what is rest + ready?
Rest + Ready is a guided 90-minute session designed to give you something many of us find surprisingly difficult to create for ourselves: dedicated time to stop.
But this isn’t simply about switching off.
It’s about what can become available when we slow down enough to notice.
We spend so much of our lives moving from one thing to the next. Making decisions. Meeting deadlines. Looking after people. Solving problems. Filling gaps.
Rest + Ready gives you permission to spend a little longer in the space between.
To rest, breathe, listen, reflect and gather your resources before deciding what comes next.
There is nothing to achieve. You don’t need to arrive with a goal, a problem to solve or even particularly good intentions.
Just arrive.
I’ll take care of the rest.
WHAT HAPPENS AT REST + READY?
Each session is gently guided by me and combines physical rest with opportunities for thought, reflection and imagination.
You can expect a mixture of:
Guided Relaxation and Body Awareness
Simple invitations to notice your body, release some of the physical effort you might be carrying and become more aware of how you’re feeling.
Breathwork
Accessible breathing practices that give you time to explore your breath rather than feeling you need to do it in a particular way.
Guided Meditation
Time to lie down, close your eyes if you’d like to and be guided into a deeper period of rest.
Readings
One of my favourite parts of Rest + Ready. I source extracts from novels, poetry, essays and more philosophical writing and read them aloud to you.
There’s nothing to analyse and no discussion question waiting at the end. You can simply listen and allow the words to create their own images, thoughts, memories and ideas.
Journalling and Reflection
I’ll offer prompts throughout the session that you can use in whatever way works for you. You might write pages. You might jot down a sentence. You might decide you’d rather lie there and think.
It’s all an invitation.
A FEW THINGS YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING
Why Rest + Ready?
Sometimes the urge to get to the next thing means we miss what’s happening in between.
REST is an important part of the session, but so is the READY. This is time to slow down, notice what’s there and gather your resources before deciding what you might need next.
You don't have to leave with an action plan. You might simply leave feeling rested. That's a pretty good use of 90 minutes too.
Is it a workshop?
Technically, yes. Although I often describe it as a workshop without the work.
There are no flipcharts, awkward icebreakers or being put on the spot. I’ll guide you through the session and there may be some spontaneous conversation along the way, but you won’t be expected to share anything you’d rather keep to yourself.
Do I have to meditate?
No. Everything I offer during REST + READY is an invitation.
You can sit or lie down, keep your eyes open or closed, journal when prompted or simply think. The idea is to give you different ways to slow down and notice what works for you.
Do I have to be good at resting?
Absolutely not. In fact, if you find it difficult to stop, switch off or give yourself permission to do very little for a while, you may be exactly the person I had in mind when I created REST + READY.
Who is it for?
REST + READY is for all people who would benefit from deliberately making some room for themselves.
You might spend a lot of your time looking after other people. You might be navigating change or sitting in one of life's many in-between stages. Or you might simply think, 90 minutes where nobody needs anything from me sounds rather lovely.
That is reason enough.
Can I come on my own?
Absolutely. You can come alone or bring someone with you. The sessions are designed to feel comfortable and welcoming without any expectation that you need to socialise or participate in group discussion.
Places do need to be booked in advance and are £25 per person, so if you’re coming with a friend, you’ll each need a booked place.
What should I bring?
Wear something comfortable that you can move, sit and lie down in.
Mats, bolsters and yoga bricks are provided at the venue. You’re very welcome to bring a favourite cushion, thick blanket or anything else that will help you feel cosy. Bring some water and something to write in for the journalling portions too.
Who runs Rest + Ready?
I’m Gemma Cousins, an ICF-accredited coach and founder of Core Coaching.
Before becoming a coach I spent more than 20 years working as an actor and facilitator, so rest + ready brings together lots of things I love and use in my work: coaching, breath, body awareness, voice, language, presence, reflection and the simple pleasure of being read to.