Relaxation vs. Rest

As Autumn settles in and a new rhythm is established, I notice how much demand there is on my time, attention and energy. There seems to be more to navigate, schedule, plan and arrange.

The busier I become, the more I am reflecting on how many things capture my energy in subtle and gross ways.

What drains my battery? What restores me?

One of my intake questions is “how do you relax?”

Naturally, I get a myriad of responses, to name a few:

• watch TV/scroll

• play video games

• read

• glass of wine

• walk

• exercise

I think a more useful question is not how do you relax, but rather, how do you rest?

Most of the ways in which people say they relax aren’t necessarily restful.

Why is rest more important than “relaxation”?

Because rest is what allows for healing and repair. It is essential to health and vitality.

Let’s define rest as more than just sleep; rest is a state of being in which the mind and body can settle, be at peace and ultimately feel restored.

I would argue that a lot of the “activities” of “relaxation” are actually just distractions, and they don’t ultimately leaving one feeling restored.

Exercise can be restorative, unless of course one over-exercises leading to states of depletion rather than restoration.

People are often surprised at how deeply restorative acupuncture can be.

I think this in part because people are constantly in a state of doing, even when they are “relaxing”, and this is not actually restorative.

Acupuncture can shift the nervous system out of a sympathetic into a parasympathetic state.

This neurological shift allows the frenetic activity of the mind and cascade of biological responses to settle like the snow in snow globe that has been vigorously shaken and left to rest.

Keeping your mind engaged, like with reading, or scrolling or gaming or watching, has no restorative benefit.

It is simply drawing your attention out and away from your self and the present moment.

Relaxing may in fact be enjoyable, but ask yourself, is it restorative?

As we settle into autumn, I invite you to evaluate how you rest.

This is one of the keys to aging wisely…the goal should NOT be to live as long as you can, but to live as healthy as you can.