Join the Intentional Rest Program today for just US$97 as a foundation member and enjoy lifetime access.
On 1 December 2024, the program will transition to a subscription model for new users. Don’t miss this exclusive offer to support your wellbeing and build lasting habits.

Intentional Rest

Your gateway to a well-rested and resilient life.

Self-coaching Program to support you to rest, create new wellbeing habits, and bring about lasting change.

Learning to rest effectively and intentionally is a valuable skill with many wellbeing benefits.

Taking time to rest is not a sign of weakness but rather a demonstration of self-awareness, self-leadership and self-care.

Learn how you can embrace rest and incorporate it into your life with Intentional Rest.

Deep down, you know you need to move about life differently.

The truth is, you feel the idea of slowing down and resting is daunting… it doesn’t need to be.

Intentional Rest allows you to recharge your mind and body, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being.
Discover how you can be both rested and resilient by incorporating simple and practical rest and self-care practices into your daily routine.

Build new habits, one nap at a time.

With the Intentional Rest expansive program and resources, you can enjoy a variety of simple rest and relaxation practices, including Daring To Rest™ Rest Phase yoga nidras and prompts through bite-size Coaching Conversations.

These recorded sessions can be accessed immediately. They will enable you to broaden and build an intentional rest practice and introduce healthy habits into your personal and professional lives.

Align to your rest needs and what you enjoy.

Remember, you are a unique individual with unique needs for rest, rejuvenation, and renewal. Intentional Rest is all about catering to these unique aspects of your wellbeing, aligning with your life and what you enjoy.

Explore the various themes to prioritise what type of rest you need the most - physical, mental, emotional, relationships, sensory, creative, digital, change and life-exhaustion.

Intentional Rest
Self-Coaching Program
Overview

Daring To Rest™ method and rest practices.

Discover the deepest rest of your life with the transformative Daring To Rest™ method.

The Daring to Rest method introduces you to deep relaxation and restorative rest. These meditations can reduce stress, improve sleep quality, and enhance emotional wellbeing. They also support self-reflection and inner growth, helping you to reconnect with your inner wisdom, intuition and strength. Regular practice can lead to greater resilience, clarity, and overall balance in your life.

Explore additional rest and relaxation practices across each Intentional Rest theme, and you may be surprised at how easy it is to introduce more rest into your life.

Coaching Conversations

Unlock your potential and build your Intentional Rest habit through guided and on-demand Coaching Conversations.

Coaching Conversations enable you to clarify your goals, overcome barriers to rest, and develop practical and realistic strategies to incorporate more rest moments and practices into your daily life.

These bite-sized coaching conversations can fit in and around your day and offer valuable support and inspiration to take time out.

Convenient, impactful and always available when you need them. Included for each Intentional Rest theme - your very own ‘Rest Coach’, ready to support you whenever you need.

Practical guidance and worksheets

Tools for empowering your journey to rest, create new wellbeing habits, and bring about lasting change.

Gain access to practical step-by-step guidance and downloadable worksheets that will help you incorporate more rest into your daily life and support you in building and broadening your rest knowledge and practice.

What type of rest do you need?

  • Physical rest

    Physical rest helps your body recover from daily demands, strengthens your immune system, lowers the risk of illness and enables you to be more resilient to life's challenges. Take time to explore the Coaching Conversation and simple rest practices to rest your body.

  • Mental rest

    Mental rest allows your mind to take a break from cognitive processes such as problem-solving, decision-making, focused attention, analysing information. This type of rest boosts your mental functioning and resilience and helps you to face challenges with renewed energy.

  • Emotional rest

    Emotional rest means taking a break from managing feelings and stress. It helps recharge and restore emotional balance, promoting resilience and wellbeing. It can involve activities such as meaningful conversations with loved ones, journaling, practicing gratitude, engaging in creative pursuits, or spending time in nature.

  • Relationships rest

    Relationship rest is an essential aspect of self-care that balances interpersonal interactions to maintain physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. It involves recognising when to engage in meaningful connections and when to take a step back to recharge and prioritise your needs.

  • Sensory rest

    Sensory rest allows the nervous system to unwind from constant stimulation, which can otherwise lead to stress and sensory overload. Discover how you can rest your senses to improve overall wellbeing and resilience.

  • Creative rest

    This type of rest involves taking a break from active creativity and allowing yourself time to recharge and replenish your creative energy. It can include activities like engaging in passive forms of creativity, such as appreciating art, reading, listening to music, or engaging in activities that inspire and rejuvenate your creative spirit.

  • Digital technology rest

    This type of rest involves intentionally taking breaks or setting boundaries from using and consuming digital devices and technologies. In our increasingly connected world, this type of rest recognises the need to find a healthy balance and avoid the negative impacts of excessive screen time and constant digital stimulation.

  • Change rest

    Take a pause from the relentless pace of change and transformation. Allow yourself the opportunity to reflect, find balance and prepare for the next stages of growth. Taking time out from constant change and uncertainty allows you to reflect and learn how to embrace the ebb and flow of life.

  • Life exhaustion

    This type of rest involves activities or practices that help you reconnect with your life purpose, gain clarity, and align your actions with your deepest values and goals. It involves taking time for self-reflection and evaluating areas of your life where you can be more aligned to your purpose and create more meaning in life, and regain your energy.

Introducing Intentional Rest
‘Learning Journeys’

Step-by-step guidance enabling you to take control of your energy, achieve balance and avoid burnout.

Learning Journeys

Your personalised path for learning to rest, guiding you step-by-step from burnout to balance.

In a culture that often glorifies busyness, many people have forgotten how to truly rest and simply don’t know where to start.

The Intentional Rest Learning Journeys change that.

Each Learning Journey provides a structured approach around specific topics, helping you to bring more rest into your life, take control of your energy, achieve more balance, avoid burnout and create lasting change.

Each Learning Journey follows a structured path:

Review and evaluate the current state

Reflect and go deeper with Coaching Conversations

Rest and Restore with specific practices

Reset with Coaching Conversations and action planning.

This month’s feature Learning Journey - Unplug and Recharge

Explore the Unplug and Recharge Learning Journey

The Unplug and Recharge Learning Journey is designed to help you find balance by intentionally creating the space to disconnect from devices and screens and rest in many ways. It is not about eliminating technology but allowing you to enjoy the benefits without impacting your well-being.

The Unplug and Recharge Learning Journey is for you if you:

  • Feel overwhelmed, fatigued and burnout out by constant digital engagement

  • Seek balance and want to use technology in ways that help you to rest, restore and reset.

  • Build healthy habits to regularly rest and recharge.

Introductory Price US$97

Join the Intentional Rest Program today for just $97 as a foundation member and enjoy lifetime access.
On 1 December 2024, the program will transition to a subscription model for new users. Don’t miss this exclusive offer to support your wellbeing and build lasting habits.

Inclusions

  • Explore the 9 Rest Domains to help across physical, mental, emotional, relationships, sensory, creative, digital, change and life-exhaustion.

  • The Rest Review is a simple evaluation tool designed to help you assess your rest and self-care practices. By identifying areas needing improvement, insights to help you personalise and prioritise strategies to enhance your overall wellbeing and balance in various aspects of life.

  • Each Intentional Rest Domain is accompanied by Coaching Conversations supporting you to broaden your awareness, build your practices, identify simple changes, how often you can incorporate small changes, and importantly how you can recognise these changes. You will also be provided additional Action Plan prompts to get you started.

  • Explore a range of Daring To Rest™ method rest practices and additional relaxation practices to support each Intentional Rest Theme. From simple breathing techniques to relaxation meditations and Daring To Rest™ method inspired yoga nidras.

  • Explore many tools grounded in the science of rest, self-leadership, self-coaching and positive psychology to empower you along your rest journey.

  • Targeted and structured approaches around specific topics, helping you to bring more rest into your life, take control of your energy, avoid burnout and create lasting change.

  • Benefit from regular updates to each rest domain, ensuring you stay current with the latest rest strategies to optimise your wellbeing and build lasting habits.

  • The Intentional Rest Program can accessed via your computer and most devices including your smartphone or iPad via the Simplero IOS and Android app.

  • Join the Intentional Rest Program today for just US$97 as a foundation member and enjoy lifetime access. On 1 December 2024, the program will transition to a subscription model for new users. Don’t miss this exclusive offer to support your wellbeing and build lasting habits.

Explore the soul, science and self-leadership of rest

Nurture your soul

Intentional rest acknowledges the deeper dimensions of your being. This type of rest is about physical, mental and emotional rejuvenation and nurturing your soul. Through intentional rest, you are invited to align with your values, connect with your inner wisdom, and tap into your strengths as a mechanism for growth and change. This approach will enable you to learn how you can live and lead a life where rest is at the centre.

Practical and evidenced-based

The intentional rest approach and practices you will explore are proven to help reduce stress, improve sleep, boost your thinking, and help regulate and manage emotions. Combining the science of habit and behavioural change, you will see how these easy techniques can significantly benefit your overall wellbeing.

Power up your self-leadership

Intentional rest empowers you to take control of your well-being and make mindful choices that support your growth. By introducing a rest practice into your life, you practice self-compassion, set healthy boundaries, and establish a balanced lifestyle. Intentional rest helps you recharge, replenish your energy, and show up as your best self in all areas of your life.

Welcome to Intentional Rest

Your gateway to a well-rested and resilient life.

Resources and acknowledgements

This program explores nine common and relatable Intentional Rest themes for our modern world (of course there are many more!) with explanations to build your understanding and tools to support you to rest.

The concept of ‘Intentional Rest’ draws on both ancient wisdom and modern research to provide a comprehensive approach to promoting balance, rejuvenation, and overall well-being. By integrating these practices and insights, Intentional Rest offers a transformative path to living a more fulfilling and purposeful life.

Yoga Nidra

Intentional Rest is heavily influenced by the practice of Yoga Nidra, a guided meditation technique that induces deep relaxation and self-awareness. This ancient yogic practice helps calm the mind and release physical and mental tension, promoting a state of Intentional Rest.

Psychological studies

The concept of Intentional Rest aligns with psychological research on the importance of self-care and stress reduction. Studies have shown that Intentional Rest practices can lead to improved mental health and resilience.

Self-care practices

Intentional Rest incorporates a range of self-care practices, such as setting boundaries, engaging in hobbies, spending time in nature, and practicing gratitude. These practices are supported by research on self-care and well-being.

Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation: The concept of Intentional Rest often incorporates mindfulness practices, which involve being fully present and aware of the moment. Mindfulness meditation has been extensively researched and is known for its benefits in reducing stress, improving focus, and enhancing emotional well-being.

Positive Psychology

Intentional Rest draws on the principles of positive psychology, which emphasises focusing on strengths, well-being, and flourishing. The Intentional Rest approach aims to nurture positivity and fulfillment in life.

Holistic wellbeing

The Intentional Rest approach embraces a holistic view of well-being, recognising the interconnectedness of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. It draws from various holistic wellness principles and practices.

Sleep science

Intentional Rest acknowledges the importance of quality sleep for overall health and well-being.

Sleep science research provides insights into the benefits of sufficient and restful sleep, which is essential for physical, mental, and emotional restoration.

Neuroscience

Research in neuroscience provides evidence of how Intentional Rest practices can positively impact the brain, promoting neuroplasticity and enhancing cognitive function.

Coaching

This potent combination of Rest and Coaching provides a holistic and empowering approach to wellbeing. With a foundation in scientific knowledge, the self-leadership skills to take action, and deep connection to inner world, the Coaching Conversations are offer a simpler and effective technique to move people towards wellbeing goals - from a rested place – not from a place of fatigue or exhaustion.

Hi, I’m Penny Ward

I'm Penny Ward. Founder of Deep Rest and Renew. Certified Daring To Rest™ Facilitator, Rest Coach and Change Expert.

I have over 20 years of working in high-impact and high-intensity work environments with global technology and management consulting firms and the Australian Defence Force. I understand the challenges and pressures people face in the workplace and the effects of stress and change on overall well-being. I have seen human beings pushed to their physical, mental and emotional limits. I have also been one of them.

I deeply understand the transformative power of deep rest for overcoming stress, exhaustion, fatigue and burnout. Through extensive study and personal experience, I have become an expert in relaxation-based practices, learning the methods and practices of deep rest from renowned teachers and leaders in Australia and internationally.

At Deep Rest and Renew, I combine my lived and professional experiences with change management, positive psychology, and ancient relaxation-based practices for the modern world. I blend soul, science and self-leadership practices into evidence-based, practical and accessible programs for people ready for their own 'rest revolution'!

Expertise and experience

  • Facilitating nurturing and transformative experiences for participants, guiding them towards deep relaxation, self-awareness, and inner growth.

  • Integrating personal change techniques, self-leadership, and the science of habit to avoid or break burnout attitudes and behaviours.

  • Relaxation-based yoga practices include yin yoga, yoga nidra the yogic sleep, breathwork and mindfulness.

Education

  • Daring To Rest™ Certified Facilitator and Rested Path™ Rest Coach

  • Graduate Diploma Innovation and Design Thinking

  • Graduate Certificate Strategic Human Resources

  • Diploma Workplace and Business Coaching

  • APMG Change Manager, Prosci Certified Change Practitioner

  • Various yoga training (300+ hours), including Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and Insight Yoga

  • Australian Defence Member various trainings and qualifications