The Ten of Swords and the Art of Rest

I’ve been thinking a lot about rest lately, how easy it is to believe we’re resting when our mind is nowhere near the card game, the TV show, the craft project, or the walk. Instead, it’s still gnawing on the worries that won’t let go.

So many people tell me they can’t meditate, even though they crave that calm, focused state. When I ask what does get them there, what activity quiets the noise, they almost always name something that keeps the body busy and the attention focused: a sport, dancing, playing an instrument, yoga, the gym, gardening, baking. In those moments, the body moves, the mind follows, and the overthinking stops.

The Ten of Swords captures this mind-body link perfectly.

True rest gives both the mind and body what they need most.

My days are sedentary, I sit in a comfy office chair, and even when I’m drumming or gonging, I’m still seated. So for me, rest means moving. My work as a tarot reader and shaman is emotionally intense, so I seek rest that’s emotionally calm: a movie, a light chat with a friend, a solo walk, a game of cards. My job is mentally demanding, so I reach for easy books or light action films. If your work lacks mental spark, look for rest that challenges the mind. If it offers no emotional charge, seek activities that stir feeling.

Rest is balance, counterweight to the day.

If you are struggling to calm your mind, calm your body. Whether that is through a massage, through breathing exercises, going for a swim, a long walk.

If your body is exhausted and you are struggling to rest your body, then calm your mind. As you calm your mind, whether relaxing with a good friend or diving into an absorbing book, notice how your body relaxes with it.

Above all, the 10 of Swords is a reminder: your well-being, mind and body, belongs at the top of the list.

I'm sharing this after a micro break to London. Endless walking, dancing the night away to Adam Ant's latest tour, climbing to the top of St Pauls. The quiet that comes to me through physical exertion.