Give it a rest.

In an 2003 interview, Director Hayao Miyazaki defined what he believed the concept of “ma” to be. The Kenji sign for the word translates as room, space or pause; but in his own words Hayao describes it as “(intentional) emptiness, If you have non-stop action with no breathing space at all, it is just busyness. Instead of every movement being dictated by the story, sometimes people will just sit for a moment and be. In his movie Spirited Away, there is a famous train scene where the main characters sit for two minutes and nothing important happens. No dialogue, no action or character development, just a moment of reflection. This moment, the space in-between the busyness, is “ma”

The idea of a New Years resolution has always seemed a little strange to me. Why in the middle of winter, when all other animals are still in hibernation, are we humans expected to create and maintain such big changes in our lives; especially so soon after what can be considered the busiest time of the year. Does not the animal in us deserve to follow that natural cycle? New Year's resolutions should coincide with our possible needs; one being to rest. To spend cold, gloomy mornings in bed, under the warm covers or in the arms of our lovers instead of the gym. Spending the early dark evenings with our feet up at home or in the local pub with our friends, sharing stories instead of forcing the mind and body to do overtime at work. Rest looks and feels different to all of us. My favourite moments of rest include meditation, reading books and cooking with new ingredients. I have become a believer that the extra fat we get over Christmas is essential to keeping our bones and blood toasty in these freezing months, so I surrender and I’m grateful for my extra size.

The acts of rest may be different but the results are universal, a sense of inner peace. If we can uncover how we want to rest, we can uncover so much more about ourselves. Sometimes it’s a wonderful discovery, like what emotions are truly ours and what ones are there due to overload. Or maybe just a great night's sleep, which is magic in itself.

Neglecting ourselves, including neglect of inner capacity, doesn’t give us space to grow. Meditation introduced what true rest is to me because I learnt to rest and enjoy the moment whilst doing other tasks. To be with my moment without a constant chatter box in my head; not completely without it, but I was able to get moments of true rest which led to other beautiful things occurring.

Rest, recover, discover is my New Year's resolution this year. As the months move along and the seasons change I will allow my concept of rest to change also. What is good for you one moment might not be what the next moment requires. I am excited to see how I can empower myself with the art of rest as the months go on. Summer nights in cool showers may take the lead of my comforting hot baths of winter. I love to watch various acts of performance and would like to see if I can incorporate that with my desire to rest. For example, rewatching Beyonce’s Coachella set with my mobile turned off. For everything the internet has given us I think it’s important not to get lost behind the act of just aimless scrolling through social media, which may seem like rest is taking place but in reality, there can be a draining exchange of energy. I remember that the mask just hides the face, so this year I am committed to diving deep into what brings me real peace of mind, a real sense of rest and enjoying it all year around.