Creating a Conscious Pause for Self-Care September
Dripping with sweat, you push through one more vinyasa with your arms shaking in down dog. Finally, her voice softens and cues child pose and you breathe a deep sigh of relief because it’s time for the mid-class rest.
Even if you don’t practice yoga, you might recognize the pattern.
You push, you strive, you power through because you think that more begets more.
But what if that’s not true?
Why do we push until someone tells us it’s time to rest?
You push, you strive, you power through.
The Golden Nugget
“Come back to your intention,” she says. And that’s it, the golden nugget we need to hear. Not just in yoga, but in our everyday lives.
That’s the moment to reset that is built-in to a yoga class. It’s sometimes referred to as the “conscious pause,” a deliberate awareness of the gap, a breath of stillness that holds the possibility of change.
Here’s the truth I found in my own journey. And the truth that guides how I work with my clients who are are not just changing their daily habits, but changing how they live their lives.
The transformation doesn’t come from pushing harder. The transformation comes in the pause.
Repeating because I really, really want you to hear this.
“The transformation doesn’t come from pushing harder. The transformation comes in the pause.”
Power Down, Not Power Through
In a world that tells us we’re not enough and we need to do more, we step into our own power when we know we don’t need more. So the real act of self-care is knowing when to stop — creating a conscious pause that reignites your power.
We often have this muscle through mindset. But what if it’s not a power through that we need as much as a power down. Not giving up, but giving into a moment to reset.
The real act of self-care is knowing when to stop.
Your Conscious Pause Journal Prompts
When my family gathers at dinnertime, I will often ask “What was the best part of your day?” because I love hearing the highlights of their day. The point is not to literally award the best part of the day, but rather to share about what is standing out.
The thing about that game is that it asks “What happened to you today? What did the universe bring?”
When I’m working with clients, the first question I ask in our weekly check-ins is similar but with a different focus.
“What choices felt good or nourishing this week?”
This question is not about what happened, what’s out of your control, but about the choices you made. Living a delicious life is about the intentional choices we make.
So, this question shines a light on your choices. It might also shine a light on a wonderful circumstance or a challenging situation, but rain or shine, how you show up is your choice.
“Living a delicious life is about the intentional choices we make.”
I recommend that when you are creating your own conscious pause, you ask yourself these five questions. You can write your answers in a journal or share them with a friend. These are the first steps to identifying how the choices we make are creating our most delicious lives.
What choices felt good? Another way to think of this is, what felt nourishing?
What choices didn’t feel good? Maybe left you feeling drained?
What is one thing you learned? Or a truth your were reminded of.
What is the best thing you ate? What tasted and felt delicious — mind, body and joy?
What will you take with you? Take what serves you on your journey, leave the rest.
Take what serves you and leave the rest.
Your Rhythm of Reflection
For me, this reflection is a part of my weekly rhythm. It’s how I close the door on one week and prepare for the next.
It’s also a great reflection to add after a special occasion, a short trip, a long vacation or the changing of seasons, whether it’s a season in your life or a time of year.
If you find yourself in the middle of the week feeling more tired than usual, that’s your body’s way of telling you, it’s time to reset.
More and more, research is showing this mind-body connection.
In her recent book, Practical Optimism, Dr. Sue Varma suggests paying attention to the cues in your body. Something as simple as a clenched jaw or as invasive as digestive issues can be a signal of how our body is processing emotion.
However and whenever you decide is right for you, I hope that this practice of a conscious pause is one more way to take responsibility for your self-care so that you can live your most delicious life.
I say more about your responsibility of self-care in the first article of this series.
Read Understanding Self-Care for the 5 essential mindshifts that will change how you choose to support your own well-being.
The conscious pause is not another moment to power through or time wasted that could be more “productive.” It’s essential for you to step into and claim your own power. It’s where clarity, energy and joy return.
Try it — and notice the choices you are making to create your most delicious life.
Be well, my lovely.
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