The Rest for Life Story

It started with a seed of an idea. Well I suppose that’s not strictly true. It really began with my own struggle to find rest, probably going back 25 years to the birth of my first son. This was when I first became aware of a deep need for rest and also began to discover just how difficult it could be to find. This led to a long journey of seeking and eventually discovering rest.

Anyway, back to the seed of an idea. Having found rest for myself, I wanted to provide a place of rest for others who were weary or exhausted. I could see them everywhere and I recognised the signs. Although that was not difficult as it had become the standard answer to the question ‘how are you?’. Almost all answers were variations on a theme; ‘I’m crazy busy’, ‘exhausted’, ‘there’s just not enough hours in the day’, ‘I’m so weary’, ‘can’t wait for my holiday’. So many people on their knees, running on empty. 

I knew I didn’t have all the answers but I also knew that I wanted to help, so in 2015 I started exploring the idea of offering a place of rest for the weary. Somewhere away from the everyday responsibilities of work and home but somewhere you could feel at home, somewhere you could be refilled, refreshed and renewed. I had searched for such a place on my own journey but nothing I discovered quite fitted the bill.

As I started to tell others of the idea, the response was incredibly positive and people started to come, to what I felt was a far from ideal home where I was living at the time. Initially I offered individuals a space to be, with various options of restful activities and the opportunity for a conversation to help them make the most of their time. I didn’t really expect many to take up this last option but in fact, everyone wanted a conversation not only at the beginning of their time but also at the end to reflect on what they had learned and how they could take that back into their lives at home.

I soon realised that people needed help to rest, not just a place to rest. So, in addition to the nursing, teaching and Spiritual Direction skills I already had I also decided to train as a Coach and started working one to one with individuals. I no longer just wanted to provide a place of rest. I also wanted to enable people to make the journey from their starting point somewhere between weary and totally exhausted, towards embedding a healthy rhythm of rest into their everyday lives and to learn the art of intentional and effective rest that I had discovered.

In 2021 Rest for life moved to a beautiful location in Worcestershire and the dream of hosting a place of rest for the weary became a reality. With woods, a stream, gardens, tree house and many enchanting paths to wander it is the perfect place to rest. Since moving in,  2 one bedroom cottages have been created especially as spaces that provide a sense of home without the jobs, expectations and demands of our own houses. Places to experience and experiment with what is restful for each individual that stays.

Although the one to one coaching was transformational, I recognised that there was a limit to how many people I could work with at any one time. I also discovered a process and content that helped with the journey for everyone I worked with. As a result I created an on-line self-study course to make what Rest for Life had to offer more accessible and available to more people who might need it. And of course, one to one coaching is still available either instead of or as well as the ‘Finding Rest’ on line course.

Now Rest for Life is more than 10 years old and so much has grown from that initial seed. Many have made the journey to rest through one to one coaching and through an on line course. Others have found rest by attending retreats or workshops and still others through coming for a Rest Stay.

For me the journey from discovering my own more restful way of being in the world to seeing so many others restored by rest and discovering a healthy and sustainable rhythm for their lives has been a delight. I am left pondering the ways in which that seed will grow over the next 10 years.