21. A report from the frontlines of rest

Last month I wrote about rest and how I was trying to learn the art of resting again. When I hit send on that newsletter, I had a vision of how my Sunday would go, but I hadn’t lived it yet.

So I’m back to report on how that first Sunday went… and how the rest of July unfolded with my little mission to get better at rest.

That first Sunday? It actually felt electric.

By Monday, I was beside myself with pride that I had taken time for myself and unplugged from the ‘busy.’

I set myself up in the bedroom (which, funnily enough, is always my safe space when I’m asked to visualise one) with the heater on, blankets and pillows piled up, candles lit and rain sounds playing from my speaker. I began with a short meditation to bring presence and stillness into the next two hours. Then I journaled. It’s beautiful to read back, I felt so happy to be in this little cocoon, phone on airplane mode.

Next came a yoga nidra meditation. I had one heat pack on my belly, one on my chest, my favourite knit blanket pulled up over me… and I surrendered.

Thirty minutes later, I emerged like a butterfly and wrote more in my journal.

I asked myself: How do I keep this feeling of deep nourishment in my life?

So I did it all again the next weekend. Still magic.

Now, I will confess, my phone didn’t get completely turned off on any Sunday in July, but it was in “Sunday mode” with no notifications coming through. It’s wild how much that alone changes things. No pings meant far less checking and scrolling, and fewer hours lost down the rabbit hole.

Another (slightly hilarious) test of my ability to rest came last weekend when my sister and I went away to a little lakeside town with thermal hot springs. Let’s just say… resting isn’t exactly our strong suit.

We arrived at the hot springs, ready for relaxation, and within three minutes of being in the first pool, I caught myself saying, “Okay, quick, let’s go check out the next area”.

Oops.

Later, while the others went off for massages, I wandered around in my bathers and fluffy robe. I started power walking to the sauna, then suddenly stopped. WTF was I doing??

Despite looking slightly ridiculous, I decided that power walking in a robe was not restful. So I slowed down. As slow as I could.

My body softened.
I felt the sun on my face. The breeze on my skin.
I heard birds I hadn’t noticed before.
Corny but true!

I wandered like that for a while (while others buzzed around) until I found the most peaceful pool yet. A lovely woman looked like she wanted to chat, but I just closed my eyes and soaked. Deeper and deeper.

As with mediation or mindfulness, I’m realising that the art of rest is a practice. And when I nourish myself with it, I feel insanely good.

It feels strange to admit, but true rest is surprisingly hard to remember to do. So, I’m building a few little hacks to help make it a habit:

Schedule Sunday home retreats - heat packs, meditation, rain sounds, the works.
Single task - If I’m watching TV, I’m not on my phone. If I’m walking, I’m not on my phone. If I’m having coffee with someone… yep, not on my phone. (I’m noticing a theme. It’s probably my phone’s fault.)
Slow down - walk slower, handwrite, breathe deeper, float after a swim, stare out the window.

We can get so wrapped up in our worth being measured by how busy we are, it’s a radical act to slow down. I’m here for the rebellion!

I’d love to know, how do you rest? What’s one small shift that helps you actually feel restored?

Libby x