Let me begin with something that might feel radical in a world that never stops asking more of us.
You have permission to pause,
To stop striving,
To soften,
To rest without guilt to simply be.
This may feel very unfamiliar,
Especially if you've spent years proving your worth through effort,
Productivity,
Or perfection.
But midlife is different.
Your body knows it.
Your soul knows it.
And today,
We listen.
This pause isn't an escape.
It's a reconnection.
It's a sacred exhale.
It's how you remember what matters.
This has been the single biggest shift that I've personally made in this midlife transition.
So much of my value has been wrapped up in being overly productive,
That stepping back has taken a lot of courage.
Giving ourselves permission to pause is giving ourselves permission to really turn inward to discover what it is that our bodies are asking for.
Let's begin our meditation together.
Find a cozy,
Quiet place to rest.
Maybe you're lying down with a warm blanket or sitting in your favorite chair with a soft pillow behind you.
Let your body be supported.
Let yourself be held.
Close your eyes.
Let's take a deep,
Loving breath in through the nose,
And a slow,
Full breath out through the mouth.
Do that three more times.
Inhale through the nose,
Long exhale through the mouth.
Notice your body,
Starting with a body scan,
Bringing your awareness to your feet,
Relaxing the top of your feet and the bottoms of your feet.
Move your awareness to your ankles,
Releasing any tension in your ankles.
Relax the bottoms of your legs,
And spend a few breaths relaxing into your knees.
Breathe in and out of this space in the body.
Move this awareness up to the top of your legs,
Relaxing,
Softening.
And then spend five breaths through the hips and the pelvis,
Inhaling and exhaling into that space.
Relax any tension,
Soften through the body.
Move your awareness now to your belly,
Soften.
Ribcage and heart center.
Draw your awareness now to your shoulders,
Relaxing any tension in your shoulder space.
Moving your awareness down your arms,
Tops of the arms,
Elbows,
Bottoms of the arms.
Relax your wrists,
Your hands,
And your fingers.
Shift your awareness now to the base of your spine.
Bring your awareness up your spine,
One vertebrae at a time,
Slowly.
Imagine that relaxation radiating from your vertebrae out to the muscles in your back,
Softening any tension.
Relaxing your neck,
Between your shoulder blades,
Head,
Top of the head.
And then let's bring that relaxation down the muscles in the face,
Relaxing the forehead,
Both eyebrows.
Relax your eyes,
Deep into your eyes.
See if you can relax all of those hard-working,
Eye muscles.
Relax your cheekbones,
Your jaw.
Separate your teeth and relax your tongue.
Take a deep breath in,
Full body awareness.
Exhale slowly,
Full body relaxation.
Do that two more times.
Now imagine in this peaceful place that you've created for yourself,
You are inside a room made of golden light.
There are no clocks here,
No demands,
Only stillness,
Only warmth.
This place belongs only to you.
No expectations,
No rules,
No masks,
Just presence.
Breathe into this space,
Allowing all of the light to move into the body,
Nurturing every muscle,
Cell and bone with this nurturing light.
Notice any parts in the body that feel painful or restricted or full of tension.
And send the light to those places first.
Feel it heal,
Feel its warmth.
Whisper softly to yourself,
I give myself permission to pause.
I give myself permission to pause.
I give myself permission to pause.
I am allowed to rest.
I am allowed to rest.
I am allowed to rest.
Be with this stillness.
Allow yourself this quiet moment to focus just on your inhale and your exhale.
With each breath,
Feel yourself softening.
The swirl of thoughts begins to slow.
The weight you've been carrying gently begins to melt.
There is nothing to fix,
Nothing to do,
Only breath,
Only this sacred moment of being.
Imagine this light now that is surrounding you,
Begin at the crown of your head.
Feel the light drip down into your face,
Letting the muscles of your face soften,
Your forehead,
Your eyes,
Your jaw full of light.
The light radiates down to your shoulders,
Allow your shoulders to relax.
Let go of everything you're holding.
The light moves into your chest,
Your belly,
Your hips.
Feel your spine lengthen.
Feel the earth hold your weight.
Breathe in,
Permission to pause.
Breathe out,
Release tension.
Breathe in,
Permission to pause.
Breathe out,
Release tension.
Tune into your body's wisdom as you pause here.
And ask yourself,
What would feel nourishing for me right now?
Maybe the answer is stillness.
Maybe it's water.
Maybe it's silence.
Maybe it's simply not rushing.
Whatever arises,
Honor it.
Let this pause be a bridge between who you were and who you are becoming.
Let it refill you in ways effort never could.
You can take a deep breath in and out,
Awaken to your surroundings.
I'll leave you with a loving reminder.
When you pause,
You do not fall behind.
You return to yourself.
PAMA reminds us that the greatest harm we do to ourselves is in the avoiding of our own hearts.
But you,
Today,
You chose to stop,
To feel,
To breathe,
To listen.
That is courage.
That is healing.
That is power.
Let the world keep rushing.
You,
You are learning how to slow down.
And in doing so,
You are reclaiming your nervous system,
Your clarity,
And your joy.
This is not the end.
It is a new rhythm.
One that includes space for you.
After allowing space for stillness,
We may begin to hear what's been waiting patiently beneath the noise.
Come back to this pause as often as you need.
With all my heart,
This is Shana.
Thank you.
