Learning How to Rest and Relax

(gentle music) Headspace Studios. Hi, it's Eve here. Welcome to Radio Headspace and to Friday. Let's just pause and take a deeper breath here and congratulate ourselves on getting through the week. It's been a really busy one, so I'm definitely feeling the need to rest over the weekend, which is actually what I wanted to talk about today. Well, more specifically on how we can learn how to rest and relax. We actually have to cultivate the right conditions both internally and externally to rest and relax properly. I remember a few years ago when I was working one on one with someone, they were experiencing really high levels of stress. And we met for our session, and on this particular day they were very agitated and feeling very frustrated, as they'd had an argument with their partner, who said, "Why can't you just relax?" And the only response was to yell back and say, "I don't know how to relax! Don't you get it?" I think when it comes to rest and relaxation, we have to learn how to tap into it. And most importantly, recognize the signs that we're moving into a place of reactivity, or what is known as fight or flight. And this happens without us even realizing. And when we're activated in this way, it's almost impossible to relax. So just saying relax or get some rest when someone is stressed is about as useful as a chocolate teapot. But fear not, we can absolutely learn how to rest and relax. A meditation of mindfulness is a great place to start. It's very easy when we experience stress to be completely out of tune with the body, but the body physically carries stress, and a really great practice to bring the mind and body together is called a body scan. So this practice is all about feeling into the different parts of the body and giving space to whatever is there. Typically, you start down at the feet and go through each part of the body and spend a few moments feeling into each area. So you're not trying to picture or imagine each part. Instead, it's about taking some intentional time to connect with the body. I find it helpful to breathe into each part as I move my attention up. And when the mind gets distracted, which it will, you gently and kindly return the attention back to the body. So as we head into the weekend, perhaps take some time to practice in this way. Practicing meditation helps us to understand the mind body connection. We actually have some short body scan practices in the Headspace app if you'd like to try one this weekend. And if you'd like to join me in a live meditation, head over to my Instagram @MeditateWithEve as I lead a weekly live meditation, and I would love to see you there. Wishing you a beautiful weekend, and I'll see you back here on Monday. (soft...