All about Rest…

What has rest become in the digital age? What is required to restore vitality and vigour when we are feeling depleted and drained? How is it that we have become disconnected from our natural state of ease?

It seems that without a conscious decision to stop, pause or step back, modern life has a way of pulling us in, dazzling us with lights, sounds, information and unparalleled access to constant stimulation- and it can be hard to resist.

We are learning -both from a neuroscience perspective and from lived experience, the effect of this constant bombardment and the presence of increased stress on our nervous systems and our lives. Burnout, overwhelm, chronic fatigue and overstimulation is a disconnect in the mind-body relationship.

The racing, uneasy mind, sleeplessness, irritability, headaches, chronic pain, IBS, anxiety, depression, heart conditions, obesity…. the list is a growing one.

But how can we turn the tide, step back and turn inwards? Firstly, it can help to take a look at what REST means. The different kinds of rest and what we as individuals most need. Take a look at the list here - with compassion, and highlight for yourself the domains which most need your attention.

Physical rest - Sleep is vital for the cellular repair of the body, it is when we process the events of the day, and when the glymphatic system (the lymphatics of the brain and spinal cord) to remove toxins and ‘clean’ the brain. Physical rest may also be active, like engaging in yoga, tai chi, massage, a gentle walk or your favourite non exertional hobby.

Emotional rest - Can be recognising and taking a break from situations or relationships that don’t allow us to express ourselves, or be our authentic selves. It might include taking time to process emotional reactions without judgement, be aware of people pleasing tendencies and creating boundaries.

Social rest - Is closely related to emotional rest, whereby we notice people and situations that are supportive and uplifting (energy building) and those that are draining and stressful (energy depleting). Noticing can then lead to spending more time in the energy building relationships. This could include virtual and social media situations.

Sensory rest - We have many ways of sensing the outside world, sight, taste, smell, hearing and touch and increasingly we are bombarded by these forms of stimulation. Often they are derived from unnatural or chemical means (artificial light, food additives, input outside of our natural circadian rhythms). Sensory rest involves situations that remove these inputs as much as possible.

Spiritual rest - Is recognising your relationship to the world around you and your place within it. Engaging with activities that promote connectedness, perspective and compassion for self and others.

Creative rest - Is taking a break from problem solving type thinking and behaviour.It can involve immersing yourself in environments that don’t require your brainstorming input. Being around things that inspire awe and wonder - art, music, nature or whatever floats your boat will support this.

Mental rest - Taking a break from mentally draining tasks - this can be achieved by taking frequent short breaks during work, study or other mentally taxing situations. Journalling and using a daily diary for lists can let the mind settle for some. Bringing awareness to the present moment, “being where your feet are” taking three slow breaths or a quick walk in nature can all be helpful in reducing mental load.

TAPAS - the niyama series

Here we continue to deepen our learning of yoga by delving into yogic philosophy as described by Patanjai in the 8 limbs of yoga.

The niyamas are a set of 5 personal observances - lets take a look at number 3- TAPAS which means to heat or burn and involves the conscious effort to burn away our negative habits, attachments and ego driven desires.

Tapas is developed by building our inner fire- or agni- through mindfully and compassionately working through and practicing things we find difficult. It challenges our preferences- our likes, dislikes and attachments and the tendency we may have towards keeping things easy- when we know it may not be the best for us. Working with tapas can empower us to make positive change and cultivate positive qualities like determination, focus and will power which drive change and transformation.

Do you recall the feeling of accomplishing something challenging?

We all have moments of self doubt, and we have all experienced the sense of accomplishment when we move beyond that doubt or limiting beliefs to achieve a goal. It may be mastering a yoga pose, it may be sitting for longer in stillness - for each of us things will look and feel differently so creating a goal and working on it consistently is key. It should be something simple and small enough to become successful at, but difficult and challenging enough to engage the will.

Tapas is an activity of mind, body or speech which demands a keen concentration of thought or requiring unusual and continuous physical effort.

Doing hard things keeps us young! Learning new skills builds new neural pathways, literally making our brains bigger and more flexible. Cognitive function is improved, as is cardiovascualr health. Bone density is increased, joints and muscles of the body strengthened and the whole system is vitalised. The outlook on life improves, as with self esteem and resilience.

Want to learn more?

Developing a daily routine with specific and individually tailored practices (sadhana) is the best way to begin developing your practice of tapas. Guidance is offered one on one with Mell and is based on the ancient practices of yoga and ayurveda.

Enquire via email for more info.

Understanding the nature of things - The 3 Gunas

“Gunas” describe the three attributes of nature, of which we are an inextricable part.

At any one time, one guna will be the prevailing “essence” with the other two in lesser degrees of influence.

Sattva= intelligence, balance, harmony *energy= inward and upward motion

Rajas= energy, heat, change *energy = outward motion

Tamas= darkness, stability, inertia *energy= downward motion

We may find fluctuations occurring often throughout the day as our energy shifts with the cycles of the sun and the moon. Sattva is associated with the dawn and the dusk, the stillness as light turns to dark, and the darkness to light. Rajas prevails during the daylight hours when we often tend to bustle about getting things done. Tamas is associated with the night time, the quietude and darkness promoting sleep and rest.

We may have a tendency or imbalance shifting us away from our ultimate state of Sattva, or balance. It may be influenced by movement, diet and whether we are in sync with the gunas of the naural world around us.

To know ourselves - our innate natures, to become aware of the fluctuations in mood and energy, be they minute to minute, day to day, or over a lifetime, affords us the insight to create positive change, to be fully present in harmony.

We firstly learn to understand then recognise what constitutes our own balance in mood, energy and action, and the two opposites to that balance. We can then make more informed choices – taking accountability

Sattva- is light and luminous, the force of love that unites all things together. Balance, dynamic stillness, goodness, bliss, bouyancy, lightness. Resides within the realm of the mind or consciousness. Combines the energy of rajas with the stability of tamas

Rajas- Change, activity and over activity, turbulence. Action from motivation. Becoming absorbed in the fast pace of the modern world, desire, pain, restlessness, excessive hard work. The state of rajas embodies , leads us to seek enjoyment in the external world and lose track of our inner peace. Rajas predominates the sensory seeking aspect of the mind, the ever seeking pleasure seeking self. Rajas can provide the motivation for personal development and drive the energy for moving from tamas to sattva.

Tamas- inactivity, withdrawal, difficulty focussing and acting, inertia. Inability to make decisions, immobilisation through fear or fatigue. Promotes deep restful sleep. apathy, darkness, passivity. Loss of awareness. Is a dullness that veils our true nature, building a sense of separateness and isolation. Prevails in the physical body- the muscles, bones and ligaments. During yoga practice it grounds your feet and keeps you balanced. Tamas keeps people grounded and living within limits.

 When we are in sync with the flow of nature and the cyclical natures of shifting gunas, we experience balance, or sattva. When the gunas within us are in opposition to that of our natural world, we experience disharmony. For example, recall a night of little sleep, when the natural world is shifting to the tamasic state of darkness and quietude but our mind is in a rajasic state of activity-thinking and worrying we are unable to find deep restful sleep, the disharmony follows the next day as our delayed tamasic state weaves into our daylight hours and we feel fatigued, lethargic and subdued.

Understanding the gunas is important because while the challenges of our everyday lives can disturb their delicate balance, these energies, entwined in an intricate dance, create all that we are, all that we see, and all that remains unseen.

Tamas provides our foundation; rajas gives it vitality and breath; sattva imbues it with consciousness and compassion. 

It is helpful to remember when we take self reflection, we aim to do so with kindness and self compassion. We all experience states of tamas and rajas- this does not make us less deserving of self care and love. This is how we learn and grow.

Over the coming months we will delve more deeply into the ways we can influence our energetic, mental and emotional states. Here you may like to contemplate the following:

Do you feel the differing states of sattva, rajas and tamas?

Are there patterns to the fluctuations?

What do you wish to cultivate?

What are the habitual ways you respond to any situation that arises?

With love always,

Mell