Did you know there are 7 types of rest?
That is according to Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith who shares this brilliant wisdom in her book Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity.
We Need Rest
Based on the number of you who wrote back in response to my most recent blog post and newsletter, on Giving Yourself Permission to Rest, sharing your own stories of exhaustion and need for rest, it seems a good deal of us are really feeling the need for rest.
I adore reading your replies. I feel such camaraderie and comfort in knowing that I’m not alone in my experiences.
One reply in particular really stood out. So much so, that I wanted to respond – not just to that reader – but to all of you.
Because… when one of us is thinking/feeling/wondering something, often many of us are as well.
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The comment I received back was this…
“I wish I knew how to rest.”
Wow.
What a simple, yet gorgeous and vulnerable response.
“I wish I knew how to rest.”
Do you know how to rest?
We’re told to take care of ourselves; to give ourselves permission to rest, just as I’d done in that last newsletter, but do we really know how to rest?
Permission is all well and good, but on a practical level, the deeper question is How?
How do you rest?
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Back to Basics
This question is the perfect reminder that sometimes we need to take a step back to the basics in order to discover what we’re missing in our process.
Low and behold, I’ve been exploring this very topic. There’s an amazing podcast that speaks directly to this very subject.
The theory is that we all need different types of rest and that simply sleeping isn’t always the cure for all. Knowing that you need rest is a great first step, but determining the type of rest you need is the critical next-step:
7 Types of Rest
The author explains how, when and why we can utilize these different types of rest. This gets to the root of what we’re needing.
Listen to the podcast interview with Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith HERE or check out her book, Sacred Rest, HERE.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the types of rest you are needing these days!
