Pause Before Reacting

This short meditation is designed to help you find space between the urge and the action. Whether it’s reaching for food, saying something in the heat of the moment, or distracting yourself when emotions rise, this practice guides you back to presence. Through breathwork and gentle visualization, you’ll learn to pause, soften the grip of impulse, and choose a response that feels aligned with your truth.

Music from Uppbeat

Transcript

Hello love,

Let's take just a few minutes together to slow down and find space between the urge and the action.

This is a meditation to help you reconnect with yourself.

In those moments when the pull to react,

Whether it's grabbing food,

Saying something you mean or reaching for distraction,

Feels stronger than your center,

Find a comfortable seat,

Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose,

Exhale through your mouth with a sigh,

Again inhale deeply and exhale completely.

Let your breath settle into an easy rhythm.

Bring to mind a moment,

Perhaps this moment,

When you feel the tug of impulse.

Maybe it's right before you reach for something you don't actually need or actually want.

Notice where that sensation shows up in your body.

Is it tightness in your chest?

A gnaw in the stomach?

Restlessness in the hands?

No judgment,

Just awareness.

Now bring your attention fully to the breath.

Inhale for a count of 4,

3,

2,

1,

Hold,

2,

1,

Exhale for a count of 6,

5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

Pause,

2,

1,

Inhale,

4,

3,

Repeat this pattern a couple more times on your own,

Lengthening the exhale so your body and mind know it is safe to slow down.

As you breathe,

Imagine a little more space opening up between the urge and the action,

Almost like widening the gap between two stepping stones across a stream.

Feel yourself standing steady on the stone of presence,

Not rushing to get to the next one.

The next time you exhale,

Release the breathing pattern.

Now ask yourself gently,

What do I really need in this moment?

Listen without forcing an answer.

It may come as a whisper,

A feeling,

Or just silence,

And that's okay.

Trust that the pause itself is the practice.

Take one more deep inhale,

Filling your body with clarity,

And a slow exhale releasing urgency.

Place a hand on your heart and silently say,

I choose to respond,

Not to react.

I choose presence.