Taking Steps out of Hibernation
For much of the fall and winter, I'd been in a season of rest. Have you too?
Last September, I heard God nudge me to embrace this concept of rest and I came up with the acronym 'Rebel' as noted in the photo.
Be a REBEL - to rest, recover, restore, and just be (for a season).
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| Breakdown of what 'Be a Rebel' means. |
Amidst the resting (and I did a lot of that), I created more art, used my new stretching table at home for exercise, visited social media regularly, learned more about gardening and art, and decluttered various areas of my home.
Grief and Needs
Through this time, God taught me a lot about pacing myself, being patient, and helped me identify the role grief and unmet needs were playing. See this blog post for more on that.
As I desired to step out more with the turn of the calendar, I invested in a new self-care habit. My massage therapist installed an infrared sauna in her salon. (It was an idea I'd suggested to her.) Coinciding with my church's New Year's prayer and fasting suggestion, I decided I would use the sauna for prayer and self-care. And, I hoped it would bounce me out of some Season Affective Disorder I felt after the Christmas season. (Especially since we are no longer gathering with extended family and had been home much of the time.)
The results were immediate where my depression was concerned. And, the prayer practice was eye-opening. I learned how easily distracted I get. I saw I might have ADHD even. And so, I disciplined myself to have a silent sit with God for the full sauna time. It was great. And I felt spiritually renewed after too.
No, we don't have to go into a sauna to pray. Prayer and meditation can be done in many places. But I like the therapeutic benefits sauna gives me too. It's a time for just me to get away out of the house.
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