In this time of winter, where nature slows, our own natural rhythms long to comply. The hibernation instinct dwells within us, even when we choose to ignore such tendencies. For some reason, in the US, taking less sleep is often seen as a badge of honor.  We resist surrender, erroneously viewing it as defeat.

I have been surrendering to not only thoughts of rest, but an almost daily practice of rest in the afternoon, known in Italian culture as il riposo or il pisolino, the nap.

The daily assault of disturbing news does not create an easy environment for surrender, though. There are now more than ever constant distractions, which create anxious moments.

Sleep, and good sleep, is essential to our well-being. It’s during sleep that our bodies and minds are renewed. Negative emotions are processed and there is recovery. How is your sleep these days?

The Romans were the first to be documented (that I am aware of) of taking the Siesta, which is based on the sixth hour of the twelve hour day, when they ate and then rested.

After lunchtime in Italy, even in the busiest of cities, there is a sense of absence, of a pause. Not so long ago, everything in Italy closed down in honor of the riposo time. No lunch after 2:30 and no dinner until 7:00. People rested, then went back to work. Now, you will find the stores open all day for the tourists, but in the smaller villages, there is a hush, like a lullaby has just been sung and heads find peace on a pillow for a while.

Take a look at some of the images of paintings showing people sleeping. I found many of women surrendering to sleep. I found fewer of couples and even fewer of men, except for this one by Sandro Botticelli, which has a fascinating meaning.

See the image of the man with his head tilted back and eyes closed. (Below if you are reading this on a phone.) The beautiful woman next to him is fully awake. The woman is Venus, goddess of Love. The man is Mars, god of War.  She is awake and present. He is unconscious. Love conquers War.

And this quote by the poet, Fernando Pessoa perfectly expresses this idea:

“When asleep, we all become children again. Perhaps because in the state of slumber because we can do no wrong and are unconscious of life. The greatest criminal and the most self absorbed egotist are holy, by a natural magic, as long as they are sleeping.”

(I would sure like to put some of our world leaders asleep for a good long while.)

With Valentine’s Day coming up, with all the symbols of love that surround us, maybe one of the best things we can do to show love to ourselves, our neighbors, our families, our friends, to strangers, to the World, is to get a lot more rest.

I will leave you with a link to a beautiful Italian love song, an adult lullaby called Ninna Nanna (the Italian word for lullaby), sung by Pink Martini in Neopolitan dialect with English titles. Click on the small green square below, listen for five minutes, and then maybe take a short nap.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Art Works Cited:

Rest From Work (Van Gogh/1890)

Sleeping Woman (Holsoe/1900)

Flaming June (Lord Leighton/1895)

Waking Up (Jordaens/1620)

The Sleeper (Lempicka/1930)

Sleeping Woman with Cat (Slewinski/1896)

Venus and Mars (Botticelli/15

Repose (Sargent/1911)

Sleeping Woman (Liezen-Mayer/1867)