Wish you all a happy, healthy New Year : )

Wish you all the wonderful things in 2010.
peace and health on all, and the planet.

Jin

Kuzu, my winter partner

It's been so cold!!
I have to wear layers of layers when i go out.

in order to keep you warm from inside, i use this very useful, helpful food called KUZU : )

it's starch made of the root of kuzu plant.
in japan, its been used as midicine for colds/flu, as well as for any digestive problems.---trust me, it really works!

compared to corn starch or potato starch, which is more yin, or "cooling", this kuzu starch has more "warming (yang)" effect on your body, and makes a perfect gravy sauce or soup ,and even dessert!

this time of the season, especially when it's so cold, kuzu is something i frequently use for my everyday cooking : )

you can find kuzu at health food stores like whole foods.
if catching a cold, make kuzu drink with umeboshi plum.

The Slower, the more....

in our society, "being fast" seems overvalued.
going from point A to point B, or getting things done, processing information,"as fast as possible".
and to make that happen, more and more things are invented each day.
we hear "the faster, the better" all the time....

but is that really true?

suppose you are going to a certain place.
if you walk, you will notice so many things, such as flowers on the street, birds on the trees,or a new coffee shop opened around the corner, or even run into a neighbor and catch up with him/her whats going on,...., while if you go by car, you will miss all those information!

somtimes, id like to go slow and appreciate how beautiful a red cardinal is against the snow covered lake in central park....

Yin becomes Yang

this is a good example of "yin becomes yang"!
with extreme cold environment(yin), water(fluid, yin) turns into ice (solid, yang).

things are constantly changing....

Year End Cleaning

in my country, Japan, this is the season for a big cleaning.

we do it, despite the fact everything is crazily busy, so that we can make a fresh start for the new year.

i don't know how it started, but to me it all makes sense.
in Asia, "cleaning" is not just a physical thing.
we believe cleaning has a tremendous positive impact even on emotional and spiritual level.

as feng shui tells, cluttered or dusty space makes the energy flow stagnant.
if you hang onto things from the past, you will be stuck in the past and cannot move on.
and the less stuff you have in your home, the more luck will come into your life!

even though it's the busiest time of the year, people in japan take some time to do this "year end cleaning" and welcome a fresh new year : )

The New Moon

today, 12/16, is the new moon.
the energy of elimination is strongest when the moon is the other side of the earth.

may feel more grounded, compared to when the moon is full.
and physically, things tend to "come out" more easily from the body.

they say that it's a good time for diet, or detox.

personally, i have noticed that i tend to have less hangover during the new moon, while i have it more easily when the moon is above our head up in the sky.
mor efrequent urination, and yes, better bowel movement : )

feeling somewhat purified, time to contemplate, and start new things....
* the next full moon is new year's eve!