Not all rest is created equal

Friend, is it just me, or did the new year start like a freight train, already at full speed?

We spend the final days of December trying to stretch out the stillness. We linger in slow mornings and soft twinkling lights, telling ourselves we’ll carry this gentler rhythm into the new year.

And then January comes barreling in as if it missed the memo. School and kids activities, an abyss in the inbox, overflowing lists of to-dos… and, just like that, the connection to something gentler disappears.

And we’re back to feeling exhausted, and knowing it’s not sustainable.

It turns out rest is so much more layered than we think. Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith’s work completely shifted the way I think about exhaustion and how to truly restore.

Because there isn’t just one kind of rest. There are seven. And understanding what kind of rest you’re missing? That can change everything.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

1. Physical Rest: Yes, it includes sleep (passive rest), but also active rest through gentle movement, like restorative yoga.

2. Mental Rest: Needed in those moments when your brain is spinning, and you can’t turn it off. Think journaling, taking a tech break, stepping outside for fresh air without your phone. Tiny, doable things that interrupt the loop.

3. Sensory Rest: This one is the antidote to the bombardment from bright lights, noise, notifications, and constant stimulations. Reduce sensory input, even if just briefly.

4. Emotional Rest: The kind of rest that gives you permission to feel what’s been sitting beneath the surface, and move it through, gently.

5. Social Rest: This isn’t necessarily about being alone (though that can be medicine, too). It is also about being intentional about who you spend time with. Choose the people who nourish you, not drain you.

6. Creative Rest: Engaging with beauty, wonder, and reverence. Immerse yourself in art, music, and nature, and let it fill you up.

7. Spiritual Rest: That deep exhale that comes when you feel connected to something bigger than yourself – meaning, purpose, spirituality, or whatever that looks like for you.

What I love most about this framework is that it invites us to look deeper and to ask ourselves: What kind of tired am I? 

And, just as importantly: What kind of rest do I really need to feel better?

If you’ve ever felt the kind of tired that sleep can’t fix, maybe your body is craving something deeper. The kind of rest that comes from tending to all parts of you.

That’s the heart behind my work at Arden Healing, my new studio space in Lewiston, NY. (Yes! I finally named her. 🥰 I’ll share more about how I arrived there in a future email.)

If, midway through January, your nervous system is already calling out for something deeper than just “getting through”… maybe this is your cue to schedule a deeply restorative session with me.

At Arden Healing, you can book one-on-one Reiki and Sound Healing, Somatic Energy Coaching, or Private Yoga sessions. (Many of these sessions are also available online.)

The studio is quiet, sacred, and held with so much intention. I’d be honored to hold space for your rest, whatever kind you need.

In Love, Light, and healing,

P.S. – Gentle reminder: you do not need to earn your rest—no matter what the world tries to tell you. Rest is a necessary part of being human, just like breathing.