The Healing Power of Rest: A Conversation with Dr. Gail Parker
Recently, I had the deep honor of sitting down with someone I have long admired, Dr. Gail Parker, author of Restorative Yoga for Ethnic and Race-Based Stress and Trauma.
What unfolded in our conversation was not only affirming and moving, it was a true practice in itself: a pause, a moment to breathe, a homecoming to the body.
Together, we explored the power of rest as a pathway for healing trauma — not just intellectually, but through direct somatic experience. We spoke about the nervous system’s wisdom, and how rest allows us to remember what it feels like to be safe, supported, and whole — even if just for a few breaths at a time.
Rest is more than stillness. It’s a return to ourselves.
One of the moments that stayed with me most was when Dr. Parker said,
“The nervous system doesn’t know the difference between something that’s happening now and something that happened before. That’s why rest is essential.”
Her work invites us to see rest not as a luxury, but as a radical act of reclamation, especially for those carrying the weight of intergenerational trauma and chronic stress.
We also touched on the importance of being truly seen in a therapeutic relationship, and how real healing often begins when we feel gently held, not fixed.
What We Talked About:
The somatic impact of trauma and stress
How the nervous system remembers
The distinction between “being still” and being at rest
Why restorative yoga is a trauma-informed practice
How to hold space for others without needing to “fix”
Rest as repair, resistance, and remembrance
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, exhausted, or disconnected from yourself, this conversation is for you.
You don’t need to “do” anything while you listen. You’re invited to simply sit back, rest, and let your body receive.
