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 pause?
You push, you strive, you power through.
Come back to your intention.
There’s a moment built into many yoga classes sometimes referred to as the “conscious pause”—a deliberate awareness of the gap, a breath of stillness that holds the possibility of change.
It’s often cued with “Come back to your intention,” a gentle reminder of why you showed up today.
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.
Because the pause gives you space to notice. To reconnect with your intention. To recognize what’s working, what isn’t and what you want to choose next.
Repeating because I really, really want you to hear this.
“The transformation doesn’t come from pushing harder. The transformation comes in the pause.”
The power of the pause.
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.
Sometimes the most powerful act of self-care is less about what you do and more about what you choose not to do.
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. Giving yourself a moment to reset.
The real act of self-care is knowing when to stop.
Questions for the pause.
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 what is standing out.
What I’m really asking is: What happened to you today? What did the universe bring?
When I’m checking in with clients, my go-to question sounds similar, but it’s really looking for a different kind of answer:
What choices felt good or nourishing this week?
Now we’re not just looking at what happened. We’re looking at the choices you made.
Because better than perfect is about the intentional choices we make.
That question might shine a light on a wonderful circumstance or a challenging situation, but the focus stays on what was yours to choose.
“Better than perfect is about the intentional choices we make.”
If you’re looking to create your own conscious pause, start with these three questions:
What choices felt good or nourishing?
What choices felt off?
What did I learn?
You can write your answers in a journal, talk them through with a friend or simply sit with them for a minute.
You don’t have to solve anything. Just notice.
Because noticing gives you the choice.
And when you’re ready to take what you noticed and decide what comes next, that’s exactly what I created the Glow Guide for.
Get the free Glow Guide.
When to pause.
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.
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. Because better than perfect begins with paying attention.
Be well, my lovely.
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