The power of pausing and Intentional Rest

Dear Rested Friend! I hope this message finds you well.

It's been a little while since we last connected, and I wanted to share with you where I've been and the journey I've been on.  

Over the past eight months, I took a pause, a much-needed break to rest, reflect and realign. During this time, I became even more aware of my rest needs by gaining a deeper understanding of my own rest landscape and the various features in the terrain – the mountains, valleys, and trails – key landscape features that influence my reasons for resting and the type of rest I need. There have been times that I felt energised, connected, aligned, and alive, as well as times when I've taken a deliberate pause due to lack of energy, feeling tired and overwhelmed.   

Recently, I've needed physical rest due to a busy work schedule, maintaining my fitness and strength, mental and emotional rest to recharge from daily pressure and stresses, and relationship rest to nurture connections. I've also rested during personal change and transitions to build adaptability and resilience. I've also taken a significant break from digital technology and social media to unplug and restore balance.   

Taking this time to address my changing rest needs and engaging in different forms of rest has positively impacted my energy, clarity, resilience and overall wellbeing.   

I've found myself back on a rested path, and I'm using a map to stay on the path rather than off it!  

Deep Rest and Renew new direction  

This time of reflection allowed me to consider where Deep Rest and Renew should be heading in the future. I wanted to ensure that whatever I design and deliver feels rested and does not leave me vulnerable to stress and fatigue. That meant a shift in focus, a simplified business model, offerings and delivery methods. 

I wanted to broaden the focus from purely achieving deep restorative rest, to building a holistic sense of resilience alongside rest. Being well-rested rejuvenates your body and mind and enhances your ability to handle life's challenges with confidence and strength. Resilience is your ability to adapt, recover, and thrive in adversity. Rest ensures you have the energy and clarity needed to sustain this resilience.  

Re-launching the Intentional Rest Self-Coaching Program 

One of the first things I have achieved is re-launching the Intentional Rest Self-Coaching Program. After seeing how well a similar program worked for my client last year, I realised everyone could benefit. It's thoughtful, restful, and comprehensive. How do I know it works? My client, one of the world's largest streaming services, which offers one of the most popular ways to rest and relax, sees the need for a more comprehensive solution to help their employees recharge, reduce stress, and improve overall wellbeing. I've expanded this program and re-designed it for a wider audience.   

Intentional Rest Self-Coaching is now available! Designed to support you to rest, create new wellbeing habits, and bring about lasting change.  

Check out what is included:  

• Intentional Rest Framework with 9 Rest Domains  

• Rest Review Evaluation Tool  

• Intentional Rest Coaching Conversations for each Rest Domain  

• Daring To Rest™ method and rest practices  

• Practical guidance and Worksheets  

• New content each month  

• Accessible via IOS or Android App  

• Currently, there are 13 modules, over 40 course elements, and more to come.  

For the next few months, I am offering the Foundation membership for US$97 for the life of the product. Later in the year, I'll move to the new subscription model.  

You can join right here: https://deeprestandrenew.com/intentional-rest  

The Coaching Sessions – FREE

Following the theme of providing a more holistic focus, I created the Coaching Sessions to offer practical strategies and insights to help women thrive in their personal and professional lives. I have been coaching in various forms for many years (workplace, business, life) and it made sense to integrate it into my offerings. Coaching is a powerful way to build rest by providing guidance, accountability, and a structured approach to creating sustainable change. Through coaching, you can gain insight into current rest patterns and resilience challenges, which enables you to develop awareness and identify specific areas – unique to you – where changes are needed.   

These sessions are free, and initially, I will offer them monthly as a regular way to check in, build your rest and resilience toolkit, and help you spend more time on the rested path than off it. Recordings will be made available to those who register.   

Next week, I will be inviting you to attend the first Coaching Session. Stay tuned! 

Coming Soon – Rested and Resilient You   

I can't wait to open this program at the end of the year. It explores the critical connection between rest and resilience and focuses on the mechanisms by which self-care practices, self-awareness, and self-leadership influence our capacity to cope with stress, bounce back, grow from challenges, and build overall wellbeing. More to come! 

Did you ever participate in the Deep Rest 6-week Program?  

The signature program, which I have been delivering to many participants in Melbourne and Canberra since December 2017, has been paused. While very successful, intuitively, I knew it was time to move on from this work (and the model). If you have ever participated in the program (online or face-to-face), you will have received access to the online resources. The good news is that you still can. If you have been one of these participants, you will receive an email inviting you to the online home, which you can access (at no charge).   

I'm excited to invite you to join me as Deep Rest and Renew moves in a new direction. I can't wait to explore this path together.   

Thank you for being a part of this community and your continued support.  

Rest well and be kind to yourself. 

Penny 

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