The Importance of Rest

We know that our bodies need sleep to restore balance and heal.   However, we live in a society that does not value resting, rejuvenating, or "being still."  It can be seen as lazy or a waste of time.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Our lives are busy, hectic, and demanding.  Some of these demands are put on us by others or situations, but we can be the most demanding of ourselves, placing unrealistic expectations on our day to day lives, trying to accomplish more than we are meant to do.  If we are willing to listen, our bodies will tell us that is time to slow down, to rest from the hustle and bustle we try to live in.  If we choose to ignore these signs, sooner or later, rather than give us subtle signals, our body will scream at us, forcing us to stop!  I experienced this first hand the past 2 weeks.  Usually, I am in the habit of having one day of rest during the week, in which I do not do any work.  For those of you who are familiar with keeping the Sabbath, this is what I have gotten in the habit of doing.  In the winter, when it is cold and dreary, I found this an easy thing to do.  Taking that one day off resulted in having more than ample energy the rest of the week.  Now that spring is finally here, I am finding it a bigger challenge.  There are things I felt I "had" to get done both inside the house, with my business, at school, and in the yard.  Not to mention taking classes from 2 different places and trying to get caught up with that also.  I knew that my body was tired, that I was trying to do too much, but rather than taking time for that day of rest, I kept pressing through, priding myself on how much I got accomplished over the weekend.  You have heard it said that pride goes before the fall, and that is true!  I ended up worn out, sick, aching, miserable, with no energy.  The choice of not listening to my body resulted in over a week of suffering, not only for myself, but also for my family since I wasn't able to do my every day tasks.  I am still not up to my usual energy level, which is frustrating, but I'm listening now because I was forced to.  How much easier it would be if we would stop, rest, and enjoy our lives before sickness comes in!  The value of "being still"  cannot be over stated.  Whether it's a specific day for you, or a portion of time every day, it is an important element in being healthy in our body, mind and spirit, increasing your energy, patience, and peace.