Why You Really Need Ease in Your Life

2 min

Earlier this week, during my regular meditation practice, our teacher said something that stayed with me. She asked, “What does it mean to rest?” The question felt simple at first, but as she spoke, I realized how much I had narrowed my idea of rest to surface-level acts—taking a nap, enjoying a bubble bath, or stepping away from work. She invited us to think deeper and explore rest as something far more meaningful.

For her, rest means being at ease—ease in the body, ease in the mind, ease in the spirit. It’s not something we wait for, nor is it a luxury we allow ourselves only on special occasions. It’s a state we can access in our everyday lives. It’s a well within us, something we can draw from at any time. Meditation is her bucket. 

Her words sparked this reflection. I started thinking about how I find my own sense of ease. Journaling immediately came to mind. When I sit down with my journal, I can feel my thoughts untangle. There’s something about putting pen to paper that allows me to let go of the weight I carry. The invisible becomes visible, and it leaves me lighter and clearer. 

But it isn’t just journaling. As I reflected, I realized that cooking and walking alone are part of my well, too. These aren’t occasional indulgences—they’re daily rituals. When I’m happy, cooking becomes a way to share joy, filling my home with warmth and feeding my friends with love. When I’m not, it’s a way to process. Chopping onions, stirring a pot—these simple acts give me a sense of calm, helping me find balance again. 

What struck me most was that these practices aren’t about escaping life’s demands, but about meeting them differently. They ground me in the moment and remind me that rest isn’t about doing nothing; it’s about being present. 

I wanted to share this because it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that rest is something we have to earn or schedule. But what if rest could be part of our everyday lives? What if we could learn to access ease, not just in our downtime, but in the midst of everything else? 

So, I’ll pass on the same question that was posed to me: What does rest mean to you? How do you find ease in your body, your mind, your spirit? As we head into the holiday season, I hope you take a moment to explore that question. Maybe rest is closer than you think. 

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