Welcome,
This is a practice in slowing down and in stepping into the space between doing and being,
Into the pause.
So let's begin by arriving in the body.
Wherever you are,
Find a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down.
Let your hands rest naturally,
And if you feel safe to do so,
Gently close your eyes.
Begin by taking a slow breath in through the nose,
And a long,
Easy breath out through the mouth.
Again,
In through the nose,
And out,
Letting something soften.
Now let your breath return to a natural rhythm.
There's nothing you need to change.
Just notice you are breathing,
And that's enough.
Begin to feel the weight of your body,
Let it be held by the ground beneath you,
And notice where your body meets the support beneath it,
Your feet,
Your hips,
Your back,
Your hands.
Allow gravity to do the work.
You don't need to hold yourself together right now.
You can let go,
Just a little.
And now,
Notice the pause,
The tiny space that exists between each breath,
The still point,
The quiet,
Inhale,
Pause,
Exhale,
Pause.
See if you can rest in that space,
Not rushing to the next breath,
Not controlling it,
But witnessing the natural pause that life gives you again and again.
As you continue to breathe,
Allow your awareness to widen,
And notice the pause not only in your breath,
But in your thoughts,
The space between each one,
Between one idea and the next,
Between one sensation and another.
These moments are subtle,
But powerful.
Let yourself dwell there,
There's no need to fill the pause,
Just feel it,
Allowing each pause to be like a doorway leading you inward,
Into calm,
Into stillness,
Into presence.
Let's take a few breaths together now,
And after each exhale,
Pause gently,
Not holding your breath,
But resting in the stillness that follows.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Pause.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Pause.
Let that pause become a soft landing,
A moment to simply be.
Now let's bring this practice into life beyond the meditation cushion.
You might consider this in the midst of your day,
Where can you find the pause?
Before you speak,
Can you pause?
Before you react,
Can you pause?
Before you reach for your phone,
Can you pause?
The pause gives you space to choose,
To breathe,
Come home.
In this moment,
Reflect gently on one area of your life where you've been moving too quickly,
Without judgment,
Just awareness.
What would it be like to bring the pause there?
Now return to your breath,
Inhale,
Presence,
Exhale,
Release,
And feel the quiet that's been here all along.
The pause doesn't need to be earned,
It's always waiting,
Like a still lake beneath the surface of all the ripples.
Let's close this meditation by resting together in silence for the next minute or so,
Simply being here without rushing to the next thing.
There's nowhere else you need to be.
Let yourself rest in the pause.
Begin to return,
Maybe wiggling your fingers and toes,
Gently moving your shoulders,
Take a soft breath in through your nose,
Maybe a sigh out through the mouth.
You might bring one hand to your heart and thank yourself for taking this time,
For slowing down,
For choosing the pause.
And know that whenever you need it,
It's there,
Right beneath this breath,
Right between this breath,
And the next.
