Just Press the Pause Button

I just finished a fantastic book called, Radical Acceptance, by Tara Brach. This book and teacher was highly recommended by my meditation teacher Scott McBride of ClearLight Meditation. I take his suggestions very seriously.

One of the quotes that impacted me so greatly from the book was the following: "The sacred pause is the gateway to the path of awakening."

I was thrilled to read that since I have been working "the pause" in my classes for the past few months. I’ve found that it is a pause not a movement that allows me to directly experience myself and my connection to others. I’ve found that it is the pause at the end of the exhale or the peak of the inhale when I feel most alive. In meditation, I find that it is the pause and space between thoughts that allows me to feel the penetration of the divine.

Since my surgery in November, my life has become more “pause” and less speed. I really like the way that it feels. My intention to keep strengthening my ability to pause in my life as my foot heals and I begin to move around in the world more easily. It is so easy to go back to sleep.

As a teacher, I've been offering many more pauses in my classes. We can pause in high plank or in child’s pose. We can pause at the end of an inhale or exhale. As we strengthen our ability to pause on our yoga mats, we will begin to practice pausing in our lives.

We can learn to pause before we speak or react. That is where the good stuff starts to happen. Pausing and becoming more mindful of our words and actions is a life changing practice for sure.

I invite you to start small. Trying pausing your mind by taking a few deep breaths at red lights or while waiting for your emails to download.

The pause is, as Tara Brach wrote, the gateway to the path of awakening. That is enough to get me to press that pause button in every area of my life.

Peace.

Cara

Peend trying it.