Pause!

A common reaction when we hear that word—especially when the To Do list is a mile long, demands have to be met, and we’re already exhausted just thinking about everything that needs to be done—is:

Pause? Now? I don’t have time to pause!

And I suggest that this may be the perfect time to PAUSE.

Even better is when Pause becomes a ritual—a practice we come to know and enjoy, a few precious moments intentionally set aside in the midst of our day.

What does Pause do for us?

A great deal has been written about the benefits of pausing: slowing down, settling ourselves, becoming aware of our breath and allowing some of the tension we carry to soften.

But beyond what we are told about the benefits, perhaps the more important question is:

How does Pause make you feel?

Simply put, you have given yourself a gift of self-care—a few moments to return to yourself.

How does it get better than that?

There are many ways to enter into Pause.

We can become still.
Notice our breathing.
Step outside.
Listen to music.
Look out a window.
Close our eyes.
Put down whatever we are carrying—literally or figuratively—and simply be for a moment.

One of my favorite ways is a simple Three-Breath Pause, using three breaths with the intentions:

LET GO.
HERE NOW.
WHAT NEXT?

That practice deserves its own Light Post, where we can explore it more fully.

For now, simply consider the possibility that Pause is not an interruption of life.

Pause is part of living it.

And this is where ODE comes in.

An ode is an expression of praise. And perhaps PAUSE deserves one.

For me, ODE also suggests:

O — Observation
Pay attention. Notice what is here.

D — Discovery
Remain curious about what reveals itself.

E — Explore and Experience
Follow what calls you. See where it leads.

Pause.

Observe.

Discover.

Explore.

Experience.

And then return to your day—perhaps just a little more present to the life you are already living.

Embrace the rapture of PAUSE.

Sing your ODE.