Friend, listen to this deep wisdom:
"All life requires a rhythm of rest. There is rhythm in our waking activity and the body's need for sleep. There is a rhythm in the way day dissolves into night, and night into morning. There is a rhythm as the active growth of spring and summer is quieted by the necessary dormancy of fall and winter. There is tidal rhythm, a deep, eternal conversation between the land and the great sea. In our bodies, the heart perceptively rests after each life-giving beat; the lungs rest between the exhale and the inhale.
We have lost this essential rhythm. Our culture invariably supposes that action and accomplishment are better than rest, that doing something - anything - is better than doing nothing. Because of our desire to succeed, to meet these ever-growing expectations, we do not rest. Because we do not rest, we lose our way. We miss the compass points that would give us succor. We miss the quiet that would give us wisdom. We miss the joy and love born of effortless delight. Poisoned by this hypnotic belief that good things come only through unceasing determination and tireless effort, we can never truly rest. And for want of rest, our lives are in danger." Wayne Muller in his book, Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight In Our Busy Lives.
In January of this year, we were gifted this beautiful book by a friend. In a time where life was moving so fast and there was an unyielding list of responsibilities, it was more important than ever to marinate in the wisdom of this book and cultivate a practice to create space to rest. This book is a goldmine if you're wanting this in your own life. Truth after truth is woven throughout this book and at the heart, this is what this book is teaching us:
"Our core human value, the deepest and best of who we are, require the nourishment of time and care, if we are to grow and flourish."
After reading this book at the start of the year, I (Jill) have been intentionally practicing Sabbath rest each week on Sundays...turning off the phone, the computer, social media. Getting out for a long walk, going to the beach or a walk in the woods. Playing more with my kids. Being more attentive to the present moment. Cooking nourishing meals with my hubs. Bonfires in the backyard. Jazz music. Slower breathing. We moved our grocery shopping days away from Sunday to a different day of the week so we could literally go off the grid and have more stillness in our day. No running errands. No traffic. Less noise. More quiet. No doubt. It's been a rich experience. I wouldn't want it any other way.
Here's more to ponder:
"Sabbath is more than the absence of work; it is not just a day off when we catch up on television and errands. It is the presence od something that arises when we consecrate a period of time to listen to what is most deeply beautiful, nourishing and true. It is time consecrated with our attention, our mindfulness, honoring those quiet forces of grace or spirit that sustain and heal us."
Friend, this also happens to be an underlying theme of our 14-day Reset. Carving out a period of time (14 days) to bring our attention & mindfulness and honoring those quiet forces of grace or spirit that sustain and heal. To learn what most nourishes you - on the plate, in conversation, in your work and play, relationships. It all matters. And it all feeds you. If you read the dozens and dozens and dozens of testimonials you'll see that this is so much more than a 14-day meal plan. It's an invitation.
As we mentioned earlier this week: our lives – no matter the season - require moments to slow down and RES(E)T or we can lose our minds, and feel like we’re in a hamster wheel of survival. It’s not a nourishing way to move through your days and weeks and months if you want to look and feel your best. (Think: bloating, indigestion, heaviness, stress, sugar coma, rush, skipping meals, lower than low energy...)
Our Reset creates a space for you to get back to those foundational practices that nourish you on those deeper levels and help you course-correct when things need more of your attention...without dieting, skipping meals, restricting, counting or obsessing....and all in a positive community of support.
Here's our Nourish To Flourish invite for you this weekend:
Below, we're sharing one of the classic faves on our reset: The Sloppy Joe. Put this recipe on your upcoming weekly meal plan and be nourished by it.
Experiment with taking a Sabbath. It doesn't have to be the whole day (but we encourage it!), consider setting aside a period of time to power down your devices and get outside in nature and be nourished by food + self care + connection with those you love. It's a BIG part of what we teach in our fall reset, because you can eat all the right foods but if you're eating under hurry and rush and disconnect, it's not serving your body. And also, your body is really happy when you're loading up on nourishment from non-food too: i.e. quality relationships, life giving conversations, down time, meaningful connection, nature, disconnecting from work and your to-do list - your body mind & spirit will breathe a sigh of THANK YOU! because it's all connected.
