The work we get to do here at The Darkest Horse is both complicated and rewarding – in many ways it’s a privilege, BUT it’s also intense labor that requires us to confront difficult truths.
One of those truths is that our desire to boldly confront systemic racism challenges us to identify NEW ways of working + being, that protect us from further harming ourselves or each other. We strive to cultivate a community of care that makes plenty of space for rest. We consider rest to be a vital competency. It’s an ongoing practice we have to learn to do individually, communally and as a society.
Like last year, we are taking a pause at the end of the year; closing the office to create that space for our team to rest. Our last day will be Friday, December 16th.
Rest is a journey. We invite you to have a growth mindset about your own capacity to rest – not to achieve excellence at rest, but as a means to self-actualize and lean into what care, health, and well-being look/feel like FOR YOU. Remember, where each of us starts is and should be different because we all have different lived experiences that define work and rest.
We’ve curated the resources that follow as an invitation into our rest practice with us. And we would love if you shared your rest-inspiring content, practices, or reflections in the comments below, or by emailing hello@thedarkesthorse.com.
Happy Solstice, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays. Take care.
Reflection Questions
- How do you define rest or leisure? Is there a difference between the two?
- What are your favorite ways to practice rest or leisure?
- How do you feel about your current rest practice? When you think about resting, what do you notice feeling in your body?
- What would be one small adjustment you could make to invite a little more rest into your life?
Resources
Rest:
- Listen: “A Word from the Nap Bishop” Interview with Tricia Hersey (Trymaine Lee)
- Read: What’s Next in the Culture of Care (Rest for Resistance)
- Practice: “Rest Life” Guided Meditation (Tricia Hersey)
- Practice: Somatic Centering (Sumitra Rajkumar)
- Practice: “Relaxing Back into Awareness” Meditation (Tara Brach)
- Listen: Sound Healing (Lucia Luminate)
- Listen: Lotus Sound Bath (Douglas Cardwell)
- Listen: Sound Baths for Relaxation (Alice Hu)
Joy + Pleasure:
- Listen & Groove: The Darkest Horse Winter Solstice Playlist
- Listen: “The Body is Not An Apology” Poem (Sonya Renee Taylor)
- Read: “Pleasure Activism” by adrienne maree brown
- Journal: “Journal of Radical Permission A Daily Guide for Following Your Soul’s Calling” by adrienne maree brown and Sonya Renee Taylor
Holidays:
- Read: How to Navigate Difficult Conversations During the Holiday Season (Very Well Mind)
- Read: Go Where You Are Honored During the Holidays (Rest for Resistance)
- Read: How to Navigate Difficult Conversations with Family over the Holidays (Life by Design Therapy)
