mindful monday

image courtesy of care2.com

last night while interviewing lacey haynes about her e-book, yoga + creativity {fab podcast coming soon}, we discussed the importance of spaciousness, a sacred pause, and how critical it is to the practice of yoga and creativity {and life}.

meditation teacher tara brach describes the sacred pause as:

". . . the first step in the practice of Radical Acceptance. A pause is a suspension of activity, a time of temporary disengagement when we are no longer moving towards any goal. The pause can occur in the midst of almost any activity and can last for an instant, for hours or for seasons of our life. We may take a pause from our ongoing responsibilities by sitting down to meditate. We may pause in the midst of meditation to let go of thoughts and reawaken our attention to the breath. We may pause by stepping out of daily life to go on a retreat or to spend time in nature or to take a sabbatical. We may pause in a conversation, letting go of what we’re about to say, in order to genuinely listen and be with the other person. We may pause when we feel suddenly moved or delighted or saddened, allowing the feelings to play through our heart. In a pause we simply discontinue whatever we are doing—thinking, talking, walking, writing, planning, worrying, eating—and become wholeheartedly present, attentive and, often, physically still."

today began with a trip to the vet to have le pug's lethargic behavior checked out. 1.5 hours later, the family is home and lab results are forthcoming. overall, he seems ok with a few minor senior issues and he's contentedly snoring away next to me as i write. starting the week in a harried, somewhat emotionally-charged manner doesn't bode well for tranquility. thus, insert a sacred pause. 

before my afternoon of meetings and evening of teaching, i plan to step back and indulge in a sacred pause via closed eyes and mindful breaths. my hope is that this will help me recenter, return to the moment, and lose the heavy feelings of the morning. and the best part, this sacred pause is available multiple times a day. there is no limit. 

when can you engage in a sacred pause? it may be just what you need to start the week off mindfully. bisous. x

{to explore mindfulness further, join the "mindfulness: tranquility within" e-course}