Rest

Rest. Something about writing that word, putting a period after it, making it a sentence, feels right. Rest. Like the word No, it holds a deep and penetrating meaning. Like the word No, its meaning is dependent on the perspective of the speaker or the writer. 

I decided to take a dive into what Rest meant to the leaders and writers of the transformative change and personal growth world in which I am associated. I looked through my many books and looked up the word Rest in the indexes. Nothing. Words such as mediate, sleep, breathe are there. But where is Rest? Thoughts about building practices of breathing and meditation are numerous, but what about a “practice” of Rest? Then, I discovered Tricia Hersey’s book ‘Rest Is Resistance’.

In her book, Hersey makes the case for Rest as a necessary practice in order to resist “Grind Culture”and reclaim the lives we’ve lost to overproductivity, dehumanization and oppression. She created The Nap Ministry as “a balm” against this. In her work I see the hope for establishing Rest as a way of life. It is an acknowledgement that we are indeed ‘Human Beings’ not ‘Human Doings’ and in order to be our truest, kindest and fullest selves and thrive, we need Rest. 

So, I’ve been experimenting with this idea of Rest and seeing how it fits, or doesn’t fit, into my life. I started with some of the obvious ways to include Rest into my day. When I feel overwhelmed (which is often) I lay down or curl up with heavy blankets and a heating pad for ten minutes. When I drive to the grocery store in the afternoon, I park, put my seat back and listen to music for a few minutes before getting out of the car. I pause more, before making a decision or saying “yes.” These behaviors are challenging enough since they disrupt my learned patterns of pushing myself to my limits. But, then, I started to see the more subtle ways in which Rest can support me. If I can Rest in the moment during a conversation I feel more connected to the person I am speaking with. When I take a more restful approach to eating, my meals are more enjoyable and probably more nourishing. Yesterday, when I could have been watching the inauguration of a president who is sure to move us into a time of strife, discord, hate and peril, I chose to Rest, not so much as a way to avoid, but rather as a way to prepare and gather the strength I know I will need to meet this new moment. And, while doing so, I found my strength, not through my anger and reactivity but through the words of Dr. King who, yesterday, was also being celebrated. 
Rest, I find, is a choice, a decision. Like love, or any other choice or decision we make about how we want to be and who we really are at our core. If we can all begin to see Rest as a necessity for life, like water, food and shelter, maybe we can lean into the years ahead of us with renewed purpose, agency and, yes, hope.