How to Remain Calm in the Chaos with Johanna DeBiase
“As we enter an age of accelerating collapse, I find it more important than ever to keep our nervous systems regulated.”
Welcome to Circle of Rest. I’m Johanna Andersson — a yoga nidrā teacher, energy healer, and mother of two, devoted to creating deeply nurturing rest experiences. Inside my yoga nidrā library, you’ll find nourishing 15–25 minute recordings designed to guide you into a state of deep, meditative rest. I also offer 1:1 rest sessions, weekly online classes, and monthly community gatherings — all of which you can explore here.
Through rest, we rise.
Dearest nidrista,
This week, I’m treating you to a Q&A with a true sister in rest. Meet Johanna DeBiase — writer, artist, nature therapy guide, and yoga instructor.
You might know her from Our Uncertain Future, the Substack she writes with her husband, where she shares reflections on slow, off-grid living, connection to nature, anti-consumerist values, and more. Make sure to visit and subscribe.
Johanna and her family lives in Taos, New Mexico, in the United States. Taos, she says, is a small town in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains — the southernmost stretch of the Rockies — known for its artists, hippies, skiing, and Taos Pueblo, the longest continuously inhabited community in the United States.
Judging by the beautiful images she’s shared with us, it feels like a truly peaceful place to be.
I hope you’ll find her restful lifestyle as inspiring as I do, and that you’ll come away with new ideas to help you navigate turbulent times as we face — as she puts it — our uncertain future.
Rest to rise,
“I used to be very ambitious. I believed that if I was resting, I was being unproductive — and that this was the worst possible thing I could be.”
– Johanna DeBiase
What does rest, and living a restful life, mean to you?
Rest to me means spaciousness. It is the space within me that is quiet and calm. It is the space outside of me that is quiet and calm. I create rest in my life as much as possible. Allowing for internal and external spaciousness as much as possible. That’s why I live in the desert in the middle of nowhere. That’s why I stay connected to the natural world.
What is your relationship to rest, and how has it evolved throughout your life?
I used to be very ambitious. I believed that if I was resting, I was being unproductive — and that this was the worst possible thing I could be. I believed my worth was entirely tied to how much I produced and, in turn, how successful I appeared to be, measured by external markers of achievement.
In the last seven years, I encountered my mid-life transition where I had to come to terms with what my true values are, what is actually important to me, or be miserable continuing the path I was on. In doing so, I had to reprogram all those old beliefs. It was not easy. This was a long journey with many days spent in the wilderness — both the wilderness of my psyche and the wilderness of the mountains. I am still unravelling these old stories, but in smaller ways now.
Now, I am grateful for every choice that has led me to my restful life. The choice to teach yoga as my job. The choice to live off the grid close to nature. The choice to prioritize loving relationships. The choice to be present and grateful every day.
“Connecting to the cycles of the natural world is a reminder that life is in constant phases of destruction and rebirth. From death, comes life.”
– Johanna DeBiase
How do you find rest in your daily life?
Finding rest in my daily life is very much about how I schedule my life. I schedule all my yoga teaching and errands on two days a week. These are the two days when I must go to town. All other days I can stay home if I wish to. Those two days are very busy, but I have spaciousness in my week. I have days buffering those days that allow me to decompress and get my art and writing and other work done at an easy pace. I love slow mornings whenever possible, to meditate, journal, and drink tea. I enjoy winding down before bed with yoga, reading, soft music, incense and tea.
In Our Uncertain Future, you and your partner write about things like “collapse” (society breaking down). How do you stay regulated while facing the reality of how things truly are?
As we enter an age of accelerating collapse, I find it more important than ever to keep our nervous system regulated. Meditation and nature therapy are key for me. Connecting to the cycles of the natural world is a reminder that life is in constant phases of destruction and rebirth. From death, comes life. Even though the old systems are falling away, something beautiful can be born from their demise. That gives me hope.
In meditation, I connect with a greater spirit and am reminded of the bigger picture. The world of humans can be very myopic, and we forget that life is limitless and expansive and ultimately beautiful in its chaos. I also connect with my breath that allows me to remain calm and at peace in the chaos. Breathing is the most amazing tool we have, and it is at our disposal every moment we are alive.
I truly hope you enjoyed this read. If you did, feel free to share it with someone you care about.
MORE TO EXPLORE
For more practical guidance on cultivating inner peace — and, by extension, world peace — I highly recommend this inspiring article by Johanna DeBiase. It resonates deeply with my belief that only when every human is truly well rested can we begin to heal the world, as one.
And if you’re curious about my favourite techniques for nervous system regulation, I share them here:
Don’t be a stranger.
I’d love to connect with you. If this piece sparked something in you, share your reflections in the comments below.
Thank you for these great questions that got me to think more deeply about how important rest is for me and all of us, especially during these times. 💜🙏💜