Summer's Energetic Shifts
Restful Inquiries for the Start of June & Some Simple Summer Updates
Monthly Restful Inquiry
As the warmer season picks up momentum, I’m going to keep this short and sweet. Here are a few questions to gently reflect on as we head into the month of June:
What felt regulating1 this month?
Where did I feel myself access expansive, (and more traditionally pleasant) emotions like creativity, space, ease, connection, curiosity, wonder, and awe?
Where did I give myself permission to access traditionally tougher emotions that allowed me to feel honest about my experience as a human? In other words, where did I feel safe enough to honestly express or experience things like anger, grief, disappointment, jealousy, sadness, and confusion?
What felt supportive for me and my current bandwidth, even if it wasn’t consistent?
Which social interactions felt most connective & why?
What parts of work or life-admin tasks set you up for success?
What areas of your world do you wish you could add more of, even if you’re already doing it?
Where can I create more space for the things that bring me joy and ease?
If I had to say “no” to one thing in the month of June so that I could create more space for myself, what would I want to take off of my plate? If I cannot fully take it off of my plate, how can I make it easier on myself by 1%?
If you had to choose one activity, person, rest-practice, or hobby to spend 5 more minutes on this month, what would it be? How can you remind yourself you value this time when things get busy?
If these questions stir anything up in you while you’re reflecting on them, and you’d like to share what it sparks in you, feel free to comment or shoot me an email. I’d love to hear how you’re navigating a busy late-spring!
Some Summer Shifts
I’m not sure about you all, but summer is often when the extra bandwidth over here at The Art of Rest shifts substantially.
In the inner-mountain West, we have very long, dark winters where it is easy to spend a lot of time writing, reflecting, and frankly, working on the computer with intention and consistency in the day-to-day turnings of the world. In the high mountain desert summers, the world of opportunities outside the home opens up, and I often find myself taking advantage of the sunshine and long days to cram a little more life in than I might normally strive for during the winters. Due to the nature of my work, in the warmer months of the year, I also find myself away from my computer as I guide in beautiful backcountry spaces with folks like River Newe, Canyons, or The School of Lost Borders.
While I love the work that I am privileged to do in these spaces, with these people—it confronts me to re-define what it means to rest, to find ease, and to seek healthy stress-management tools.
To that end, you can expect The Art of Rest content to be shorter and more-to-the-point this summer, and it will naturally start to expand in the fall, as the inside time starts to settle us back in.
This is the nature of healthy2 sleep, healthy stress-management, and healthy rest—it is supposed to fluctuate with the external world. I hope you’re giving yourself permission to do the same. I also hope, if this summer you’re needing more rest, not less, you give yourself permission to do that in whatever way suits you best.
The Art of Rest
As a final update, there is an exciting announcement over here at The Art of Rest—we’re finally opening the doors on our art.
When taking the leap into opening The Art of Rest, I knew a small business around sleep-health, rest, and nervous system work needed to walk-it’s-work-life-balance-walk to be sustainable for everyone involved. While immediate support for people’s sleep-health is primarily where I’ve been focusing my efforts in the past calendar year, it has always been an intention at The Art of Rest to incorporate art and creative practice as a pointed tool for nervous system regulation and long-term stress management.
By creating art, I gently remind myself just as much as the folks I work with, that creativity and artistic play are a central, and important part of our lives—not just a side dish.
Currently, I’m taking on small commission requests. If you have a piece of art (or a compassionate quote) that you’d like to intentionally display in your space as a frequent reminder to your brain, body, and heart that you’re pursuing the art of rest, reach out to me.
I’d love to see if we can get some beautiful, unique reminders in your space that you deserve some beauty, ease, and rest in your world.
That Sums Up Our Updates…
That’s what we’ve got for you this week as we keep careening into the brightest, boldest parts of our year in the Northern Hemisphere.
Keep an eye out soon for:
Weekly Restful Inquiries & Gentle Art Practices
Short Answers to Community Q&A’s3
In-person events in Missoula (& virtual versions if you’re scattered about the globe!)
Art Prints on the Horizon
As per usual, thank you so much for being here.
It’s an honor to pursue the art of rest alongside you.
With ease,
Dagny Rose
Welcome to The Art of Rest. A place where we believe if we live our lives creatively—the art will take care of the rest.
This sub-section of The Art of Rest is where we will be regularly announcing and updating about our events, offerings, and opportunities to get involved with our work.
The Art of Rest is a multi-faceted hub of all things art and rest. While you can always head to our website, we will also be regularly posting here about more specific details of how to get involved. Whether it’s about our 1:1 guidance work, our upcoming workshops, and ways to engage in our art. “Events and Offerings” is going to regularly keep you up-to-date on what is going on here at The Art of Rest.
Looking For A Personalized Way to Optimize Your Rest?
I offer individualized 1:1 guidance for those who want to use rest as a way to meet their current worlds. Some folks want to expand their creativity with dreamwork and optimizing sleep for their next big adventure. Other folks might see me for a seasonal tune up to maintain healthy sleep they’ve worked hard to acquire. Sometimes people find themselves swirling around in the dark, awake all night and we gently work together to collaboratively work on a unique restful roadmap to get their sleep, stress, and rest back on track. If you’d like to work together, shoot me an email at dagnyrose@theartofrest.me to inquire about getting started.
My final spring booking spots for spring end June 15 and they are filling up fast. Keep an eye out for summer booking slots when I’m back around mid-July.
For the sake of this article, I’m defining “regulating” as anything that allowed us to feel safely in connection with our internal emotional experience and expression (whether those emotions were “positive” or “negative” )
As per usual, I use the term “healthy” lightly, here, as health is an ever-moving target.
Email me your questions around sleep health, stress-management, and creative-practice as you have them!
Dagny, these posts are high quality! Your guiding reflections, stories, and creative meanderings always inspire me to head to bed or head inward earlier in the evening as well as enjoy more creative and play time during the day!
I'd love to participate in a mindfulness and art 'workshop' with you if you ever feel inspired to offer one...