Good morning.
Here is your practice for the week.
The last days of the year can be filled with busyness, loneliness, reflections, celebrations, and making plans. We give much attention to what we didn’t do, what we could do, and what we will do. Reflections are valuable.
But so is rest.
It can be helpful to detect and appreciate rest — the absence of sensations during this time. Not only does focusing on rest give you relief, but it helps you to enjoy non-doing. While appreciating rest, you can access more expansive spaces and turn away from habitual thoughts/striving that cause you to contract.
As leaders, a lot of self-worth is tied to accomplishing things. But wisdom is accessed through rest. It can give you a steadiness, especially during a storm, that isn’t often seen in leaders - but always respected.
Try this Feel Rest practice this week - notice what it does for you. It might be helpful to note your level of rest before and after the practice.
Notice how focusing on rest changes any urges you have to fix problems.
What happens when you turn towards rest instead?
What if rest was as valuable as action? How does that change your leadership style?
We’ll return to a variation of this practice in a few weeks during January’s Grounding Set for Leaders, a set of mindfulness practices that help you ground yourself in calm and steadiness. I’ll share more insights and why rest is essential for leaders. The first practice is released on January 1st.
But for this week, see how tuning into rest changes things for you.
Happy rest,
Kerri