Chapter 25
Doctor Rest is another specialist who is always at your command to help you win Supreme Vitality. I believe the word “rest” is the most misunderstood word in the dictionary. Some people’s idea of resting is to sit down and drink a cup of a strong stimulant such as alcohol, coffee, tea or a soft drink. This is particularly evident in the modern coffee break for employees. Rest means repose, freedom from activity, quiet and tranquility to me. It means peace of mind and spirit. It means to rest without anxiety or worry. It means to refresh oneself. Your rest should refresh your whole nervous system and entire body.
It does not mean sitting with one leg crossed over the other. When you sit with your legs crossed you are putting a tremendous burden on the popliteal artery which supplies blood to the knee joint and muscles of the leg and foot. You also cut off nerve energy. So if you sit with one leg crossed over the other leg, you are not resting – you are giving the heart a tremendous load of work to do! Don’t cross your legs when you sit down – keep both feet on the floor (page 205 for more reasons).
To properly rest and be still, it’s also important to wear no restricting garments that might hinder your blood circulation. Are your shoes too tight? Your collar? Your hat? Your belt? Your bra and undergarments?* Your stockings? If so, then you are not really resting when you sit still or lie down. The best rest is secured when you have loose or better yet wear little clothing. Any clothes and shoes you are wearing should be comfortably loose and never binding!
CHECK YOUR MATTRESS
Why Do We Rest?
You often hear people say “I must take a break”. But when they sit down to rest, they nervously thump their fingers on a table or desk or keep squirming and moving restlessly. The art of resting must be acquired and concentrated upon. Among the best various ways you can rest is to lie down on a firm bed or couch unclothed or with as few loose clothes on as possible. Another fine way to rest is take a sunbath because, if there is anything that will relax the muscles and nerves, it’s the soothing gentle rays of the sun. You must learn to clear your mind of anxiety, worries and emotional problems, and allow the muscles and nerves to relax. Then the heart action slows – especially when you take slow, deep breaths! This will help bring deep relaxation and a more peaceful rest.
Another form of resting is a short nap. When taking this nap, you should command your muscles to become completely relaxed. Your mind controls your muscles and the nerves, so you must be in complete command of your body when you rest. The Master Teacher said to His Disciples, when they were worn and weary, “Come Ye and Rest a While.” The Master did not lead them into the busy streets of Jerusalem where there was noise. He didn’t even take them into the synagogue, but into the quiet of nature’s wide open spaces, under the blue sky. Here they could rebuild, relax and revive every organ of their exhausted bodies and revitalize, refresh, and invigorate their weary minds. Under the blue sky in the clean, fresh air is the greatest place to relax, rest, recharge and renew your precious Vital Force – your power force.
Sleep is the greatest revitalizer, but so few people get a long, peaceful and refreshing night’s sleep. Most people habitually use stimulants: tobacco, drugs, coffee, tea, alcohol, sugar, chocolate and cola drinks. All of these whip the tired nerves, so people who use these stimulants can never have complete rest and relaxation because their nerves are always in an excited “on” condition!
For sleep problems try melatonin, calcium, magnesium, valerian caps and extracts, 5-HTP tryptophan (an amino acid), Bragg Vinegar Drink, Sleepytime and valerian herbal teas.
Rest and Sleep Must Be Earned
Most people do not earn their rest. Rest is something that must be earned with physical and mental activity, because they go hand in hand. Many people have come to me seeking help, telling me what poor sleepers they are and how they roll and toss all night long. Today, millions of people regularly take some type of drug to induce sleep – but this is not true sleep. No one can get restful sleep from a drug! You may drug yourself into unconsciousness, but you cannot drug yourself into a restful, normal, healthy and satisfying sleep.
A body full of toxins is a constant irritant to all the nerves. How is it possible to get a good night’s rest with irritated nerves? In my many years of experience with fasting I found when people discard their stimulants when fasting, they become deep, restful sleepers! You will notice as you purify your body you will be able to relax more. You will be able to enjoy naps and enjoy the benefits of a recharging night sleep. Rest is important! The Bible tells us God appointed one day of rest every week for man, an important factor in the maintenance of super health! Along with our busy days, we must add recreation to our activities! We have all heard the wise saying, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
Life is To Be Enjoyed – Not Hectic & Rushed
Today we live in a mad, competitive world which is called “The Rat Race”, where we build up tremendous pressures, tensions, stresses and strains. I believe this is the reason why so many people turn to tobacco, drugs, coffee, alcohol and other stimulants. There is not only competition in the business world, but the desire to uphold status. People are always trying to impress one another and create an image. Thus, a false image is created and it takes a tremendous amount of energy to portray a false image! Women are told that gray hair makes them look old and millions spend time and money being a slave to having their hair colored. They constantly try to keep up with the Smith’s, the latest fashions, etc., and allow others to push them beyond their limits! This creates stress and takes energy!
It’s no wonder America has created over 18 million chronic alcoholics and millions of drug addicts. (See website: aa.org). Have we forgotten life is to be lived and enjoyed? Leisurely living is something few people in American society enjoy. Life is rush and more rushing. Where are we rushing to? Where? In this hectic age – sadly – maybe the hospital or an early premature death.
Plan, plot and follow through so your days have time for rest, recreation, exercise and a good night’s sleep. You can’t get a good night’s sleep if you overload your stomach and nervous system! Your body will have a good night’s sleep if you have some vigorous, out-of-door exercise as a brisk 2-3 mile walk, garden work, etc. It’s also vital to nourish your body with healthy foods and distilled water. Let it have plenty of fresh air, quiet and gentle sunlight. Have balanced program of exercise and repose. Let Mother Nature do the rest. Treat yourself as if you were a fine, purebred race horse and, as surely as it will win prizes, so will you! It’s all too easy to sneer and laugh at the “Back to Nature” people, but we who believe in Mother Nature will always have the last laugh.
Mother Nature Knows What’s Best!
One of the predominant suggestions of this book is a gradual return to Mother Nature and her natural way of living. In food, clothing, rest, sleep and a simplicity in living habits, try to reach a nearness to Mother Nature that makes you almost one with her. When you feel that the same pure forces that express themselves in a beautiful pine tree are expressing themselves in you, you have made a big stride toward a healthy ideal.
Begin to live as wise Mother Nature wants you to live. Seek to feel that she claims you and you are part of all healthy, growing things. Put yourself into her hands and let her guide you! You will rekindle your own youth in the quiet beauty of hill and meadow. If you are to grow more healthy and youthful, begin by believing you can and that Mother Nature is eager to aid you! Better than any human or divine agency, she can run that ill-used machine of yours and, if it breaks down while in her hands, it is because its usefulness is really at an end. If you are a prisoner of the city, make it a point to get out to the parks or country or the seashore where you can really find true rest, tranquillity and serenity.
In a loving way, Patricia and I have tried to stress these points. First, faithfully demand of yourself a higher standard of superb health and happiness. You cannot receive higher health unless your body gets its rest periods to develop new vitality and energy. Second, regard your priceless body as a miracle machine under your care and control! Every machine must have rest periods! If not, you will build up too much friction. That’s what Americans do in their busy lives, they create too much nerve irritation. Third, with increasing years, you should draw closer and more intimately to Mother Nature. You should cease to look for thrills and over-stimulation; instead, seek a peaceful life! By living in simplicity and purity, you will be filled with more peace, joy and love.
Relax and Enjoy Your Life – It’s No Crime
Let health, air, sun and complete rest work for you. With a serene clear eye and confidence, put yourself in Mother Nature’s hands. Let her run your machine, heal your hurts and comfort you in sickness and adversity. Then, when you have lived a long life of usefulness and happiness, let her call you home (Psalms 23). Make Mother Nature your partner and – when you are resting, relaxing, and recreating new energy – she will always be there with her loving hand on your shoulder. So be a child of Mother Nature. Don’t look for sophisticated thrills, but find your joy and diversion in relaxation, reading, fun, friends, exercise and other pursuits that are simple, down to earth and are at one with Mother Nature. Your rewards will be many – including renewed health – physically, mentally and spiritually and a new awareness of the great out of doors she gives us so generously to enjoy.
In America we are prone to look down on the person who wants to relax or live a leisurely life – they are often called lazy. It seems we must be doing something constantly. We must be busy talking, listening to music, watching TV, the web, etc. We have to attend parties, movies, athletic events and programs of all kinds. We are constantly pushing and driving our bodies and minds. No wonder so many people have emotional problems. The psychiatrists and psychologists are all overworked. Americans tend to rush and keep too busy! Please don’t be ashamed to relax and get off the hectic treadmill. At times it’s fun to do nothing, it’s healthful and necessary – try it.
You have a natural, built-in tranquilizer located in the muscle cells which you should be using. Don’t expect to take sedatives and still be skilled in healthy relaxation. Barbiturates and true relaxation are not bedfellows! I’ve known people who needed natural sedatives for a few months and after fasting they were able to discard them.
Some Relaxation Techniques
To relax yourself to sleep, darken the room and turn off the TV or radio. Then lie flat on your back, hands down at sides without touching your body, to reduce sensory stimulation to a minimum. Now completely relax. Let your hands rest, palms down, on the bed. Your legs should be extended with the feet approximately a foot apart. Your head may rest on a small pillow or directly on the bed, whichever is more comfortable. Permit your eyes to remain open at first, looking at an area, not at a point, directly in front of you – that is, on the opposite wall or ceiling, not up or down or to either side.
After the movements of your eyes have ceased, some blinking movements of the lids may continue for awhile. These won’t interfere with the relaxation of the eye muscles. Thinking is always accompanied by eye movements. By relaxing your eyelids and eye muscles, you are slowing down your thought processes – and the end result of relaxation of the eyes and of other parts of the body is a natural, quiet and restorative sleep. If you have insomnia, reading just before going to sleep or reading to put yourself to sleep is not helpful because your eye muscles are probably already over-fatigued. Reading will tire them more, increasing the eye muscle tension and interfering with the process of relaxation which, uninterrupted, would inevitably lead to sleep.
Be Still – Relax – Avoid Interruptions
Disregard all minor muscular discomforts while lying perfectly still and permit all your muscles to relax without interruption. Don’t tighten or move any muscles unless absolutely necessary. Movements of an arm or leg, or a change in your position, will interrupt entire relaxation process and those muscles which have already attained a certain degree of relaxation must then begin process all over again. Muscles that are tense may be uncomfortable, but if you move them you will only prolong their discomfort. Permit them to relax and the distress should disappear within 15 minutes. A relaxed muscle is a comfortable muscle and, if you are relaxing efficiently, you will feel comfortable.
Tips for Healthful Sound Sleep
Fasting Helps Insomnia Vanish
Those who are willing to devote 15 minutes a day in training themselves to relax can learn to break the insomnia habit, if they will faithfully follow The Bragg Healthy Lifestyle with the fasting program. Insomnia usually responds to relaxation techniques within 10 days. Then sweet, beautiful sleep will be yours every night. You will wake up to each new glorious morning with its challenges as bright and fresh as a healthy, newborn baby! In the practice of relaxation, beginners have told me many times that they cannot possibly lie on their backs and go to sleep in that position. In observing the training of several thousand individuals, I have yet to prove the truth of that statement. If this is your belief, disregard it, for no matter how deeply entrenched this idea may be in your mind, you will be able to prove it is false.
Here are some common complaints we hear: “I always have to sleep on my right side.” “I always sleep on my stomach.” “I must curl up when I sleep.” “I have to change my position frequently.” “I cannot sleep at night if I have a nap in the daytime.” “I must have my hand resting on my stomach.” “I can go to sleep when I go to bed, but I wake up around 2 or 3 am and can’t go back to sleep.” “I sleep until 5 am, but then I am wide awake until I get up at 7 am and then am tired out by 2 pm.” Your fasting program is going to help you secure complete rest, relaxation and sound, sweet sleep. Toxins put pressure on your nerves and muscles. Fasting releases these pressures and allows your body to relax and rest. Quality sleep is an important powerful recharger!