Episode 6: Doing Less, Feeling Better: The Role of Rest

In this episode, we explore the role of rest as an essential part of healing and overall well-being. In a culture that often prioritizes productivity and constant output, rest can feel like something to earn rather than something we need.

Angie and Amanda gently reframe rest as a foundational support for the nervous system, one that allows the body to recover, restore, and function more sustainably. Together, they discuss the different forms of rest that go beyond sleep, and how each one plays a role in replenishing energy and creating balance.

This conversation offers a compassionate reminder that rest is not a luxury or a weakness, but a necessary part of living well.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:15

Our mission at Living Simply Well is dedicated to cultivating sustainable well-being through integrative research-supported wellness. Always honoring the body's wisdom, supporting nervous system health, and guiding individuals toward a life lived with intention, balance, and ease. Welcome back to the Living Simply Well podcast. I'm Angie, and I welcome my co-host Amanda. Thank you. If it feels comfortable, allow your shoulders to drop into their pockets. Let your jaw soften. Allow the breath to come in and go out. There's nothing you need to change. Just notice and be witness to how you feel in your body. And allow the breath of life to quiet your mind. We will learn more about the role of rest in our nervous system regulation. And see how we can incorporate some rhythm and routines in our own life to bring rest to the body, to the mind, to the heart center. Rest is often misunderstood. In a productive focused culture, rest can seem something to earn or even something to feel guilty about. But from a physiological perspective, rest is not optional. It is during rest that the body repairs tissue. It regulates our hormones, it consolidates our memory, and it restores our energy. Without enough rest, the nervous system struggles to shift out of stress. This doesn't only mean sleep. There are many forms of rest. There's physical rest, there's mental rest. And there's emotional rest. Even small pauses throughout the day can signal safety to the body. Moments where nothing is required. Where you are not consuming, producing, or solving. Doing less is not a failure of discipline. It is a form of regulation. And often when we allow space for rest, we find that what remains becomes clear and more sustainable.

SPEAKER_01 3:29

Yeah. I think um a lot of people, we we live in a fast-paced society, fast-paced world, and I feel like when um people rest or feel like they need the rest, they feel weak. They feel like they're they're not good enough. They're all those things come in because they're not capable, but you actually are capable of doing more when you rest more. Because running on an empty tank doesn't get you very far.

SPEAKER_00 3:59

Indeed. One of the one of the concepts that I've really um embodied in my own life and what I've learned again through studying yoga is that I tend to have an overactive mind. So my need for mental rest is much higher than my need for physical rest. And my physical rest is interrupted because my mental angst that keeps me awake and thinking. And what I love about the kosher model, which is the layers of the of um the human body, both physical, mental, emotional, intuitive, and down to the core of our soul, is that if the mind is hyperactive, the answer is to move the physical body. Take a walk. That's right. That's why I wouldn't. If if the symptoms are in the physical body, typically what we need is more restorative practices like guided meditation, um, vibrational therapy, light therapy, uh, sound therapy, uh, things like Yoga Nidra.

SPEAKER_01 5:21

Oh, my favorite.

SPEAKER_00 5:24

Things that bring our our brain waves out of the the sympathetic practice of going into the deeper layers of the brain waves that bring us into that sweet space that I like to remind people of. It's that place between being awake and being deeply asleep. So, what I've learned through energy study of sound and vibration and meditation is that one hour of sound is equal to about three hours of sleep because we tap in to the brain waves that brings the parasympathetic system into activation. And that's the place in the body that sends blood flow to your digestive system, it regulates your hormones, it's connected to your breath, and it's innervated by the vagus nerve. So when the brain waves are slow in your that deep sleep breast state, then the hormone cascade of serotonin and melatonin find this beautiful rhythm of balance. And if we step into community, say into a sound bath experience, the collective energy in that space then also increases oxytocin, which helps us feel good because we're connected. Humans are made for connection, that's what brings meaning to our life. And deep rest is connected to that that human need. So finding ways to ignite oxytocin into our lives, like hugging our partner or loving our pet, or walking in nature and holding hands with our child, um, showing affection, true authentic affection for people that we love without fear, without low octave intent, that we feel a trusting bond with others is deeply, deeply important. And we need to have that foundation of trust in order to allow rest into the body.

SPEAKER_01 8:05

Yeah, and if you don't have people, if you don't if you're not there yet to where you're comfortable, you have to have the trust in yourself. And so there are so many ways. Um, like the big scary word of go meditate, like, I'm sorry, it's a hard thing to do. Like I've I've been trying, and it's and we need to remember with the practice. Like you keep practicing, it's not it, you're not a meditator. You're you're practicing forever. Um, and even just taking the time to do it, whether it's five minutes, whatever, but there are other forms of meditation, walking, drawing, things like that. Those are moving meditations, doing a puzzle. Those are ways that your mind focuses on one simple task and calms the rest of it, right? Um, I actually found, I did a Reiki session one time. And in the session, um, the girl doing it, she was like, Oh, she's like, you need to find ways to calm, calm your mind, whatever. And she's like, you need to tap into your artistic side. And I'm like, I'm a hairstylist. Of course I'm artistic. But I'm like, I'm kind of confused. And she's like, no, she's like, you're really artistic in ways that you don't realize. She's like, I think you need to get a sketchbook for work. And like, I'm like, what? Like, that's insane. And she's like, Yeah, you have an artistic side. And my sisters, like, I have an aunt that's an art teacher. I was raised by my sisters, like, they can do as their crafts and their art skills are. I don't have any of that. Like, my handwriting's terrible. I'm like, no, I I can just do hair. That's pretty much it. And so she's like, No, I think you should get a sketchbook for work and just try to do something. And so I bought one right after that session, and then it sat for like three months. And then my mind got I got overwhelmed with a lot of things. I was at work where I really wasn't wanting to be around anybody else. And so, and then I was I was sick of my my phone, right? Because that's immediately what we go to nowadays. And it's like I just got so frustrated and my mind was so cluttered. And so I went and I grabbed my sketchbook and I went on Pinterest and was looking through pictures of simple sketches, and mine are mostly nature, things like that, animals. You haven't, I'm good, like I'm real good. I didn't even, I didn't even know it. And so then it's been fun because I've I've started doing drawing with my children now. Um, they all have sketchbooks and they love it, and we'll do things where it's like, okay, we pick one topic. Um, one time it was a donut, one time it was a feather, one time, and we would all just sit and draw and like little to no conversation. And then at the end we would like show what our what our minds came up with or what we did. And like it would be our, you know, half hour, 45 minutes. And like now, my kids use drawing as an escape, also. Like if they're for overwhelmed or whatever, I'm just gonna go draw.

SPEAKER_00 10:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:46

And it's like because they learned how that calmed their nervous system and their thoughts and stuff. And it's like, you know, like just incredible. Like, you don't have to be good at it. Right. And like there's puzzles, you know, there's you know, Zeduko, things like that, anything to just focus your mind to minimize the clutter of the noise around you and just focus on the one task, and then it's like you it calms your body.

SPEAKER_00 11:12

And one of the things that that um I can relate to the idea of not having the ability to create, right? Um, I was raised to work, right? So that creative dreamer side of me was almost always told, there's no time for that, Angie. We've got work to do, right? Um, but one of the things that I love about living simply well, and yoga led to this vision, is all of a sudden I started to be aware that I have vision.

SPEAKER_01 11:48

Oh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:50

And and that's a rhythm, that's not a routine, but the routine of yoga practice and the reframing of my thoughts allowed me to create living simply well, and it is creative. Oh, yeah. And when you step into the space, so many people have said, I feel the intent here. I feel your intention here. Yep, they see your vision, they feel it. The intention is to calm, the intention is to decrease the stimulation of the world around you. You know, it's important to me that you feel safe and you know that we take impeccable care of our environment because that mirrors how we take care of each other. And greater than that, it mirrors how we take care of our guests and our members.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

Yeah, I feel like as you park in the parking lot, enter the building, and walk up the stairs here, you you can feel the energy of what living simply well is. I mean, we have so many guests that'll say, like, oh, it's like I walked into another realm when you walk into here. Like it's like a you drop your worries at the door, and like the environment is so inviting, but that's something that you created. You you but you created it with the vibration and the energy of calm and relax. That's why that's what we're getting is we're receiving that in everything that you do, every intention has that.

SPEAKER_00 13:23

And the beauty of it really for, and I'm you know, I confess that I am profoundly introverted, right? So large groups of people and teams, that was not the vision, but I was open, right? And the beauty of that revelation is is being secure enough today to say, I don't know what this is gonna look like, but I'm gonna be open to the possibilities of what my vision will grow into. Um the beauty of the women who have joined us here, not just from from a from a clientele base, but the the beauty of the women who come here and serve this community is one of the most beautiful group of people I have ever met and had the privilege to work with. Talk about safety and trust and authenticity and a great desire to make the world a better place, one person, one smile, one kind word at a time. Light attracts light. Oh, 100%. And now that I see it in full bloom, you know, I still stand in stand back in awe because it isn't me. This isn't me. And I love I love to let ego go because it makes space for all of all of the beautiful people who are coming and giving and growing, and we're growing together without without low octave energy, right?

SPEAKER_01 15:13

But I mean, I'll disagree a little bit. I do feel like it is you. Wow, because what you're seeing is a reflection of yourself, all the women that you have working here, all of the, I mean, even this podcast or anything like that. That's showing you you, that's your mirror. And it's hard, it's hard to take, and and and you can turn your face, but you have to, and that's my gift to you. Like, you have to take this because this is you. And like for me coming here, I was you know, going through a lot, and my life was I my life has changed tremendously in the last year or so. And I'm a hairstylist and I'm a mom of three, going through a divorce, and it's like I I needed something different. I'm I'm trying to shift more into the the um the spiritual, holistic, more of the health and wellness, more of the and like understanding I need to get back to myself. And and I was surrounded by a lot of situation that that wasn't the case. Like, I'm like, I need my people. Like I felt like the friends that I was around and the environment that I around didn't, it wasn't, it was unbalanced and it wasn't right. And it's like you are the sum of the five people you put yourself around, you know? And it's like I kind of look around, I'm like, I don't really want to be like them. I want to keep going higher. I want to, I need new people. And so that's where I thought, like, I didn't need a second job, but I was like, I need something to do because when I don't have my children, I need something to do, but I don't, I don't wanna, I'm not one to go hang out at the bars. I'm not one for huge environment either. And it was like, but I have company, I started coming here a year ago, and I'm like, I wonder, I wonder if I would ever be able to like work there or do something, right? And the story is just incredible of how it all happened. Like I've I thought about it and I'm like, oh no, I don't know if I can add that onto my thing. I don't know if I'm I'm ready to add another task. I don't know what my life's gonna look like, and then all of a sudden something went down and boop, I go online and you are advertising for a job. I'm like, oh my goodness. It's like it just happened for me. And so, like, came in and it's like I met with you, and I already had known you, but we met and we talked, and you were explaining your vision of this place. And I remember the day that I was sitting here and I started crying. I'm like, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm crying. It's I'm I'm not sad. I just feel like you're actually telling me my dream. And I'm like, how do you know my dream? Because I've told four people, and here you are like literally playing it out. And I'm like, I get to be a part of this. Like, how fortunate. And then, you know, I I left that day, and then you messaged me, and you're like, hey, after talking with you, um, I think that you're kind of like a what I need. Like, would you start a podcast? Like, I I was driving and I I think my foot came off the pedal, and I'm like, Are you kidding me? Like, if you talk to any of my clients, they tell me daily, like, oh, you should start a podcast. I'm like, I don't know. I'd love to, but I don't think I'd be good at it. And all of a sudden you said that, and I'm like, um, all of this is just like, you know, it's like you close a door, you close a chapter, and you start believing and looking for yourself. And it was like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, all these doors started opening up. It was so overwhelming, but like in good. And then, and then I came to the the um, we had a a gathering for um the whole studio. And each woman that I met that day, I just sat there and like their energy, their feeling, and it's like they're everybody's different, everybody carries their own gift, right? And I just sat there, I'm like, this is what I was looking for, you know, and it's like this is this is the like group. Not that my old life is bad, that not that the people that I work with are bad, my old nothing. Like, I love that too, and I want that too. I just I need more and I deserve more. And so, yeah, now coming here and and getting to be involved in this this space in this this idea is just been so rewarding. I'm so grateful to hear that. Yeah, but I mean, like, I wouldn't have ever gotten there, to be honest, if I never got to the point of being so overwhelmed where I needed to take rest.

SPEAKER_00 19:18

Correct, right?

SPEAKER_01 19:19

When I when I seen advertise that you do, um, and there's one actually coming up, but uh beginner introductory to yoga beginner thing. That is a deal if there has ever been like amazing, right? You come and you learn, and it's like $35, and you get a probably $35 t-shirt out of it, you know, and then five free classes. It's like, do you realize you're giving this away? But it's like it brings people in, and it's like you learn and you understand that like you don't have I don't have to be a yogi to come here. Like this is so inviting, and it's like, and then you have five free classes to use at your leisure and like to try the different things, and it's like such a great and that's how I started. And um, my friends and I it's like we need to find something else to do besides like going for dinner all the time. Like, it's like we need to, and so we started coming here, and it was like the best thing, and that's open, but it's like where I I found a time where I'm like, I need to take a space out of my day from being a mom, from being a wife, from being a my job, and I need to take time to rest and be me.

SPEAKER_00 20:22

Yes, yes, and just that hour, just one hour, just one hour can change, change the direction, and then soon you find yourself not trying to figure it out, but just coming back to the map. And the reason I talk about living simply well so much in this episode is because the intention of living simply well is to is to share rest with you. Yes. That that we that we believe strongly in the power of generosity and hospitality, and and we pour into that with with gratitude that we can. Um because what we deeply, deeply, deeply need in the world right now is some peace and some rest that brings balance and restores our mind, restores our body, and it respore restores our spirit. And it bring and we can do that in community, and we can connect one-on-one with each other, even if it's non-verbal, right? Um, so much of the work that I've that I have invested in is about the privilege of presence. Um this is a funny uh during my yoga teacher training, I I've trained with two teachers, and both have um very different personalities than me. Which isn't uncommon. Um, but I tend to To lean into my wisdom body and my intuition. Um, and I think I've learned that in my clinical practice, actually, as a as a clinical nurse specialist, um, that I that I have a sense when I walk into a patient's room in the hospital. And I can, even without interview, I know. And that isn't something of me. That was that's a gift that I believe God has has placed in me. Uh, because I've now I recognize it back into my very, very first memories that it was present there. And during my yoga teacher training, so much of it is about you pick your music and you've got a theme, and then you have your physical asana practice that needs to have strong transition and verbal cues that are understandable, and pretty soon you have a production, right? And so I learned that way through that through that way, but it was not aligned with me, and it gave me a very firm foundation of how to develop practice in a predictable routine way, however, it lacked rhythm for me. So I had the practice down, but as I become more experienced as a teacher, what I realized is I would spend all of this time preparing for a class, and then I'd step onto the mat as your teacher. And the energy in the room was not right for that class, right? Or I would be very conscientious about the the music selection that I would choose, and then it would fall the wrong way, the lyrics would fall the wrong way on the on the guests, and be like, uh, that's not right. And so little by little I've started to come into congruence with what feels right. And to be honest with you, now that I know how to practice yoga, and I can tell you that it's I don't teach a complicated sequence, and I do that for a great reason with great intention. It's because I want you to feel confident, I want you to feel safe, and I don't ever want you to feel like you can't. And so we give options, right? It's all trauma sensitive, and you have choice, and if you lay on your mat the entire hour, I welcome you to do that because it tells me that you feel safe enough here to do so. But the entire theory is to bring rest to your mind and rest to your body, and sometimes we need to incorporate some power, some strength, but yoga should never hurt. No, to be honest with you, all of the music that I use now is all high octave, it actually has no lyric because I want you to find those rest waves in your brain rather than saying, What did that music just say? Is that really what Angie intended? Because I'm gonna get you out of the the the mindfulness of nothing, if I if the music is saying a message that makes you think.

SPEAKER_01 25:43

Well, yeah, and I feel like all the classes I've taken of yours, like you've definitely made sure to you start with a speech that kind of says, like makes people get into their own mind, like um, set an intention, whatever. And if if my intention is, you know, about being calm or whatever, and then the lyrics talk about like you know, energy or something that's completely opposite, it's like all of a sudden you're it's not balanced, it's because your body still hears the opposite. So now it's causing an imbalance in your and not allowing you to fully embrace what you're here for.

SPEAKER_00 26:17

Exactly. So I'm grateful for my teachers for teaching me how to teach, but I'm also grateful to God for showing me how to connect with people because what we know is that connection with people brings meaning. And that's what this life is about. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:36

And I think, I mean, the other thing to be grateful for is the fact that you are becoming comfortable with being authentic, like being you. True. Because I feel like that's I mean, you can go to any class that we have, and we have how many different instructors? Or nine now. Or nine different instructors, and I promise you, each class will feel different. Yeah, and it's in in so many good ways. And so it's like, you know, like understanding that and kind of getting like going to certain classes. If if you've come enough, be like, oh, I really could use Jody today, or man, when is the next time Angie's gonna have a class? You know, like I I need that flow because and what what that's just so great about having nine instructors is getting that, getting that different energy from those, from those people.

SPEAKER_00 27:17

Absolutely. So it all loops back into the intention of rest, and we can find rest in the physical, in the mental, and in the emotional, which ignites our soul, and it really creates more awareness of our intuition so that we can be authentic.

SPEAKER_01 27:41

I think with rest, another one was the sensory, but like um the understanding of being present. I think people have a hard time understanding what being present is. And so sometimes we just are so clouded with everything around us, and you just need to take a moment to sit back. And um, I was on a walk one time listening to a podcast, and they were talking about this, and they were saying, you know, um, find four things to look at, two things, smell two different things, hear different things, and tap into your senses. And by doing that, every once in a while, it brings you into the now because our minds are taking us either back or forward and so much, and we're not focusing on now. And I feel like that also goes into this is a little off topic, but like people do that with their children, right? I don't want my babies to grow up, like, oh, and they'll reminisce about the past or they're thinking too far forward or where they're gonna be. And it's like you're missing now. You're going to look back and you're gonna be like, gosh, I I don't remember that. I don't remember. Yeah, you have pictures of it, you have little memories, but like you didn't, you weren't present during it because you were holding on to something that that wasn't yours to hold. Like you can have the memory, but like allow things to progress. Like, don't focus on one way or the other. Try to stay present in what you're doing so that that's where you get filled. When you focus on the bat past, that's like what is isn't it depression or depressive is past and anxiety is future. Yes, you know, and so it's like focus on the now because now is the only thing that matters and in your sit in your systems, like now is what you can focus on.

SPEAKER_00 29:14

And learning to be present takes a lot of practice. Oh, yeah, because our conditioning is always you well, you better look at the mistakes you made in the past so that you can prevent that suffering in the future. And uh what how I'd like to reframe that is that suffering is is caused by our mind. Yeah. And we can we can look at the situations that we're in in our lives as an opportunity to grow, to learn, and to change, or we can look at those challenges in our life, the suffering in our life through the lens of of a victim. And I tell you to take back my power to say that my life will be as exactly as I as I intend it to be, means that I'm grounded in my truth and the external world is gonna happen. And I have a choice of how I show up in that, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:17

And and through all of this, like just give yourself grace. Like, I promise you, it's not gonna be perfect every day. You're gonna fall backwards so many times, but you never you learn something, and every time you fall backwards. So, like the the level of growth, you know, it's not like a straight line where then you go backwards, like you keep going higher. So, like when you get higher, your low is the highest of your lowest, like you know, so it's like there's you don't ever go back fully to the rock bottom that you were because you learn things and then like the healing process or the the changing of things, it it goes by little tiny ticks, it's not one big grand, like, oh great, I listened to this podcast and I understand and and and now I'm better. It's like no, this is just a tiny little nugget of a tool for you to get in a situation where you're tense and and your shoulders are up, and all of a sudden you're like, ah, and it's that little tiny tick that's like, oh, ground myself, and you do it. And then the more that you do it, you rewire your pathways to finding new ways to cope, new ways to figure out your traumas, new ways versus the old ways. But it takes time and patience and a heck of a lot of grace for yourself. And the understanding of like, oh, yeah, dang, I went to my old way. Yeah. Well, not fully, because you just got yourself back out of it by noticing it.

SPEAKER_00 31:40

I always say awareness is light, right? And um, reframing pain for me uh because I really started to put my identity in my pain. Yeah, you are not that, yeah. And and so for so many years I was trapped in my body and my mind was restless, and I didn't have the answers, and so I played that record over and over and over again. And um, what happens is that we get to the point where we can't live in that space anymore, and that that moment that we decide that this suffering is not conducive anymore is awareness. And now I thank goodness that I got to that point because I have a completely different awareness when I'm when I'm uh stepping in to support someone else. And wherever it is that we suffer is exactly where we should serve people because we can relate and we have empathy because we've been there.

SPEAKER_01 32:51

I think we need to um like I'm I'm really big on being careful with labeling. Um, because like we had said before, words our words become our reality. Um, and so like even like you know, people that are like, oh, I have ADHD or oh, I'm overwhelmed. Like you should never claim something as if it's yours, like you own it, because then that's what your brain, your body will give you. I had seen something that was talking one time about like um like Native Americans, they never say that they they are sick or they have they have the flu. They say the flu is passing through me. Yes, you know, because they're not claiming it as their own, because otherwise then that's how it is. So, you know, in disease, in mindsets, in there's different ways of refraining or just not saying it, like you know, and being careful, like noticing it and being like, hmm, I need to add more balance. I need to, I need to add more rest. I need to, I'm feeling I need this, and and and claim and take the things that you're wanting to get instead of the things that you are sitting in.

SPEAKER_00 33:52

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 33:52

Like go forward, think, think way of a way of positive switch on how you do. And like, I don't even like to be categorized as like um, oh yeah, women tend to do that. I'm sorry, not all of us, right? Do not do that to me. Like, correct categorize, don't put me in a box. Like, we're we're done with boxes these days, like it's 2026. Everybody's their own individual. We're expanding, yes, we're expanding our minds, and don't don't please don't use your mindset to to limit mine. Correct. Like, and that's like I'm really big on that because it's like how you speak about your opinions of me or your suggestions, it's like whoa, whoa, whoa, I have to be careful of that also.

SPEAKER_00 34:33

Exactly. And it and it's contagious, yes, yeah, it's contagious, so we protect our energy, right? Yep, and um, and rest plays a big part in the re in that regulation. So this week we encourage you to experiment with intentional micro rest. Perhaps once or twice a day, you take two to five minutes to pause. Sitting quietly, close your eyes or soften your gaze, and let your breath be natural. No phone, no input. Just a brief return to stillness. Notice how even short pauses affect your energy. And ask yourself, what kind of rest am I most in need of right now? Rest is not something you fall behind on. It's something you return to. Thank you for being here. Until next time, take good care. Thank you for spending time with me today on the Living Simply Well podcast. My hope is that something you heard in this episode helps you slow down, breathe deeper, and return to what matters most. At Living Simply Well, we believe that wellness doesn't come from doing more, it comes from living with intention, caring for the body, steadying the mind, and nourishing the spirit. If this episode resonated with you, I invite you to share it with someone who could use a little more balance, clarity, or healing in their life. Until next time, live simply, live well, and stay infused with what truly supports your health.