"I need a sacred pause, as if I were a sun warmed rock in the middle of a rushing river." -Dawna Markova
Do you ever feel that you are moving through the day on autopilot? Caught up in the busyness of life, disconnected from your own internal landscape as you attend to the distractions and interference. What do you notice about the quality of being when you live life swept up in the current of external expectations and a pace that can cause fraying and unsteadiness? Then, a difficult experience or feeling comes up and you are left reeling from the turbulence of this eroded state and react in a way that causes more anguish.
A pause is the opportunity that we can give ourselves to step out of the current, being swept away, and come back to our own awareness and the realness of the present moment. There is wisdom in the body and when we turn back to it, we can be guided by our own existence and truth. A pause is a chance to answer the question: "Where am I in all of this?"
When we pause, we can notice that there is space in the present moment, there is breath in our body, ground beneath our feet, and sky above us. This moment is all we have. With a pause, we can acknowledge our inner landscape, observe our feelings, consider our experience and attend as needed. It doesn't mean that difficult experiences or feelings will immediately disappear and that the illusive "happiness" is deposited at our feet. Instead, in the pause we turn to what is coming up for us, we can ask "what is it? and "what do I need right now?" The turning towards validates our experience with respect and attention. We literally hear ourselves in a pause, and if we can find compassion in the way we show up and care for ourselves, then when we turn back to the rushing river we are more attuned and aware; more rooted to the ground and present in the body, better equipped to deal with the challenges in an authentic way.
It is a practice, as are all things. It takes time and consideration to bring in new ways of being. Where can we begin the practice? When you put your key in the ignition of your car, pause, breathe, and notice. When you go to take a sip of your drink, actually feel the cup in your hands, pause and breathe. When you open the refrigerator, notice the cold air rush on your face, pause and breathe. When you wash your hands, actually feel the immersion of your hands in the water, notice it, pause and breathe. There are opportunities all around us and each moment presents another chance to find your sacred pause.