Should I STAY or Should I GO?
Productive Rest - December 2021
Richardson Beach, Hilo, Hawaii
black sand beach magically to myself, snorkel, a perfect Hawaiian day
Well, this is not about vacation, although they can definitely help with rest and reset, this picture helps transport me to this calming experience! When do you need to choose productive rest? And how?
To Exercise or not to Exercise? That is the Question!
When will exercise help shift you out of feeling tired or when does your body need the rest? These are great questions to ask, but the answer is, it depends. It helps to develop a skill of listening and asking your body.
I can’t even count the number of times clients come in and tell me how tired they are, only to leave feeling better and revived. That’s the beauty of movement! I make sure in those sessions to give more flow to honor tired, but just the right push to achieve that shift. I always encourage communication with clients about how they are feeling during a session so I can adjust what movement direction I go in next. But when do we go and when do we skip exercise?
I experienced this quandary two weekends ago. My activities on the weekends include dance class Saturday and yoga class on Sunday. Both overfloweth my movement heart, and complement my activities during the week. But I drained the tank on Saturday at the end of dance class. Movement hurt rather than felt good, so I stopped. When I got home, I went to just lie down, and woke up 30 minutes later. The next morning, I couldn't muster up the excitement for yoga class. Hmmmm maybe my body is telling me to rest?
Getting a good night’s sleep is important, but it might not be enough to be rested. We have to invite in rest as a welcomed guest so it can bring rejuvenation. In our busy society, we value doing. I love the doing too, so finding this balance is hard. Thus here I am, sharing my struggle, yet acceptance, and feeling better for it.
Listening
The listening is hard but the most important part, and something you have to develop with self inquiry. Check in with your body. Don’t compare yourself with what you could do 10/20 years ago, or to what others are doing. Here are some simple questions to get started: Can I recognize the difference I feel between my body not feeling like exercising, or just needing rest? Do I need a push, and do I apply the brake? How did I feel after a class or activity? Feeling like crashing after exercise is a full stop signal of a body in need of recovery! But feeling good afterwards is a sign your body needed it. Finding the Yin (passive) and Yang (active) is a balance that will keep shifting throughout our entire lives.
Your Perfect Yin
What does that look like for you? Everyone is different. In order for it to be productive rest*, you must commit to it fully and not think about the other things you need to do on your list! Take a nap (even 20 minutes can make a difference), take the time you were going to exercise for reading, or catching up on a movie you’ve been wanting to see. If you have breathing/meditation practice, that can be refreshing. If keeping a movement habit is hard for you, just show up for up to five minutes of light stretching and movement. Try disconnecting from your phone if you can, and cancel plans. It’s hard to stay present if you are drained anyway. Get some body work. Retreat for a bit into a self made cocoon, so you can become that butterfly again. Pushing through tiredness over and over again will make it hard to enjoy the now, and your body’s message to rest may get louder in the form of injury and/or disease.
The moment I realized rest was needed, I skipped my more taxing exercise for a good couple of days, went to a Korean spa where I relaxed with a friend, got a much needed massage, and felt loads better! Was it easy to miss movement I love so much? No. But I am so glad I am learning to listen better. I am now the butterfly looking forward to enjoying getting back into my activity schedule once again.
P.S. Back in dance class this weekend, I danced with more mobility and power thanks to some bodywork and rest. Yoga was bomb too. So much more enJOYable!
*It’s also important to note that even after productive rest, if you still feel tired, it might be a good time to call your trusted eastern or western doctor and get an examination, and/or request a blood panel. The body has its reasons!