Friday, December 9, 2011

Nap in picnic and nap at Uniting Church at 1pm on Thursday 8 December 2011

Bellingen ‘Nap Central’ – vote lying down
It’s mid afternoon, and that post-lunch wave of weariness makes your eyes grow heavy and brain activity come dangerously close to zero.  Do you reach for a coffee or hit of chocolate?   Well, soon Bellingen might have another solution available for the afternoon slump that’s highly effective, 100 percent natural, and takes no effort at all: a powernap, or pleasure nap, at Bellingen’s ‘Nap Central’ (working name only).     
Transition Bellingen recognises that personal sustainability is a cornerstone of community resilience, and is currently exploring the possibility of creating a public nap space for the local community.  So on Thursday 8th December you are invited to come and share a picnic lunch, 1 pm, at the Uniting Church followed by a nap in St Andrews Church at 1.30 pm.  You’ll then be invited to give feedback about the concept, and be back at work by 2 pm.  And that’s the beauty of the brief nap - it’s such a time-efficient renewable energy practice.  Research shows it can improve your mood and productivity, alleviate tiredness, increase alertness and reduce errors made at work in as little as ten minutes. 
When Transition Bellingen conducted a visioning process with the community in 2009, one of the themes that arose was a desire to protect Bellingen’s sane pace of life where you don’t have to be ‘on’ all the time.
“The idea is that ‘Nap Central’ would offer a quiet stop-over for body, mind and soul, where people can come and take a few minutes out of their routine to rest, reflect and recharge. The space could be suitable for quiet contemplation, as well as napping,” says Thea O’Connor, member of Transition Bellingen. “Many people love the idea of a mini-siesta but don’t feel there’s cultural support for it, or simply lack a lie-down zone at their workplace. This is about saying - it’s a really smart thing to do, to restore your energy (fatigue can be as dangerous as intoxication), so here’s a supervised, peaceful place where you can do it.  It’s also about fostering community resilience, for when we stop and reflect we are more likely to discover creative solutions and make wise decisions. ”
Public Nap Space Trial: Thursday, December 8t,h
1 pm: BYO picnic lunch open to all, Uniting Church lawns 1.30 pm:15 min Nap Bring Pillow.  1.45 pm: Debrief and discussion. Contact: transitionbellingen@gmail.com
N.B. Naps of all types welcome: power naps, pleasure naps, lying down naps or sitting naps, long ones, short ones - even loud snoring ones.
If you missed the Radio National, Health Report program featuring the Bellingen Nap-In, go to: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/yawning-gulf-napping-feature/3583154