| There are many steps you can take so your | | | | Sleep and rest are vital to maintain and build a |
| body can do what it was designed to do: protect | | | | strong immune system. How many of you rest, |
| you from viruses and disease. The very first thing | | | | literally lay down and put your feet up, when you |
| to note in your life when you decide to give your | | | | are tired? The body's anti-stress mechanisms, |
| immune system a helping hand is whether you | | | | including the adrenals, get to breathe a sigh of |
| get enough rest. Your body cannot run on empty | | | | relief when the body is prone and the head and |
| continually and also work efficiently to keep you | | | | feet are at rest. In this position the tiger is no |
| free from disease. We seem to have lost the fine | | | | longer nipping at your heels and the whole being |
| art of resting, believing instead that we must | | | | knows it. Regeneration and restoration can occur. |
| keep going, produce something, look busy. But | | | | When you feel tired it is your signal that your |
| how productive is this in the long run when it | | | | body (and mind) need to recharge. It's that simple, |
| keeps stress levels high among the general | | | | however, many of us have become so caught up |
| population? We are all aware that stress releases | | | | in our doing-more lifestyles that we ignore this |
| disease-friendly chemicals into the body, but up to | | | | basic sign. As you think about this most essential |
| this point, we seem incapable of making the | | | | human need and its role in your life, you'll have |
| necessary adjustments. Even when we do think | | | | the opportunity to face the ways you avoid it. If |
| we are resting, the television is on, or the | | | | you are lucky, you'll get to address why you |
| computer, or some other gadget. | | | | avoid it. The answer is a diamond of |
| In my work I speak with many people who say | | | | self-awareness and knowledge. |
| they feel more anxiety when they slow down | | | | As you become someone who can successfully |
| and actually take breaks from their | | | | rest, you might find yourself addressing your own |
| overcommitted lives. Somehow we've bought into | | | | drive and desire to be someone, to be accepted, |
| the notion that when we are doing something we | | | | to be important. The process can reveal to you |
| are being successful (and valuable). I also believe | | | | the ways you try to prevent that nagging anxiety |
| that we have discomfort with what we find and | | | | that comes each time you truly get quiet with |
| feel when we finally stop the madness and just | | | | yourself and allow yourself to be still. These days |
| settle in with nothing else but our own stillness. | | | | true rest is a bit more than just saying, "Hey, lay |
| What if we have no value if we are aren't doing | | | | down and put your feet up." Underlying |
| something? It's a common question. But allowing | | | | compulsions driven by an overscheduled society |
| the body to heal, rest, and renew is doing | | | | tend to keep people moving to the point of |
| something important, and necessary. | | | | exhaustion and depletion. So there is an |
| We live in a society whose lack of health is out of | | | | opportunity here to heal on several levels. |
| control. Rates of obesity, heart disease, cancer, | | | | What if you truly got quiet and allowed your |
| depression, anxiety, arthritis, general aches and | | | | entire being to just completely rest? In silence? |
| pains, chronic fatigue, even the now-common acid | | | | Well, I think you would feel really, truly good |
| reflux are off the charts. Instead of only wishing | | | | afterward. And I know your immune system |
| more people had insurance so they could get | | | | would be in a better position to protect you from |
| drugs to mask the symptoms of these diseases, | | | | this season's bugs. Perhaps you'll give it a try. Let |
| perhaps an additional sensible approach would be | | | | your body heal and repair itself so it has the |
| to educate people on how to take care of | | | | means to protect you from disease as it was |
| themselves from the beginning so many of these | | | | meant to do. |
| diseases could be prevented. | | | | |