The problem with resting

Are all your classes like this?”
The expression on her face was a mix of confusion and discomfort but her eyes held the distinct look of fear. 
“I don’t think this is the class for me,” she went on to say before I could reply.  “I know I signed up for the session but this is not going to work out…”

I had just finished teaching my Relax and Restore yoga class and my new participant couldn’t get out of the room fast enough.  After a brief discussion, I was able to understand what the issue was with the class and I made the arrangements to refund her fees. 

This wasn’t the first time a student has tried my class and then asked for a refund, and it won’t be the last!  It’s not that the poses are complicated or that I’m a bad teacher, it’s because I am teaching rest and spaciousness and slowing down. 

Slowing waaaaaayy down.

Resting is a foreign concept these days.

Slowing down is really hard to do.

Allowing for space, relaxation and stillness is uncomfortable.

In a society that values speed, instant access and always being available, moving slowly and resting is seen as a weakness or a liability.  Space is something that should always be filled with sound, scrolling, and physical stuff.  Being a calm, relaxed person with space in their schedule is regarded with suspicion and they are given labels like ‘lazy’, ‘unmotivated’, ‘no work ethic,’ or ‘worthless.’

But there is another ‘problem’ with my Relax and Restore class.

All the resting, space and slowing down means that you can hear yourself think and those thoughts that run through your mind on a continuous loop are not always pretty!  Stay with the class long enough though, and those thoughts get quieter… but then you’ll start to hear your deeper wisdom.  Hearing your inner wisdom can be great or just as scary as being labeled lazy (hence the fear in the eyes of my ex-student).  Sometimes your inner wisdom suggests changes that are needed or a life that was not exactly what you had planned or it highlights needs and desires that you have been long suppressing.  Your inner wisdom is actually supporting you, offering you compassion and cheering you on, it just takes some practice to hear it. 

Yes, restorative yoga is hard because it restores you, it relaxes you, it reconnects you and offers a port in the storm of life that is always yelling at you to do more, push harder and be “on” 24/7.  It essentially requires you to swim upstream because society does not believe rest and relaxation is important. 

And it is one of the fastest routes to joy that I have discovered so far.

And there it is…. Were you wondering why I’ve been going on about how hard it is to rest and relax?  It’s because relaxation is the first step to joy in your body.  Choosing joy takes courage and when you can find joy in your body, you will open to the inner qualities and resources that can help you grow and you will always have a guidance system that won’t steer you wrong.

What are the ways that you give yourself deep rest and relaxation?  If you would like to try my yoga class, I would love to support you.  I would also love to hear about the ways you have discovered to bring your body into it’s joy – just click reply to this message and share!

May the rest of your summer be filled with rest, relaxation and spaciousness!

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