Did you know there are 7 types of rest?
According to Saundra Dalton-Smith MD in her *TEDxAtlanta Talk 'The Real Reason We Are All Tired And What To Do About It', from early 2021, there are seven types of rest we can all benefit from to increase creative thinking, reduce stress and feel a greater sense of belonging. In her talk Saundra states:
".... Rest is the most underused, chemical free, safe and effective alternative therapy available to us"
And I couldn't agree more!
Being fascinated by rest - the lack of importance we bring to it, the rest deficit we are all living in, my lived experiences of investing in more rest - this TED caught my attention to bring fresh perspectives to my learning.
Interestingly, by investing time and energy exploring quieter, more introspective mind-body practices, such as Yin, Restorative, Yoga Nidra and journaling, we fulfil many of the types of rest that Saundra highlights too.
Perhaps this is why retreats are so powerful? They uniquely hold space for ALL seven types of rest to be received and so can feel transformative in reviving energy in just a few days.
So what are the 7 types of REST we can take to benefit our wellbeing, and how can we work with them to support our days?
Of course it is unlikely we can all take ALL of these each day. And depending on our unique experience of the world, and different phases of life, we might feel we need / do not need, some of these types of rest more than others.
Likewise, we might crave some of these types of rest, but they simply might not be possible - hello tired parent with active, loud toddler who wakes a lot at night. I am sure you would love to take a nap, but clearly cannot leave said toddler to safely fend for themselves.
However, we all hold the strength to bring small positive rest habits to support our wellbeing. Saundra Dalton-Smith suggests identifying where we are using the most energy each day, then focussing attention on getting the type of rest needed to restore one of those specific areas.
Small, achievable goals are always the best way to create change, such as 2 minutes of gentle stretching to start and end the day, or a reminder every 2 hours to get away from the screen for 2 minutes - or whatever works for you to support your holistic mind-body wellbeing.
What REST RECIPE do you currently need to support you and how will you take it?
Please comment below or get in touch if you would like to work with me 121 to support you in exploring this further.
P.S If you would like to experience deeply nurturing rest on a weekend Yoga, Meditation & Mindfulness Retreat please get in touch to discover availability.
Please note, Chronic Fatigue can also be associated with numerous health problems, so please get checked out by your physician if your symptoms persist.
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