Rest is Best

by Jessica Girija Jewell 

We all know the pull to keep going—doing more, staying busy, pushing past our edges. But that rhythm doesn’t truly support a well-lived life. The phrase, "rest is best" has been singing in my mind today. Periods of deep, unhurried rest allow us to return to our days renewed and able to walk the path of practice with greater peace and clarity.

🍯 Ojas is the subtle substance of vitality in the body—the deep reservoir that sustains our glow, steadiness, and immunity.

🔥Tapas is the necessary fire of self-discipline, the inner heat that carries us through the work of yoga practice and spiritual transformation.

Tapas depends on ojas. Without vitality, discipline becomes harsh and unsustainable. Deep rest restores ojas, so that our tapas, our practice, is nourished from within rather than driven by strain and stress.

We need more rest than we imagine. I recently read an essay by Pema Chödrön where she spoke about taking an entire year simply to rest and how restorative it was for her life and spiritual well-being. Although a year of rest may not be available to most of us, this reminds us that true restoration often requires more time and generosity than we typically allow.

We experience a taste of the nourishment of rest in asana classes when we practice savasna. For many, savasana—lying down at the end of class—is their favorite posture. It is through this simple practice that we discover the value of deep rest and deep surrender, and we begin to understand why stillness is essential for renewal.

Pausing in savasana between postures is a traditional asana approach that can be illuminating: we sense the pulsation of prana, notice how energy moves through the body, and begin to trust the wisdom of the pause. These moments teach us, again and again, that rest is not separate from practice—it is what makes practice so nourishing and transforming.

I’ll be away from September 28–October 6, returning to the studio on October 8. Travel often tempts us into constant motion, filling the days with doing. This time I intend something different: to lean into being, to rest in the journey itself so I return not only having an adventure but truly restored.

Please note that there are many other classes still happening at Yoga Together Lincoln this week that support your awakening journey. 

May you find time for deep, unhurried rest in the days ahead. May it restore your vitality, steady your practice, and remind you that stillness is as sacred as movement.