......the planned pause

Yogis,

Do you find it irritating when you drive up behind a car that is stopped because the driver is asking directions?  Begin to tap your foot when the person in front of you in line has to run back to grab one more item or can’t find their coupons? 

Does your heart quicken when  the person you are with says they have to stop for one small errand, or mumble under your breath when the receptionist answers with ‘can I put you on hold for a moment?’.  And how about when the internet goes down?

We hate to pause. 

We move so quickly through our days that any yield sign in our path can set us off.   It’s that old natural law of ‘a body in motion wants to stay in motion’.  And we are all in motion.  Stop signs, red lights and traffic….oh my.

But it is in the pause that life unveils its depth and brilliance.

So over this past month of classes we have been practicing the pause.  Yes it does take practice!  And it isn’t easy.  For some, more difficult than others.

In yoga we do a pose leading with the right foot or arm, and then repeat it on the left.  Bringing balance to the body.  But just like the highway of life we become programmed to move from right immediately to left.  Auto pilot.  We “know” where we are going and head there. 

But I have been inserting a pause.  Not a slow down like cruising in at low speed toward a red light hoping it changes before we have to stop…… but an actual landing in stillness and being there, for a while, before moving on.  Closing the eyes and landing.  The pose of stillness.  I think I will name it ‘stop-asana’ and it is definitely a level 3 pose.

Fidgeting.  Taking that moment to readjust clothing.  A quick sip of water.  Wondering why the heck we aren’t moving on to the other side.  Irritation.  A waste of time.  Why are we stopping?  I have things to do!   Aaargh!!

…..life happens in the pause.  When we become perfectly still all of our senses heighten.  We feel, hear, see and smell more deeply.  We suddenly awaken to what is right here and what is right here is pretty amazing.  Floating in the sea of stillness - the container that holds everything we do. 

This week watch how you react to unplanned pauses and plan some conscious pauses (stopasana) in your day.  Perhaps whenever you get in your car and close the door, you sit still for 10 seconds before turning the ignition.  Or after you finish brushing your teeth  you simply stand at your sink and breathe.  Stay seated at the table in silence for 15 seconds after you finish your meal or when you check yourself out in the mirror after dressing, stand still and hold the gaze longer than usual.    

At first it can make you feel anxious, just like the car driving 50 ahead of you in the fast lane.  But as you land and breathe a letting go will begin to happen.  Eventually your energy slows and sinks downward.  You become rooted and centered.  You have arrived.

This is the earth energy………………..

My conscious pause for today was an hour massage,
SARAH