Redefining Rest

Giving Your Body the Variety of Care It Craves

This past week I looked at my inbox and social calendar and realized it seemed like just about everyone I know was out of town. Business trips, beach trips, trips back home... people are logging in those miles! And even back at home for a lot of friends and family celebrating the Fourth of July, there were parties and fireworks lighting up everyone's weekend.

Me? I had a different kind of celebration – one of quiet and rest! 

Like I mentioned last week, this month I am in search of Vacation Vibes, soaking up something special about summer while staying put right here in Taipei.

I have to say, the quiet silence of the weekend and a lack of plans can feel super strange. Sometimes not doing much feels like not doing enough to me. I head into time off overthinking about what the BEST use of the downtime will be, and I sometimes just get stuck in one position scrolling until the time seems to have just slipped away with little account or enjoyment.

But this weekend I had some space to try a different approach. I held my free time with gentle appreciation instead of a tight grip of control.

It did not really matter what I did, just that I listened to some different sides of myself that were calling out for rest and that do not get heard on a regular day.

Rest from socializing and being in front of a classroom of students looked like picking up my journal for five minutes. Rest from intense cardio looked like rolling out on my yoga mat. Rest from reviewing my NBC HWC exam notes looked like having so much fun looking for some new Kpop songs for a family class I did with a grandma, mom, and granddaughters!

And that really sweet nap on Sunday afternoon felt like the cherry on top of my restful weekend.

Rest doesn't need to mean doing nothing. It means giving my body and mind the variety of care I am usually too rushed to notice I need.

What kind of rest are you and your body and mind craving this week? Is it a moment alone? A moment of playful connection with someone or something? An extra ten minutes of sleep?

Wishing you some beautiful rest this week!

Keep moving!

xx,

Katie