Hi Friends, What did you implement last week? Did you resonate with the need to belong? When you look at the picture, what comes to mind other than cuteness? To me, it's the ability to rest. Sunday is called the day of rest. A ton of questions race through my mind. What is rest? Do we rest enough? Do we rest too much? How do we rest? Is it ok to rest? Is it lazy? Here is my experience with rest. I envy people who can nap! I can rest now, but very rarely do I fall asleep during the day. I actually have an old belief attached to rest that comes from my childhood. Resting was dubbed as laziness and boy, did I have to work, even into my teen years while prepping for the big baccalaureate (end of high school test). There was no sleeping in or sitting down and reading on a Saturday morning. Now understanding that I needed to study. I was so jealous of my friends who had parents who were more understanding. Now, mind you, my dad was a World War II veteran, retired and much older when I was in my teen years. My mom had passed. I assume she would have balanced things out a bit. The western culture which believes in Go-Go-Go, doesn't help. Go-getter's are praised! Aren't they? The older I get, and I am in my early 50's, I am reminded of how good rest feels. I also know, when I was in the trenches of raising 6 littles, rest was rare. Moms of littles, unless they have family support, really can't rest. The other day, my body felt really tired, and it was around lunch time. I had over an hour before picking up my youngest from school and I did something that was not easy for me to do. I laid down. And rested. Why not, you may say? Because those old beliefs are alive and mighty and take quite some work in tearing down to make room for new ones. This makes up a big part in my work with my clients. Old beliefs. How were you raised? Was resting ok? Were you taught to listen to your body as I am learning now? The western world has a lot to learn. The eastern world and its ancient methods are actually ahead of us. They teach meditation to children. Rest is an important part of the day. The Mediterranean world practices siestas during lunch time. Where I grew up in Germany, stores would close during lunch time. An old German song came to mind with the simplest of lyrics. The chorus went something like this: When I walk, I walk. When I stand, I stand. When I sit, I sit. When I run, I run. So simple. And yet, do we practice this? I know some single moms, and they can't afford to rest. I encourage you to find a few minutes a day where you allow yourself to rest. Just you. And nothing else. Our phones and computers need to be reset. So do our minds and bodies. Problem is, we don't have a reset button, and if we did, it would not be used. Think about this quote:
It's very important that we relearn the art of resting and relaxing. Not only does it help prevent the onset of many illnesses that develop through chronic tension and worrying; it allows us to clear our minds, focus, and find creative solutions to problems.
Thich Nhat Hanh
I am wondering what your thoughts are, since my readers are in different age brackets. Your responses mean the world to me. Keep them coming. How can you allow yourself to rest this week? To rest intentionally and fully? What is your favorite way of resting and where? On the couch? In bed? In a hammock? Outside? Is it easy or hard for you? Until next week :)
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You are loved. Deeply loved. Loved beyond measure.
Until next time,
Isabelle
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