In response to widespread burnout, a growing number of young New Yorkers are finding solace in "rest clubs," intentional gatherings designed to promote deep relaxation and a disconnection from the demands of modern life. Club Rest Stop, a free initiative founded by Brooklyn Reiki practitioner Maaliyah Symoné, exemplifies this trend, offering participants a guilt-free space to simply lie down, meditate, and unplug.
Symoné, 31, established Club Rest Stop to address what she sees as a critical need for genuine rest, particularly among Gen Z and millennials. The club's meetings, which have gained traction online, encourage attendees to engage in activities like sound baths, breathing exercises, and silent repose. "A lot of tired people," Symoné observed during a recent gathering in Central Park where nearly 50 participants lay on blankets, a stark contrast to the city's usual fast pace.
Attendees describe the gatherings as a vital escape from the constant pressure to be productive. Viviana Laurent, who recently moved to New York, found the event calming, stating, "I really appreciated how calming the event was." Another participant, 29-year-old Rose Mun, realized the difficulty many young adults face in simply being still. "Today, I realized at 29 how much trouble I had even simply lying down and listening to the sound bath without feeling like I have something I have to do or a task to complete," she told The Post. Mun added that constant productivity has become so ingrained that many struggle to switch it off, highlighting the importance of learning to rest properly.
Symoné's initiative gained significant attention after her promotional videos went viral on TikTok, with hundreds expressing a strong need for such an outlet. The club's core principle is to create a supportive environment where rest is normalized and free from shame. "The number one rule—you have to lie down. Everyone is doing it, so you don’t feel like the odd one out," Symoné explained. She noted that many people, including those from her parents' generation, have historically associated rest with laziness, a notion she refutes.
Drawing on Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith's "7 Types of Rest" framework, Symoné educates participants on the various forms of depletion—mental, emotional, social, creative, and spiritual—that extend beyond mere sleep. She advocates for scheduling short, intentional moments of downtime throughout the day, even just five minutes before a stressful meeting or after a demanding workday.
Symoné, who also runs a wellness brand called Rest Stop that designs "rooms for rest" for events, plans to expand Club Rest Stop beyond park meetups to include coworking spaces and indoor community events. She believes that in an increasingly automated world, prioritizing rest is essential for maintaining humanity. "We’re living in the ‘city that never sleeps,’ and that’s not sustainable... And it’s also very anti-human," she stated.