Rest the body, feed the soul
Pick one day out of a week or out of a month—whatever works for you. Make it a regular date that you can keep and never break. And rest your body and feed your soul; nay, pamper them!
Do NOT do any physical or mental labor. Sleep in! Take a nap! Go to bed early! And in the meantime, do something nice for yourself: take an Epsom salts bath, give yourself a manicure, take out your lacrosse ball and give yourself a massage if you can’t go out and get a massage.
A day of rest
A day of rest was a revolutionary idea in the ancient world of endless toil and still is in our always-on modern life!
You may be most familiar with the idea of a day of rest from a religious context—particularly the concept of Shabbat (Sabbath) which is central to Judaism. One of the underlying premises of Jewish sabbath observance is to stop DOING and just BE. Interestingly, this is the same premise behind meditation—but in the case of sabbath, it lasts for a whole day—traditionally for 25 hours!
Now, some of us just aren’t hardwired for this kind of practice. NOT doing can be very difficult! A 15-minute meditation can feel like an excruciating eternity! But resting, really resting, is a very healthful and necessary practice for living the S.P.A. Life.
A different approach
So, I’m going to suggest taking a different approach to the classic day of rest. I’m going to encourage you to make sure that whatever you do feeds your soul. I know it will be easier said than done!
As for me, I do find myself DOING a lot on my rest day. But I try, at least, to make it different doing—things that personally bring me joy.
Here are some thoughts:
· Unplugging from the news cycle or any other input that might be contentious.
· Getting lost in something—reading, dancing, playing music yourself (not just listening to it).
· Going outside if you work inside. Going inside if you work outside.
· Taking a walk in nature, picnic in a park, play on the playground equipment.
· Connecting with friends, meet over coffee, host a potluck.
· And of course, classically, deepening your spirituality or connecting with the divine.
The things that feed your soul will no doubt be different from mine. I encourage you to discover what they are. Examine how much you DO and think about ways you might set those activities aside for a set period of time and just BE.
One final important note: I know I still don’t always get a full day of rest. Even if my rest is short, I try to be intentional about it. That makes all the difference in the world. You can make even 15 minutes of rest a balm for your soul.