Sending you Good Vibes and Energy of Peace and Ease.
May you let things go,
May you be present in the now,
May we be aware of and present of how things are in this moment,
May you take a few moments to rest.
A couple of years ago, in season 1 of the pandemic, I like most of the world had gotten settled into what everyone was calling The New Normal. Where so many of the experiences that happened and things were doing in real life had pivoted to being available virtually. At the beginning of the pandemic, things were really challenging and even hard for me. I felt depressed, I lost a significant stream of income I had in the pipeline and I just didn’t know what to do to take care of myself and survive.
Fortunately, within the first few weeks of the pandemic, I commenced my accredited, MTT(Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training), that I got accepted to in 2022. I am so grateful for that opportunity because it changed my life and changed my perspective of and on things. Namely through one of the first books I had to read called The Heart of The Buddha’s Teachings by one of my favorite teachers, Thich Nhat Hahn. The book and the experience of the teacher training changed my life and I was able to navigate through the pandemic, what was, what was happening and my challenges better by simply accepting what was. Then the tide shifted and life was showing me it’s abundance. So many new doors were opening and so many new opportunities were coming my way which I am still grateful for.
So as I settled into that new normal, accepting what was coming my way and adjusting to all that was happening, my days and schedule became very full and booked up. A really big opportunity to work with a major, household-named brand was happening with me and my company and I was excited about it but my plate and cup were full working on this opportunity. In the midst of working on it, I was planning what was a travel celebration and a vacation.
The opportunity happened, I knocked it out of the park and it was well received. I did all the necessary things after — debriefing, sending thank you’s, etc. and then I was excited about the traveling celebration that was coming. I traveled and went to my destination and settled into the vacation, which was amazing.
I’ve traveled a lot. Most of the time my traveling is for business purposes, but I always manage to enjoy wherever I am and make sure there are personal pleasures as well. But it wasn’t until this particular trip that I RESTED.
I celebrated the occasion. I ate. I rested.
I celebrated the occasion. I ate. I rested.
I celebrated the occasion. I ate. I rested.
I also experienced where I was, because I had never been there, and did some activities. But really I RESTED. I wasn’t on my phone or computer checking emails. I was present. Everything work-wise could wait. And I noticed as much as I have traveled and as many places, I have had the opportunity to go, I never really vacationed or even RESTED.
It was so powerful to rest and do nothing. I had nowhere to be. I had no place to go. I had nothing to do. I just rested and enjoyed the moment, where I was and what was in that place and those moments. I rested.
Rest is revolutionary. It’s revolutionary because our Bodies and Minds have the capacity to heal themselves IF we allow them to rest. Sometimes in the middle of the madness, our days or our experiences, we need to rest. We can incorporate mindful moments of rest into our days and schedules. Research has shown that taking breaks and prioritizing rest can lead to improved mental health, better physical health, increased creativity and productivity, and even greater social and economic equality. When we rest, take regular breaks and get adequate sleep our cognitive function can, we can reduce stress and anxiety, and we can enhance overall well-being. But resting isn’t always sleeping or lying down and that’s not the only position for resting. And resting doesn’t have to be hard labor. We can rest wherever we are by grounding or being still. We don’t need to do anything or be anything or be anywhere. We can just rest and be fully present in that rest. And we can also use Sitting or walking meditation as a modality to rest.
Yesterday was World Meditation Day and to commemorate I released my latest offering, which I am excited to share with you — A sonic meditation/single on REST that I did with the legendary, Jahi Sundance. It is available here to listen, download, practice and/or REST and additionally, it’s available on Apple Music, Tidal YouTube, or wherever you get your music!
So I invite you today, wherever you are to stop and take a moment, close your eyes and rest.
Allow your breathing to just happen.
Your breath will slow down.As you do that you rest.
As you rest, your breathing will happen all by itself and awareness will happen all by itself.
There is no need to attain anything.
Just allow your body and mind to rest — don’t struggle.
Rest is revolutionary and it’s essential for us to be our highest and best selves.
Use your rest as a reset.
Use your rest as a mindful modality.
Have an Amazing day and week.
Be well, stay mindful.