When Rest Brings Exhaustion: What It Taught Me About Healing
We were supposed to spend the weekend hiking in the mountains, but the weather had other plans. Strong winds and driving rain kept us tucked inside my sister’s cozy cabin instead. Disappointing? Yes, but definitely not a bad Plan B.
The fire was crackling, the tea was warm, the snacks were plentiful, and for the first time in a long time, there was nowhere to be and nothing that needed my attention.
I expected to feel refreshed, but instead I was completely exhausted. My body ached, my energy dropped, and for a day or two I felt heavier than I had in months.
The Spiral of Healing
The old me would’ve seen that fatigue as a kind of failure and proof that I wasn’t strong enough. But what I’m slowly learning is that healing isn’t linear; it’s a spiral and each time we circle back, we meet ourselves again only a little softer, wiser, and more aware.
What I was experiencing is known as the letting-down effect. This is when the body finally recognizes it’s safe and shifts from constant “doing” into “resting and repairing.” After long stretches of stress or responsibility (even the good kind), our systems run on adrenaline and cortisol. When we finally slow down, those hormones drop, the nervous system recalibrates, and the body begins to process what it’s been holding.
It can feel like exhaustion, heaviness, or even sadness, not because something’s wrong, but because the body finally has permission to rest.
When this happens, the most supportive response isn’t to push through, but to acknowledge what’s surfacing, soften around it, and meet it with compassion. Gentle movement, stillness, and nourishment all help the body re-establish balance. Not through striving, but through allowing.
This weekend reminded me exactly why I created Sanctuary Yoga & Wellness - for myself, and for people like me who need a place to land when the letting down begins. A space where rest is honored as part of healing, and where we rebuild steadiness not through control, but through wise effort, compassion, community, and trust.
An Ayurvedic Lesson from the Mountains
Sunday morning, one of my sisters made a lovely breakfast of warm oatmeal with sautéed apples in ghee with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a drizzle of local maple syrup. Simple, comforting, grounding and it was exactly what I needed. After all that holding and releasing, it was medicine.
In Ayurveda, ghee isn’t just rich and delicious, it’s considered an anupana, a carrier that helps deliver the healing qualities of spices like cinnamon and nutmeg deep into the tissues. The warmth, moisture, and gentle sweetness balance the light, cool, and mobile energy of autumn, helping the body feel nourished, rooted, and safe.
That morning reminded me that small rituals of nourishment are as essential to healing as movement or rest. A warm, spiced breakfast can be a form of self-care and a quiet reminder that grounding doesn’t always require stillness; sometimes it begins with how we feed ourselves.
Sanctuary and Wise Effort
This is the heart of Sanctuary, where yoga therapy and Ayurveda meet, and where healing becomes a living, breathing practice. Here, we honor both stillness and movement, rest and wise effort, the kind that builds strength without strain and steadiness without force.
Whether you join us for a Gentle + Meditation class, a Slow Flow class, a heat building Flow class or an educational series, our aim is the same: to help you find balance at every level of being. You’re always welcome here, exactly as you are.
About the Author
Sharon Gordon is a certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT), Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant, and Ayurvedic Health Counselor. She is the founder and guide of Sanctuary Yoga & Wellness in Exeter, New Hampshire. A boutique studio dedicated to nervous-system healing, yoga therapy, and holistic well-being. Through classes, workshops, and integrative programs, Sharon blends modern science with timeless yoga and Ayurvedic wisdom to help students cultivate steadiness, resilience, and inner peace.
