rest
Several weeks back, some thing happened that signalled to me I had to stop. Life at home became increasingly strained & without revealing too much about my personal life, I was struggling to keep afloat as my partner struggled with his own path. I realised I had been going non stop for nearly a year, taking care of everyone else and taking little care, if any at all, of myself. My own cup was becoming emptier and emptier, as I sought to find the energy and support to continue to support and fill others’.
I felt I was falling further and further away from myself ( cliched as it sounds) further away from my path of Yoga, and further and further away from my own practice.
As my personal life got more & more reactive/stressed/heightened with anxiety & struggles of all that encompasses being in a relationship & caring for someone else & their struggles & anxiety, my ability to see clearly and care for myself disappeared.
( A part of me always feels guilty when I have these thoughts, because I don’t have kids, and see so many people struggle with time & rest when having a family. I remember though, that it was my choice to not have kids & it doesn’t make what I experience, feel & sense any less than anyone else’s, BUT I digress)
I needed to REST.
But god that was hard to do. I actually had to phone a friend and have him literally tell me to TAKE. THE. WEEK. OFF. Seriously I’m 38 and it took my best friend in another state to tell me that and I thought to myself, where have we all gone so horribly wrong that we wait until an eruption to slow down, why can’t we slow it down?
At that same time I felt an enormous surge of energies around me as so many others were going through a very similar time. So, I decided to write a little HOW TO REST to provide some light in how I was ( and still am) able slow it down and slowly make my way back to the light:
1. DON’T Fight It! Stop striving and start seeing. Feeling. Sensing. No more struggle, just REST.
Leading into the next one
2. REST ~ as in DO NOTHING. Unstructured downtime. I don’t mean watching Netflix or reading a book or gardening, I simply mean STOP and REST. Lay on the grass, float in the pool. Lay on the beach and REST.
3. RESTORATIVE YOGA ~ Every damn day. You heard me. I did Restorative Yoga every day for a week 3-4 hours a day. Get online or Buy a book. If you don’t have Yoga Blankets or Bolsters, just make do with soft towels and cushions and pillows.
4. Yoga Nidra. I completed one if not two each day of the week I had off. Again, some great resources listed below.
5. Addition of Supplements: In these times I always make sure I taking adequate supplementation as my body
is pulling loads of these to cope with the added stress and energy it takes to care for someone.
Below is what I typically take but remember this is just me. Seek out a qualified Naturopath or Chinese Medicine Dr/Acupuncturist to ensure you get the correct treatment and supplements.
My Supplementation Routine:
FUSION brand Stress and Anxiety (seriously swear by this ~ within a day I was feeling so much better)
B Complex ( I love Ethical Nutrients B Stress with Rhodiola) & Ginseng 5 ( Ethical Nutrients, excellence for times of high stress and to assist the adrenals in functioning optimally. )
Australian Bush Flower Remedies that is made up for you personally depending on what is happening ( I had one specially made for a person who is supporting another who is under high stress mine had mint amongst others combination is usually around 3 remedies)
Magnesium & Zinc ~ Magnesium Powder & Zinc a a liquid.
Probiotics
6. Bed Time Routine: bath with 2 cups of Epsom salts OR Magnesium Flakes and oils, Cup of Tea with Camomile Passionflower, Lavender and other relaxing herbs.
Bedtime:
~ Legs Up the Wall for 5 Mins, followed by Pranayama of even count of breath in and out
~ Roll onto my Feet and belly @hanakotherapies Happy Tracks
~ Doterra Lavender Peace 4 x drops on pillow ( Or any Lavender Single Oil or Blend)
~ Finally, a Spray of @ hanakotherapies, DREAM MIST to settle me into bed.
I hope the above helps you in some way and remember to always follow your intuition and do what feels right for you.
Mid x