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| Constructive rest | ||
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Lying down
Constructive rest simply involves lying on the floor for an extended
period of time.
Usually between 10-20 minutes.
You can use a yoga mat, a head cushion or book and you can play a relaxation CD
if desired.
What is the point?
The exercise enables the body to relax completely and comfortably, and
begin to replenish itself.
It enables you to become consciously aware of your energy
level.
Releasing tension
How often do you truly relax? Do you consciously, deliberately let go of held tension in the muscles and
joints, in the spine?
Shoulders, hips, elbows and knees are normally very tense in most people.
The habit of tension is so ingrained that you are completely unaware of it;
believing yourself relaxed despite being far from it.
How tense are you?
Probably very tense.
Muscular tension burns energy and tires the body.
Your inability to feel the tension does not mean that you are free of tension.
It means that you are insensitive to the tension.
Energy deficit
Modern life saps energy.
People are often exhausted, unhappy,
frustrated...
They are frequently
emotionally, physically and
psychologically unbalanced.
Feeling drained is commonplace. Getting
angry is normal. This is not a healthy way to live...
Many people are so uncomfortable in the absence of noise that they will leave
the television on even when no one is watching.
I have passed people on lonely mountain paths carrying radios that were blasting
out rock music. They like the scenery but fear the silence.
We are overwhelmed by noise pollution which keeps us from being able to relax
and which wreaks havoc on our nervous system.
(John Lash)
Unable to stop
When you perform constructive rest it may feel challenging at
first.
Your mind is racing.
You want to do things.
See? This is the problem. Resting is unfamiliar to you. You do not
value it.
Wiped out
People often feel wiped out after lying on the floor. How come?
The exercise involved no exertion, no effort.
The truth is simple: you are wiped out.
Constructive rest has simply proven this to you.
Too busy to rest
A lot of people are sceptical of rest. They claim to have no time.
This is another matter entirely.
People all have the same number of hours in the day.
What you choose to do with those hours is your concern.
Lifestyle problems
Lifestyle issues are often caused by a failure to
see what is right in
front of you.
The truth can be unpalatable or inconvenient.
For example: people who suffer from fatigue usually begin by
over-committing their time, being
unrealistic about their capabilities,
failing to rest, being poorly organised,
unwilling to say No, not working on
themselves...
Chronic fatigue
The failure to listen to the body can lead directly to
medical problems.
Over-using the body can lead to joint damage.
Not resting can produce fatigue; which over time develops into a more
serious condition.
Invest in yourself
Constructive rest is not lazy.
You are giving your body time to recover.
When you get up off the floor you may feel tired and want to do things more
slowly.
This is good.
Sleep problems
If you cannot sleep, perform constructive rest for half an hour, and then go
to bed.
If you want to build a ship,
don't herd people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and
work,
but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.
(Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
Page created
18 April 2005
Last updated
04 May 2023
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