Hello hello! How are you? I’m having a great week- A Place to Rest community opened last week and I’m loving the space and community that is being created! Women supporting women in rest is really making my heart happy. If you join today (Thursday), You’ll be in time for Friday’s Rest Session. I’ll channel the guides, clear energy, and we’ll get your nervous system recalibrated! As I’ve mentioned before, rest is such a foundation for wellness on all levels, so steeping yourself in rest and the rest community will help your emotional, mental, and physical body. It’s truly powerful.
This week I want to talk about some of the misconceptions of rest, and that was part of the discussion in our group this week. I asked the community what would happen if you rewarded yourself each time you rested? What was interesting is that several of the women commented that they had always perceived rest as a reward.
To me this is fascinating. Rest as a reward is part of the patriarchal programming that we’ve been taught. We’ve been taught that when we are productive, THEN we can rest. That resting is the reward for working hard and getting things done. Only have you ever noticed that the bar continues to move? That you are never really allowed to rest? When you reach that mark there is this idea that the critical voice in the head will somehow quiet down, and that you will be good enough.
Here’s the thing though. If rest is the reward, then it becomes conditional. We can only have it If/when something happens that is good enough. Conditional. I personally want rest to be unconditional, just like love. I want to give and receive unconditional love. I want people to rest when their body/mind/spirits need to rest. I want people to recognize when they need to rest and listen to themselves when that first inkling surfaces- not waiting until the full on exhaustion hits, or when the to-do list is complete.
Unconditional rest is actually love. It is listening to what this sweet body of ours needs, and when it needs it. Not later (as in: oh I’ll rest later), but understanding that this human being needs more than just a few hours of sleep at night. It needs an inner stillness that is compassionate, loving, and caring. Not just sometimes, but all the time.
If it helps, reward yourself for resting- the nourishing kind of rest. When you rest, say something kind to yourself, play the music you love, read a book, have tea with a friend, or take a walk in the woods. What is rewarding to you and nourishes you? Do that. You are building a relationship with yourself that is built on this unconditional love and rest.
So friends, here comes the homework! How can you give yourself rest today? What does unconditional rest look like for you? What kind of rest do you need? Mental, emotional, physical, energetic, or spiritual? How can you sink into it so deeply that it wraps around you like the most loving and comfortable blanket? And if you want to reward yourself for rest, what would that look like for you?
Ok sweet friends, I’d love for you to see how you can practice unconditional rest and reward yourself for rest. And if you would like support, join A Place to Rest before Friday April 22nd. If you are in Athens, you can join me at an Energetic Rest Circle on May 1st. I’ll post the links to both in the show notes. Take good care of yourself.
Let’s change your relationship with rest, and yourself. Join A Place to Rest community today!
And if you are in Athens, join me for the Athens Energetic Rest Circle (in person!):
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