Rest as a Radical Act, Connection as an Embodied Practice
- Brainz Magazine
- Aug 28
- 2 min read
Entrepreneur, Female Empowerment & Mental Health Advocate Aleksandra Nikolajev Jones has for over two decades been transforming cultural connections, driving inclusivity & inspiring innovation through her productions, choreography, and fundraising, and cementing creative collaborations & partnerships around the world.
In a world that glorifies productivity and speed, what happens when we choose stillness? What happens when we no longer run to prove, to please, or to survive, but pause, listen, and soften?
Rest is a radical act. It breaks the rhythm of inherited exhaustion. It whispers: You are allowed to slow down. You are allowed to feel.
Connection is an embodied practice. It begins not with language, but with presence, how we breathe together, how we soften our shoulders in the company of others.
As someone shaped by migration, courts, and survival, I know what it means to hold your breath for years. But what if exhaling is the beginning of returning to yourself?
Rest is not a reward, it’s a right
Let us stop chasing restoration as something we earn. Rest is not passive, it is powerful. It is how we heal, how we reimagine, how we resist.
Let us stop performing connection as something to display. True connection is quiet, felt, often unseen, but deeply known.
What story does your body long to tell?
Let this be your invitation:
To rest your narrative, what you’ve been told, what you’ve repeated, what no longer serves.
To change the script, not with force, but with gentleness.
To challenge what you’ve internalized as ‘normal.’
Because you are not here to only cope. You are here to feel. To reimagine. To live.
Rest your narrative. Change. Challenge.
Read more from Aleksandra Nikolajev Jones
Aleksandra Nikolajev Jones, Choreographer, Producer & Fundraiser
Aleksandra Nikolajev-Jones produces for theatre, television & film, nurturing new talent, mentoring, coaching & collaborating with international & local companies, institutions, and authorities. She is a member of the International Dance Council, CID, recognised by UNESCO. Working with professionals, communities, minorities & vulnerable groups, delivering projects that empower individual and collective well-being, she founded The Gravida Collective, which explores creativity, womanhood, & community engagement through new & innovative initiatives. With over two decades of experience, she continues to champion cultural exchange, inclusivity, and innovation in the arts, business, and beyond.
