The 7 Types of Feminine Rest: The French Art of Slowing Down
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
hi! I’m Naïma, a French artist, and my work reflects a feminine, soulful style where nature, emotion, and freedom meet on the canvas. I also design lifestyle pieces to nurture women’s creativity and well-being.
Through my art, I LOVE to explore the beauty of slowing down and reconnecting with ourselves.
I was born in Normandy and now live in the south of France, I hope you'll enjoy this article!
Why rest is not laziness, but a return to your feminine essence
In a world that celebrates productivity, speed, and constant achievement, many women feel exhausted and not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually.
We were never meant to live this way. The feminine body, heart, and soul move in cycles.We are intuitive, seasonal, fluid. We bloom, we retreat, we rest, we rise again! :)
In France, rest has never been something to earn. It is part of our daily life, in slow moments (taking naps. during the day for example), long walks in parks, slow mornings, and moments of beauty that nourish the soul.
For me, this is the Art of feminine rest. Not escape. Not laziness. But remembrance.
So I wrote below for you the 7 types of feminine rest, inspired by the French way of living and designed to help you reconnect with yourself, your body, and your inner rhythm.
But first! Here is my Morning routine
My day begin with gentle yoga on my yoga mat I customized myself with one of my favorite painting 'The Soul's Beauty", then a slow breakfast (water+lemon juice, a slice of petit épeautre bread, an egg and an herbal infusion or coffee.)
If the weather is good I enjoy taking a walk in the nearby forest (forest bathing is deeply healing), always savoring the little moments...looking at the trees and being present...when I am back home I like to read a few pages of a book. I try my best to avoid my phone and social medias in tthe first hour.
This rhythm of softness and presence inspires everything I create, from my paintings to the lifestyle products that invite you to slow down and reconnect with yourself.
7 TYPES OF REST, THE FRENCH, FEMININE WAY
1. Physical Rest — Le Repos du Corps
Physical rest is more than sleep.
It is allowing your body to soften instead of pushing through exhaustion.It is choosing slow mornings, gentle movement, and moments of stillness.
In French culture, rest lives in:
slow mornings
long lunches
walking instead of rushing
afternoon nap! (my favorite is laying on the grass when the weather allows it!)
2. Emotional Rest — Le Droit de Ressentir
Feminine rest means allowing yourself to feel without explanation. To cry without fixing.To feel tired without guilt. To stop being strong for everyone else.
Emotional rest is giving yourself permission to be human.
In the French way of life, emotions are not hidden, they are expressed, written, felt, and honored. That's why we spend so much time talking haha , or simply giving our opinion which is for about being free to express ourselves and share our emotions in the present moment.
When you allow your emotions to move freely, your nervous system softens and your heart finds peace.
3. Mental Rest — Le Silence Intérieur
Your mind also needs rest.
Mental rest comes from:
stepping away from constant noise! I do it always, even if I am with people, if I feel overwhelmed or the need breathe, I just leave the place and goo where I can feel at peace again in my mind and body; it is NOT being rude.
reducing screen time, it is so important nowadays. Being constantly triggered by what's going on in the world is exhausting.
letting your thoughts wander...in french we say "rêvasser, flâner..." daydreaming.
sitting in silence without productivity, it is SOO powerful! looking at the sky, the clouds, the leaves dancing on a tree, or simply closing your eyes and breathe.
It is in stillness that clarity, creativity, and intuition return.
4. Sensory Rest — La Douceur des Sens
The feminine soul is deeply sensitive to its environment. Too much noise, harsh light, or visual clutter overwhelms the nervous system.
Sensory rest means choosing softness:
candlelight
flowers, plants
natural fabrics
warm baths
gentle music
and
surrounding yourself with art, and beauty...everything that makes you feel at peace and happy. And ART is such a powerful way of disconnecting from the noise and reconnecting to yourself... that's why I have my own art on my walls at home or that I love go to museum and contemplate paintings...
The French art of living reminds us that beauty is not luxury, it is nourishment.
When your senses are soothed, your whole being exhales.
5. Creative Rest — Le Retour à l’Inspiration
Creativity cannot be forced. It is born in moments of pause.
Creative rest is allowing yourself to:
walk in nature
observe without producing
daydream
do nothing at all
6. Social Rest — Le Choix de la Présence
Not all connection is nourishing.
Feminine rest means choosing:
depth over quantity
silence over obligation
authenticity over performance
Sometimes rest looks like being alone. Sometimes it looks like being with someone who feels safe and grounding.
You are allowed to protect your energy.
7. Soul Rest — Le Retour à Soi
This is the deepest form of rest. Soul rest is remembering who you are beneath the roles, the expectations, and the noise.
It comes through:
Creating art
Spending time in nature
Prayers or meditation
journaling! it is so healing and release tensions from your body.
moments of stillness, choosing presence over pressure.
This is where the feminine returns home ...To intuition. To softness. To inner truth.
A Final note with love
Rest is not something you must earn.It is your natural state.
In choosing rest, you choose yourself.You choose depth over urgency.Presence over pressure.Being over doing.
And in that choice, something beautiful awakens.
✨ Naïma
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