We don’t rest enough. We often don’t have the time!
But isn’t that the irony…we don’t have time to rest!
I was acutely aware when working at Northern Ballet that paid athletes don’t have time to recover. They would try to speed through it with Sports Massage, icing, sauna and jacuzzis – anything to assist the repair and restoration. But isn’t the whole point of restoring to go slow?
Speaking to the Graduates at the Ballet about their wellbeing this weekend there are still dancers muscling through stress fractures. I have known a lead dancer to do this for a season only to have to wear a boot for the whole of the summer break!
You would hope that in this day and age, with all the advancements in nutrition alongside knowledge of repair that this would have moved on. But this suffering is ingrained. I have watched people try to change this and be torn down for their misunderstanding of the dance world. It is how that world works…apparently. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it? But it is broken!
Thankfully outside of that world we are more focused on how to be good to ourselves. There are constant messages about balancing our health and being still. Some of my favourite yoga is about doing very little. It’s especially important when you contrast that with doing a lot.
But resting often carries guilt with it. Take the above quote about wasting time – almost confirmation that by ‘doing’ you are contributing something. People I work with in chronic pain would love not to rest and be doing what others are. However, below are some of my favourite things:
SLEEP…MASSAGE…NAP…SIESTA…
YOGA NIDRA…SPA…RESTORATIVE & YIN YOGA
So why wouldn’t we relish these things and make time for them just like we do other things that may be good for our health? When recovering from breaking my back these were imperative as I couldn’t walk for more than 20 minutes. I would think nothing of napping to recharge. To recharge my batteries. When I started back massaging I would have to lie down between treatments. Yoga nidra became a daily ritual to not stiffen up. Maybe that’s why I see it as crucial now, it has become habitual. But it is also why I would recommend it others and strive to change others attitudes to taking time out to get your batteries going again.
Namaste base…
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