How Can Your Body and Movement Guide You to True Relaxation?
Caring for ourselves might be on our minds this month as we’re encouraged to focus on wellness. With National Relaxation Day as a reminder, it’s a chance to slow down, breathe, and reflect on what rest truly means for us. In my work as a dance therapist offering Christian counseling in Chicago, I often see how deeply we long for rest—yet how hard it can be to give ourselves permission to embrace it. We’ve been told to keep going, to push through, and sometimes we forget that God invites us into rhythms of peace and renewal.
The belief that we must earn rest is often shaped by our families, communities, culture, past trauma, or by systems that measure worth through productivity. Even when we try to focus on self-care, it can quietly turn into another thing we feel we have to “do right” or check off a list. That can be exhausting in its own way. And sometimes, what appears to be rest is really just escape in disguise.
Rest, One You Don’t Have to Earn
True rest isn’t something you need to check off a list or earn through endless effort. In this post, I share how dance therapy in Chicago and Christian counseling can help you listen to your body, release tension, and restore your mind, body, and spirit. Restoration isn’t about doing more; it’s about slowing down, noticing your needs, and allowing yourself to fully receive the care and renewal your body and mind are calling for.
Before we go further, take a moment to ask yourself: Are the ways I’m trying to rest actually nourishing my body, mind, and spirit? Or are they just helping me get through the moment?
Is it Escape or Restoration? How to Know the Difference
Escape can sometimes feel like a sigh of relief—curling up with a show, scrolling on your phone, or keeping yourself busy to avoid slowing down. These moments aren’t “bad” in themselves; sometimes they even give us a needed break. But they can quietly become our default, especially if we’ve carried the belief that we must always be doing something “useful.” Even when we finally pause, part of our mind may still be keeping score, measuring, tracking, or quietly pushing us to make our rest “productive.”
In Christian counseling, I often gently invite clients to pause and get curious: What is this moment of rest or distraction giving me right now? Sometimes the answer is comfort, safety, control, or simply a way to quiet the mind. These are all deeply human and valid needs. When we can recognize them without judgment, we open the door to finding ways of meeting them that are more nourishing and sustainable.
Here’s the shift: Restoration is different. It’s a kind of care that leaves your body, mind, and spirit feeling calmer, more grounded, lighter, or even quietly energized. It’s less about doing and more about allowing—letting yourself fully receive without having to prove, earn, or perform anything.
Tip: Journaling for a few minutes after you “rest” can help you notice whether you feel replenished or simply distracted. Over time, this awareness becomes a compass, guiding you toward the kind of care that actually fills you up.
Curiosity Starts with the Body: Listening to Your Signals
Your body is an incredible guide. Sometimes the most powerful shift begins with just a 30-second pause. Take a slow, steady breath. Then ask yourself: What am I feeling in my body right now?
Notice your sensations, your heart rate, tightness in your shoulders, a flutter in your stomach, or a hunger cue. Each one is a signal pointing to something you might need.
If you have pent-up energy, sitting still in front of a screen may feel draining because the energy hasn’t been released.
If you’re tired because you’re hungry, ignoring that signal will only deepen your exhaustion.
If you feel anxious, your body might be asking for reflection, journaling, or a conversation with someone you trust.
Over time, connecting your body’s signals with your emotional needs helps you choose what truly restores you instead of just offering temporary relief.
When we cultivate curiosity about our body’s messages, we begin partnering with ourselves rather than pushing against what we feel. In dance therapy in Chicago, I help my clients develop this kind of partnership—a more compassionate, attuned relationship with their body.
Your Body’s Language of Rest
Your body speaks in subtle ways, through tension in your shoulders, shallow breathing, fatigue, or restless fidgeting. When you learn to listen without judgment, you can respond with care instead of falling back into old habits.
Here are two simple ways to check in during the day:
Take a slow, deep breath for 30 seconds, noticing the rise and fall of your chest.
Do a gentle body scan, moving your attention from the crown of your head down to your toes.
These moments of noticing may seem small, but they keep you connected to your needs before exhaustion sets in. Over time, they also help your nervous system recognize early signs of stress, making it easier to choose restoration sooner.
Movement as a Path to Deeper Relaxation
Gentle, intentional movement like walking, stretching, or swaying can help your nervous system shift from stress mode into rest mode. Movement allows the body to release stored tension and brings you back into the present moment.
In my work as a dance therapist in Chicago, I often combine body awareness with movement to help clients process emotions they didn’t even realize they were holding. Sometimes, the very act of moving is what makes it possible for the mind to find quiet.
Tip: Even tiny moments of movement can reset your energy—swaying while listening to music, rolling your shoulders, or taking a mindful walk. Movement doesn’t have to be intense; its goal is connection, not perfection.
Inviting God Into Your Rest through Christian Counseling
Biblical rest isn’t meant to be inactivity; it’s a gift of renewal. The Sabbath invites us to pause from striving and draw closer to God.
In Christian counseling, I talk about rest as a posture of receiving—slowing down, softening your body, and opening your heart to God’s presence. This could mean meditating on a verse that reassures you of His peace, or simply breathing deeply while holding a short prayer in your mind.
A gentle practice to try: Pair slow breathing with the words “Peace, be still” or “My soul finds rest in God alone” (Psalm 62:1). Even a few breaths like this can help redirect your focus away from to-do lists and into God’s steady presence.
Start Small, Start Now
This week, notice whether your rest feels more like escape or restoration. You don’t have to change everything at once—begin with one small practice of listening to your body and inviting God into that space.
Book a Free Consultation for Dance Therapy or Christian Counseling in Chicago
If you’re longing for rest that truly replenishes you, I can help you discover simple, practical ways to calm your mind, relax your body, and refresh your spirit. Schedule your free 15-minute consultation today and take the first step toward true relaxation with Christian counseling in Chicago or dance therapy tailored to your needs.
Lisaura is a relationship therapist in Chicago who, through individual counseling and dance therapy, helps adults connect with themselves and others more fully.
Spanish-speaking therapy is available.
