I live in the midwest and it’s currently winter time here, less than 1 month until the spring begins! Being in a climate that reflects the seasons has helped me to fully resonate with this belief in rest being restorative. I came from Florida, where the sun is plenty and there’s only ever rain to slow you down. Living with the seasons here has shown me the benefits of slowing down all year round while allowing myself to speed up at different times of the year.
As the winter season is wrapping up I’ve been reflecting more on the importance of rest during this time and for life in general. I used to think I was lazy whenever I didn’t feel like doing something or working but now I see life completely differently. Taking the time to rest doesn’t make you a lazy person. Resting can be some of the most productive work you do in your life. It gives you time to restore your mind, and body, and come back to spirit.
“A lack of dormancy produces confusion and erosion in the life force. “
-Sabbath, Wayne Muller
Just like nature we too can have our time of activeness, dormancy, and preparation. Rest is an essential part of the human experience. Our minds are not able to fully function when we are tired and this tiredness, when pushed off too long, can disrupt our entire lives for the worse. Our life force surrounds our entire body, the less nutrients and rest we receive, the weaker our life force will be.
“A period of rest, in which nutrition and fertility most readily coalesce, is not simply a human psychological convenience; it is a spiritual and biological necessity. “
-Sabbath, Wayne Muller
That is no way to live, where rest is only a reward after working hard. Showing up for yourself each day by prioritizing rest in ways that benefit you the most, can have a dramatic (revolutionary) impact on your life. Especially melanated women, who are often told we must work for rest. How can we care for others if we don’t first care for ourselves? We can’t. You don’t have to work hard to deserve to rest, resting is a human right. Receiving rest helps us restore what is lost through the constant state of doing. Resting returns us to our natural state of being, which in turn allows us to better reflect and move forward through life as it ebbs and flows.
I touch more on this topic on my podcast which you can find below:
There are many ways to rest and not all rest involves sleeping, rest can be active as well. Below are some examples of the different types of rest:
My favorites are deep breathing, affirmations, meditation, talking with loved ones, being in silence, journaling, praying, and having quality time with myself every day. What does rest look like for you?
Thank you for reading, happy resting! – Lee
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