Monday Musings ~ Why We Rest – How To Let Yourself Rest

Hello Again Beauty!

Last week, we started our conversation on REST and why we tend to be SO RESISTANT to rest as a society.

We looked at the pitfalls of not resting, and the root causes of why we run from rest so much.

Today, I want to explore the shadow side of not resting - essentially what we fall into when we don't rest mindfully - what the true benefits of rest are and how you can start to turn the tide so that rest becomes a natural part of your self care routine so that you can reap all the benefits.

Settle in. Take a deep breath. Be.

The Shadow Side Of Running From Rest

With this, comes the shadow that will always be created by such a fundamental false belief.

You see, resisting rest, not allowing yourself to rest or stressing the entire time you engage in restful activities does NOT get rid of the NEED for rest.

That is right, rest is a need.

Just like ignoring your need for food or sleep or water for long enough won't magically create a situation in which you no longer need these things, resisting rest does not make it so that you don't need rest.

What happens when you push away rest, is you create for yourself a situation where you can ONLY get the need met in a SHADOWED form.

Which is what leads us to over eating, over sleeping, spending hours glued to the television or our phones. We get this need for 'rest' met in ways that are not actually restful, but are rather numbing. Or we swing the other way and engage in risky or otherwise blatantly damaging activities like gambling, promiscuity, over spending, and so on in a desperate attempt to escape our lives - even if just for a little while.

So you see, that without allowing yourself true rest - and doing the inner work that is required to get you to a place where you are capable of allowing for real rest - you do not simply exist without the need. You get caught in a space where you can't fully ever get the need met, all you can do is get numb or checked out of your life, which inevitably leads to painful consequences.

How will you know when you have achieved true rest?

True rest is always nourishing and never destructive. 

The Hidden Magic Of Trust Rest:

You may now be wondering what exactly is so special about true rest? What are you really going to get out of it that you cannot get from something else? If it is really so important - why?

When you rest, you receive. This is the first and most important idea that you must come to terms with with regards to resting. When you never let yourself rest, it is nearly impossible to fully 'get' the lessons you are here to learn in this life. You most likely realize at this point, that life is all about expansion and growth. That you are essentially always in a state of becoming aware of what you were not aware of before. Becoming stronger. Becoming wiser. That life is continually showing you new things.

At the same time, you are being looped through learning experiences over and over, as a way of gaining wisdom and isight from many different vantage points.

The thing with all this learning, is that it never really ‘sticks’ until you have time to fully digest what you are being shown.

Just like when you were in grade school, and you were advised to read your notes last thing before you went to bed on the eve of an exam. When you did this, it seemed as though you were able to retain more information than if you studied hard and stayed up all night trying to cram the information into your brain. At some point, the taking in of information reaching a point of diminishing returns - and turning to rest actually increases your capacity to fully absorb and retain what you are learning.

It is this way with life. When you rest after going through a phase of growth, you solidify those lessons learned into your being. They have a chance to set down roots in your being. This actually enables you to learn FASTER than if you try to press on, continuing to beat the drum of activity ceaselessly.

When we rest, we are allowing ourselves to integrate our experiences so we can actually fully learn from them.

We allow for the remembering of who we really are. We create the container to realize that life is on our side and that we are fully supported. This learning and integration through rest not only increases your capacity to learn, it also shows you the benevolence of the universe at the same time. Seeing that you can relax and learn at once shows you that the constant struggle and push is not needed.

Rest Shows Us Where The Poison Is:

I want to come in here with a confession: rest was not always my strong point. I am/was a go-go-go machine for a long time.

I was scared to rest, because I was scared of the person I would meet when I slowed down. I was scared to rest because I didn't trust that I would be supported. I was scared to rest because who would love me if I wasn't 'doing' something? I was scared to rest because when I relaxed, my true self came to the surface and I wasn't so sure that my true self would fly in this world. I was not so sure that I could love the one that I really was - without the frantic activity.

Through a long process of releasing into rest, through learning to relax, much of the above fear has been resolved. I have walked through those dark and scary places within myself, not running to distraction. I have sat with my fear, my anger, my sadness, my shame - and I have come out the other side a person who can genuinely say that I like who I am. I have learned to embrace the one that I am this time round.

I have also learned to receive without guilt. I have learned that there is so much more here, so much love and support, and that when I don't feel it is it because I am too busy - not because it has gone anywhere.

Resting is sacred. It is integrative. It is how you allow your truth to surface.

Rest shows you what you already know, and helps you learn to walk it out. Rest is a magical potion of truth realization. Rest shows you that the fear and pulsing drum beat of ‘not enough’ is simply an illusion. Rest shows you who you are, and helps you embrace that one.

It is not always easy. It is sometimes very painful. But it is always, always worth it.

Finally understand that if you refuse to rest, life will make sure that rest happens TO you. This is often why we get sick, get secluded somewhere with no community, find ourselves without the jobs or children or relationships we used to have. Rest is so important to your ultimate fulfillment, that if you resist it, life is kind enough to nudge you in the direction anyway.

So surrender my friend. Rest.

Make room for it. All of the mess of rest. Eventually it becomes a still point.

Promise.

perceptiontrainers

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