Let's soothe our stomachs tired from the New Year with Nanakusa-gayu 🎍 Mindfulness ✨ Starting Self-Care
Hello.
I am Amami, your self-care advisor.
Today is the day for Nanakusa-gayu (seven-herb rice porridge)!
I think the very act of eating porridge is a form of self-care ✨, but whether you have eaten it or have no plans to, let's go with a kind of Nanakusa-gayu for the mind 😊
️👧🏻 Be kind to others, and be kind to yourself
I didn't know this in much detail, but the reason we eat Nanakusa-gayu today is because today is the Day of the Human! That seems to be the origin.
🟩 January 7th is the "Festival of the Human"
The day we eat Nanakusa-gayu is based on one of the five seasonal festivals, the "Jinjitsu (Festival of the Human)."
● In the old Chinese calendar
1st: Day of the Chicken
2nd: Day of the Dog
3rd: Day of the Boar
4th: Day of the Sheep
5th: Day of the Cow
6th: Day of the Horse
7th: Day of the Human (Jinjitsu)
The 7th, in particular, was considered a "day to cherish people," and there was a custom of eating soup containing seven types of herbs to pray for good health and longevity.
This culture was passed down to Japan,
and it is believed that it combined with the ancient Japanese tradition of "gathering young herbs" to create the custom of eating Nanakusa-gayu on January 7th.
🌿 Nanakusa-gayu: A small ritual of rest ~ Sharpen your five senses and practice mindfulness
Once the New Year begins, the world suddenly becomes bright and lively, doesn't it?
New calendars, new resolutions, family gatherings, and slightly elaborate feasts.
It's fun, but there are moments when you just want to take a breath.
You could say that the day of the seven herbs arrives at just the right time for New Year's fatigue and the start of work.
The fact that the seven-herb porridge we eat that night isn't a fancy dish is part of its charm.
If anything, it is surprisingly plain, quiet, and modest.Yet, it is precisely that modesty that brings healing to our bodies and minds after the New Year.
You don't have to force yourself to gather all the different types of herbs.Feel free to chop up leftover vegetables from the fridge, or toss in whatever you like—even things that aren't 'herbs,' like pickled plums, fish cakes, salmon, chicken breast, tempura scraps, or eggs—and just take it easy without any pressure!
For our stomachs, which have become a bit heavy from the New Year's feast,
it is time to say, 'You don't have to work so hard anymore.'Seven-herb porridge can be called a food that has been slowly and gently kind to both the cook and the eater since ancient times.
As for the cook, try using all five senses to feel the white porridge bubbling in the pot and the subtle aroma released by the chopped greens.
When you bring your face close to the steam, it feels as if even the restlessness deep inside your body is quietly unraveling.
That might just be the first practice of the year in treating yourself with care.
By all means, let's make tonight a ritual of such rest.
To help you unwind.