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Hey Reader, We all need regular res{e}t weeks. But rest doesn’t have to mean sleep or doing absolutely nothing. We can still be active, yet perhaps just function at a lower level or maybe just take regular short res{e}ts throughout the day. Rest isn’t just about sleeping, but instead it’s about letting your body reset. It’s taking a pause to be completely and fully present with yourself. And I know that when I give myself the opportunity to have an entire week with no client appointments or class at the studio, it gives my mind and body spaciousness to dream and think in a different way. It offers up a reset so that I don’t get trapped in overthinking, forcing creativity, or stuck in overwhelm. And I invite my students and clients to take the same sort of reset week in their life by giving them this spaciousness by not offering the regular routine of classes and appointments. It invites them to do things out of their comfort zone. Taking a res{e}t week doesn’t mean you have to laze about and make a permanent indent in your couch cushions, but it does mean you do things differently. Yes, periods of time doing nothing are lovely because they give your body and nervous system a chance to rest. But if you’re someone who tends to go-go-go all the time, those times of doing nothing can also create a more unsettled nervous system. That’s why it’s not about just stopping activity for long stretches. It’s about functioning differently. Which might also throw your nervous system into a bit of a tailspin, but it’s in the pushing the edges of your comfort zones that increases your capacity to be in the hectic things of life that helps you grow your capacity to handle the stress with more ease. So by giving yourself permission to function out of the norm, you create spaciousness. You invite your heart to soften and look at the world through a different lens. On my res{e}t weeks and days, I like to work on projects that perhaps I’ve put on the back burner – things I really want to do, but aren’t priorities in keeping young humans (or grown humans, for that matter) alive or the business doors open… but perhaps that could be someday if they’re given space and energy to come to life😉. ….. This week my nudge to you is to look at your calendar and find a time that you can remain fairly consistent with each week or month to carve out as your res{e}t time. Even if this becomes a time when you do the same thing (for me its my Tuesday morning walks in nature right now in life), create opportunity for you to invite mindfulness into it or change what you do just subtly each time you do it so perhaps you’re perceiving things a bit differently. Like, for me, I might choose to tune into the sounds I hear one day and on another day I might choose to look for a particular color and yet another day, I might invite a breath practice that also pushes my edges while walking. It doesn’t have to be drastic, and this time doesn’t have to be for an hour or more. It can be simple, perhaps opening a journal and writing or drawing, or perhaps going for a walk over your lunch break while unplugged completely, or perhaps collecting a piece of nature to carry with you in your pocket or on your desk so that when you look at it you’re reminded to reset throughout your day. ✍️Write back and tell me what feels authentic to you. When is the time on your calendar that you are going to invite a reset? (I’m not talking your regular workout time, I’m talking something that will connect you deeper with your inner self or with nature. ) And by doing so, your nervous system will thank you. It will move into a more grounded, centered state, so that when the s*** does hit the fan, you receive it with clear eyes and a calm heart. I can’t wait to hear when you’ll insert your res{e}t time into your calendar… even if it’s just for this week💚. Cheers, Cathy✌️ |
