CULTIVATING COMPASSION
The Rest Revolution
BY DR. AMA OLSON, DPT; EDITED BY CAM MACQUEEN
,QWKHVHFKDOOHQJLQJWLPHVZHFDQIHHORYHUZKHOPHGDQGGLVHP - SRZHUHGE\WKHQHZVDQGFXUUHQWHYHQWV+RZHYHUZHDUHLQFKDUJH RIWKHZD\ZHIHHODQGWKLQNQRWWKHLQÀXHQFHVRIWKHH[WHUQDOZRUOG Carving out time for a rest practice — a repose from life’s activities ²FDQKHOSUHDOL]HRXUSRZHURYHURXUWKRXJKWVDQGIHHOLQJV,IZH move deeper into these self awareness practices, we will begin to see WKHH[WHUQDOZRUOGDURXQGXVVKLIWDQGFKDQJHWRUHÀHFWRXULQWHUQDO VWDWH7KHH[WHUQDOZRUOGZLOOEHFRPHDUHÀHFWLRQRIWKHSRZHUZH KDYHWDNHQEDFNDQGDUHÀHFWLRQRIRXURZQFRPIRUWDQGHDVH:H ZLOO¿QGWKLVWREHWKHPRVWSRZHUIXODFWWRPDNHSRVLWLYHFKDQJHLQ the world around us. What is a Rest Practice, Yoga Nidra? $VDGHGLFDWHGSK\VLFDOWKHUDSLVW,LPPHUVHP\VHOILQP\SDWLHQWV¶ stories and creatively tackle their challenges. Even after a few hours of ZRUNP\PLQGLVEX]]LQJIURPWKLVFRQVWDQWVWLPXODWLRQ(YHU\DIWHU - QRRQGXULQJOXQFKEUHDN,VOLSDZD\WRP\FDUUHFOLQHWKHVHDWFORVH P\H\HVDQGSHUIRUPDUHVWSUDFWLFHFDOOHG<RJD1LGUD,QWKHODWHDI - WHUQRRQ,GRWKHVDPHSUDFWLFHH[FHSWZLWKEODQNHWVDQGSLOORZV,GR QRWSHUIRUPWKLVULWXDORXWRIGLVFLSOLQH ,SHUIRUPLWWRUHDOL]HDVWDWH of comfort and ease. 0\LQWURGXFWLRQWR<RJD1LGUDFDPHRYHUDGHFDGHDJRZKHQ,VXI - IHUHGIURPFKURQLFSDLQDQGLQVRPQLD%\GHVWLQ\,OLVWHQHGWRD<RJD 1LGUD<RX7XEHYLGHR,ODLGGRZQZLWKDSLOORZXQGHUP\NQHHVDQG ¿IWHHQPLQXWHVODWHU,JRWXSDQGQRWLFHGWKHQDJJLQJVKDUSQHVVLQP\ ORZHUEDFNKDGGLVDSSHDUHG:KDWKDGKDSSHQHG",KDGOLWHUDOO\GRQH QRWKLQJDQGQRZ,IHHOEHWWHU" Yoga Nidra meaning “Yogic sleep” or “a state of awareness in deep sleep” has been referenced in the ancient yogic text, the Upanishads. 7KHPRGHUQ<RJD1LGUDSUDFWLFHLVDVSHFL¿FW\SHRIUHVWSUDFWLFHWKDW VXUIDFHGLQ,QGLDDURXQGWKH ¶VKRZHYHULWXWLOL]HVDQFLHQW\RJLF techniques that have been around for thousands of years. Thanks to my own Yoga Nidra practice, my sleep quality and quan- tity have improved, physical tensions and pain have decreased and GLVDSSHDUHGDQGP\VHQVLWLYLW\WRZDUGVP\ERG\¶VQHHGVKDVUH¿QHG Some years back, my three young cousins cracked open my bedroom GRRUWR¿QGPHO\LQJRQP\<RJDPDWZLWKH\HVFORVHG,KHDUGRQH RI WKHP ZKLVSHU ³:KDW LV VKH GRLQJ"´ $QRWKHU RQH DVNHG ³,V VKH DVOHHS"´$QG¿QDOO\WKHODVWRQHGHFODUHG³1RVKHLVGRLQJ<RJD, think!” For a moment they all became silent, as if taking it in, and then UDQR̆ JLJJOLQJNQRZLQJWKH\VKRXOGQ¶WKDYHEHHQSHHSLQJRQPH 7KHLUK\SRWKHVHVZHUHNLQGRIULJKW0\GH¿QLWLRQRIDUHVWSUDFWLFH is when one ceases activity, draws their attention inward, and transi- WLRQVIURPSUREOHPVROYLQJDQGGRLQJWRIHHOLQJDQGEHLQJ,W¶VDPR - ment in time when we give ourselves permission to let go of respon- VLELOLW\DQGUHVWWKHSK\VLFDOERG\,KDYHFRPHWRUHDOL]HWKLVUHVSLWH from life’s activities enhances my ability to be resilient in the face of constant stimulation in the clinic and in the ever changing drama we call life. Rest is Protest ,ORRNDURXQGPHDQGVHHP\VHOIDQGRWKHUVWDONLQJTXLFNO\GRXEOH tasking, speeding, and pushing and pushing. Our nervous systems are wound very tightly. We are told this is normal, and we won’t make it in this world without keeping up. But it’s a dangerous pace that can lead WRKHDOWKFRQGLWLRQVDQLQDELOLW\WRZRUNDQGRUORZTXDOLW\RIOLIH ZKLFKDUHFRPPRQVFHQDULRV,VHHLQP\Ṙ FHDVDSK\VLFDOWKHUDSLVW 8WLOL]LQJ KXPDQ ERGLHV DQG WKHLU SK\VLFDO DQG PHQWDO IRUFH DV D
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means to acquire wealth is no foreign concept in the capitalistic world. Working more and harder is often equated with success. People work long hours, have high production standards, and push their mental and physical capacities in the workplace and at home. Burnout is con- sidered a right of passage. This programming is ingrained deeply into our psyche and informs many of our life decisions, such as which jobs we take, how many hours we agree to work and how many responsi- bilities we undertake. 7KLVLVZK\,FRQVLGHUUHVWLQJWKHERG\DUDGLFDODFWRISURWHVWLQRXU FDSLWDOLVWLFVRFLHW\,DPKRQRULQJWKLVERG\WKDWFDUULHVPHWKURXJK WKHZRUOGFUHDWHVEHDXW\DQGUHVSRQGVWRLWVQHHGV,NQRZRQDGHHS OHYHO,ZLOODFFRPSOLVKQRWKLQJLQWKLVZRUOGZLWKRXWWKHKHOSRIP\ ERG\ :LWK WKLV DFNQRZOHGJPHQW , FKRRVH WR FROODERUDWH ZLWK P\ body instead of treating it like a slave as the collective consciousness KDVWDXJKWPH,DOVRNQRZQRVXFFHVVZLOOEHVZHHWRUHQMR\HGLI,DP unable to connect with the comfort and ease available in my body. The Radical Act of Letting Go Why is resting such a radical act? What is it about a rest practice WKDWLVVRPDJLFDODQGKHDOLQJ"%H\RQGWKHGH¿QLWLRQDUHVWSUDFWLFH teaches us to let go. Letting go is an unraveling of habits, expectations and past experiences; it is a defocus of attention, and deepens the re- lationship we have with ourselves. $V , VWDWHG RXU QHUYRXV V\VWHPV DUH µZRXQG YHU\ WLJKWO\¶ DQG OHW - WLQJJRKDVEHFRPHGL̇ FXOWIRUSHRSOHLQWKHPRGHUQZRUOGWRGR%XW OHWWLQJJRLVDOVRGL̇ FXOWEHFDXVHZHOLYHLQWKHSDVW2XUERGLHVVWRUH memories, and as we encounter external and internal stimuli, they trigger us to relive past experiences. This can cause increased ner- YRXVV\VWHPDURXVDOZKLFKD̆ HFWVWKHERG\E\LQFUHDVLQJKHDUWUDWH and respiratory rate, and signaling changes in circulation and muscle tone, just to name a few. Oftentimes these responses to stimuli and thoughts are not conscious. For example, suppose you are at work and your boss enters your Ṙ FHUDLVHVKLVYRLFHDQGJLYHV\RXFRQVWUXFWLYHFULWLFLVP,IWKHODVW time someone walked through your door raising their voice you ended up losing your job, then when this happens, your nervous system can VLJQDOWKH¿JKWRUÀLJKWUHVSRQVHRSHQLQJWKHÀRRGJDWHVRIQHUYRXV system responses.
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PATHWAYS—Spring 25—15
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