The Value of REST

As winter is approaching here in the Southern Hemisphere, with days getting shorter and nights longer, I am reminded of the cycles that Mother Earth goes through – seasons of growth and seasons of rest and hibernation. These cycles are necessary for plants and animals that inhabit our beautiful planet. And it is also important for us to acknowledge and embrace these cycles.

Living in sunny South Africa I sometimes struggle with the longer hours of darkness and the cold – not cold as in snowing and freezing, but by our standards, cold, nevertheless. It is as if everything just sort of slows down and comes to a halt. The exhale. The pause. The time out. Before the joys of spring, rebirth, renewal, and a hype of new activity.

In winter everything lies dormant in the silent earth, and it is considered a sacred time of rest and reflection before the awakening, rejuvenation, and rebuild that Spring and its brighter days would bring about.

This is not just a seasonal period of rest, but something we all need to embrace and participate in. We are always so goal orientated, chasing our next accomplishment, and fixed on our next achievement – in life in general but particularly so in our spiritual journey. We are so busy pushing forward in our healing journey that we forget to stop and rest… to take a break, take a breath and linger in a moment of rest to contemplate and consolidate.

And what better time than winter. During the winter months it is the ideal time to slow down and reflect on your journey so far. Take a time-out and evaluate with gratitude how far you have come, how beautiful and absolutely perfect the present moment is… linger in joy and pleasure of where you are. Pause in the perfection of where you are and be mindful of the here and the now, refraining from chasing your next healing and/or spiritual goal. Know and trust that everything is exactly as it should be at this specific moment.

The darkness and cold of winter also remind us of the divine feminine within us. Winter provides us the opportunity to honor the divine feminine by thinking and contemplating how you express yourself in the world through your feminine energy. It is an opportunity to become quiet and notice the situations in your life and how you behave within them – going within and changing your inner world in order to transform your outer world.

Winter is a good time for a time-out, to rest and to consolidate. Going back to the basics is a good place to start…

Make sure to do your daily Reiki self-healing

Doing your daily Reiki self-healing is good for the health and well-being of the body, mind, and spirit to pull you through the sometime doom and gloom of the winter months. It is also essential for your immune system and being able to cope with the onslaught of winter’s colds and flues… complicated by new Covid-strains.

I prefer to do Reiki self-healing as a dedicated session for myself (as opposed to doing it while I am doing something else like watching TV, browsing, or reading). Typical intentions for my winter Reiki self-healing sessions focus on tapping into my healing journey thus far, for example:

• I have done so much over the past year. Is there anything I need to revisit?
• I am still triggered by XYZ. What is it that I need to heal within myself?
• I am feeling down due to the cold and dark days of winter. Which parts of my shadow-self do I need to bring into the light?
• I know that it is time to rest. How do I give myself permission to do exactly that… to rest?
• I know that I have made progress, even if it was slow and not particularly obvious. What are the insights into the progress – where were I a year ago, where am I at now and where am I going in the foreseeable future?

Do your Gassho meditations regularly

Gassho meditation is a crucial part of my Reiki practice as it brings us into centre and into heart-space, quieting the mind to embrace the pause… the stillness of being mindful of the here and the now within the beauty and power of Reiki. Although it is ideally performed for 10 to 20 minutes, you can benefit greatly from as little as 5 minutes on a regular basis. It can be done sitting or standing, whichever you prefer. Gassho meditation is done as follows:

• Close your eyes and fold your hands in prayer position, fingers pointing up and your thumbs against your Heart Chakra.
• Breathe slowly and focus your attention on the space between your palms and the energy of your Palm Chakras. Move your awareness into this space.
• If thoughts come up, simply observe them, let them pass and gently bring your focus back to the space between your palms.
• When you reach the end of the meditation, take a couple of deep breaths, bring your attention to your eyes, and open them slowly.

I usually allow myself to be guided intuitively on when to stop my Gassho meditation instead of using a timer. But, like everything in life, find what feels right for you. Gassho meditation is a simple practice and when used consistently becomes the foundation for powerful healing.

Practice gratitude

When we are chasing new goals and achievements, we often forget the practice of gratitude. It is during the pause and reflection that we can truly become aware of how far we have come, observing where and how we are with gratitude. Gratitude for all our blessings, for all the lessons we have learned and survived and the power that has brought into our being and our ability to live a healed and authentical life. Through gratitude we can also enter a state of high-vibrational living which can better sustain and nurture us through the winter months to come.

So, with winter approaching, be reminded of the words of Vernon Howard…

“Do not be impatient with your seemingly slow progress. Do not try to run faster than you presently can. If you are studying, reflecting, and trying, you are making progress whether you are aware of it or not. A traveller walking the road in the darkness of night is still going forward. Someday, some way, everything will break open, like the natural unfolding of a rosebud.”

Go with the flow of the seasons, for after winter, spring and summer will always bring renewal, rejuvenation and rejoice. And for now… enjoy and embrace the pause and rest.

Article by Thea van der Merwe, Ph.D.

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Thea van der Merwe, Ph. D. is a nationally and internationally trained holistic energy, certified and experienced Master Reiki Practitioner, qualified in Usui Reiki, Reijukido, Karuna® Reiki, Karuna Ki Reiki, Crystal Reiki, and Gendai Reiki. She obtained the title of Shihan (full master/teacher), the highest level in Gendai Reiki Ho. Besides her greatest passion which is Reiki, Thea is also a spiritual shaman, healer, and teacher, offering readings as a way of accessing spiritual guidance. Her journey of personal discovery, growth, and healing started back in 2005 when she was personally in need of healing and searching for something more than what conventional medicine and therapy could provide. Thea is currently nationally and internationally registered with the South African Reiki Masters Association and The Reiki Healing Association respectively – both professional associations for the local and global Reiki communities, working to promote the wide-reaching practice and healing effects of Reiki throughout the world and where the primary philosophy is that together, we can do so much more. You can get into contact with Thea van der Merwe at viterra.co.za, which is her website, and at facebook.com/viterrahealing on Facebook.