Slowly inhale.
Pause.
Slowly exhale.
Slowly inhale.
Pause. Notice the space.
Slowly exhale.
Slowly inhale.
Pause. Notice the space. See what is there.
Slowly exhale.
An overwhelmed client and I were practicing the pauses - putting the focus on the space between the inhales and the exhales.
What a juicy space that is.
In the pause you could notice how you are talking to yourself.
You could notice how you are doing something or not doing something.
You could notice a feeling you didn’t know you were feeling and be compelled to cry a little or laugh a lot.
You could find a bit of gratitude that grounds you or a piece of anger that moves you.
You could notice that you really need a break or really need to jump into action to soothe your anxiety.
You could reassure yourself that you are doing exactly what you need to do at that moment.
You could realize that you need to put yourself first or maybe it is time to zoom out and think about some other folks in your life.
You could hear the note, see the image, or find the words you needed for your creation.
You could get curious about what you find there and go on a little inner journey or get inspired and go out on an amazing outer adventure.
In that space created by a simple pause, you just might chip away at the overwhelm.
My client certainly did. Her face changed. Her shoulders relaxed. And she knew what she needed to do next.
Let’s do it together one more time:
Slowly inhale.
Pause. Notice the space. See what’s there. Ponder that.
Slowly exhale.
So much is possible in the pauses.