Rest is a fun concept to talk about because there are as many ways to rest as there are people on the planet. What’s important is that you access it in a way that works for you. If you're a working adult, weekends and bedtime are not enough; it is important to find time to rest during the week. As an introvert, I find rest by incorporating quiet times of reflection throughout my day. Periodically, mostly at the end of the day, I turn my phone on do not disturb, disappear from social media, and I dawn a cloak of invisibility until I am ready to come up for air. Feel free to insert Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime in the equation. Now, for the introverts out there, this may sound like our natural habitat. For those who are more ambi-verted or extroverted, too little stimulation may sound like the antithesis of rest. While it is true that rest does not always include sleep; rest does include the incorporation of a measure of calm in life, where your nervous system can take a break. Maybe a better approach to rest is an emphasis on calm. In either case, wherever you are, no matter your lifestyle, exploring what’s needed to be your best self is a journey worth taking. And if you decide too, take a companion or two on the journey with you; you may be surprised to find that rest can also be found in the company of others.
Rev. Jesse Eugene Herriott, M.A. is the Spiritual Leader of Unity of Birmingham, AL. He is a writer and spiritual teacher whose work explores the soul of what it means to be human, through the lens of spiritual practice & western psychotherapy. He is an ordained priest in the UAIC Interspiritual community, an ordained metaphysical minister with IMM, and currently is in the process of completing Unity’s Special Dispensation program to become a licensed & ordained Unity Minister. He completed bachelor’s and master’s from the University of South Carolina and Keiser University, respectively. He also holds post grad certificates in Geropsychology, Organizational Psychology, & Clinical Trauma Support. In 2015 he was inducted into Morehouse College's Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Clergy & Scholars in Atlanta, GA. To find out more, join us online via facebook, or meet us in person for our Sunday Morning Celebration at 11am Central at Unity of Birmingham.