No, it's not Food or the other F word, its REST! Yes REST. Its not sexy, not going to stimulate your dopamine receptors for action, addiction and pleasure , plain and simple REST. As a yoga teacher I am well aware that despite all the benefit of the many yoga asanas we may explore in a class, what I notice students absolutely LOVE is savasana, integrative REST TIME! We are a sleep and rest deprived culture. We are , in many cases , moving around in some level of brain fog exhaustion.
We've been hearing some good press about the need to shift our view with the necessity of adequate and optimal restorative sleep thanks in part to Arianna Huffington's new book THRIVE.
Most of us are getting some amount of sleep and the quality of it may vary. If you wake up feeling refreshed, recharged and inspired well than you have the sleep factor down! Sadly that is not the experience of most folks living in today's hyped -up, info. overloaded and energy draining times. When it comes to REST, ALL OF US ARE LACKING IN THIS KEY NUTRIENT FOR THE BODY, MIND and SOUL.
REST can range from simply taking a minute to pause , close your eyes and breathe deeply and mindfully or to taking a sabbatical from your profession to retreat and REST your weary mind, body and soul and rediscover the core of your being. In between the one minute option and the month or year retreat , there are a multitude of creative ways to weave REST into your daily life.
Here are my top picks:
REST your mind by meditating daily, observe your breath and
drop your thoughts
REST your emotions by taking a walk in nature
REST your worry by saying a mantra or prayer that connects you to
Spirit.
REST your judgements by allowing things to unfold as they are.
REST your fear by being kind and patient with your vulnerability
REST your anger by embracing the awareness that your soul is
trying to get your attention to move into more clarity and
authenticity.
REST your digestion by doing a one day juice fast.
REST your habit to caffeinate and hydrate instead
REST your aches and pains by taking a lavender/epsom salt bath
REST your incessant need to know by trusting in the mystery of life
REST your compulsion to talk by being silent and listening
REST your obsession with social media by having a 'screen free'
day.
REST your need to make 'TO DO ' lists and replace with a ' To BE'
intention.
REST your habit of watching negative news, TV and media by
making a playlist of inspirational music to soothe your psyche.
REST your tendency to speak negatively by reading inspiring poetry
from Rumi or Hafiz Hamidun
REST your concern about the future and be present to what is in
front of your eyes, ears , nose and heart right now.our
REST your need to make a big decision quickly, Take time and SLEEP on it! Things always appear clearer when we are rested.
Today,,, find a few ways to practice RESTING. Your mind with thank you with clarity. Your body will thank you with energy and calm and your spirit will thank you with intuitive guidance.
I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR IDEA ON HOW TO TAKE A REST,Please share in the comments below.
Namaste & Blessings for a REST INFUSED DAY! Anne Townend- Duffey MA. E-RYT Director of Opening Lotus Yoga
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