On Taking a Sacred Pause.

Summer has finally arrived and, as I write this, I’m on a much needed vacation. Staring out across the azure sea, I realize how important it is to give ourselves a respite from our busyness -  a chance to relax, to play, to create, to explore, and to take time to just stop thinking.

I’ve been pondering a practice I use often that I call “The Sacred Pause”. 

I liken it to having a vacation into every moment kind of activity, where you allow yourself to fully relax and end the mind chatter, to drop into a state of trust and allowing. This practice sets the stage for all the best outcomes. Why is it that we seem to need summer as an excuse for such respite? 

When I work with clients, much of our time is spent with eyes closed. 

It can feel extremely uncomfortable at first. 

Many sit twitching in their chairs, resisting this space of stillness, as if experiencing withdrawals from chaos of their lives. How odd to realize the very practice that can bring us back to life can feel suffocating at first. 

Practicing the pause is essential to doing our inner work. 

Learning to close our eyes, tame the mind chatter, breathe and listen deep within, this is how we begin the process of discovering the truth about ourselves. 

This state of pause from all we know becomes sacred because it is the brief moment in time when we deeply honor and acknowledge what our soul yearns for most - quiet time for inner reflection.

What I’ve come to know about this time of pause is that, in embracing it, we enter a space that allows for our greatest potential to emerge.  In this state of relaxation, freedom, and joy, we begin to experience more insights and possibilities. So why don’t we just naturally pause more often? 

There can be a sense of needing permission to take a pause. Our culture has trained us to keep going at all costs. Stopping can be interpreted as slacking.

And sometimes we may feel we need to earn the right to take a pause, as if this grace is something other than our own choosing. 

I read once that many of the wisest and wealthiest among us are masters of the sacred pause. They breathe, drop in, and easily discern what is or is not a crisis, making the best choices without feeling the need to rush. They know the outcome of their pausing provides the best response, even when it means making others uncomfortable in their silence.

Today, instead of rushing to respond to emails and texts, could you take a pause, allowing yourself the time and space to manage your emotions better so that you can respond with your highest intentions instead of just reacting? (Imagine how this practice  might change your relationships with colleagues, friends and family members). 

Could you take a pause so that you can reduce your stress levels and clarify what is actually important versus what our egos would demand?

At work, with clients and colleagues, are you willing to set the example that slowing down can provide significantly more clarity and ultimately better productivity?

And could you take a pause also knowing that it provides the space for inspiration and curiosity - with the expectation that the end results in better problem solving?

As we enjoy the summer months ahead, I encourage you to practice the sacred pause. Make it a habit that you return to often. Hopefully, you can even make it a practice for life.

If you’d like to create a life you love, it starts with knowing how to carve out sacred time for yourself and becoming focused on making your desires real. Sadly, you’re not likely to get there on your own. 99% of us need hand-holding, steering, and on-going support. I can help. Here are 3 options:

1) Grab a complimentary session with me. Learn more about how this works HERE.

2) Get a copy of my new Powerful & Purposeful Toolkit HERE.

3) Join my private Powerul & Purposeful Women FB community Here.