Hello again, dear ones. Welcome back (or for the first time, for new subscribers) to the monthly Resourcing the Revolution newsletter.
As I write this edition, snowflakes are falling, the trees around my studio have released all but the most tenacious of their leaves, and we find ourselves a mere week out from the beginning of the holiday season here in the States.
With a presidential election in the rearview, continuing chaos in the world at large, and the stress of the upcoming season, it can be tempting to put on blinders and go full speed for the next two months.
(And then it's a new year, so you certainly can't slow down then, either… Maybe next summer you can take a break?)
But what if we didn't have to rush through the holidays, gear up for a fight, hustle like our lives depended on it, or be so exhausted all the time?
This month, we'll dive deep into rest:
What does it mean? How can we fit it into this world? And can it, of itself, actually be revolutionary?
I invite you to grab a mug of tea and a comfy blanket and curl up somewhere comfortable while you read. Because why not start your own revolution, right now?
Let's do this.
Quote of the Month: You Have Permission to Rest
This month, I couldn't decide which quote to include. It was hard enough narrowing it down to two, honestly.
But I feel like the two that made the cut cover two different ways to look at this month's theme. Both permit us to release responsibility but also recognize that sometimes we also need a break from those things we can't release.
“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.”
― Maya Angelou
“You have permission to rest. You are not responsible for fixing everything that is broken. You do not have to try and make everyone happy. Remember to take time for you, time to replenish.” — Jim Kwik
Idea of the Month: What Does Rest Mean for You?
Recently, I spent almost two weeks in Guanajuato, Mexico, with my teacher Britt.
(It took moving mountains, figuring out a thousand-piece puzzle of obligations, and a supportive community who stepped in to take on everything that needed to be done while I was gone. I'm so incredibly grateful for everyone who was part of me being able to go; it took a village.)
Among the many practices that came out of my time away was something so simple. Britt was diagnosed with breast cancer at the beginning of this year, and one of the profound practices she came away with during her healing journey was something so simple it's almost easy to laugh off:
Naps and snacks.
It became a mantra (often accompanied by giggles) during our retreat. Naps and snacks.
But dang if it's not powerful medicine. Taking the time to listen to your body when it's tired… and resting. Listening when it says it's hungry… and having a healthy snack.
Since I've been home, I can claim my fair share of naps and snacks. And it's been glorious.
If naps and snacks aren't "it" for you, what is? What would fill your cup? How can you bring rest back into your life?
Photo of the Month: Mother Nature is Queen of Rest
Mother Nature knows how to rest
If there's one thing we humans are really good at, it's ignoring the wisdom right in front of us. Take, for example, Mother Nature.
Every year, without fail, her seasons turn. The daylight grows in the spring and fades in the fall. Leaves sprout, grow, and then fall to the earth.
Why, then, do we spend the darkest days of the year in frantic motion?
In some ways, I already know the answer to this question.
Humans are, generally, terrified of the dark. We don't want to slow down this time of year, because if we did, we'd have to face the darkness. We'd rather light it up and "merrily all the way" until spring.
But instead of fear and distrust, what if we could learn from the darkness? From the turn of seasons, where the excess summer and fall bounty becomes compost for the spring.
What if we just stopped for a minute and let ourselves feel whatever this season brings?
Spring will come again. But that doesn't mean we can force or coerce it into being.
So what if we allowed ourselves to rest, deeply?
Short Practice of the Month: Yoga Nidra as Rest
My intention for this section is usually to give you a practice that's short enough for you to stop reading, do it, and then keep going with your day.
While most months will follow that intention, I'm doing things a little differently this month. (Sorry, not sorry.)
Enter Yoga Nidra. It's a systematic method of complete relaxation, holistically addressing your body's physiological and neurological needs.
The practice begins by using a process of tense-and-release in the physical body, which allows a quieting of the overactive conscious mind, then moves into a meditative state, and gradually enters a state where the brain waves slow down.
Yoga Nidra reduces stress and anxiety, regulates blood pressure and the adrenal glands, and allows the body and mind to relax by unwinding the nervous system.
When life throws you lemons, or coal, or loads of steaming poo… there are a few things you can do to help slow down what’s going on inside your head.
Now, you may be tempted to put all your focus on fixing the world.
But that’s step 2.
Before you can calm down the world, let’s start with you.
Because the world? Well… yeah. 💩
Recipe of the Month: Rest With Help From Your Tastebuds
I won't always include a recipe in the monthly newsletter, but this month's theme aligns perfectly with one of my favorite Ayurvedic recipes.
Golden milk is a turmeric-based beverage made with whatever type of milk (plant-based or other) that suits your fancy. It's full of goodness, including antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients.
And, when made with a good recipe, it's darn tasty (and relaxing).
Here are two variations on a theme from a couple of my favorite online recipe sources:
This is another section that won't always make it into the monthly newsletter, but this month's theme just so happens to include a couple of books that happily live on my bookshelves.
If you question whether you have the power to stop, or whether you deserve (or have "earned") the right to rest, I hope these books will help you see that you absolutely do.
What would it be like to live in a well-rested world? Far too many of us have claimed productivity as the cornerstone of success. Brainwashed by capitalism, we subject our bodies and minds to work at an unrealistic, damaging, and machine‑level pace –– feeding into the same engine that enslaved millions into brutal labor for its own relentless benefit. In Rest Is Resistance, Tricia Hersey, aka the Nap Bishop, casts an illuminating light on our troubled relationship with rest and how to imagine and dream our way to a future where rest is exalted. Our worth does not reside in how much we produce, especially not for a system that exploits and dehumanizes us. Rest, in its simplest form, becomes an act of resistance and a reclaiming of power because it asserts our most basic humanity. We are enough. The systems cannot have us.
Deep rest provides us a sense of freedom and presence in a world that doesn’t feel certain and solid. While studies have shown that the form of sleep meditation we teach, known as Yoga Nidra, can help you manage symptoms of insomnia, depression, anxiety and more, at Daring to Rest we also know that this gentle ancient yogic sleep practice can help us be in the present moment, befriend our pain and suffering, and remember who we truly are. In our culture today, where rest is seen as lazy, weak and unproductive, it’s daring to give yourself permission to lie down and wake up to more wisdom and well-being.
And one more, just for good measure. My teacher introduced this book to me recently, and while I haven't read it yet, it feels perfectly aligned with our theme.
In Wintering, Katherine May recounts her own year-long journey through winter, sparked by a sudden illness in her family that plunged her into a time of uncertainty and seclusion. When life felt at is most frozen, she managed to find strength and inspiration from the incredible wintering experiences of others as well as from the remarkable transformations that nature makes to survive the cold. This beautiful, perspective-shifting memoir teaches us to draw from the healing powers of the natural world and to embrace the winters of our own lives.
Mindfuck of the Month: Not Everyone Can Choose Rest
I can't, in good conscience, wrap up this newsletter without acknowledging the level of privilege (social, financial, other) involved in my life experience and ability to write the offerings within.
Even having the personal choice to step back amidst chaos and capitalism's hold on our world structure is something outside the realm of possibility for some folks.
Any political project based around "choice" needs to critically question the options available to people, which for the majority are limited and outright oppressive. As we struggle to expand a person's fundamental right to make decisions about their lives, from the bedroom to the doctor's office and workplace, we have to recognize that institutionalized privilege grants some people more choices at the direct or indirect expense of others. Individual choice as the sole means of resistance will always be limited by hierarchical institutions that deny us or others meaningful choice
(Diana C.S. Becerra; Queering Anarchism, 2012).
And so, those of us who can rest, must.
For the collective. So that we might stand for those without the capacity or choice to rest. And so we have the energetic resources to bring a new world into being — one where we all have agency over our choices.
Revolution is not a sprint. It's a marathon. One that will take every last ounce of our strength, vitality, and self, if we allow it to.
But I have to believe there's another way.
Rest, Reset, and The Revolution
Over the past decade, one of the main threads woven through my work is one of {r}evolution.
That we have the opportunity to leave the world a better place, without burning ourselves out in the process. To rise above the mess and chaos and serve from a place of fullness and fulfillment.
Prioritize the spaces, places, and people that stoke your belief in what's possible. And make the choices that fill your cup, not those you think will make others happy.
It's up to us to resource in the ways that best benefit our individual selves and circumstances. Revolution starts from within.
As a guide, channel, and truth-teller, I help women changemakers reclaim their identity, step into their power, and cultivate the space they need to thrive. I don't just teach "self-care" — I help women come home to themselves. Together, we embark on transformative journeys and build deep community. My work weaves together intuition, practical strategy, and a deep reverence for nature and the divine. This is more than personal growth; it's about awakening the collective, allowing the divine feminine to rise, and shaking up the status quo to build a more beautiful world. I believe that – together – we can be catalysts for impact and positive change.
