The Dirty Word Series #2: Rest.

Rest is not a dirty word. Or at least start shifting your focus on it so it is less dirty. It has been historically looked down upon as lazy or unmotivated or apathetic by those in power (usually men). It is seen as a ‘waste of time’ when ‘you could be doing something’. It is seen as negative through comments such as ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead’. Saying no to invitations or events without a ‘good enough reason’ is hard for many because we live in a society that shames rest as being lesser-than or insufficient in some way. Yes, this is shifting, but slowly.

But look around. The world collectively and individually is burnt out. We are overworked, over-stressed, over-capitalised, overdoing. We come home and we have ‘nothing left’. We over-commit on weekend or even on holidays and say ‘I need a holiday after my holiday’, why? because we did not consciously factor and schedule in proper rest.

Consider rest as being similar to the recent ‘cozy’ (or Còsagach) wellness trend. “Còsagach” is an old Gaelic word for being snug and cozy. Picture fluffy rugs, fire pits, outdoor spas and wood burning stoves, soft blankets. It’s about embracing feelings of comfort, a sense of connection and community. It’s about bunkering down and nourishment. It doesn’t have to remain seasonal only. We need to remember to be ‘cozy’ or rest even in the warmer months, and we can actively facilitate this.

Balance being the key to prosperity and health, according to most Eastern and Indigenous philosophies, yin-yang represents a dynamic balance of opposing but complementary and interconnected forces, known as chi. That opposing forces or energies are both required for life. When you are in your busy, productive, doing energy (yang) you get shit done, and generally fit in with the world around you (thank you patriarchal and post-industrial neoliberalism era). But this isn’t sustainable as we frequently find out through physical and mental health breakdowns. We need to move more towards the opposing energy (yin) which allows for slowing, rest, calm, quiet, turning inwards. And we need to do this regularly, consistently and as though our lives count on it. Because maybe they actually do.

The ancient yin-yang principle observes that in all aspects there is duality. Duality is balance, duality is necessary for life. We cannot have or know one without the other. Sun/Moon. Hot/Cold. Fast/Slow. Light/Dark. Life/Death. North/South.

Yin is rest. Yin is grounded Earth energy: receptive, cool, and dark and tied to the moon, the oceans, and the shade. It is associated with feminine energy. Women are associated with yin because the menstrual cycle typically lasts 28 days, like the moon cycle. Yin is associated with the winter season, while yang is more summer. The autumn is more yin than summer, but more yang than winter.

Because yin is associated with feminine energy, it has been shamed and tabooed in modern Western cultures (in particular) because the dominant culture in power is masculine. If more people start to access their yin energy and prioritise activities that facilitate yin qualities, then we will start to see individual and collective shifts.

Yin qualities:

• Contemplation, consideration

• Contraction, going inwards

• Softness, gentleness

• Stillness, observation

• Quiet

• Receiving

• Consolidating

How to move closer towards rest/yin:

• Prioritize rest. Every time you push through, stay up late or burn the candle at both ends, the sympathetic nervous system is affected, which perpetuates imbalance. Over time, too much yang activity interferes with the body's biological clock, or circadian rhythm, which can make you more susceptible to illness. Stop believing the myth that productivity means constantly expanding, increasing your output, pushing your limits, and overriding your natural needs for recovery, rest, and rejuvenation. Schedule in downtime, literally block it out in the calendar while you are in re-training.

• Make time for yin activities throughout the day. We become so focused on getting things done (yang energy) that we don't often allow ourselves to receive and be in the present. To find balance, block time on your schedule for activities that are more yin in nature: breaks in the day when you can eat, breathe, meditate, and re-center. 

• Exercise—but not at the expense of sleep or downtime. The more yang approach to exercise is counterproductive. When we sacrifice sleep to squeeze in a workout or go straight from sitting in front of a computer for hours to doing a heavy workout, they're just recipes for injury. Instead, try to work movement into your entire day and check in with what your body needs before choosing an exercise.

• Eat simply and seasonally. Fat-free, sugar-free, and carb-free diets can be very extreme and limiting, and they can send some people into crisis or stress mode. A more balanced approach to dieting will look different for everyone, but you really can't go wrong by prioritizing seasonal, minimally processed, whole-food ingredients.

• Craft a soothing nighttime routine. Once the sun goes down, you can prioritize yin activities even more: Plan for quiet, homemade dinners featuring seasonal greens. As the sun sets, turn down the lights and switch off electronics. Get in the habit of taking relaxing baths and thinking about three things you're grateful for before going to bed (the earlier, the better!). Gratitude is the practice of receiving, and it is therefore very yin. Ending your day with gratitude will also help you stop your mental chatter and encourage restful sleep.

We only need to look to nature to see the value of rest, balance and tuning into the seasons. The more we resist it, the more our bodies hold tension, chronic stress and illness and engage cortisol hormones. If we learn to move to the natural rhythms of balance and cycles, which include rest as a key component, we will be happier, healthier beings.