REST /rest/
verb
1. cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength.

Rest, so essential to wellbeing, is something of a lost art. Thich Nhat Hanh, the Buddhist monk and prolific author, pointed out that “whenever animals in the forest are wounded, they rest. They look for a very quiet place and just stay there without moving for many days. They know it’s the best way for their body to heal… The wisdom of stopping and healing is still alive in animals, but we human beings have lost the capacity to rest… If we have time alone with ourselves, we panic and try to do many different things.”

Who can relate? 🤚

It can be especially difficult to practice rest as the holidays approach and 2023 winds to a close. So many to-dos. So many places to be. So much to “wrap up.”

In the days ahead, can you make like a forest animal? Can you find a very quiet place and just stay? Can you tune into your breath, if only for a minute or five? “Mindful breathing helps us to relearn the art of resting,” Thich Naht Hanh wrote. “Mindful breathing is like a loving parent cradling a baby, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you; just rest.”

Just. Rest.