Siesta

Naps have been around since the beginning of time. We all know how to do this; we begin taking naps shortly after entering the world. We breathe, we make our arrival known and we nap. Every journey merits regular time to rest.

There are many pictures of my children sleeping when they were babies. Pictures of our cat taking a nap in the numerous places he chooses to sleep throughout the days. I see deep peace in their sleep.

This practice has led to pictures of me sleeping. Paloma took this one. Notice how I am not sharing the one taken on a plane, with my classes crookedly on, slouched off to the side, mouth half open, multiple chins. That one is kept in the family vault. Like all travel sleeping pictures should be.

When I was pregnant with her, I was sent home to rest. Similar to this time, a sort of lockdown. Only I wasn’t allowed to walk about, hike the hills, garden, cook or sit at my computer and work. I share this story often as its impact on my life was and is profound.

The first few weeks of bedrest, I felt like I was climbing the walls. Then, there was a realization. How often would I get a break from the demands of an outside world? I might never experience this level of quiet in my lifetime and if I did, it could be years before a time for rest like that would happen again.

Napping became part of my every day. The naps were different than any I experienced before. I would fall into a deep state of relaxation. I could feel every part of my body set in place. I could hear my own rhythmic breathing. And, I could hear everything around me: the sounds inside our house, conversations and activities, as well as, outside, birds, dogs and cars.

I felt the space I inhabited was not limited to the physical container of my body. I could visualize everything around me. Yet my eyes were closed. I felt like I was asleep and awake at the same time.

After Paloma was born, and when a nap was available, this experience continued though the early years of her life. I was fascinated by the ability to rest completely and still be aware of my surroundings. No one taught me how to rest deeply. A reminder that this is a natural state.

My first yoga class and experience with meditation happened when she was two. Years later, when I took a Yoga Nidra class, I realized that was similar to the state I experienced in deep rest.

Currently, in a meditation teacher’s course I am taking, I came across the description of ‘pure awareness’ and the experience of being ‘the witness’. I am familiar with these terms yet connecting the dots in these personal experiences is only happening now.

The pieces a larger puzzle fit together for deeper understanding when we are ready to hear the answers to questions we have been living into.

My naps changed several years after Paloma was born when I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer – because I was fascinated and wanted to share with my family. That I could hear everything around me while completely at rest and for all better purposes, asleep and awake at the same time. You can probably see where this is headed...

When your family knows you can hear when it appears that you are asleep, questions might not wait until you come up for air. So, the experienced changed. As all things do in life.

The witness consciousness is part of a meditative experience and practice, on and off the mat. When I truly let go and accept the present moment in its entirety and find myself in that deep meditative state, I remember pure awareness. Even if only momentarily. Deep peace underlies all the daily ups and downs.

Everything is constantly changing. I am human and as such, a multitasker in a myriad of ways; sometimes efficient and other times inefficient. Learning is constant. Patience is a practice for life. The demands of everyday commitments involve a roller coaster of emotions, multitude of ideas and possibilities. Sometimes, at the end of a day, the conversation in family or with my husband leads to: how is it possible to feel and experience so much in one single day?

A day can feel like a lifetime in itself. Time is not linear. It is relative and our personal experiences cannot be measured or compared to one another.

Napping, like breathing, is universal. You don’t have to subscribe to any particular belief system to take a nap or breathe.

Summers and long days often lead to an occasional or daily nap. Life is cyclical.Transitioning from activity and engagement to letting go, rest, relaxation and restoration sometimes requires a bridge. Yin and Restorative yoga have been deeply beneficial to my existence. Both practices are also known as a gateway to meditation or a bodyful meditation.

As the world continues to be on lockdown and even prepare for re-entry, learning how to be with ourselves and other humans in shared space, I am reminded of a story I read somewhere about meditation in India. Large families live in tight quarters. Separate bedrooms are a luxury. Shared spaces are the norm. Meditation is one way to be with oneself in the midst of all the activity, sounds, smells and surround. This time and practice is revered; to be with oneself, one’s own breathing, mind, the fluctuations of thoughts and emotions, connection to one’s inner world which is connected to the whole world.

I believe this is part of the way forward:

Brain-heart coherence, mindfulness, continued cultivation of the ability to listen to our own hearts which are ultimately connected to one another, diversity and unity in community, locally and globally.

Quarantine the judging mind. Let go of how the world used to be.

Breathe deeply and slowly. Be who you are. Say what you have to say. Do what you can.

Keep building a life. Keep dreaming. Creating.

And whenever possible, take a nap.

Every journey merits regular times of rest.

Tehroma

P.S. If you are curious about the benefits of taking a nap, the internet offers countless resoures and studies. Napping is a place to cultivate your intuition...and so much more.