This year, I have determined to learn how to rest better. (There's a story behind this, but I'll share that later)
I've realised that for years - no, decades! - I have pushed myself past my limits, carried constant stress, and even in periods where I was "veging", "taking it easy" or being just plain lazy - I wasn't really resting well. I had never learned to really switch it all off and REST. This year is my year of learning to rest. I am actually getting better at it - and the result is a more relaxed, more productive, and definitely happier me.
SO...
I want to host a blog series. I've got a couple of hot bloggers lined up already (Adrian, from Life Before the Bucket, has agreed to share his Sabbath experience with us - I am over the moon!!) and I'm hoping a couple of my friends, including my brother, Josh, will contribute the unique perspectives I know they have.
And I'm throwing this wide open! Do YOU have a unique perspective on "Rest" that you'd like to share? Maybe you're a sleep therapist? You've discovered meditation?? Did you have an experience that taught you the value of rest, or how to rest well?? Doesn't worry me if you are a theologian, or an atheist... I think we all have something to contribute!
If you'd like to jump in... shoot me an email at kerrywhalen0@gmail.com
Can't wait to hear from you!!
PS. This series is focusing on rest - but if there's something else you're burning to share, try me! The blog is open!
Hi Kerry. I have found meditation very useful, and being a free range organic biodynamic deist agnostic secular liberal freemasonic Anglican - and not very useful Cultural Christian, I find that Buddhism and Buddhist teachers taught me a lot about meditation and rest.
ReplyDeleteChistians, don't be frightened of Buddhism, meditation is not going to affect your relationship with God adversely. It might just help you. I know that from the categories, such as Agnostic and Freemason, my testimony could be frightening for some people. Put that aside, and think, how can a positively spiritual, practice and philosophy actually harm you? It isn't Occult, because it isn't secret or hidden... Meditation as practiced by buddhists is for every human being, and I find it very useful and restful.
I can't lecture people on sleep though, my sleep is not the best, probably because of my smoking habit, as well as medication that I take. I'm going to see a respiratory/sleep clinic specialist in Adelaide soon and will let you know how I go.
I do observe the Sabbath, that being for me a day of rest for me on or about every 7 days. While I am working full time, its good to relax on a Sunday, sleep in, go to Church, take Communion (I regard Communion and what I have to say in the book of common prayer as mysteries that I will never fully comprehend) (Stone me to death,if you think Liberal Freemasons cant take Communion.)
When Working awkward shifts, Wednesday or Friday could be the Sabbath. When unemployed on the disability pension, I attempted to make every day a working day by achieving something usually small and resting once a week, not sleeping in EVERY day.
My Aunty, may she rest in peace, was a strict Seventh Day Adventist and promoted the literal interpretation of the primarily Jewish scriptures which advocated keeping the Sabbath on Saturday like those who are Jewish.It was also, now to think of it, a revelation of White wen Seventh Day Adventism was invented in the 1800's. My Aunty thought that changing the day of worship of churches to a Sunday was a cunning planned conspiracy by Pope Gregory of the Gregorian Calendar, to make it easier for the Antichrist and end of days to come.
Her literalism was probably a function of her lack of education, like most literal fundamentalists. She was mostly blind and partially deaf, and only learned to read at age 14, via the bible, and she continued only to ever read the bible, church books and Seventh Day Adventist commentary upon how to view the world. I doubt she ever read any science whatsoever, and Gnu Atheism would have been the Devil's work. I once told her and my grandmother that I wanted to be a scientist and they were horrified, blaming science for Atomic weapons, among other "evils" like evolution. However my Aunty could play the organ and Piano beautifully.
I digress, I do however think that it is important to rest at least one day of the week or so. I think it's a little crazy to go overboard like Adventists and people like Ultra-Orthodox Jews and start prescribing what you can and cant do on the sabbath. Don't even have to call it Sabbath in my opinion, just call it "Me day orf" and have a few wines.
Your Auntie sounds like quite a character, Stu! And yes, I agree that one day a week rest is just... sane! I remember reading somewhere (not sure how reliably true - but you might know) that during the French Revolution, they tried to "decimalise" the working week, making it ten days instead of 7 - apparently it just didn't work - nobody coped - even the horses broke down! Not sure if it's true - but I know I do better with regular rest days.
ReplyDeleteNot sure about the French revolution decimalising the week, i think the dates are out of whack, the revolution being much earlier that Metric, sounds a bit like a right wing american conspiracy myth, seeing that our Days don't divide evenly into our Years anyway.
DeleteYou're probably right - now you've got me wondering - shall get online and see if I can find out...
ReplyDeleteWell... According to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Republican_Calendar and various other sources, The French Republican calendar was used for 12 years. Wikipedia doesn't really say why it failed, and I couldn't find much detail elsewhere - from the little I could glean it was unpopular because 9 days before a day of rest is too long. Couldn't find anything on the physical effects of a week that long, though - anyone else??
ReplyDeleteBugger! i'm wrong again! I love being corrected when I am wrong, and I just learned something new about the French revolution which I didnt know before. Thank you Kerry.
ReplyDeleteWould be interesting to know if it caused problems with people and animals becoming over tired.
Yes - me too! the Romans apparently had an 8 day week at one stage, and other cultures have had 5 or 6 day "weeks" - but 7 seems to have been the norm, pretty much everywhere, for a very long time. I'm really curious about the origins of this (whether Judeo-christian or otherwise) & also, like you, I'd like to know if longer cycles end up being detrimental.
ReplyDeleteCan we have a 2.5 day work week, but paid for five days and 3.5 days of doing what the hell i want, and then a Sabbath?
ReplyDeleteHehe - Stuart I think you've missed your calling!! Instead of "Master of Disaster", you should be Minister for Employment!!"
ReplyDelete