James Reeves - The Book of Rest

JAMES REEVESand GABRIELLE BROWNfounded the yoga and meditation school Restful Being Ltd in 2014, specialising in yoga nidra, a transformative state of deep rest. James has been a practising yoga teacher since 2005 after completing his first teacher training in Kerala, India and is now recognised as a world-leading yoga nidra authority, delivering classes, workshops, retreats and teacher-training courses globally and online. Gabrielle is primarily involved in managing Restful Being’s content, from course materials to blog posts, having over two decades of experience in corporate communications and publishing. She has been a dedicated yoga practitioner since 2004 and qualified to teach in 2013 after studying classical yoga in India and yoga nidra in California, USA.

Thank you

Thanks to everyone at HQ for their enthusiasm and excitement at putting our work out there, specifically our publisher Lisa Milton and editor Kate Fox, and to our copyeditor Laura Herring for her invaluable observations. This book would not be happening if Anna Hogarty at Madeleine Milburn hadn’t envisioned the title and everything it stands for, and thanks also to Hayley Steed and Madeleine for their ongoing support and encouragement. Jessica Harvey, for casting her superlatively creative eye over the cover design.

James: To my father, for your desire to understand the deeper meaning of life, and my mother, for living it with discreet beauty. My brother, Simon, for his big heart, and his partner Wayne, for his quiet strength. To Jayson, Justin and all my friends who have provided laughter and lightness to balance introversion and intensity. To my beloved teacher, Richard Miller, for living these teachings with such grace and kindness, and the broader iRest community for your examples of how to be damn good human beings.

Gabrielle: Thanks to my mother, Marie-France, who introduced me not only to yoga but also to James. My father, Robin, who has always encouraged me to see how fundamental the written word is in understanding and augmenting our experience of being human. My siblings, Thomas, Scott and Sophie – my comrades in life. Filkins Book Club for over a decade of good company and making me read things I didn’t think I wanted to read. To all my yoga and meditation teachers for helping me feel comfortable in body and mind, and to Beth, Jude, and Jess for always being there.

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2019

Copyright © James Reeves and Gabrielle Brown 2019

James Reeves and Gabrielle Brown asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Ebook Edition © July 2019 ISBN: 9780008321642

Version: 2019-07-23

This ebook contains the following accessibility features which, if supported by your device, can be accessed via your ereader/accessibility settings:

Change of font size and line height

Change of background and font colours

Change of font

Change justification

Text to speech

Contents

Cover

About the Author JAMES REEVES and GABRIELLE BROWN founded the yoga and meditation school Restful Being Ltd in 2014, specialising in yoga nidra, a transformative state of deep rest. James has been a practising yoga teacher since 2005 after completing his first teacher training in Kerala, India and is now recognised as a world-leading yoga nidra authority, delivering classes, workshops, retreats and teacher-training courses globally and online. Gabrielle is primarily involved in managing Restful Being’s content, from course materials to blog posts, having over two decades of experience in corporate communications and publishing. She has been a dedicated yoga practitioner since 2004 and qualified to teach in 2013 after studying classical yoga in India and yoga nidra in California, USA.

Title Page The Book of Rest James Reeves and Gabrielle Brown

Copyright Copyright Copyright Note to Readers Dedication Introduction What Is Rest? Why Are We Restless? Rest and Happiness Rest and Control Rest and Your Self Rest and Your Future . . . and Sleep All The Rest (It’s Never) The End About the Publisher An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2019 Copyright © James Reeves and Gabrielle Brown 2019 James Reeves and Gabrielle Brown asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins. Ebook Edition © July 2019 ISBN: 9780008321642 Version: 2019-07-23

Note to Readers Note to Readers Note to Readers Dedication Introduction What Is Rest? Why Are We Restless? Rest and Happiness Rest and Control Rest and Your Self Rest and Your Future . . . and Sleep All The Rest (It’s Never) The End About the Publisher This ebook contains the following accessibility features which, if supported by your device, can be accessed via your ereader/accessibility settings: Change of font size and line height Change of background and font colours Change of font Change justification Text to speech