How do the principles of rest and your body relate? Rest is vital for growth. Any sort of growth, for example, emotional growth, business growth, physical growth, and spiritual growth. As a society, we accept this principle of rest for athletes and children. For an athlete, there are scheduled rest days. It is never prescribed to work out or exercise 7 days per week. Think about a young child…how do we know they are going through a growth spurt? Besides being cranky, they typically rest or sleep more. So for emotional growth, business growth or spiritual growth, what does your rest look like?
If you are thinking, man, I have no time to rest, things need to get done. Maybe your definition of rest is different than mine. I want you to be able to rest, as in get out of the fight or flight stress nervous system response so that you can rest when in conversation, you can rest when sitting still, so you can rest when walking or even when playing on the beach with your kids in a bathing suit. Your fight or flight (sympathetic nervous system) is activated when there is a threat, such as a scary animal is chasing you, there is a fire in your house or if you think people are judging your body. It can also be that something happens in your day you didn’t expect, like a change of plans or even a death of a loved one. The unexpected can create a stress response in your physical body, even if it is from an emotional threat. This response is necessary for survival and even growth.
The key to navigating the stress response for growth, is in your ability to get out of the stress response system safely. Can you navigate your thoughts and your system to slow down. This is HARD when our society suppresses the ability to relax when things are supporting you to move forward, to always be available or always be busy. The notifications, the hustle, the caffeine, the lights, the access to food all the time and the drive to be better. Have you ever said to yourself, if I am not moving forward, I am moving backwards? This type of thinking can wreak havoc on your stress system as well as your emotional connection with others. If you are unable to get out of the stress response, you will have a harder time being present and turning off your thoughts.
This relates to your food and body beliefs because if you are always thinking there is a better way to be in your body or a better way to eat for your health, its hard to be present and taste your food as is. Its hard to be present and accept your body as it is now. This does mean you cannot take steps towards change or health yet hating your current diet or body now will create stress, will lack rest and hault long lasting change for your health.
Maybe you need to schedule some structure for rest and practice. Maybe structure is actually the way you can rest. Imagine structure being the path to how your brain and body relaxes. This can take time and intention, yet this can be what you are looking for.
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