Rest

Bubble baths,afternoon naps, or days with no make up on and pj's. Yes these are rest moments! It's not always possible to be old school and do absolutely nothing on a Sunday but rest is so important in our lives.

I remember having the privilege of spending the weekend with a very dear friend at her home,I wasn't very well,I lived on my own at the time and she just saw the need I had for a bit of TLC,love, and a bit of a mother's love. So I went - managed to eat good food, enjoy some company and start to feel a bit better.
It was the Sunday we had together that I experienced a life changing realisation. We had been to church,had a wonderful Sunday lunch and after that decided it was time to rest, her husband gladly arranged a comfy spot on the sofa,put lovely music on,bought her laptop over and after a few loving words left us two in the comfortable and warm lounge.

What struck me was that we sat talking about how relaxed I felt and how I almost felt I had to get up and do something, she said how important rest is and how she makes sure where she can she has days like this where for a good few hours she just sits by herself either has a nap with music in the background,catches up on Internet stuff or just sits and relaxes with nothing specific to do. How many of us are dashing from errand to appointment to activity and continuing like that for ages without stopping?
At this point in time I was working a full time job,every second weekend doing a two and a half train journey to visit my fiancé, I had church commitments with a group I was involved with, having sometimes two events a week, and I was dancing at my busiest two days a week for a good few hours after a work day!

I was always tired,sleep never felt enough, and I wasn't eating the most regular or healthiest as I was always too busy. It took me four months of unemployment to finally unwind,sleep better, and quite a few days of being unwell with colds, to finally get into a healthier routine.
It's not healthy at all, I understand some weeks will be really demanding and busy and you will need to manage the demands but grab a moment for yourself too.
Don't beat yourself up when you don't get it right though!

You deserve rest, your body needs it and you appreciate more when you are fresh and relaxed.
Share your relaxation routines,what you feel needs changing in your life or inspire us fellow dancers by blog post or by email at: dancegrace2@gmail.com

Love to all x