Written by Steve McAllister

In today’s technologically savvy and fast paced world, we often find little time to rest. With the revolution of industry leaving us only two days a week and possibly two weeks a year for rest and relaxation, we are supposed to use this time to replenish ourselves in order to return to our weekly grinds. For those of us in the progressive movements, those who use our free time by trying to save the planet, ensure social justice for all, or care for those unable to care for themselves, we have even less time in which to rest. And yet, we keep on doing it.

It often seems like there is so much to do and so little time in which to do it. Is it really necessary to find the time to rest? Can’t we just rely on a good six hours of sleep or so and get on with our lives? Surely will all of the recreational activities offered in America, we’re finding plenty of rest. The truth is that we don’t rest nearly as much as we should. Though we still have traditional weekends, only regular churchgoers and Chick-fil-A consider Sunday the day of rest anymore. We’ve just got too much to do to slow down. However, more people are finding that without adequate rest, they are coming to a grinding halt.

Life has two processes that continually interplay: catabolism and anabolism. Catabolism is involved with activity. It is the rigor that we exert throughout our work week and all of our actions, be they hobbies, volunteer work, or even entertainment and exercise. Anabolism is the process of replenishment. It is the period of renewal needed for catabolism to continue. It is the period of rest. Ultimately, if one of these processes stops, so will the other. This is the balance of living in a dualistic world. We have up and down, good and bad, light and dark, inside and outside, and yes, we have activity and rest.

So what kind of rest do we need? How do we actually get it? While sleep is a part of rest, it is not the complete process. In actuality, the body doesn’t necessarily need to sleep, only the brain and central nervous system do. However the body does need rest, as do the mind, heart, and spirit.

Because it carries us everywhere we go and performs every task we imagine, our body takes a lot of wear and tear. Most of us are pretty good about finding rest for our bodies. After all, most of us have televisions that require our bodies to be inactive. However, although television or sitting and listening to music is restful for the body, the mind and senses are still active and are unable to get the rest they need to replenish themselves. Entertainment is stimulation, and stimulation is an active process. It allows for some rest, but not the rest that a whole person needs.

Contrarily, exercise and recreation, while restful for the mind, is exertion for the body. And though many of us try to find rest from the day in the historic coffee break, the stimulation of the caffeine doesn’t truly give us rest, but only further stimulates us to work through our fatigue. In addition, the alcohol and recreational drugs that are so often used to unwind after a long day are actually just pushing the body further and creating more physiological activity from which we will need to rejuvenate.

So what’s the best way to recuperate from all that we put ourselves though? What about the rest of our rest?

Active resting is a great necessity in maintaining a peaceful mental equilibrium, allowing us to rest our bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits. Active rest is most greatly achieved through meditation, allowing all thoughts of worry and fear to drift from the mind like smoke so that the mind can truly be free to rest and rejuvenate itself. This type of rest can be achieved by typical mediation practices or by simply reconnecting to the natural flow of life with a trip to a park or beach. There was a reason Jesus said to consider the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. Go watch them and consider how stressed they are and how much rest they get.

Resting of the senses can also be achieved through meditation. As we rest our bodies, minds, and senses, we need to rest our emotions as well. We spend so much of our daily lives in reaction to all that happens around us. Every time the body reacts to the mind, emotions are stirred. True relaxation allows us to fully rest, easing our minds, rejuvenating our bodies, stimulating our senses, and calming our hearts.

Finally, and hopefully simultaneously, we will find rest of spirit. As we become active in the world around us, so much of our energy is expended ‘out there.’ Rest gives us the opportunity to sit quietly and reflect on what’s going on ‘in here.’ This is the reason every religious text proclaims the need to rest in one’s practice, the reason the Judeo/Christian heritage has devoted a complete day to it. It is necessary for us to rest so that we can reconnect with the Source of our being.

For every process of activity, a time of rest is necessary. Football players have halftime. Blooming trees have winter. Union workers have coffee breaks. Paint has the time to dry.

There truly is a lot to do in the world around us. There is so much to be passionate about in such an abundant place. There is so much to be excited about and involved in. But let us not forget to take time to replenish ourselves so that we may fully enjoy this experience of life and fully give ourselves to it.

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