Take a Personal Rest Revolution

Honoring Your Body's Signals and Prioritizing Radical Self-Care

Resting against a sunlight tree. Photo Courtesy of Vikki Marie Page, CDMX 2023

I spent a great deal of the last two years working in public education as a high school Performing Arts Teacher. I always said I loved the kids, and I detested the system.

Into my second year, my body started sending clear, painful messages about my aversion to grind culture. This manifested in migraines 🤕—so severe I would be violently ill in the bathroom. I leaned hard into spiritual protection: covering my head, saying protection spells, and mandating a highly structured life. This included rigid meal planning with high protein and forcing myself to go outside while the majority of other staff stayed indoors. I also had such a difficult time attending to my basic biological needs—I often joked with a fellow perimenopausal teacher that we needed at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted time just to take an effing SHIT. Lol.

It got so bad that I took FMLA, spending the near end of my teaching year on a four-week hiatus to reclaim my energy.

I was absolutely clear this was going to be my last year teaching in this way. The only reason I had said yes to the job in the first place was that in the summer of 2023, I hit zero—an all-time low of no funds, a thick stack of debt, and a lack of conviction to place all my bets on self-employment. A former colleague contacted me, offering a chance to make the biggest salary of my life, and there was something incredibly soothing about that stability at the time. 💰

I spent a great deal of the beginning of 2025 creating what I called my “Bridge to Freedom.”

I paid off all my debts, mapped out a potential business plan, landed contracts for the summer, and created a savings account set to last me at least three months. I also established a new financial “zero” of $5K so as to never repeat the circumstances that landed me here in the first place. 🗺️

Alas, the end of the school year came, followed by proper farewells and a month of musical theatre camps. Then came August.

This is when the grief spell arrived.I dreamed of all the youth I left behind–feeling guilty and sad that their dear Performing Arts class and teacher went M.I.A. 😭

This is when my personal Rest Revolution began. ✨🙇🏾✨

The idea of Rest as Resistance is a major movement I’ve followed for years, created by Tricia Hersey of The Nap Ministry. One of my favorite quotes from her is, “We Will Rest.” It’s become a motto and serves as powerful permission to “lay yo ass down” 💭

I’ve actually always been a napper, but grind culture got in the way of that. Many cultures and countries understand this concept—from the midday siesta to those who value a whole holiday from June to October, as I experienced on the coast of Spain in the summer of 2017 (which you’ll learn more about when I start releasing these chapters from The Unschooling Chronicles). 🏖️

Rest is a right. Rest is essential.

I took my “Bridge to Freedom” and fully embraced my “Freedom Life,” which included A LOT of sleep. After weeks of rest, I realized just how much the system and grind culture had sapped my vital energy. There were days when I truly felt I couldn’t do anything. And there was a persistent voice trying to combat me—saying I was lazy, asking if I wasn’t going to do something productive. But my inner wisdom knew better: I knew that no matter how long this rest spell lasted, it was going to have an incredible ROI (Return on Investment). 📈

And I was right. After a month of resting, being, and doing whatever the $\text{fuck}$ I wanted, a new energy started to emerge—I felt I had capacity. Now I was able to move on to daydreaming, visioning, and doing the thing I love, which is creating the life of my dreams. 💭

Did you know there are many types of rest that don’t just involve sleep?

This was crucial information for me to know that rest can be creative rest, social rest, physical rest, mental rest, and more. I did it all. And I continue to do it all.

My Favorite Rest Revolution Rituals ✨🧘🏾✨

For me, some of my favorite rest rituals look like:

• ☀️🌲Earth & Sun Worshipping: Laying a blanket down on the ground to do a combo of earth and sun grounding.

• 🛌🏾Physical: Taking naps, going to bed hella early, Yoga Nidra practice.

• ^🕺🏾Social/Creative: Going out dancing with friends, phoning a friend, taking a vision walk.

• 🪞🧴Self-Sensuality: Self-love in the form of touch, beautification, and counting gratitudes. 🙏

One of the main lessons I’ve learned from embracing my personal Rest Revolution is: GO SLOW TO GO FAST. (Say that again and again.)

Every time I get amped up, anxious, or feel like I’m on some supercharged timeline—it’s a signal to SLOW THE FUCK DOWN. 😵‍💫

Since prioritizing rest and slowness, my nervous system is so much more regulated—it truly surprises me how calm and grounded I remain. Friends and comrades have commented that I look lighter and my energy has changed. Ultimately, I have a lot less anxiety, less physical discomfort, and I get to listen and honor my body every single day without limitation. 🕊️

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5️⃣ Rest Revolution Rituals for You to Enjoy at Ease

• Read–at least five minutes, and can you indulge for longer or more frequently?

• Yoga Nidra–almost immediate nervous system reset if you have 5-30 minutes

• Daydream–la,la, la, la, la… what’s in the clouds? What’s in your 3rd eye?

• Cacoon—yes shut down the world and create your own rest nest.

• Nature Bath–yes love, go outside, please, this is the ultimate remedy. Feel the sun, hug the trees, put your feet in the earth.

☎️Heeding the Call

This revolution isn’t just for me. If you’ve found yourself going against your will, experiencing anxiety or having a hard time stopping (the werk)--may I recommend taking your own personal Rest Revolution.

✨🔛✨ The Calling: Choose a Rest Revolution Ritual from above and practice it as many times as you can this week. Which ritual do you automatically feel attracted or resistance to—do that one!

Next time, I’ll share one of my favorite embodiment practices for immediately connecting to the light, your body, spirit, and feeling the Axé (ah-shay)💫

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Guess what’s coming December 26-January 1?!

♥️💚💛🖤

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For Culturally Rooted Movement Seekers, Artivists, and Creative Changemakers.

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