A Season of Sensory Rest (Erin Jean Warde)
I'm practicing Sensory Rest for Lent. Here's what that looks like for me!
A Season of Sensory Rest
Friends,
I am once again here to say I’m sorry. (I do this a lot.) I was not aware—couldn’t have known—how much this present reality in our nation would take a toll on me. But it sure has!
I especially feel zapped of creative energy. The good news is that the sun has decided to reappear, so I’m feeling vaguely hopeful.
I need to abandon Wintering simply because I can’t get my head around it right now. I know it’s a good book, but it feels hard to engage right now for some reason?
So instead, if you don’t mind, I’ll be free writing a bit for the next little while. I struggle with, on the one hand, really wanting to do longer form essays surrounding a topic (like the witch trials or Wintering), but I also struggle with the idea that I have to come up with a thought every week. It’s hard to know when my brain will want to do which one!
With that said, I did show up to share something. I thought, since many of us here might be trying to find positive ways to cope, that I would share my plans for Lent, because they are aligned!
If you don’t know much about Lent, that’s fine! In some Christian denominations, we observe a 40 day season—which starts on Ash Wednesday (this year that’s tomorrow!) and ends on Easter. While much ink has been spilled explaining what Lent is about, here’s my quick summary: During Lent, Christians are invited (not required) to take on what we often call a “Lenten discipline” or “Lenten devotion,” which tends to be more personal than communal, though some communities do pick Lenten disciplines to practice together.
Lenten disciplines can range from the classic giving up of meat or going pescatarian, all the way to giving up a piece of clothing every day for 40 days then donating them to a shelter. Also I can’t help but share that many people give up alcohol for the season of Lent, to both reorder their relationships with alcohol, and to simply acknowledge it as a treat, not a necessity in life. Some will also pick a specific prayer practice they want to focus on practicing for those 40 days. Others might choose a different type of fasting—like from social media.
The point is that we find a way to give something up or take something on that might shape us toward a deeper posture of worship and love for God. This season is specifically understood as “penitential,” so the music in church tends to be a bit less exhuberant, the altar coverings are more plain, and we don’t say “Alleluia” in church. Lent prepares us for the day and season of Easter, in part, through these changes in liturgy at church. The point of these liturgical choices is to bring a solemn tone to worship, which then punctuates the return of the exhuberance and “alleluias” on Easter Day.
Okay, with that very short church catechesis lesson finished, I’d like to share what I’m doing for Lent, in case it might be helpful for you. Also: you don’t have to be a Christian to take on a 40 day discipline! Join me if you’d like.
A few weeks ago I traveled to one of my favorite places—St. James & Urban Well in Lancaster, PA—to lead my third retreat with them! The retreat actually became my Lenten discipline!
We focused on the 7 types of rest, which are as follows:
Physical
Mental
Sensory
Creative
Emotional
Social
Spiritual
Now the irony here is that if you dive into them, you quickly see the overlap, but the idea of types of rest is still super helpful for me.
By the end of the retreat, everyone left with a plan to observe one type of rest for Lent. Here’s my plan!
I’ll be practicing Sensory Rest. I chose this because I have felt so very pulled toward my phone in a way that I don’t love, but I also want to get to a place where I can be on social media, but have a better relationship with it. I’ve been very “all or nothing”—either on it chronically or taking a month off all socials—and now I want to really focus on still having months completely off social media, but when I’m ON social media, I want that to feel better. It’s also not just my phone: my life is lived in front of tons of screens, whether it’s the phone, laptop, or TV.
What I realized is that sensory rest practices will give me some positive coping skills, which will help me—I pray—spend my attention differently. In this season, I want to, in a sense “take my attention back” then choose to give that attention to what really matters in my life.
So, for instance, starting tomorrow I’ll have at least 1 hour every morning when I am not on my phone. During that time—with my attention—I’ll be both resting generally and also enjoying the daily prayer, reflections, and journaling questions offered by Remember Your Death: Memento Mori Lenten Devotional.
So, with that example offered, I know I’ll be holding these practices as I observe Sensory Rest during Lent:
No phone for at least an hour every morning
Pray through the Memento Mori devotional
Limit or get rid of push notifications from most apps
However, the extra part of this—that I think is the most fun—is that during my “free time,” instead of just turning to my phone, I’ve created a list of other activities that can occupy my time, all of which help me practice Sensory Rest. (This is basically a list of positive coping tools!). My activity ideas are:
Daily Office Prayers
Lectio Divina
Lectio Visina
Praying the Examen
Paint by Numbers kits (I got 3!)
Puzzles
Coloring
Listening to a podcast with my eyes closed
Going for a walk (sometimes with no music)
Laying down & closing my eyes (even if I don’t feel like I could fall asleep for a nap)
Meditation
Aromatherapy
Reading
Gratitude Lists
Calming music playlist
5 senses check-in (5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear…)
Using my Light Phone
Massage (self or getting a massage)
Bath with Epsom salt & aromatherapy oils
Herbalism studies
While that’s not an exhaustive list, it will give me that “place to go” when I know I want to do something, but I’m not wanting to end up in front of a screen.
To be clear: I am not going off social media or fasting from TV/movies for Lent. The point is to enjoy them, but also balance that with sensory rest practices—specifically sensory rest practices that call me to joy, peace, and worship.
I know this might be a random dispatch today, but I thought it might inspire someone else who is struggling right now. Again: you don’t have to observe Lent to try a rest practice for 40 days!
If this felt intriguing, research the 7 types of rest and build your own plan. :)
Thank you so much for your kindness and patience with me as I try to get back into my writing practice. I look forward to hopefully being back soon. Your grace always means the world to me! I love y’all.
With love & care,
EJW
PS: You can always reply to these emails to talk to me directly. If I disappear and you want to say hello, ask a question, etc. please do! I love hearing from y’all. <3
GOOD NEWS & GRATITUDE PODCAST
If you would enjoy audio devotionals and interviews, I host a podcast for United Thank Offering—Good News and Gratitude—and we have lots of new episodes for you to explore!
For the month of February, I focused on preparing for Lent, which would be a fun deep dive if you’d like to learn more about the season. Now I’m offering weekly meditations for the whole season of Lent! Start listening now!
Subscribe via your favorite podcast app (mine is Spotify) to get alerts when new episodes arrive. Don’t forget to like & review the podcast so we can welcome new listeners! <3
GRAB SOBER SPIRITUALITY
You can always grab my book, Sober Spirituality: The Joy of a Mindful Relationship with Alcohol. I appreciate every reader so, so much!
Sensory Rest is Good. I think it will allow you to enhance other elements of your multi-sensory apparatus! Peace, Blessings, & Every Good!