Take a moment to find a position that feels stable and supportive.
Maybe that's seated,
The spine long,
The shoulders soft,
Or maybe lying down feels more grounding for you today.
Let the belly relax,
The jaw release,
The forehead soften.
Take a slow deep inhale and an open mouth exhale to let it all go.
Let the breath fall into a natural rhythm,
Gentle inhale,
Soft slow exhale.
Feel the body settle into support beneath you,
Like the exhale is inviting the whole system to soften.
Let your awareness drop into the body,
Into the here and now.
In moments of challenge we often react before we even know it's happening.
The body tenses,
The breath shortens,
The mind speeds up.
Here we practice something different,
A pause,
A moment of space between stimulus and response.
A place where clarity can rise,
Where choice becomes possible.
Bring attention to your body.
Notice any subtle places of tension or holding,
The shoulders,
The jaw,
The belly,
The hands.
You are not trying to change anything,
Just sensing where your body tends to react first.
This awareness is the beginning of the pause.
Now begin to lengthen the exhale,
Just by a beat or two.
Inhale gently,
Exhale a little longer.
Feel how that one breath creates a small space,
A moment of spaciousness in the body,
A softening in the mind.
This is the pause in its simplest form.
Bring to mind a recent moment,
Nothing overwhelming,
Where you reacted quickly.
A comment,
A tone of voice,
A situation that felt activating.
As you recall it,
Notice where does your body tighten?
How does the breath change?
Now offer yourself one slow inhale and an even slower exhale.
This breath becomes the space where different response could live.
Feel your body again,
A little more grounded,
A little more open.
In this space,
Remember you are allowed to slow down.
You are allowed to pause before reacting.
You can choose the breath before you choose the words.
You can choose grounding before you choose action.
This is resilience,
The ability to respond rather than react.
Take a slow inhale and an open mouth exhale.
Begin to sense the sounds in the room,
The temperature of the air,
The support beneath you.
Invite gentle movement into the fingers,
Toes,
Shoulders.
And when you feel ready,
Let your eyes slowly lift or open.
Carry this small but powerful pause with you,
A spacious breath between impulse and intention.
