In our fast paced society pauses are needed now more than ever. Taking a pause helps us to get out of our head and into our body, or worse, our hearts.

Pauses like naps are severely underrated.

Over the last month with the passing of a friend then our beloved dog, I have found myself googling “pauses” or “pauses in life”; it’s like I needed permission to allow myself to to just be, a need to feel that I’m not weird or loosing my mind (or worse, I don’t have my shit together), permission to not have to send that email or do those three social media posts to promote a class.

In addition to the traditional New Year list of goals I’m starting to keep a list of words that queue and prompt me, to guide me like a compass through 2019. “Pause” now joins “joy” as the second word.

A few little pauses in life to enjoy; the delight and playfulness in my kitty before she pounces on a toy, in between breaths, waiting at a red light, an answer to a prayer, the car to warm up, the medical test results, the cheque to be deposited, kombucha to be ready, Mr Right, dinner to arrive to the table.

In her book, Radical Acceptance, Tara Brach writes, “Through the sacred art of pausing, we develop the capacity to stop hiding, to stop running away from our own experience. We begin to trust in our natural intelligence, in our naturally wise heart, in our capacity to open to what arises.”

A 3 minute pause meditation to enjoy.