M&M: The Mindful Pause.

 

 

The pause is one of my favorite mindfulness practices.

It’s a sweet moment, a breath of fresh air, a taste of sheer delight…ahhh.

Here are two ways to get started.

Pausing. 

Formal practice: Finding a seat – closing the eyes- resting for a moment- breathing- bringing gentle attention to the inhale and to the exhale – noticing the slight pause in between.

Pausing. Noticing. Breathing. Inhaling. Exhaling.

Oh the beauty of ing.

Easing. Softening.

Repeating.

 

You can do this wherever you find yourself today – enjoying the pause for a few moments.

Informal practice: Stopping where you are in the moment. Pausing. 

Look around. Looking.

What do you see? Seeing.

What do you hear? Hearing.

What are you thinking?

Feeling?

Life.ing.

Being.

Noticing Life in between doing.

The pause helps us find our way to the softer spaces in life, to the delights right in front of us, and to add some stillness amidst our daily doing.

It’s different for everyone; you have to experiment to find out. Play with it and see what happens.

 

Side effects: with continued practice, the pause may create more spaciousness and connection, feeling more…ahhh, which may hinder work and external productivity.

Use the pause wisely.

Enjoy.