When was the last time you rested? I mean truly truly rested? I’m not talking about taking a vacation or going for a massage (not that these things aren’t great for the mind and body, they definitely are!), I’m talking about full on resting: not doing anything, lying in your hammock, maybe sleeping, having a power snooze in the afternoon, lying in your backyard or by the lake without taking pictures, without looking at a magazine, just being still and resting?

I’ll give you a few moments to think about it…

WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Even though my daughters slept quietly in their rooms, I tossed and turned, eyes wide open unable to sleep! I can’t say I had anything in particular that woke me, I just did. And it frustrated the hell out of me! WHY!!!!?? I just want to feel well rested!

So I embarked on a journey of rest. I changed my sleep habits by not being on the computer 1-2 hours before bed (hard when you run your own business!), I meditated before sleep, wrote in my grateful journal, I did gentle stretches and different breathing techniques, I even took various natural sleep aids (ex: melatonin).

All these things worked but I still didn’t feel rested.

This summer is the first summer that I’ve had to figure out what to do with my 6 year old since school doesn’t run all year like daycare does! So I consciously decided to take more time off to be with her.

So we did a few vacations and the two week one really made a world of difference. Why? Because I rested. We were by a quiet lake for one week and I often just sat there, staring at the lake. Being in nature, walking barefoot, not working, just enjoying the calm, being cut off from social media and the internet in general (my parents cottage doesn’t have electricity nor internet connection… what a breath of peace and quiet). What a nice feeling it was not having to check my email or Facebook! Being in nature, I felt rejuvenated and calm! If you want to know more about the science behind why it feels so great to be in nature, check out this link.

Despite this, there was actually a moment where I had anxiety about not being instantly gratified by information.

I’ll explain. My husband and I were discussing the possibility of buying a Stand Up Paddle board for the cottage and I wondered how much a used one would go for. Normally I would just Google it and get my answer in an instant. But now I had no internet. What’s a girl to do? I started getting antsy, really really wanting to have an answer. nd then I realized that my children will never understand what’s it’s like not to get an answer right away to their queries.

And so eventually I accepted that I’d have to wait and you know what… I just kinda forgot about it. And it felt nice not having that instant satisfaction, needing to be patient and calm and just accept that I’d have to wait. Try it for something you’re wondering about, see if you can resist the urge to “Google it”!

So that was my little side-bar about our instant gratification world. Now back to finding rest!

When I returned from vacation I delved even deeper into my quest for rest. I started a 40 day Yoga Nidra meditation program called Daring to Rest.. I heard about it on one of my favourite Podcasts (Julie in Conversation, Motherhood, Let’s create a village)and decided to try it. Wow! What a gift to me from me! Well, I’m sleeping much better, my body feels amazing and get this…RESTED!!!! If you don’t know about yoga nidra, also known as sleep yoga, you should look it up (but only tomorrow! 😉).

Why you ask?

And from 2003-2015 there has been a 344% increase in women who have taken ADHD medication.Karen Brody the creator of the Daring to Rest program focuses particularly on women so I was immediately drawn to her program and what she had to say. She teaches us the practice of being good to ourselves, of taking a time-out. And through her Yoga Nidra meditation she bring us from waking to dreaming. She helps us tap into the 4th state of consciousness to a place where we can heal.

I know, I know, it probably makes you feel anxious to imagine yourself doing nothing, right?! You might feel like you’re not doing enough, not being productive enough, not cleaning enough, not socializing enough, not starting your own business like everyone else!

We have this misconception that the more time we spend working and doing stuff, the more valuable we are.

But your brain can only focus for so long. Eventually it falls into mind wandering mode. When we go into this mode, our brain actually becomes very active, it’s using this “doing nothing mode” to draw connections between things that we wouldn’t normally see as connected.

It’s no wonder we get our best ideas in the shower! Being in zone out mode is the seat of our creativity. In a time when most people’s batteries are running on empty, take some time to refuel. Give your brain a break. Don’t check your phone while waiting in line at the grocery store, don’t overbook your social calendar, don’t always watch TV when things get boring.

Rest, rest, rest. And you might find that by including rest in your life you actually get more stuff done and are more productive!

So if this Daring to Restprogram speaks to you, it might be the answer to finding more sleep, feeling more rested, being more patienta and calm, feeling less pain, and being more present.

And if it doesn’t speak to you, find your own creative way to include more rest in your days. You won’t regret it!

Cheers to rest,
Breathe, grow and let go,

Brigitte