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
 
 
Online Resources:
 
There’s a heap of Online Yoga platforms you can access to take Restorative Yoga Classes on & some of my favourites are:
 Gaim, Yoga International, OneOEight, Yogaglo.
 
Authors /Books: some of my Favourite authors are Rod Stryker, Brene Brown, Jillian Pranksy, Judith Hansen Lassester & Elena Brower.
 
Yogarupa Rod Stryker also has some fabulous Yoga Nidra recordings on his new APP Sanctuary.