The Importance of Resting Your Body and Mind!
We’ve all heard the old saying, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”
Here’s the hard truth: No, you won’t. You will not be sleeping; you will be dead. And while your soul’s energy will transform into another existence of reality, it does not negate the truth that a life without rest is a stressful, frantic, misaligned, cortisol-producing, adrenal exhausting, disconnected, and depleted one.
We must release the old belief that we must constantly work or grind to succeed. It is in our human nature to rest, just as it is the nature of all creation, and is essential for a successful and happy life.
Nature’s Calls to Rest
Our circadian rhythm pulls us to rest every night. If you have worked an all-nighter without any sleep, the way you feel the next day — the delirium and the inability to focus or keep your eyes open — is a sure sign you have gone against your own nature.
Seasonally, winter becomes a time for all creation to pause and rest to prepare for its most significant growth in spring, peak fullness in summer, and then a slowing down in the fall.
Another indication from nature is Mercury retrograde, which occurs Dec. 28, 2022 – Jan. 18, 2023, one week after the first day of winter. It’s a 3-4-week period when Mercury, which travels faster around the sun, passes Earth, giving the illusion it’s moving backward. But it has only slowed down — a signal for us to do the same.
Why It’s So Important to Prioritize Resting the Body, Mind, and Spirit
Rest provides the space in our minds for clarity, creative ideas, and new inspirations to arrive.
The mind must slow down and make space, which is one of the primary purposes of meditation practice. We begin making “space” to move past basic survival toward the deeper meanings of who we are. We can choose to get off the hamster wheel, reminding ourselves that running nowhere faster does not get us somewhere.
Think about what happens when you try hard to remember a word or name of a song. It’s right there on the tip of your tongue, but it simply won’t come and trying harder makes it worse.
But what happens when you let go and give your mind a rest? The answer comes rushing in without even trying. This insight is the powerful energy of “giving it a rest.”
When we injure our physical body, it requires rest for healing. When we are wounded emotionally or spiritually, we need rest for healing or recovery. Otherwise, it’s like running a marathon on a broken leg. Not only will you do more damage, but you’ll likely not finish the race.
When we align, giving our body, mind, and spirit what our true nature requires, we show up as our best selves. Only then can we genuinely give from an overflowing cup, showing up in our fullness for ourselves and our relationships. We are instructed on an airplane to put our masks on first before helping others; after all, we can’t help anyone else if we have no oxygen supply.
Take a Holiday During the Holiday Season
The definition of a “holiday” is a day of festivity or recreation when no work is to be done. And yet, the holiday season can feel like more “work” than our already work-focused lives. The time and financial expectations around holiday parties, decorating, gift-buying and wrapping, navigating around family members, and requiring multiple celebrations on the same day IS work.
It has become so exhausting that we need a vacation to recuperate from the holiday season. The prettiest decorated home and the most perfectly wrapped gifts never replace the value of you showing up as your best self, present to connect with those you love.
Let’s enter this holiday season with a new commitment to prioritize and align with our true nature. Let the focus shift from all the task-oriented doing to being rested, present, and connected with those we love.
And before you dismiss the idea with, “That sounds nice, but I still have to get all of those things done,” remember: Running on empty is like trying to push a car that has run out of gas. It is both challenging and unnecessary. If you fill up first, the journey will be much easier and more enjoyable.
So, rest and be merry!
