If you have been following us on social media, you will have seen Rest-In’s being mentioned on our stories.
Rest-In’s are our way of combining the roots of sit-in’s with restorative yoga to raise funds for the MSF (Doctors Without Borders). Each month we come together for 2 and a half hours to practice physiological rest; a practice that nourishes us and allows acknowledgement of the peacetime that we are lucky enough to live in at a time when there are at least 59 conflicts happening globally (reference 2) resulting in mass suffering.
Who are the MSF?
The MSF or Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders, is a charity that provides humanitarian medical care. It is best known for its essential work in conflict zones and in countries affected by endemic diseases.
How can Rest make a difference?
Rest is one of our universal needs, however, many of us have been taught that needs do not extend further than the physical; shelter, food, water. But lived experience is more nuanced. Our universal needs are representative of the fact that we are living organisms that are part of a social species.
By ignoring, denying or minimising our own needs we create distance within ourselves and distance from others. We shift into- and stay within- a stress response that can only be undone through conscious practice.
Restorative yoga is a practice of deep relaxation (or deep rest) in which props are used to create positions of ease that support us in strengthening our relaxation pathways by stimulating our parasympathetic nervous system response (relax and restore) and dampening our sympathetic nervous system response (fight or flight).
By strengthening our relaxation pathways we create a healing response within the body, we resource ourselves and then are better placed to show up for the people in our lives and the things that matter to us.
I love this, when and how can I join the next Rest-In?
Our Rest-In’s are currently held monthly. Please go to this page to reserve your spot. Once you have reserved your spot we will email you a link to donate.
