For mums,
It continues to be a challenge to prioritise self-care and to include themselves in their own circle of nurture.
Now this may stem from a feeling of guilt that they're not really feeling comfortable giving to themselves because perhaps there's a belief that their love,
Attention and care should be focused in the outer with their children or their child and their extended loved ones.
Now often this process of putting others first and seeing others as a priority may create a sense of compromise of our needs,
Of our well-being and of our heart's desires.
So today I share with you three simple yet powerful ways for mums to apply an intentional pause within their day and by doing so it changes the dynamics of the relationship that we have with ourselves.
It breaks the autopilot of out of focus as it brings us to a place of inner presence.
It also retrains our hearts and minds to remind us of and strengthen our self-worth and allowing us a space to celebrate who we are.
Applying intentional pauses each day beautifully acknowledges and honours the relationship we have with ourselves and enhances the quality of our self-nurture.
So now I'd love to share three ways in which you can use intentional pausing in your day to day.
The first way I have named the pause of worthiness.
This is inviting a pause by simply closing your eyes with an intention to honour your worth.
This act of closing your eyes immediately calms the mind,
Relaxes the muscles and organs and boosts brain power and memory.
If you're in a position to do so right now I invite you to close your eyes and just observe your breathing.
Let it flow as it knows how.
No need to count breaths.
And then placing a hand on your heart.
Silently repeat this phrase to yourself.
Pausing within honouring my worth.
Pausing within honouring my worth.
Continue to repeat it for as many breaths as you feel you'd like to.
The second beautiful way to intentionally pause is with a practice that I call the cup of gratitude.
Choose something about yourself you are truly grateful for.
Then prepare a beverage you enjoy each day.
It may be a cup of tea or even a glass of water.
Every time you take a sip from that cup connect to your feelings of gratitude by stating out aloud or within yourself your gratitude phrase for that day.
For example I am truly grateful for the unconditional love I give and I receive.
Each sip of your cup invites you to repeat your gratitude phrase until your cup of beverage is complete.
And the third intentional pause tool is what I call nature presence.
This pause invites us to be present in the company of nature.
Acknowledging the depth of our worth and our connectedness.
We can experience a nature presence pause outside.
Perhaps sharing moments observing the clouds moving across the sky.
Or sharing your attention with the leaf of a plant or the petals of a flower.
We can also experience nature presence indoors in the home or the workplace.
You can do this by looking up images of nature and displaying them fully on your computer screen or your device.
It may be an image of a field of flowers,
Of the ocean or a waterfall or a forest of trees.
Pause and allow yourself to be immersed in that image whilst breathing mindfully.
These three intentional pausing practices are incredibly powerful self-care tools especially for mothers.
They deeply honour your worth and allow the benefits of this to create a flow on effect to those with whom you share your world.
Mums you have permission to pause.
You have permission to flourish.
May we flourish together.
