Rest Is Resistance: A Reclamation of Ancestral Power

"When rest is denied to your ancestors, reclaiming it becomes revolutionary."

October marks both a season of slowing down and Black History Month in the UK—a moment to honour legacy, truth, and the quiet power of restoration.

This week, we’re holding space for a conversation that’s long overdue: rest as a form of ancestral reclamation. Because for Black people, especially women, rest is not just self-care. It’s resistance.

The Historical Weight of Exhaustion

Rest was never freely given to our ancestors. Their labour was extracted, their fatigue ignored, their needs erased.

That legacy lingers today—in the pressure to overachieve, overperform, and overextend in order to “prove” worth.

But here’s the truth: you don’t have to hustle for your humanity.

Choosing rest is choosing to disrupt that cycle. It’s choosing to say: my body is sacred. My spirit is worthy. My presence does not need to be earned.

What Rest as Reclamation Looks Like

🖤 Sleeping in without shame.
🖤 Saying no without explanation.
🖤 Prioritising healing over proving.
🖤 Creating spaciousness in your day, your breath, your lineage.

How Retreat Can Honour This Work

At REESET, we hold rest as sacred, especially for communities that have historically been denied it.

Our retreats for Black women, LGBTQ+ folks, and the global majority are not trends. They are reparative spaces. Grounded in cultural respect, deep listening, and the belief that you deserve to be held.

We:

• Honour stories and silence equally.

• Make space for ancestral grief, joy, and rest.

• Create healing experiences that centre safety, softness, and sovereignty.

Because when one of us rests, it ripples through generations.

This Black History Month, rest isn’t a break. It’s a radical return.