Seasonal Rest

A timely inquiry

Today I’m sharing an exclusive excerpt and prompts from my new book Move, Rest, Recover. This practical guide to restorative practice is now available wherever you like to buy your books. You can also purchase your limited edition signed copy directly from me, which includes a free month of Balance Practice + exclusive art notecard from the book, made by artist Rebekah MacKay.

I hope these practices serve you well, truly.

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We’ve entered the first days of summer holidays here in Scotland where I live, the hazy aftermath following the frenzied crescendo of teacher meetings, sports days, discovering that uniform no longer fits, and school fairs. I marked the last day of term by unintentionally sleeping for 12 hours after tucking my littles into their first *official* summer sleep, finally surrendering to the ever thickening residue of routine that’s built up over the last months. I didn’t realize how tired I am. The next day I wake heavy eyed, lead limbed, distinctly jet lagged. Completely disoriented by the dramatic overnight shift in rhythm. Without even traveling, I think to myself before remembering, Oh yes, I have travelled a great distance these last 6 months.

We all have. It’s no surprise that we’re tired. And so we might remember even as we breathe into summer action and adventures, Rest is always in season. Our energy naturally ebbs and flows alongside the arc of the year, and just as rest is an ask of each day, the turn of each quarter is a prompt to acknowledge that restoration is an ever timely action — a gentle movement — for every season.

Have you considered what this season might be asking of you in context of your innate need for rest and recovery? If not, it’s time. Whether spring, summer, autumn, winter, your rest is needed — here, now.

I want to share the below excerpt from my practical guide to restorative practice. In times overrun by FOMO, consider what season you’re in now and how that impacts your need for rest. Listen, I don’t just mean the weather. If it’s summer where you are and you feel like retreating from the light rather than rising with it, that’s okay.

Read, breathe, and (most important) respond with a reset that truly works for you.

Seasons + Cycles — an excerpt from Move, Rest, Recover

There are, of course, broader seasons and cycles we navigate throughout life that impact how we feel and how much rest we need at any given time. We’re all in a constant state of change, and our ability to rebound from effort shifts as we age. Our longevity depends on how well we adapt to these changes and respond by supporting ourselves where we are.