The Sacred Pause

[Photo courtesy of clix @ stock.xchng.. titled 'Happy']

One of the greatest gifts we can ever give ourselves … in the midst of all the busy-ness and rushing in our lives… is the sublime opportunity to just STOP for a moment’s peace.

When we STOP and PAUSE – we give ourselves the chance to COME HOME to the moment… and find a space in which we can be calm, re energise and bring balance to our lives.

As well as being a powerful meditation technique, the Sacred Pause is also a wonderful technique for learning to deepen our breath (which in itself has amazing health benefits). You can easily meditate using this technique whenever and wherever you want.

The Sacred Pause: We focus our attention on the two pauses that occurs (first) between inhalation and exhalation and (secondly) between exhalation and inhalation.

Our normal, rhythmic cycle of breathing – the inhalation and exhalation of air – is of course a completely natural and unconscious process. During inhalation, we inhale the air through our nose and the air moves inside our body down the nasal passage. On reaching a certain depth (somewhere within), our breath comes out as exhalation via the same pathway.

We exhale, the air comes out… we inhale, the air comes in.. this process repeating itself more than 400 million times in a lifetime.

Did you know (have you experienced?) the point during these two continuous processes of inhalation and exhalation when the air stops for a tiny infinitesimal moment?

Reminds me of this child on a swing in the park… the swing flying through the air until it reaches a magical point, up high, where for a moment it stops… freezes in space… before moving again.. swinging back on its own path.. I love that!

Herein is the pause.

Stop for a moment, right now if you can… see if you can notice this pause.

This exercise is about watching and observing the small point at which the inhalation has stopped but the exhalation has yet to begin. We don’t need to concern ourselves with where in the body the ‘pause’ occurs … we just need to be aware of the pause itself.

That’s all!

And, you don’t need to be sitting in formal meditation, although this is a great technique to begin a meditation practice. Essentially, you are always breathing and therefore there is always the time to try this.

Just using a gently awareness, observe the two pauses.

As you focus your attention on these two pauses during breathing, soon you'll notice that your breathing becomes deeper and deeper.

Just close your eyes. Sit comfortably and observe your breathing. Notice those two pauses.
Don't try to control your breathing. If the breath right now is fast, let it be fast… if it is slow, let it be slow.

In this Sacred Pause meditation, we are simply stopping and watching.

A pause – allowing you to ‘come home’ … To re-arrive in the present moment in a very simple way

Let you intention as you practice be simple : To pause amidst the busyness and the swirling thoughts.. to allow the thoughts to pass by … just watching the breath with gentleness and clarity, like the observer on the side of the river…