Get Cozy, and Let go

I have spent the last month in one of my favourite places in the world, Denmark. One of the things I love about this small (expensive) Scandinavian country, other than the fact that my family lives there, is that things seem simpler, and so much cozier. They have been voted year after year one of the happiest people on Earth. In the last 15 years that I’ve been going to Denmark, I’ve adopted a few cultural points that I feel is essential to my happiness that I'd love to share.

Over the years, most of my Danish summers (and sometime winters) have consisted of family time, walking 500 year old cobble stoned streets, Danish liquorice, soft ice (soft serve ice cream like you’ve never had), Medister sausages (only made in Denmark), open faced sandwiches on Danish rye bread, Tuborg beer, sustainable everything, Modernist tradition and Neo-Modernism architecture, functionalism, and minimalist yet cozy (Danes pride themselves in the art of cozy) white washed soft interiors that just scream Denmark.

I mean, what’s not to love? But every year that I go back, I feel small changes are taking place which in my opinion are leading even the Danes to less happiness. Even this small sustainable smart country is slowly being affected by what we suffer from here in North America - overworking and convenient eating (which go hand in hand). But this month’s Health Article is not so much about that. This month, we are keeping things airy and soft, like the month of October itself. October is a month of beauty and coziness, and actually, my favourite month of the year. For me, the colour of this month screams Gold. The sun shines golder, the leaves are different shades of gold with hints of burnt oranges, reds, and transitioning greens. All around there is a sense and an energy of letting go, of cleansing. There is a certain freshness and coolness in the air that reminds me of love, like the soft cozy airy kind that makes you feel golden. In the air there is a particular smell of the anticipation of cold.

October is filled with gold! Not just outside, but also in our kitchens as well. Cozy warming and grounding foods like bone broth, soups, pumpkins, squashes, lentils, beets, pecans, cinnamon, eggs, pastries…. Uh, it’s endless! It is the true month of love, and the time of year I celebrate the art of being cozy while working on letting things go and practicing forgiveness. Alright, so this is the first year I’m taking on the tradition of letting go and forgiving, but hey it’s never too late to start!

I want to honour the cozy, beautiful, cleansing and airy October, and shine a golden light of love on to some Danish traditions. I want to keep this month’s Health Article airy and free, to allow for the hard task of letting unnecessary things go, and forgiving those that don’t deserve our energy. I’ve been inspired this month to take on this challenge, and I hope you join me.

The Emotional is Connected to the Physical:

October is the month of release. The Earth is going through it’s own cleanse, and it’s important to remember that we naturally go through the same cleanse in the Autumn (and spring) as well.

During my studies and through my own healing process, I’ve learned that whatever is happening on an emotional level reflects on the physical. It can be hard to believe, and it took me time to realize, but most of our physical ailments are there because there is something on an emotional level we are not addressing or processing thoroughly. This is a very deep and extensive subject and truly deserves it’s own article, but this is one of the main realizations I found that is necessary in the first steps to letting go and forgiving. Connecting your body-mind-soul.

Our bodies are amazing, I’ve said this over and over, but trusting and listening is a huge part of this letting go and forgiving business. Your body is smarter than you will ever know, it tells you everything you need to know and it holds so much information, including your emotional-body. Even if you can’t feel it happening, it is. In my experience, the energy of what we can’t let go of emotionally is what our physical body holds. Some may see this in body weight, some in a pain in their hip, headaches, joints, etc… For years I wondered why it is so hard for my body to respond especially to weight loss, but I’m learning (through therapy) that everything my body is holding on to, mirrors what I’m holding on to on an emotional level. We are going to keep this airy to allow ourselves to come to terms with letting unnecessary things go, so remember, October highlights the importance of self-care, and taking time to put ourselves first. Don’t occupy your emotions, thoughts, and space with unnecessary bullshit. Focus on yourself.

There is a great chance you will see physical changes when you truly work on an emotional level. If you don’t process and release what you hold emotionally, your physical body will respond and hold the energy of whatever you are holding. This is why I always advise my clients and friends to cry and not suppress anything, releasing through tears and crying out loud is great! It does wonders for our emotional state as well as our physical. Did you know that tears are a direct excretion of the liver? A good cry actually releases toxicity from the liver (including cortisol) which helps our physical body release the toxic material and the toxic emotion. It’s okay to cry. In fact, as your virtual health-care practitioner, I recommend it. ;)

This is no simple task, because this work is so deep, most people hide from that part of themselves. Some become disconnected and numb themselves, leaving their body susceptible to illness. But I urge you, please don’t shy away from your inner world. It is part of your physical world and who you are, please do not neglect yourself. You have to make room in your life for the important stuff, and that’s YOU! You are the most important part, of you. We must allow room for the important stuff by letting the little things go. Make room for yourself to flourish and heal. The good news is, it’s never too late to start. Seriously. Little steps are advised.

The Cozy that Comes with Fall:

You can’t work on letting go and forgiving unless you have the cozy ready incase you fall. Having balance is key! Whenever we have moments of breakthroughs or breakdowns, there must always be a cozy cushion to break our fall. Or, in my case, my big cuddly warm loving husband. So it is totally essential to be prepared with the cozy. What is the cozy? Well, the art of cozy according to the Danes is atmosphere and feeling. The Danes call it “Hygge”. It’s about living in the moment, open-heartedly. Spending quality, peaceful time in a calm environment with no agenda. It’s about humor, warmth and making connections (with others and yourself). It’s about community, love, beauty, candles, and softness you can feel in your soul. It’s about creating an atmosphere that invites all of these things in and makes you feel alive. And it all vanishes the moment your to-do list gets involved. It’s what makes you feel warm, fuzzy, comfortable, and at peace. Surround your internal and external environment with things and people who make you feel this way. Eat whole foods that make you feel this way.

Bone broth and soups is the most cleansing, warming, healing, golden, nutritious and cozy food you can eat. Root vegetables are grounding and sweet, perfect for bringing down the airy disconnected energy that comes with trauma patterns. Try roasting beets, pumpkin, and squash with a little sprinkle of cinnamon, sea salt, and pepper, for balance. All of these are ways to create cozy.

This month, make sure create for yourself the cozy, reflect deep, and connect your emotional to the physical. Next month we will take the next step.

Here is my “Hygge” recipe for Squash Soup:

2 red onions , peeled and chopped

2 sticks celery , trimmed and chopped

2 carrots , peeled and chopped

4 cloves garlic , peeled and chopped

2 sprigs fresh rosemary , leaves picked

½ - 1 fresh red chilli , to taste, deseeded and finely chopped

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 kg butternut squash, onion squash or musque de Provence , halved, deseeded and cut into chunks

2 litres organic chicken or vegetable stock

extra virgin olive oil

1 Put a very large saucepan on medium heat and pour in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, rosemary leaves, chilli and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook gently for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the squash and the broth to the pan, bring to boil then simmer for about half an hour.

2 When the squash is cooked through, use a hand blender to puree the soup. Always taste your food to make sure the seasoning is right, season accordingly. Serve

If you live in the lower mainland, I am now taking orders for Seeded Nutrition’s Medicinal Bone Broth (helps heal mucous membranes especially of the digestive tract, helps reduce inflammation, and gives your immune system a massive boost of vitamins and minerals).

For the month of October get 1 jar free when you order 4 jars or more. I am also offering free personal delivery between Mon-Friday 10am - 3pm, because I’d LOVE to see you. For those outside of the lower mainland, shipping is quite expensive, however, if you would like more details please contact me directly. Please allow 4-5 days from date of order - to order email me: sherry@seedednutrition.com