Embracing Rest and Stillness

by Marie Antoine, Kriyol Dance! Collective Public Voice

It is easy to take for granted how much energy we exert during our waking moments. After all it feels like we’re constantly in competition with each other; trying to see who can accomplish more- produce more- fit more into our daily schedule. That is the symptom of our internalized capitalist. We capitalize on our energy -without rest. This incessant need to keep moving, to keep pushing. This level of hyper-productivity causes a lot of strain on our mental, emotional and physical health. Though many of us are aware of the repercussions of this lifestyle; we still find it challenging to slow down and to truly see the value in stillness and rest.

Kriyol Dance! Collective at Weeksville Weekends (2019)

In this time of COVID-19 though many of us are on lockdown it doesn’t seem to translate to more rest. In fact, the mental and emotional exertion may be much higher at this time as we figure out how to show up and face the questions and challenges that we’re presented with daily. Some of us are homeschooling for the first time. Some of us are completely halted for the first time. Some of us are experiencing a higher level of anxiety for the first time. Collectively, we are experiencing this kind of reality for the first time; a health pandemic-a lockdown and countless possibles that feel unfavorable. We have some of the same questions running through our minds and are being met with the same ambiguity in response. Yet despite it all, we temporarily manage to bypass the stress in order to care for ourselves and our loved ones as best as we can. 

It’s normal to experience exhaustion at this time. There is a lot of noise and information to process along with your own inner experience. It is possible to exhaust our ability to use discernment, to show up with empathy,  to process information or check in. So alas, It may be necessary  to give ourselves permission to rest- sometimes it is the only thing left to do. Or the only thing we must do in order to care for our mental and emotional health. Maybe one thing we can learn from this experience is how to consciously incorporate rest and stillness into our wellness practice. 
​The topics and offerings will include:

• How to make rest and stillness part of your new normal
• How to rest the Mind using breathwork and meditation 
• Embracing stillness using breathwork, sound and creativity 
• How to access clarity and inner peace on stormy days using intention and the breath
• Tune Out: How to retreat from the noise both within and around us using visualization

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