You’ve got to be kidding! This time of year!!? We’ll, if we don’t take moments, minutes and, yes, even half hours out to rest as we glide through the holidays we may find ourselves with a forced HALT! During that very cold spell in the Pacific Northwest in early December I got a cold that laid me low. I snuggled under covers and got up only to drink as many hot fluids as I could or to eliminate them! The “flush” plus lots and lots of sleep and a few home remedies worked.

So, what are options for REST going forward? Well, a great place to start is to look at our schedules and get real with ourselves. As I looked at my schedule this week, I paused to check-in with myself and assess my energy levels about going to each event. For the first three of the week, there was a definite “no.” Now getting those clear answers may be a lot easier in my case because I had just had a very real reminder of the consequences of not listening to my body. So, listen not just for the “yes” or “no” which may not be so clear, but tune into the level of fatigue in your body. What is it saying to you?

Another option is to take advantage of the longer nights by going home and staying there to REST, reconnect with yourself and your wonderful intuition. As a result you may find yourself saving steps, even money by doing so! Holiday errands may become simplified. That was one of my discoveries as I “Embraced the Dark” this week.

Another benefit of taking time to rest for me was discovering my body was craving warm foods. So, I cooked up an easy Creamy Squash Soup seasoned with curry and turmeric that left me warm from the inside out! Try this easy recipe and enjoy its mood altering properties as well as its nourishment.

Creamy Squash Soup

1 medium-sized winter squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes (about 3 cups)*

1 onion chopped

2 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic minced

1 T fresh ginger

diced 1 t turmeric

1 t curry powder

2 ¾ C chicken or vegetable broth

6 oz canned coconut milk

2 T fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

Sauté onion in olive oil in large saucepan until onion is soft. Add garlic and ginger and cook one minute more. Stir in spices. Add squash and broth. Stir. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until squash is tender.

Transfer soup in batches to blender. Add coconut milk. Process until smooth. Return to pan and reheat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with cilantro.

*You can also bake a winter squash in a 375 degree preheated oven. Cut it in half, remove the seeds, and put the two halves in a covered baking pan cut side up. Put 1/4 inch water in the bottom of the pan before covering. Cook squash until tender to a fork piercing 30 – 45 minutes. If you don’t have a covered backing pan, use aluminum foil to cover it. Actually, cooking it just a bit longer may have the skin of the squash virtually fall off.

** Bonus health benefits come from ginger, garlic, turmeric and curry powder.