Rest Is A Sacred Practice; Are You Getting Enough Om At Home?
/So here we are in the middle of July and knee deep into the half way mark of this year. I don’t know about you but I definitely feel a deep call for some much needed R&R. Like you and what seems like everyone, I have a very busy schedule filled with lots of things to do, including finding creative ways to get into that sweet spot called balance. Some days are much easier than others and some days I just feel called to stop, drop, and breathe. You know that feeling where you just need to refocus and quiet all the background noise so you can get to that quiet place within? Yep, that’s the one.
So, with this call for rest, refocus, and the half way mark of the year upon us, I thought it would be a great time to dive a little deeper into the thing we call rest. For some people, I notice that they don’t know how to let down and genuinely rest anymore. There is this quality of low grade anxiety that seems to run right underneath the surface of the skin. This feeling of restlessness creates an urge to check updates, emails, posts, and to do something, anything, just keep moving. That constant push to be doing something actually trains us right out of our natural state which is rest, restore, and renew. I know, it might be hard to wrap your mind around the fact that the R words are in fact our natural state. Yet, if this is true then why do we constantly find ourselves feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and in lots of ways exhausted? Well, it comes right back around to this constant state of doing.
In a time where people can pretty much connect with us at any time and all the time, the fine art of healthy boundaries and down time have taken a back seat to instant communication. For the first time we can harness the power of the internet to bring us amazing connectivity at any time with the touch of a key. Awesome, magical, and down right handy! However, there is a need to create a space where down time, getting unplugged, and true rest is as equally important as the other areas of our lives. So, how do you move from understanding that this concept is important and understanding how you are being impacted from too much connectivity to…making some changes?
Well, like anything, there is not just one way to do this. In fact, the best ways are going to be the things that really resonate for you and your personal style. So for instance if you know that you are a morning person (You will know this instantly by your initial reaction to this statement. For example are you smiling or recoiling at the thought of getting up early in the morning?) you can harness this personal sweet spot by chunking that time as down time and personal time. If you are definitely Not a morning person then this would not be the right time for you to claim back some personal down time. Perhaps the afternoon or evening are a better fit for you.
Here are a few ways that you can unwind by unplugging:
- Call Back You Time:
Create a window of time (15-30 minutes) where you sit with your own thoughts without interacting with any devices, people, or any work.
Just be with yourself in a quiet space. - Get Outside and Visit Mother Nature:
Go for a walk, ride your bike, swim, read a physical book for fun, etc. - Gentle Exercise
Do some kind of exercise that feels restorative to you.
Choose something gentle that allows you to unwind from your day while simultaneously helping you get back to that quiet space within you.
Gentle or Restorative Yoga, Thai Chi, Gentle Pilates, or Swimming are some ideas to get you started.
(Avoid intense or loud classes which can increase tense energies within your body.) - Meditation:
Spend some time meditating. You can do this to get your day off to the right start, or to help you unwind from your day, or you can use it as a reboot for yourself in the middle of your day.
Your choice, the possibilities are endless. - Creativity:
Do something creative to move your energy while making something at the same time. Choose a creative outlet that doesn't involve screen time.
Research shows that when we make time for “down time” and we “unplug” we not only decompress from tension, stress, and fight, flight, or freeze hormones; we also reset ourselves which allows us to feel better, think more clearly, and feel more connected to our true selves. We also move into the sweet spot where all the R words hang out, Rest, Restore, and Renew. We move into our natural state.
When we treat Rest as a Sacred Practice we up-level every area of our lives. When we invest in our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual Rest on a daily basis, we not only reconnect to the totality of who we are but everyone and everything in our life connects with it too. When we are in our natural state, we not only feel better and have more energy but we also experience more, get more done, experience deeper life satisfaction, and open up to our higher self more easily.
I invite you to join me in committing to making Rest a Sacred Practice today and every day. Start with where you feel most comfortable. Maybe you are thinking a 3 day shift is a great place to start, okay awesome! Maybe you are feeling a 7 or 10 day shift is a great place to start. Or maybe you want to dive into a 21 day shift so you can create a new healthy habit. Just start where you are standing to find what is right for you and then enjoy the re-balancing and restoration that you receive in the process. You can connect with a friend and do it together so you have someone else supporting you throughout your re-dedication to your own health and happiness.
Do you know someone who could benefit from making Rest a Sacred Practice in their own life?
Please forward this message on to them so they can enjoy some restoration and simple shifts that allow them to come back into balance too.