Radical Rest: Whenever You're Ready
A self-paced retreat on your own timing. Rest when you need it, return whenever you like. Time with yourself, at your pace.
You're allowed to rest. Really rest.
Format: Online from wherever you are
Investment: $50 USD
What kind of rest?
Not the kind where you collapse from exhaustion.
The kind where you actually come back to yourself — and discover what your body has been asking for all along.
The radical kind.
How this works
This retreat moves at your pace, not a schedule's.
Here's all there is to it. Start wherever you like. A good first step is the Radical Rest Kit, which helps you notice how much time you actually have and what kind of rest you might be hungry for. But there's no required order.
Explore the library. Inside you'll find different kinds of rest to try, gentle practices, and short guidance from Rebecca, Meredith, and our guest guides. Take what calls to you. Leave the rest. Return whenever you're ready.
This isn't something to finish. It's a container you can come back to, again and again, whenever the tiredness returns or the curiosity does. Your access stays. Reach out if you'd like support. If something surfaces, or you'd simply like a listener as you plan your time, you can message us. Support is here if you want it, never required.
What's in the course library?
Your purchase includes access to a content library designed for your own timing and rhythm
Preparation video with Rebecca and Meredith. A conversation about what real rest is, what gets in the way for most of us, and how to approach your personal retreat.
Preparing Your Space with Kristy Iris. A practical guide to setting up the physical environment where your rest will happen. Includes a video, a written transcript for those who'd rather read, and a downloadable PDF guide.
How to Choose Your Rest. Two frameworks for figuring out what kind of rest you actually need. Ways to Rest is a practical list of activities sorted by energy level, co-created with the first retreat group. Kinds of Rest uses Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith's framework of seven types of rest, plus two more we've added.
Art Therapy Practices with Susan Stroemel. Doodle-based exercises that help you drop out of your spinning head and back into your body. No artistic skill required. These work whether you do them once or come back to them again and again.
Writing Down Your Soul with Janet Conner. A writing practice from the author of the book by the same name. One of the most powerful tools for hearing what your body and your deeper knowing have been trying to tell you.
Some of this is meant for before you choose the date of your personal retreat. Some is for during. Some you'll return to long after. It's yours to use however and whenever you need it.
Is this for you?
This is for you if...
- You've tried sleep, vacation, and self-care, and the tired hasn't lifted
- You've started to suspect rest isn't the problem; something underneath the tiredness is
- You're curious about what your nervous system has been trying to tell you
- You want real tools, not just a weekend off
This is NOT for you if...
- You're looking for a clinical or therapeutic intervention. This is an invitation to explore, not therapy.
- You're looking for a structured program with a defined endpoint. This is something you move through in your own way, and return to whenever you need.
- You're hoping someone will tell you exactly what to do. We believe you already know.
Your Guides
You won't be doing this alone.
Meredith Alvarado
Resident Rester
I've been practicing rest as a real thing, not a reward, for years. I am of Mayan ancestry, and I'm a holistic healer. I work with whole people who are ready to stop performing and start listening to themselves. I'll be walking alongside you all weekend.
Rebecca Thompson Hitt
Rest Detective
After thirty years sitting with families in the moments where life unraveled and rebuilt, I've learned that most of us aren't bad at resting. Instead, we're afraid of what surfaces when we stop. I'll be helping you notice what your nervous system is asking for, and tracking what comes up when you slow down.
Susan Stroemel
Feelings Cartographer
In the spirit of Mister Rogers, I'll meet you wherever you are, with whatever pen and paper you have on hand. Through short doodle-based exercises, I'll offer simple, accessible tools that help you drop out of a spinning head and back into your body, so rest has somewhere to land.
Kristy Iris
Space Whisperer
I help creative, soulful humans align their homes with who they're becoming. Through Fizome™, the process I've been developing for twenty-six years, I'll help you discover what your space needs to support the rest you're learning to receive, and how to keep that resonance after the retreat ends.
Questions you may have...
Do I have to do this on a particular schedule?
No. That's the whole point. You move through it on your own timing, whenever you have five minutes or a free weekend. There's no calendar to keep up with.
How long do I have access?
Your access stays. You can return to the materials as many times as you like, for as long as the course exists. Rest isn't a one-time event, and this isn't either.
Is there live support?
This is a self-paced experience, so there are no scheduled live calls. But if you get stuck, or something surfaces, or you'd like support as you plan your time, you can message us, and we'll offer what we can.
What if I want the live weekend instead?
You can join the live Radical Rest Retreat (June 19 to 21, 2026) for the full group experience. And if you start here and later decide you'd like the live weekend, you can upgrade. Just reach out and we'll send you what you need.
What's included?
A library of rest practices, different kinds of rest to explore, the Radical Rest Kit, gentle guidance on shaping your own rest, and short videos from Rebecca, Meredith, and guest guides Susan Stroemel and Kristy Iris.
Do I need any special supplies?
No. Susan's art exercises use whatever pen and paper you already have. You'll want a journal or notebook, a comfortable space to be in, and that's it. It's designed to meet you where you are. If you have other available materials and you want to use them, great!
Is this therapy?
No. This is an educational and experiential retreat. If something surfaces during the weekend that you want to work with in therapy, that's a wonderful next step, but we're not your therapists, and the retreat isn't a substitute for clinical care.
Can I bring a friend or partner?
Each registration is for one person. If your friend or partner registers separately, you can absolutely go through the retreat together.
What's your refund policy?
Because you get full, immediate, and lasting access to all the materials the moment you enroll, the self-paced retreat is non-refundable. You're welcome to explore the Radical Rest Kit first to get a feel for the work before you join.
I have a different question.
Email rebecca@thrivinghumans.org and Rebecca or her team will get back to you within 1-2 business days.
"Nobody ever taught me how to rest. When I was growing up, I almost had to sneak resting. If my dad came in the room, I would pretend like I was doing something else. So this weekend has been a real conscious process of protecting my time. I took a two-hour nap yesterday — deep — and still slept eight hours last night. It felt huge." — S.S.
"The questions aren't unique to this weekend. But they are louder this weekend, because I slowed down and started to think." — E.K.
"Being in this kind of rest mode makes it easier for me to be aware of how I'm feeling. When I'm not in rest mode, I'm just next thing, next thing, next thing. In rest mode, I'm more present, more connected to what I need. I came in this weekend overwhelmed. My mother phoned me and wanted me to do something for my sister. In my heart, in my body, I didn't feel good about it. In my old life, I would have said okay, okay, I'll go. But I was able to give her my boundaries. I said, Mom, that's not important for me right now. And she was able to hear me. I'm grateful for being here and practicing."
— G.F., Canada
