The Question
What is your relationship to rest?
The Intention
Peace
The Meditative Moment
Go! Do! Achieve! Produce! While these are certainly admirable activities, they cannot be constant. In a world of constant notifications, scrolling, news, crises, noise, movement—in the world of today, rest is rebellious and empowering. Take ten minutes for rest today. Begin in a variation of Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the-wall).
Try one of these options:
Lie down in the middle of the room and lift your legs up into the air. Placing a yoga block or a bolster/pillow under your sacrum can make this more comfortable. And your legs don’t have to be perfectly straight.
Lie down and place your legs up against a wall. Again, a bolster/pillow under your sacrum can make this more comfy.
Lie down and place your calves on the seat of a chair. If you do this one, I’m going to ask you to put your arms up in the air, so you look like a reclining zombie. Or an upside-down tabletop pose.
If your legs (or arms) get tired of this pose, go ahead and release the legs to the ground. You can leave your knees bent, soles of the feet on the floor, or you can stretch your legs out for savasana.
Notice your breath as you rest. What is the quality of your breath as you begin this exercise, and how is it toward the end? What is the quality of your thoughts? How is your heart? Rest restores. Return to your day refreshed.
Originally sent September 20, 2023, to paid Substack subscribers. If you want to receive current Thin Space reflections, you can start a paid subscription here: https://laurenlmurphy.substack.com. You can choose to pay $75/year or $8/month.