Imagine you are on a sandy beach, in the breezy shade of a palm tree. The ocean waves crash as you let your mind drift off. You dig your toes in, making yourself as comfortable as possible. Before you know it you are blissfully nodding off to sleep, joining the other beachgoers next to you. Or maybe you find yourself resting after a weekday lunch, a quick nap preparing you for an energized and productive afternoon that soon eases you into an enjoyable evening.
If you have ever eaten a big lunch and needed a nap almost immediately after, you’re probably familiar with the Spanish siesta, meaning a nap or short rest. Often taken after lunch in the afternoon, a siesta is Spaniards' preferred way of regrouping and recharging themselves after their mid-day meal. While not every siesta is taken on a warm Spanish beach (although it does sound exquisite), the notion is right—siestas are the best way to re-energize, a pit stop in the middle of an everlasting day. It’s so common in fact, that you shouldn’t be surprised if you run out to grab something after lunch and find that all the shops are closed—they’re that important.
Paloma Ávila, a Madrid-based designer, entrepreneur, and all around creative, speaks about the Spanish tradition and its impact on her life. She tells us,
“It is very attached to the Spanish culture to take a short nap after lunch before getting back to work, or even on weekends, it is our way to get energized after eating.”
You could almost think of taking a siesta as a doubling down on rest & relaxation. One boost of energy comes from food, conversation, and time taken to appreciate the day, and the second boost comes from the rest that we allow ourselves after the fact. That rest, though it may appear as simple down time, is actually an investment in yourself, a time for you to gather energy lost during the day. So whether you are in Barcelona or Brooklyn, a siesta is certainly one act of nourishment that we can all benefit from.
Me voy a echar una siesta — I'm going to take a nap
La siesta me ha sentado muy bien — the nap has done me good, the feeling of being well rested from a nap that served its purpose
This article is part of DIMMI Digest: Nourishment. Nourishment is about the moments we take for ourselves to refill what has been expended. More than just nutrients, nourishment can be the rest that we give ourselves, the shared joy that we experience, or the love that brings us together at the end of a hard day. For our friend Paloma, it is rest that acts as the ultimate nourisher.
