Rest.

Last fall when I walked my Camino one of the biggest lessons I started to learn surrounded the idea of rest. I’ll never forget when Chelle looked at me and said something to the effect of “You are so goal oriented. You know you don’t HAVE to walk X more miles before you take a break. You can just rest because you want to.”

In that moment I made up a reason I absolutely HAD to walk those X more miles before I could rest. Something like I wanted to be X% of the way done for the day before I took a break.

This conversation stuck in my head long after the blisters healed and I returned to “normal” life (which was never normal again because MAN the Camino changes you). I realized I truly believed I needed to earn the right to rest. And quite frankly? Screw that.

We deserve rest just for being. Life can be a bitch and we are all doing our best. So rest. Rest before you need to. Rest just because you want to. Rest so you can show up as the best version of you.

And that includes on the yoga mat. As a new student especially I remember thinking, “well I can’t go into savasana or child’s post or skip a vinyasa because all of these people will see me and judge me.” Fun fact? That is not true. In fact, now when I practice, if I even notice someone skipping that vinyasa or going into an “early” savasana, I usually think, “YES BABE. Listening to YOUR body and YOUR practice.” There is some seriously high level energy in simply doing what you need and want in the moment.

I will forever be grateful for this brief conversation in Spain and the continued change it has made in me. Especially with the loss of Jack, I’m learning to rest long before I’ve “earned” it and to rest not just when my body or mind needs it, but my soul too.