the middle left area, is the area denoting elders in our family and also maturity. Growth is needed to not get stuck in old patterns, and to practice forgiveness for family members who have hurt us. This space should include pictures of happy family members, together and joyous, as well as tall green plants for growth within. Green is an excellent color for this area, as it shows growth and healing.

Number 4 area, the top left corner, represents wealth and good fortune. Money is associated with wealth, but wealth can be experienced through a wealth of fortune in all areas. Note the color of green - the color of money and growth, as it is in nature. In this area, you might put a healthy upwardly growing plant, or a fish tank, as it is nourished by water. Even a picture of water or fish (goldfish is my favorite) will do you well in this area. 

Number 5 area, the center, is your health, and the place where everything meets. This needs balance. It is the center of the room - so it should be cleared of clutter. This will keep the energy uninterrupted as it flows through the room, as you would likewise want energy flowing properly through your body without interruption or blockages.

Number 6 area, the bottom right, is helpful friends. This is a great place for pictures of friends in metal frames (silver and white are the colors to put here) to liven up your social life with supportive people. You may want to place happy pictures of friends, a telephone, or any object that symbolizes invitations. And make sure you have good lighting - nothing too dark and gloomy!

Number 7 area, the middle right, is creativity, one of my favorite areas. It is a place for joy, imagination, the arts, and pleasure. Place things here that inspire you to be creative - anything fun, and joyous. Something that lights you up and gets your juices flowing. The color silver works great as it sparkles, so include silver frames or pieces for the extra pizazz.

Number 8 area, bottom left, is the place of wisdom. This area’s color is brown, the color of a cave. Items here should be heavy and solid to give us a sense of grounding. A library would be perfect here, and if not, a great corner of a room or home where you can read, reflect, learn, research and meditate. 

Number 9 area, the top center, is reputation and illumination. What do you want to be known for? This area will bring clarity, vision and enlightenment. Anything inspirational will be perfect, including a poem, paintings, treasured items or a book - anything that lights you up. This is a great area for the color red and candles, as they represent fire and illumination. Be careful though, as too much can be too fiery and you may find yourself in heated exchanges.

All areas should be devoid of clutter. Clutter and mess in Feng Shui is a big no-no, as it has energy that is disorganized and distracting. For most of us, it is hard to look at clutter and not feel completely overwhelmed. Declutter (more of a post on this later), regroup, get clarity and find your Place of Zen. I will be writing more on Feng Shui in future posts, including deeper dives into each room and their meanings, including the use of color. Stay tuned and keep checking back in for more.

 

If you would like to see more, please subscribe to my blog by sending an email to HolisticSpiritualLiving@yahoo.com. 

Follow me on Instagram for daily posts and subscribe to my YouTube channel (my links are on the side bar).