Bodies as sites of liberation
We are resting not to do more and to come back stronger and more productive for a capitalist system. ―Tricia Hersey
👥 Serves: 1 person
🎚 Difficulty: Hard
⏳ Total time: Ongoing
🥣 Ingredients: Patience, kindness, commitment, “Rest Is Resistance” book by Trisha Hersey (if you’re curious to find out more about it!)
🤓 Wholebeing Domains: Awareness, Liberatory Learning, Rest
💪 Wholebeing Skills: Liberation, Mind-body-connection, Non-performing, Relaxation, Sleep
Bodies as sites of liberation
📝 Description
Practices to reclaim your birthright.
Tricia Hersey, author of Rest Is Resistance and founder of The Nap Ministry, is a global pioneer to understand the liberatory power of rest. Hersey sees rest as a radical form of resistance, liberation, and emancipation. The work is centred around four core tenets:
- Rest is a form of resistance because it disrupts and pushes back against capitalism and white supremacy.
- Our bodies are a site of liberation.
- Naps provide a portal to imagine, invent, and heal.
- Our DreamSpace has been stolen and we want it back. We will reclaim it via rest.
The following recipe invites you to reflect on the second tenet, “Our bodies are a site of liberation” and is inspired by Trisha’s book Rest Is Resistance as well as The Nap Ministry’s Rest Deck.
👣 Steps
Step 1 – Premise
Tricia argues that we have been brainwashed since we were children to prioritise productivity over rest to allow the capitalist system to thrive. We have internalised this socialisation and manipulation by the system to the point that we have become agents of grind culture. Therefore, it is necessary to embark on a process of deprogramming our brainwashing to relearn what it really means to rest. What better place to start than your body?
Step 2 – Self-reflection
Take as much time as you wish to reflect on the following statements (which are part of the Rest Deck by The Nap Ministry). While you do so, pay attention to the thoughts that pop up in your mind, but also to the physical sensations you experience. Do you notice any tension or resistance in your body? Is it easy to dismiss them as utopic or idealistic?
- My body is my teacher.
- My body is sacred. Exhaustion does not honour the sacred.
- I am enough. The systems I live under are trash. I can rest.
- Perfectionism is not human. To be human is to rest.
Step 3 – Reclaim rest
Turn your body into a site of liberation by allowing it to rest. Importantly, resting can look very different from person to person. Here are a few recipes to help you rest: “Body scan meditation for sleep”, “Box breathing”, “Eye yoga”, “Mindful colouring”, “Nurture your compassion roots”, “PowerPoint for a peaceful sleep”, “Sun salutation”, “Take control of your life with a digital detox”, “Tea meditation”, and “Walking meditation”.
If you are interested in deepening this exploration, we also encourage you to check out our recipes “Pleasure activism” and “The joy of uselessness”.