Rest Rhythm: How to start living FROM rest instead of FOR rest.

Me, the self-proclaimed Queen of Rhythms, realized that she doesn't have one for rest. I hear you, yes, that is a pretty easy one to overlook. Honestly, let me know in the comments below if you actually have a rhythm for rest. I'm not talking about a sleep rhythm, I'm talking about one for rest. 

Why is this differentiation important, you may ask? Well, it has come to my attention that some humans require rest, outside of sleep, as part of their creative process... and yes, I am one of those people. 

There are so many different kinds of rest! These could be from shutting off all stimuli to finding just the right stimulus, or from spending time alone to spending time in a group. Rest basically just means turning off the stress and allowing your soul to quiet itself. For me, its being still and knowing. That's it.

I've found that an effective way to figure out what kind of rest you need is to think of, what I call, your holistic parts. A holistic part being (to me, at the time of writing this) either your mind, emotions, spirit, body, relationships, or environment. So you could choose to rest one, or all of these parts! Don't forget that sometimes rest will come in the form of expression. Go with what resonates in the moment.

A golden key to choosing how you are going to rest is to identify what holistic part you need to rest... or express.

Sometimes I need to rest my body, mind, environment, and relationships by shutting off all the stimuli to those parts of myself. Other times, my emotions are thrumming with the desire for release. And at other times, my spirit is longing for inspiration. So in my rest, I allow my different parts to speak to me and then determine if they need an outlet and expression to be rejuvenated, or if they need connection and inspiration, or quiet stillness.

This kind of holistic rest is an approach that encourages you to tune in, listen to what your holistic self is longing for, and then set up your world to support that specific need for a specific time! Yes, we were created with the ability to do this!.. to literally rejuvenate ourselves with rest.

The goal for rest is to live and work from it instead of for it. 

This goal insinuates that rest is more than an isolated event. It can occur as a state of being, as a way of living. I love thinking of this way, don't you?! That it's possible to have a deep source of rest, peace, and calm within yourself, and your creativity and contribution to the world can flow from a place like that.

It's nice to read about this concept of working from rest, but I'd like to help you drive it home with a challenge to apply it to your life.

Your challenge starts with reflection. 

What comes to mind when you ask yourself, "What part of myself needs rest in this moment?"

Now ask yourself, "What kind of rest is it longing for?"

Be still right now. Use this brief moment of time to rest. Close your eyes and imagine yourself doing that thing your brain just showed you that you're longing for. Walk through every detail in your minds eye. Smell the smells. Breathe deeply. Feel the air. Smile. Release. Rest.

Seriously, stop reading this for a moment and go there. It helps me to set a timer on my phone, even if its just for 2 minutes. Then rest.

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Great job! How simple is this rest practice!? This is a great way to incorporate more rest into your life and to start discovering how to live from rest... instead of for it.

Now, I have one more challenge! Go create your own rest rhythm. If you don't know what that is, or haven't grabbed my free Life Rhythm Planner yet, then go ahead and click the link below. Do yourself a favor and take 10 minutes to change your approach to scheduling, habits, and goal setting. 

Click Here:

With Love,

Carlie Zak, CEO of Ascent
on social @claritywithcarlie