Rest and Recovery

Ghost Ranch, New Mexico

At this time when we are "plugged in" and expected to be connected 24/7, "rest and recovery" is essential to every one of us humans inhabiting Mother Earth. I was reminded, when reading Lynette Sheppard's latest blog post, how much benefit is reaped when one rests. She mentions a book, Sabbath: Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest by Wayne Muller. Both Dwight and I read this book when it first came out and it was one of the books culled from our library when we uprooted and rerooted. Since I have been experiencing exhaustion and mild symptoms similar to those of my midlife, I decided to check the book out of our local library. 

In gratitude, Lynette, for your poignant post updating your Sabbatical journey.

Since our relocation I have found myself using my old patten of "adrenalin junky" to complete the myriad of "nesting" tasks I think are so important. Even as I have now spent 75 years on this planet, I often lose sight of the essential-ness of "rest and recovery." I practice meditating and qi gong some three hours each morning. This is grounding and provides time and space for connection with my luminous Self. However, with filling up almost every other minute of the day with hurriedness to accomplish tasks, this connection is difficult to maintain or is actually ruptured.

I believe my pushing myself way beyond reasonableness is in direct correlation to my awareness of the effects of the self centeredness, aka entitlement, of humans. In my lucid moments I feel enormous grief of all that is being destroyed. And I find it difficult to bring into focus the remaining beauty, especially here in the High Desert, where the starkness is evident. But the beauty is here as shown in the picture below of a blooming Hedgehog cactus thriving in a large boulder's small indentation. 

This off kilterness brought on by busyness blocks access to stillness and BEing.  When engulfed in panic about the reality that the brink of The Sixth Extinction is rapidly approaching, finding a path to "right action" can be discovered with rest and recovery. Stopping constant frenetic behavior affords great relief and opens so many possibilities as the movie Tomorrow shows. 

Pam Huston, in her most recent book Deep Creek, which I highly recommend, addresses this:

"For the rest of my own life,

I want to live simultaneously inside the wonder

and the grief without having 

to diminish one to accommodate the other.

I want to be honest with myself about the condition,

but also

to love the damaged world

and do what I can to help it thrive."

She also writes about her realization that each of us humans, individually and collectively, have brought about the rapidly approaching apocalyptic event. We humans have about 20 years to radically change our human way of life here on Mother Earth as Greta Thunberg, the sixteen year old Swedish activist, so clearly and eloquently states. She has been admonished for her statement: 

"I don't want your hope. I want you to panic."

Acting out the panic with busyness does not eliminate the panic about the state on Mother Earth nor the grief about the enormous loss of species other than the human animal. This busyness only leads to physical exhaustion which can lead to just plain giving up, a state that some choose to just check out either by "self medicating" or even suicide. However, resting to access ones essential Self where Tao, or for others the Divine, resides can provide the strength to live in this chaos we humans have created.  In the stillness of resting, buoyancy is felt in every cell of one's physical body AND throughout one's etheric field as well.

I also find that my panic and grief are discharged with a good belly