Rest, sweet rest

Rest. Most people love that word. They take advantage of it as much as possible. They might even fantasize about it during the week. To me, it's almost a curse word. I don't like to rest from life or working out. I've gotten into a routine. I like to be busy. It eliminates the time for me to be bored. But last night was a different story.

My rest days during the week are typically Sundays and Wednesdays. I work at my church Sunday mornings, so I'm up early and out the door before anyone else is awake. I play piano, direct my choirs, sing, worship and pray. By the time I get home around noon, I don't feel like I have rested, but I skip the gym and relax with my family. That counts as rest. On Wednesdays, I alternate between BodyFlow (a mix of Tai Chi, Yoga and Pilates) and Zumba. I forego running and take it easy. Yes, that also counts as my rest.

This week has been a little flip-flopped since my kids started school. So, yesterday was going to be more of a resting day than usual... just a quick gym workout in the morning, but I would force myself not to lift in the evening. I sat down last night, antsy and anxious. "I should be doing something. Maybe I could just lift for a little bit. Or walk around the block. I wonder who else is at the gym?"  And like a swift wind, the thoughts left my mind and I sunk into my bed. I deserve rest. This is how my body repairs and how my mind refreshes. I completed nothing last night. I watched some TV and allowed myself to simply be still.

When I woke up this morning, I felt amazing. I went to the gym and felt strong. I tackled project after project today, crossed everything off of my to-do list and made it a pretty freaking incredible Friday. If I had neglected that rest yesterday, I don't think I would have felt this good.

Take time to rest. Respect the process. Allow your body time to repair and recover. Then get back at it.