Patrick Yeboah

Movement
Friday 9-11
Benefits of Active Rest

Recently, active rest has served me quite well in both my artistic and every day

endeavors. I was recently cast in and performed the run of a show that required tremendous focus

and strength. In the show, we were essentially required to kneel upright in a plank position at

church kneelers. The longest I was at mine for was thirty minutes. I had no clue how I would be

able to withstand the pressure of being stared at while not being able to do anything on stage

besides kneel with my head down, the heat of the stage lights beating down on my neck, or the

acute pain I assumed would be shooting through my knees and back. When I started to use active

rest in my pre-show ritual, my anxieties about these things went away very quickly. I put myself

in the space by myself and just allowed myself to acknowledge my fears and anxieties and

nervousness and they, for the most part, went away. I introduced this to my cast mates and some

even started to join me towards the end of the run.

I think active rest works so well because its a shut down that doesnt actually require

shutting down. It allows you to reach a state of relaxation before doing something that may

potentially produce large amounts of stress or just at some point in your day. I think part of what

makes it so helpful to me, personally, is its accessibility. I can do it at any point of my day and

finding space to do it in is incredibly simple. Its easy, doesnt take much, and really does what

you need it to do for you.