Some of the most profound experiences of my life have been during moments of rest, stillness, or relaxation, when I have ceased doing, and allowed myself to loosen or soften into the moment. So much can happen from this space that would unlikely have been noticed, had I not paused, and been present, still, and available, for something more to be discovered, and for more subtle realities to become noticeable. There are an extraordinary level of insights, realms, and energies available in our experience, that seem to reveal themselves most readily from our stillness, peace, and relaxing fully into the present moment, just as it is. Perhaps this restful, easeful allowing makes room for everything and anything to emerge into awareness.

There is so much pull and glorification in society, and culture around filling our time to the brim with busyness and action. Little attention seems to be given to the potential consequences of such a lifestyle. Yet, all around us the impacts of this unnatural pace and unsustainable way of being can be clearly seen. From an unprecedented amount of unwellness on all human levels, to an equally unwell planet and atmosphere, suffering is visibly happening.

We hear accounts almost daily of people struggling with fatigue, unease, burnout, neuroses, unbalance, detachment, and a general ceasing to thrive of life on Earth. In the simplest sense, when we, and life are not provided with the necessary amount of rest and relaxation, we soon become exhausted, unhappy, unwell, and we can cease to function effectively, or cease to function at all. The necessity of regular and adequate rest cannot be emphasized enough, it literally brings life back into us. It provides us with renewal, stability, energy, and growth. Relaxation gives us an opportunity to empty ourselves out, to reflect, to course correct, notice insights, be inspired, and finally, to create and expand ourselves, our lives, and what might be possible.

Both the easily identifiable, and the more subtle benefits of stopping to rest, recover our energy, and relax from tension or anxiety, are too numerous to name here. So, let’s look at some of the more beneficial or empowering ones.

During rest and relaxation, a surprising number of things tend to happen. Our system on every level begins to slow down, our breathing finds the ideal rate, our body’s energy starts to rebalance itself, finds equilibrium, and then recharges and revitalizes itself. We heal most rapidly and effectively when we stop and allow the process to happen unencumbered by activity. Rest and relaxation are very restorative, essential, and healthy for all living beings. Pausing creates space, including in our usually over-busy minds, which in turn allows for a natural loosening up, and for us to begin to naturally review or evaluate things. During rest we can more easily notice what is happening to ourselves and in our lives, or what may be required next. This is especially true for the more subtle glimmers of what we may sense. When we let ourselves relax, we often become aware of the more subtle realms and energies of existence. It may begin with all of our senses noticing what is happening immediately around us, and it may expand as we become aware of instincts, and intuition, or other forms of sensing or knowing.

When we stop doing, and are still, we are allowing things to be, we cease interfering or pushing. A sense of peace, stillness, ease, or emptiness often becomes noticeable, and even tangible. Resting and relaxing allows for an infinite amount of space to become available as thoughts and tension dissolve, and from there inspiration, creativity and possibility can show up. We can transform and become open and tremendously expanded and free. From here, it seems anything might be possible.

What follows are some of the most profound and moving experiences of my life. These are moments that somehow altered the course of my existence, and each showed up when I stopped to rest, be still, relax, to cease doing, when I allowed myself to just be.

During a meditation retreat and trek in Nepal, I stopped during a lofty hike to sit on top of a large boulder and rest, whilst gazing at the sheer beauty of the tall mountains in the afternoon sun, and down at the white clouds below, gently rolling their way through the long, distant valleys. I almost had not stopped, nearly giving in to the hunger and tiredness I was experiencing. But something compelled me to pause, and I am so glad that I did. Soon the thick, wavy clouds moved quickly up the mountains towards me, eventually enveloping me fully, and I could see and hear nothing at all, but I felt everything. Alone in the complete still silence, I was so moved by an overwhelming sense of the eternal, of divinity all around and within me, filling me with what felt like an infinite amount of immense, loving energy. So much so, that tears rolled down my face. I stayed there for maybe an hour, completely fixed in the absolute stillness and joy of the moment, and I left feeling so awake, deeply peaceful, beautifully empty, and somehow altogether altered. Over eighteen years later, this remains a peak experience that happened during a period of me stopping fully in my tracks and just letting myself relax.

Quite consistently, after relaxation, or meditation, or just before sleep, when I am restful and at ease, I find I see and hear new words of poetry revealing themselves fully formed in my imagination. From the stillness and allowing comes spontaneous creativity. The ease and emptiness make room for everything, and really appears to be fertile ground for wisdom and all of possibility to be discovered. I record these poems, and upon reading them later I am often surprised at the detail, beauty, and wisdom they contain. The same has become true for art and imagery, it is from the ease of relaxing fully in the moment that I often see beautiful visions which I later sometimes paint or draw.

On regular occasions, I sit in my garden with no agenda beyond relaxing, and looking through the eucalyptus trees or at passing clouds. In this place of unmoving and ease, I frequently find myself in an altered state of being and awareness. Sometimes the whole experience of seeing shifts and it’s like I am literally watching individual molecules of energy moving before me. Sometimes it feels like time ceases to exist. The experience becomes like witnessing a divine dancing of energy which is always so magnificent and very moving. Sometimes I am hit by the profound miracle of life, of existence, and awe struck by an energy that feels all consuming, ecstatic, and yet deeply familiar. In these moments I feel a complete sense of belonging and a clear feeling that I am inseparable from everything.

These amazing experiences happen spontaneously, and only when I let relaxation, ease and rest happen. When I give myself fully and absolutely to the present moment, ongoingly, as it unfolds. If I engage in thoughts, questioning, or physical experiences during these moments, they quite quickly begin to fade into the background, and my typical senses and ways of experiencing take over. It has become true for me that when I am resting and relaxing alone, when I give myself the space and conditions conducive to this ceasing of any doing, I usually become aware that I am In a different state, a shift in consciousness automatically happens. From here it seems that far more subtle movements can unfold, and energies glimmer on the very edges of what I can be fully aware of. I can allow myself to just be, remaining completely relaxed and available for whatever arises from the peace and ease. I have a consistent sense that far more is happening than I can know or understand. And this encourages me to honor frequent periods of relaxation, stillness, and rest through my day. For this seems like a reliable access point to creativity and higher expression from the subtle realms of existence.