Rest Is Resistance

A Manifesto

De: Tricia Hersey

Narrado por: Tricia Hersey

Disrupt and push back against capitalism and white supremacy by connecting to the liberating power of rest, daydreaming, and naps as a foundation for healing and justice. Tricia Hersey, aka The Nap Bishop, encourages us to elevate rest as a form of resistance and a divine human right.

What would it be like to live in a well-rested world? Far too many of us have claimed productivity as the cornerstone of success. Brainwashed by capitalism, we subject our bodies and minds to work at an unrealistic, damaging, and machine‑level pace—feeding into the same engine that enslaved millions into brutal labor for its own relentless benefit.

In Rest Is Resistance, Tricia Hersey, aka the Nap Bishop, casts an illuminating light on our troubled relationship with rest and how to imagine and dream our way to a future where rest is exalted. Our worth does not reside in how much we produce, especially not for a system that exploits and dehumanizes us. Rest, in its simplest form, becomes an act of resistance and a reclaiming of power because it asserts our most basic humanity. We are enough. The systems cannot have us.

Rest Is Resistance is rooted in spiritual energy and centered in Black liberation, womanism, somatics, and Afrofuturism. With captivating storytelling and practical advice, all delivered in Hersey’s lyrical voice and informed by her deep experience in theology, activism, and performance art, Rest Is Resistance is a call to action, a battle cry, a field guide, and a manifesto for all of us who are sleep-deprived, searching for justice, and longing to be liberated from the oppressive grip of Grind Culture.

©2022 Tricia Hersey (P)2022 Little, Brown Spark

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Rest Is Resistance left me feeling elated. This book reminds us that we are in charge of our restoration. In these pages, Tricia has offered us an invitation to take our power back.”—Alexandra Elle, author of After the Rain and How We Heal

“Sometimes the window is open and a breeze comes through singing a sweet song: it is nap time. Grandmother sits on the front porch; grandpapa cuts the grass. It is a song. You nap. I nap. The angels hug us. A book settles beside us. Rest Is Resistance. It is a war we will win.”—Nikki Giovanni, Poet

“With Rest Is Resistance, Tricia Hersey helps us understand that rest is how we can sustain ourselves as we awaken to the truth of the toxic systems of our times. She is not ahead of or above us in this journey, but right here in the midst of social media addiction and overwork and systemic frustration, shouting that she can see an opening. She offers us rest not instead of the incredible work we are doing, but as a way to undergird all our efforts against capitalism and white supremacy. She shows us that our dream space is sacred, and rest is how we reclaim access to the wisdom there. Naps and all kinds of rest are portals through which we return to ourselves. Tricia, sounding like an ancestor who is DONE seeing us suffer, is inviting us to join her and step on through.”—adrienne maree brown, author of Emergent Strategy and Pleasure Activism

This book will rock your world

I have described myself as task oriented, productive, and aspirational my entire life. This book helped me question the messages I’ve internalized from my culture and my family - and I’m sharing the message to help my family heal from our constant need to grind/ produce. Give this wonderful book a listen - and let it plant a seed in you to value yourself just for existing. thank you Ms. Hersey, for sharing this book with the world.

What would a well-rested world look like?

Hersey shares personal, intellectual, and imaginative underpinnings of the her Nap Ministry work. It’s a very thoughtful exploration of rest as a need, a right, a spiritual practice, and a means of resisting the insidious culture of exploitation that is 21st century American capitalism. I’ll definitely need to get this one in physical form and spend more time with it—audio marginalia will not be enough.

I FEEL SEEN

This book felt like coming home to a warm blanket and a cup of hot cocoa. It was validating to my unique life choices to prioritize my mental, physical, and emotional health. By uplifting my personal practices of rest, mindfulness, play, stillness, bubble baths, wine, and vacations, I have felt odd until this book. Ms. Hersey’s voice is that of a sister, and beautifully familiar. The book I didn’t know I needed, but certainly did. We all do.

Things I know but needed to hear

The message of resting and its connection to capitalism and my enslaved ancestors were dots that I needed to connect. That alone was worth it. Her references to the black church experience were also critical and an important truth that is often overlooked.

However be mindful that the author repeats themselves directly or indirectly ALOT. If you can take the reiterating of important points, you will walk away with a new perspective on resting and why it is an act of resistance.

Essential!

I needed to read this more than I realized. Tricia talks about the complexity of capitalism for our ancestors and how we NOW are still living a legacy of exhaustion. I identified so much with this concept and I am thankful for this resource to spur me to make change. Essential reading for all but especially for descendants of enslaved people. This is life changing text.

Wow

My gratitude for this book goes beyond the confines of words. I can’t adequately convey how impacted I am by what I learned. It’s overwhelming; I am overwhelmed by hope. Tricia Hersey is anointed. Thank you for this message. Thank you for your homage to ancestors. Thank you for humanizing rest again. Thank you for your activism that has inspired me to Rest as a form of Resistance against oppression. And, thank you for the rest breaks I took to daydream, feel comfort, and to just be.

Rest is Resistance

I heard about this book from a YouTuber I listen to. I am so glad I listened and bought this book. It is very insightful, and helpful. A must read for those of us needing Rest!

Everyone needs to read this book.

This is a manifesto holds knowledge that is deeply necessary to tap into. Thank you, Tricia, for your bravery, vision, and determination to rest.

Rest is Decolonization

Profoundly grateful for this book for supporting the decolonization of my rest practice. The best part for me was the uncovering of the design of Social Media to keep one endlessly scrolling instead of having a start to finish reading. Thank you

Resonating, Powerful, Necessary

As a black man subscribed to Captialism and going through a current spiritual awakening that is turning everything I “knew” on its head, this book is confirming and liberating. Im thankful for the author’s stillness and wisdom. I’m also thankful for her family and all I learned from them through the author’s immersive storytelling.