Resting As Practice

Let Yourself Be.

Each of my embodiment teachers—no matter the lineage—emphasizes this. The pause. Resting. Relaxing. Letting yourself be. 

It’s this place of being that isn’t an action. Conversely, if I think about the times when I’m “relaxing” but am doing something (like reading a book or watching a movie) while relaxing—that’s not necessarily what my teachers mean when they say some version of “let yourself be.” 

In Zapchen Somatics there’s a practice called Zapchen Napping. Julie Henderson, Zapchen founder, says Napping is the most important practice. 

When we practice Zapchen Napping, it’s not about falling asleep. It’s about letting ourselves be. Letting ourselves drift from moment to moment. Allowing whatever arises or happens to arise or happen. Sometimes agitations arise. When they do we can Stretch and Yawn or Sigh. And then see if ‘letting ourselves be’ arises again.

Pausing, resting, leaving be is so simple, and yet one of the most difficult. I resist it. And my clients do, too. 

I often hear from my clients, “I have trouble relaxing.” Or, “I don’t sleep well.” Or, “I keep churning my thoughts and they’re agitating me.” Or, “This situation or that situation keeps ‘getting’ to me, and I can’t let go until it’s fixed.” 

My own favorite is “I’ll let myself be after I complete x, y or z.” 

What’s your version?

We’re all running away from letting ourselves be. 

So how do we get there? Get to the place of letting ourselves be? 

One of the things I love about the embodiment practices I coach and teach is: We don’t have to try to get there.

Instead, we practice. Yawning. Jiggling. Sighing. Talking Funny. Turkey Flopping. Any of the Zapchen practices. 

And after a time, we rest. We let ourselves be.

The practices are playful, beneficial and magic. Magic because they open us, as whole body, into allowing ourselves to be in a moment where we’re able to pause, relax, rest. To let ourselves be. 

When we let ourselves be, that’s the moment when our aliveness blossoms, radiates and runs free. Inside that moment of freedom is when we have the most agency, the most power, the most sensibility, wisdom and flow.

In my experience, practicing is much easier to do with company—with another person, or in a group. And it’s lovely. Like a cool breeze that brushes your cheek while you sit in a warm sunbeam. Like shimmering sparkles. 

From my heart to yours….