Thank you for this reminder that rest is a *practice* particularly in our society where even leisure is often consumed by consumption. I took on rest as a practice when I found it framed that way by the Plum Village community, not surprisingly in the early days of fatherhood. I can attest to its benefits for me, and as a result, for those around me.
Thank you for sharing, Christian. Fatherhood & parenting is demanding especially when children are little and dependent on us for many things. Also, I appreciate your point about leisure consumption. We are inundated with opportunities to buy rest through luxury vacations, spa treatments, self-care products and such. They can be useful but the effects don’t last until we buy more. In “The Stress Prescription” Dr. Elissa Epel showed that a week at a luxury resort had limited long term impact and participants rebounded to pre-vacation levels of stress. Whereas those who spent time practicing meditation, yoga and self reflection sustained lower levels of stress even a year later.
What Dr. Epel found makes sense to me: a one-time, big intervention can bring immediate relief, but only sustained practice facilitates transformation. Thanks for sharing that with me.
Yes! Agree with your 4 things. And love the title "learn to rest" - it's something many of us need to *learn* though we can sometimes think we already know how to do it.
I read (and will now go hunt for) a book about rest that talked about the different kinds of rest. (Same author’s Ted talk - https://ideas.ted.com/the-7-types-of-rest-that-every-person-needs/). We dump them altogether. But physical rest is different than spiritual rest is different than mental rest. Thinking of rest in this way has also helped me to see that I need to account for many different forms of rest to be rested.
Hi, it's Maia. I have never commented on a Substack before, but here to say I love this, and I love the concept of Deep Rest -- and thank you for sharing your journey.
Thank you for sharing your authentic and insightful journey. Your aunt's story is especially moving - what a legacy of creativity and vitality she left behind. I really appreciate how you connected your personal journey with the concept (or philosophy?) of deep rest. I hadn't heard of it before, but it's so powerful and makes so much sense. It reminded me that true wellness isn't just a weeklong or weekend escape but about how we choose to live our lives daily. I love the accessibility and practicality of the suggestions that you made for incorporating deep rest into everyday life - breathing deeply, stimulating your senses, being out in nature, and building community. It's so easy to underestimate the value that these acts have in transforming how we act and feel. Thank you again for sharing your wisdom!
Thank you for sharing the additional studies. I have been going through an enforced deep rest learning process in the past year so this is very helpful. Qi Gong is on my list!
Thank you for this reminder that rest is a *practice* particularly in our society where even leisure is often consumed by consumption. I took on rest as a practice when I found it framed that way by the Plum Village community, not surprisingly in the early days of fatherhood. I can attest to its benefits for me, and as a result, for those around me.
Thank you for sharing, Christian. Fatherhood & parenting is demanding especially when children are little and dependent on us for many things. Also, I appreciate your point about leisure consumption. We are inundated with opportunities to buy rest through luxury vacations, spa treatments, self-care products and such. They can be useful but the effects don’t last until we buy more. In “The Stress Prescription” Dr. Elissa Epel showed that a week at a luxury resort had limited long term impact and participants rebounded to pre-vacation levels of stress. Whereas those who spent time practicing meditation, yoga and self reflection sustained lower levels of stress even a year later.
What Dr. Epel found makes sense to me: a one-time, big intervention can bring immediate relief, but only sustained practice facilitates transformation. Thanks for sharing that with me.
Yes! Agree with your 4 things. And love the title "learn to rest" - it's something many of us need to *learn* though we can sometimes think we already know how to do it.
🙌🙌🙌
I read (and will now go hunt for) a book about rest that talked about the different kinds of rest. (Same author’s Ted talk - https://ideas.ted.com/the-7-types-of-rest-that-every-person-needs/). We dump them altogether. But physical rest is different than spiritual rest is different than mental rest. Thinking of rest in this way has also helped me to see that I need to account for many different forms of rest to be rested.
Thank you for sharing the article. So insightful!
I recommend Dr. Epel’s book where she describes Deep Rest as just one component of stress management. https://www.elissaepel.com/the-stress-prescription
Thank you - I resonate with so much of what you said, and needed to read this today!
Hi, it's Maia. I have never commented on a Substack before, but here to say I love this, and I love the concept of Deep Rest -- and thank you for sharing your journey.
Thank you, Maia!
Thank you for sharing your authentic and insightful journey. Your aunt's story is especially moving - what a legacy of creativity and vitality she left behind. I really appreciate how you connected your personal journey with the concept (or philosophy?) of deep rest. I hadn't heard of it before, but it's so powerful and makes so much sense. It reminded me that true wellness isn't just a weeklong or weekend escape but about how we choose to live our lives daily. I love the accessibility and practicality of the suggestions that you made for incorporating deep rest into everyday life - breathing deeply, stimulating your senses, being out in nature, and building community. It's so easy to underestimate the value that these acts have in transforming how we act and feel. Thank you again for sharing your wisdom!
Thank you so much for this important reminder. As a new mom in the midst of caring for my very sick mom, this really hit home.
Thank you for sharing the additional studies. I have been going through an enforced deep rest learning process in the past year so this is very helpful. Qi Gong is on my list!