I recently went to Boulder, Colorado and while there, I took a restorative yoga class with an incredible instructor, Lara. As the class started, Lara began talking about something that she learned that day about electric cars: She discovered that electric cars actually recharge when the accelerator is not being pressed. This means that when the car is going downhill, and decelerating, it is actually recharging. She wanted us to think about this as it pertained to our lives. Since rest is restorative, she wanted to know…….were we decelerating enough?
I sat there feeling as if Lara was speaking directly to me. I came to Boulder feeling broken in every way. A month prior, I had a bad bike accident. I should have taken time off so that I could rest and recover. Instead, I chose to ignore all of that just “carried on”, as if nothing happened. (DENIAL!) Eventually it caught up with me and I re-injured myself hardly doing anything. I hobbled into that yoga studio barely able to walk.
Like most people, I had to learn the hard way before I was ready to make a change. Our bodies are wondrous—they work so hard for us all the time doing things that we all take for granted. Right now, as you read this, your heart is pumping, your lungs are taking in air and removing carbon dioxide, your digestive system is breaking down and absorbing nutrients, hormones are flowing, new red blood cells are being made, your eyes are blinking, your kidneys and liver are detoxing, your white blood cells are fighting off invaders. In return, we owe our bodies good nutrition, water, a lot of movement, and REST so we can recharge.
I preach to my clients about the benefits of rest and yet I did not follow my own advice. Pushing through pain is never a good thing! So, if you find yourself rushing around, trying to squeeze it all in, and pushing yourself too much, sooner or later your body will send you a strong message. Mind did. Please don’t make the same mistake I made!
I am currently on a path of embracing deceleration so that I can properly heal and recharge . I want my life more balanced. Maybe you need to recharge, too?