And Rest

Dear Reader,

Many Awareness Through Movement lessons start with the suggestion, “Please lie on your back.” I’ve heard it so many times that I have an almost Pavlovian response to those words. I start to relax, I close my eyes, pay attention to how my body lies on the floor, and calmly look forward to some restorative moments. I’ve come to love that simple sentence, “Please lie on your back.”

When I mentioned this to some of my students, they said they had a different favorite phrase: “…and rest.” Yes, indeed, that’s a good one. So many times in our lessons, we do an exploration and then rest. Rest, not because the movements are exhausting, but resting our attention, taking a moment to let our nervous systems absorb new information.

Years ago, my kids were in a year-round school. They had a shorter summer vacation, but during the school year, they had relatively frequent one and two week breaks. What a brilliant idea. Study and work for several weeks, and then take some time off. Rest. Do something different. Rest before you’re exhausted. Let your nervous system absorb all that new information.

Not only do we need good sleep, but we also need moments of rest. Some scientists call it non-sleep deep relaxation. Whatever you call it, it’s good for us.

What do you do to find some restful moments? Is it as simple as stopping to look up close at flowers on your path, or closing your eyes for a moment here and there? It’s nice to know that it doesn’t have to be complicated or take a long time, but it can make a big difference.

Please let me know what you notice about moments of rest.

Have all the fun you can. And rest.

Here are some of the events I have coming up—and, yes, they’ll have some restful moments.

Our ongoing, online TuesdayFeldenkrais Awareness Through Movement class is still free pay as you wish. By the way, the participants are some of the nicest people you could meet.

Unlocking the Neck and Shoulders—Feldenkrais for a Head Held High (in Person)

Unlocking the Neck and Shoulders—Feldenkrais for a Head Held High (Online)

Tiny Felt Vessels