why rest feels so hard: burnout, embodiment & healing with ashley neese

“the day i gave voice to the scared, shamed, and broken parts of myself,” writes ashley, “and acknowledged, out loud, that i had an alcohol and drug addiction problem was a defining moment in my life, a radical step towards the embodiment i had been running from since childhood… it set me on my path to discovery, and ultimately study and teach, the deeply transformative power of the breath, somatics, and capital “R” Rest, with an important emphasis on community and integration.”

ashley is a renowned breathwork teacher, somatic practitioner, host of the deeper call podcast and author of how to breathe and permission to rest.

in this conversation, we explore the radical power of rest and embodiment.

ashley shares her journey from addiction and recovery to discovering rest as a lifelong, often more difficult, practice than sobriety. we unpack why slowing down is so challenging in a culture addicted to speed and productivity, how rest reveals our deepest exhaustion and aliveness, and why reclaiming rest is both personal medicine and a revolutionary act.

this episode is an invitation to soften, to listen more deeply to the body, and to explore rest not as a luxury or escape but as a profound practice of presence, healing, and resistance.

Some things we talk about…

rest as medicine for burnout – why supplements, diets, and hacks don’t work until you address the body’s real need for slowing down.

how rest heals trauma – how gentle, somatic practices can create safety and support nervous system repair.

micro-rituals of rest you can use today – simple, doable practices like a hand to heart, three breaths, or savoring a cup of tea.

breaking free from “output = worth” – how to reclaim your value beyond productivity and honor hidden forms of labor.

why rest feels so hard – cultural conditioning, trauma responses, and the shame that keeps us from slowing down.

reclaiming attention in an always-on world – how choosing to pause, single-task, and move slower becomes an act of agency.

rest as revolutionary – how your slowing down ripples into family, community, and culture as a radical act of change.

how to be gentle with yourself – why rest can’t be forced, and how softness opens more than striving.

listen to past episodes at daphnecohn.com