The Importance of Rest

Rest is a very important matter that comes up often in practice. Rest can mean many things to many people but I hope to share some ideas that will help you and your client when you see that rest is a part of their healing.

I see the need for rest in most people. In today’s complex and busy world, we seem to always be in response to the dictates of the day. Rarely do we ever just stop to say, "I need rest and I am going to have it today."

Most people work a 40 hour week and have two days off in America. I say most people not counting the business owners, executives, or dedicated workers that will work many more hours. And when our day is done, there are more tasks that need to be performed and attended to before we can retire and call it a day. When I speak with my clients, they usually refer to this as stress in their life. I would agree, but stress means different things to different people. It always demands I ask them the question, "What makes this stressful?" to learn more.

When the pattern is overwork, the rubric is:

• mind; INDUSTRIOUS, mania for work (213) : acon., adam., aego-p., aeth., agar., aids, allox., 3Aloe, 2amet., amn-l., androc., ang., 3Apis, aquilr-a., ara-m., ard-h., 2arg-m., arist-cl., arn., ars., aspart., aster., 4AUR., aur-ar., aur-m-n., 3Bar-c., bell., bell-p., biti-a., blatta, 3Brachy-s-p., 3Brom., bry., bufo, 3Calc., calc-acet., calc-ar., calc-f., calc-i., 2calc-p., 2calop-s., 3Cann-s., caps., 3Carc., 2cast., cath-a., caul., caust., 3Cere-b., chin., chir-f., choc., cic., cimic., cit-a., clem., cob-n., 2coca, 3Cocain., cocc., 4COFF., coloc., com., 2conch., cupr., 3Cycl., cyg-b., 2cypr., 2des-ac., dicha., dig., diox., dysp., ephe., 3Eucal., 3Euph., euphr., euro-n., euro-o., 3Excr-can., falco-p., fel., ferr-m., fic-mac., fl-ac., form., gamb., gins., glyc-g., haliae-lc., harp., hell., helo., 3Helon., herin., hura, hydr-ac., hydrog., 3Hyos., hyper., 3Ign., indg., 4IOD., ip., irid., iris, 4KALI-BI., 3Kali-br., kali-c., kola., kreos., lac-eq., lac-h., lac-leo., lac-lup., 3Lacer., 4LACH., lam-cy., 2lap-be-e., lat-h., latex, laur., led., lil-t., lsd, 4LYC., lycps., m-arct., 3Mag-c., mag-m., manc., 2mand., mang., marm-a., med., medus., mel-alt., 2menth., merc., mez., mobil-ph., mosch., mur-ac., murx., musca-d., nat-c., nat-m., nat-s., neod., neod-p., neon, nic-r., 4NUX-V., 3Op., paull., ped., 3Phos., pic-ac., pip-m., pisc., plac., plan., plb., 3Plut-n., posit., pras-c., puls., querc-r., 3Rad-br., ratt-n., rhus-g., rhus-t., 2ros-ca-a., ros-g., 2sals-t., salx-f., sama., sama-m., sama-o., sama-sil., 3Sars., scorp., seneg., 4SEP., ser-ang., sile-c., soph-m., 3Spig., stan-e., stann., staph., stram., sul-ac., sulph., 2sus, 4TARENT., tax-br., terb., terb-o., teucr-s., ther., 3Thuj., 4TUB., 2turq., tyto-a., uran., uran-n., 3Valer., 2vanil., 4VERAT., 3Verb., viol-o., zinc

There can also be situations where the demands of taking care of others will preclude our ability to get rest. The rubrics for this are:

• generalities; WEAKNESS; nursing the sick, from (12) : carb-v., 3Cimic., 4COCC., 2excr-can., 3Nit-ac., 3Nux-v., olnd., 4PLAC., puls., 3Sulph., zinc., 3Zinc-ar.
• generalities; WEAKNESS; sleep; loss of, from (25) : 3Bapt., berb., carb-v., 3Cimic., 4COCC., 3Colch., 3Cupr., 2excr-can., glon., 3Hydr., 3Ip., 3Nat-m., 3Nit-ac., 3Nux-v., olnd., osm., pic-ac., 4PLAC., 3Puls., 3Sel., 3Sulph., tama., verat., zinc., 3Zinc-ar.

For most people, this is just a part of their case and may not be the primary symptom. So these rubrics are useful when the case revolves around the issue of too much work. Another symptom that interferes with rest is worry. We can have many forms of worry, including money issues, anxiety for others and family, conditions or situations in the world, etc. These worries must be individually understood and the correct rubric chosen to be effective. The case must revolve around them.

In treating the constitution or the chronic condition of my clients, I find that most go through a phase where they say that they are tired all of the time. They seem to have no energy. Usually, they complain about this and question if the remedy is correct. It could be a sign that the remedy needs to be changed or it could be a potency issue. When I am sure that the person is responding positively to the remedy and they go through a phase of tiredness, it is usually the return of an old symptom.

When we live a fast and full life without taking the time for proper rest, we can sometimes learn a new habit for survival in order to be able to "rise to the occasion." I see many people who have done this for years and never taken the time to rest. When the adrenal glands are in response to the increased levels of stress in a person’s life, they will become weak. This is a sign that the adrenal cortex, the part of the gland that buffers the release of the adrenaline hormone, has atrophied from overuse. The end result will be collapse. But prior to collapse, the person will have sleep issues. They will wake suddenly at night and be full of thoughts or worries.

Lack of sleep is a huge issue of not getting enough rest. Sleep is the restorative phase of our daily cycles. When we sleep, we disengage the mind to allow recuperative rest. Issues that remain with us from day-to-day can weigh on our minds and affect sleep. Without restorative sleep, our batteries run low. I have found to be a true statement. People who have been not getting enough sleep for months, years, or even decades will need to re-energize their batteries and fill up again at some point. It is like a bank account that needs to have more money added to it or there will be bankruptcy.

Aside from sleep, rest can be achieved through a conscious decision to not engage in the same patterns of our daily life. Even with a lack of sleep, we can still rest by remaining in bed and observing our quiet time. Especially for those people who do much manual labor and use their bodies, this time of rest is very important.

For those people who have more sedentary occupations, exercise is as important as rest. We must use our bodies to keep fit. Exercise can put the needed stress on our physical bodies that help us find the need for rest also. This has mental as well as physical implications.

Here are a few ideas you can share with your clients when you see that rest is a part of their healing.

• Encourage them to recognize that they are in overload and to actively make choices to find some time for rest.
• Meditation is a great way to ease our minds and disengage from the worry state.
• Take naps if possible. The disengagement from the mental activities of the day can lessen the accumulation of stress during our day.
• If awake at night, use this time wisely to relax their body and do what they can to let go of thoughts. Night-time is an excellent time to meditate.
• Get daily exercise and movement.
• Vitamin B-12 is a wonderful vitamin to help restore the nervous system after stress.

Rest affects all aspects of our lives and is too often overlooked as a primary symptom or a part of our healing when the vital force is making changes after a person starts their remedy. Remember, the vital force rules with unbounded sway. Most of the time a person is complaining of being tired after starting their remedy, they are simply slowing down to a more appropriate speed in their lives and starting to begin the restorative process of rest. This can also be a sign of healing.

Keep the conversation going! I would love to hear your questions and thoughts below!