I know you're tired, but come. This is the way.
- Rumi
The myth of meritocracy tells us that if we work hard enough, we will deserve rest. Rest, we're told, is a privilege—a luxury—when in fact, it is a human right.
The systems around you will tell you that you are a machine. You are not a machine. You are a human being. You are a living, breathing, infinite part of nature, and all things in nature need rest.
Plants and trees winterize, sunflowers wrap themselves up in their petals, fish nestle into a safe spot within a coral reef, bears hibernate, and birds build nests for themselves and their families.
Rest is essential to our well-being; it is a principle of radical self-care. But we need to feel safe to be able to rest, and we have to acknowledge that not everyone feels safe enough to rest. Not everyone has an equal opportunity to rest.
Slave owners used sleep deprivation as a way to control slaves, and many Black and Brown people carry ancestral trauma where rest was not a human right. This intergenerational trauma, paired with experiences of discrimination, inequality, and racism, is what has led to the modern-day 'sleep gap.'
One study showed that Black Americans are five times more likely to get less than six hours of sleep per night (which is called short sleep) and get on average an hour less sleep a night, compared to white Americans. Hispanic and Chinese participants were 1.8 and 2.3 times more likely to get short sleep, respectively.
In another study that went beyond the quantity of sleep, Black folks spent about 15 percent of their sleep in slow-wave sleep (the most restorative part of one's sleep), while white folks spent 20% of their night in the slow-wave phase.
Before the 1950s, sleep wasn't studied in the Western world. Little was known about its importance and healing properties as well as the inequalities that exist across populations, which is likely one reason why rest has not been prioritized in our society. In a system that values efficiency and growth at all costs, rest seems to stand in direct contradiction to that.
However, there are ancient practices that have valued and supported rest for centuries.
Yoga nidra is known as sleep yoga. It is a restful form of pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses) where we move into the liminal space between awake and asleep so as to relax, recover, and integrate. There are many benefits to this practice, such as reduced stress, anxiety, and pain, improved sleep, and increased mental clarity and awareness. For many, it's considered an essential part of one's yoga practice.
For those not so familiar with the vastness and the depth of yoga, the existence of yoga nidra can feel surprising—shocking, maybe. But if you've ever heard that savasana is the most important asana, you might begin to see why. Savasana, like nidra, is a time for digestion, integration, and recovery. It is a time for you to receive all of the effort and energy you just created.
Let's remember, yoga is not fitness. Yoga is the journey of the self through the self to the self (Bhagavad Gita), whatever path gets you there is perfect.
Yoga nidra provides us with a new path. It brings us from the outer world into the inner world. It opens up new possibilities for creativity, awareness, and resilience. It brings us closer to our intimate self and reminds us that we are worthy of rest at any given moment—no strings attached.
I hope that if you feel like you need to rest, you can find a way to do so. Rest is a human right, a human right for all. It is also a practice—like anything. If you want to feel more rested, you have to give yourself permission to rest. It is something to say yes to time and time again.
Rest has to be an active choice. You have to choose rest so that you don't burn out. You have to choose rest so that you take care. You have to choose rest so that we can dismantle the oppressive forces telling us rest is a privilege. And with time, you won't feel like you have to do anything to deserve this practice. You and rest will just be. ✨
This week's essay was written after a weekend intensive on my 300-hour yoga teacher training program with Radical Darshan. I offer gratitude and thanks to my teachers Kallie, Jonelle, Stacie, and Leila. ✨
And if you'd like to try out yoga nidra with me, I'm teaching a special Sunday Soul class on January 2nd, which will be light on the asana and will incorporate yoga nidra, journaling, and meditation. More details below.
✨ yoga etc. is my newsletter on yoga, social justice, collective wellbeing, and collective healing. Every week, I share a piece of me—a weekly dose of mindfulness—hoping it resonates. The best way to support my work is by sharing this newsletter with those you think might find a piece of them. ✨
Yoga of movement ✨
Class schedule this week:
I am also hosting a couple of special classes over the holidays. These classes will integrate some of the concepts and practices I've been learning over the last six months in my 300-hour yoga teacher training program—practices such as yoga nidra, mantra, and mindfulness. I would love for you to join.
Winter solstice rejuvenate flow ✨a 60-minute flow and rest practice inviting us to slow down with the season, honor the darkness, and celebrate the return of the light (Tuesday 21st December - book)
New year + new moon Sunday soul ✨a very special 90-minute workshop incorporating asana, journaling, intention setting, mantra, and yoga nidra so that we may welcome 2022 with clarity, strength, and joy (Sunday 2nd January - book)
Please try to sign up at least 3 hours before the start of class, and if you can't make it in real-time, you'll get access to the recording.
And lastly, here are a few brand new pre-filmed classes for you to try out:
25 min ✨ Stretch + strength chair flow
45 min ✨ Solid + centered
I'm also available for private and corporate classes, and I offer complimentary private classes to nonprofit and not-for-profit organizations. Reply to this email if you're interested!
Yoga of action ✨
I'm tithing 10% of my income from my online yoga classes to organizations that fight against white supremacy. Every month, I'll pick a new organization and highlight it below. If these organizations call to you, please consider contributing (no matter how small).
My December donation will go to SisterLove, a women-centered HIV and sexual and reproductive justice advocacy organization in the US and South Africa. Black people are 3.3 times more likely than white people to die from pregnancy-related complications, and reports have shown that most of these deaths are preventable.
SisterLove provides thousands of free HIV tests every year, conducts community-based research programs with the world's leading research institutions, and empowers and equips women living with HIV to conduct programs in their local communities. The non-profit also advocates and fights for policy change at the state and federal levels for women's rights, women's reproductive justice, LGBTQ rights, rights for incarcerated citizens, access to healthcare, and ending the epidemic of HIV/AIDS.
Have a suggested organization? Leave a comment to share.
Yoga of words ✨
Grab a pen, grab your journal. Have a seat somewhere comfortable. Close your eyes, take a breath in, and let it go. Your weekly writing prompt is below.
From The Nap Ministry: How will you be useless to capitalism today? (10 minutes)
Feel free to share what you've written by clicking the link below. But, of course, you’re also welcome to keep this practice as just yours.
Other musings ✨
The racial inequality of sleep (The Atlantic)
Gift sets for book lovers (Elizabeth's of Akron)
How Paris will become 100% cyclable (Bloomberg)
Olivia Rodrigo's Tiny Desk (home) concert (YouTube)
An eco and independent gift guide (Jasmine Hemsley)
"NASA is doing a disservice to humanity—and also to astronauts themselves—by not considering inclusion upfront. When you get a group of people with diverse abilities together the sum is greater than the parts." Meet the first disabled crew to fly in zero-gravity (BBC)
On repeat: Mind Body and Spirit by Stephanie Zacharias and Aaliyah (Spotify)
I'm here for you—for class, advice, or anything you need or would like to share. Always a phone call/text/DM/reply button away.
LBC ✨
P.S. If you like this newsletter, please share it with your friends! And if someone sent you this newsletter, you can subscribe below!