Just Chill // the Art of Rest

..... I remember a large oak tree in the front yard of our house in Colorado. Every day I'd climb that tree and shield myself behind the leaves-hidden from view. I’d go there to get away from whatever was troubling me and just let my soul breathe. It was my space.

Years later, life happened. New places, new people. California became my home and my space was in the rolling hills surrounding our neighbourhood. I would run around the corner, past the gate, and follow the sun’s rays up to the tall stretch of grass until I reached the summit. There I felt completely at ease to let it happen. No one was around-freedom soared; I sang, I yelled, I cried, I danced. And I always left those hills feeling refreshed.

Uhaul the moving truck, a close companion, visited a few more times in the years that followed. New places, new people. In the settling and resettling, I realised I needed a portable space. So, I got a hammock! My places of rest became wherever my hammock was perched; the redwood trees on Cherry Lane, California, the bay window on the 7th floor in São Paulo, and now, here, in the garden of our house with 25 girls on Spindle street, Jeffreys Baai.

.....These places of rest have given me room to think and breathe, where my soul feels most at peace. Though, as life quickly gets busy and free time seems scarce, I’ve found how hard it is to experience complete, deep, soul-satisfying rest. 

In this anxiety-induced world, distractions are everywhere -constantly pulling us towards what we think we want, but away from what we truly need. We want adventure; the kind that makes you feel most alive. We want to be productive. We want to be a part of something, and we don't want to miss out. All good things. But sometimes, actually a lot of times, we sacrifice our essential need for rest. We spend our time doing what we want, in hopes it will be more fulfilling than what we need. Our never-ending hustle leaves us worn out, and soon we lose our tenacity to work well, live well, love well. 

Consider that everything created has been wired for rest. Nature is subject to seasons that cycle from spring's harvest to winter's dormancy. A Google search on dormancy explains it as a period when "minimized activity helps an organism conserve energy." Like all natural things, we are also (especially) designed to slow down every so often; rest is required to fully function. And yet, we deplete ourselves from it. 

Friend, when is the last time you've given yourself time to rest. Truly rest? 

What we often lack can be adequately described in two words: 

Be.  Still.

Rest is not a matter of doing but being. Being still is a state of mind. Before we can ever enter into a place of rest, our minds must be at peace. What do your thoughts consist of? Because a healthy mind is so so crucial. Our thoughts conform to what we choose to focus on, so we must learn to quiet the noise of the world. If it is difficult for you to get your mind off of the ever-constant distractions, find that place of freedom-wherever it is for you. 

Maybe your place looks like a sandy beachfront by the sea, or a living room rocking chair in the corner where the light streams in, or even behind the wheel of your car. It may look different for every person. Wherever it is, make an effort to go there regularly. Make it a lifestyle. Rest is, in fact, an art; "a way of life acquired by experience."

Just chill, my friend.

Life is to be enjoyed, not rushed.

Free your hands,

find your space,

and breathe for a while.