THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO HAVE MORE ENERGY

We need it, we want it, we don’t feel we have enough of it, and it’s a mystery how to get more!

When I ask people in my workshops and one-on-one what they most want for their health they answer: weight loss and more energy. In a society that values hustling, working a lot, and pushing ourselves until we’re burned out, it’s really hard to stop and analyze if that’s even what we want for our life. After many years of wanting and needing more energy, I finally feel like I’ve cracked the code.

This is the truth: eating right, taking vitamins, exercising, taking a break and spending time with the people that matter most will definitely help in having more energy. So much of our exhaustion comes from eating those yummy foods that have no nutritional value, and our body will communicate, “I need more nutrients” with a lack of energy. Our bodies are meant for movement, and exercise gives us oxygen, endorphins and mobility. And nurturing our relationships makes us feel connected and emotionally energized. So it makes sense why nutrition, exercise and relationships affect our energy levels, but there’s one more thing that I just discovered that’s the missing piece in this “getting more energy” equation: REST!

It’s so obvious that we’ve missed it! Rest is essential to regenerate our cells (aka our body) and to restore our physical, emotional and mental well-being. Rest is the Reset that out body needs to function optimally.

Let me tell you what’s not rest. Rest is NOT: going to yoga, watching TV, scrolling Facebook, reading, walking the dog, and going out with friends. These activities can be taking a break, personal time, fun and entertaining, but they are not rest. Rest is sleeping and meditating. I’ve always felt that I was ‘bad’ at meditating. I got distracted easily, I always found excuses to not do it, and instead of feeling relaxed, I felt anxious (which is an indicator that I really needed to meditate). I never though I would be able to meditate (and enjoy it from day 1) until I found yoga nidra.

The last couple of weeks I’ve been practicing yoga nidra, which is basically a hybrid between a meditation and a nap. I know! It sounds amazing, and it is. I heard about this book Daring to Rest by Karen Brody where she takes you on a 40-day journey to practice yoga nidra. Every day, I lay down with my blanket and press play to the yoga nidra guided meditation, and that’s it. I don’t have to do anything but listen and I always end up feeling awesome.

Waking up with energy, less cravings and better sleep are some of the results I’ve seen by doing yoga nidra in the first couple of weeks. I’ve always felt like I’ve slept well, but doing this has made me realize that sleeping and resting are two different things. Of course, we’re supposed to rest while we sleep, but that doesn’t always happen. After yoga nidra I feel rested, and now, I also feel rested when I sleep.

If you feel burned out, tired or want more energy I invite you to try yoga nidra and feel the power rest can have in your life. And you can thank me later :)