Hi,
It's Danny,
And welcome back to Stillness in the Storm.
So far,
We've explored noticing the noise and reconnecting with presence.
Today,
We're building on that by exploring something deceptively simple,
The pause.
In everyday life,
Things come at us so fast,
And often we react without even realising it.
We snap.
We shut down.
We move into habit.
But you see,
There's always a choice,
And it lives in that pause.
In that tiny gap between what happens and how we respond.
This practice is about finding that gap and helping you to explore and expand upon it.
Session three.
This session is called the power of the pause.
The pause is where your power lives.
Not in the reaction,
But in the space just before it.
That space isn't empty.
It's full of choice,
Full of awareness,
Full of strength.
Today,
We're going to slow things down and feel that space and practice choosing it.
Let's begin.
I invite you to take a moment to settle in.
You can sit upright,
Cross-legged,
Or lie down.
Let your hands rest somewhere comfortable,
Whether they're on your legs,
Your chest,
Or by your sides.
And when you're ready,
Gently close your eyes or soften the gaze.
Let's begin by taking three deep breaths together.
Breathe in through the nose,
Holding at the top.
Exhale through the mouth.
Breathing in through the nose,
Holding at the top,
And exhale through the mouth.
One last time.
In through the nose,
Holding at the top,
And exhale through the mouth.
Let the breath begin to settle down now.
Let it find its natural rhythm.
Begin to bring the awareness into the body,
Starting at the top of your head.
Begin to notice your forehead,
Your eyes,
Your jaw.
Soften what can be softened.
Move down through your neck.
Your shoulders,
Your upper back.
Let your shoulders naturally drop and let gravity do the work.
Feel it into your chest,
Your belly.
Notice the natural movement of the breath.
Let everything be soft now.
Moving your attention down through your hips,
Into the thighs and the knees,
And onto the calves,
The ankles,
The feet,
All the way to the toes.
Take a moment now to feel the whole body.
Held.
Supported.
No effort.
Begin to bring your attention back to the breath.
Notice the inhale.
The gentle pause at the top.
The exhale.
And the pause at the bottom.
These are natural pauses of breath.
Let's rest in that stillness.
I want to introduce a simple practice called box breathing.
We'll breathe in for four counts.
Hold for four.
Exhale for four.
Hold for four.
Let's do it together.
Inhale.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Holding.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Exhale.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Holding.
Two.
Three.
Four.
And again.
Inhale.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Hold.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Exhale.
Two.
Three.
Four.
And hold.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Let your breath return to its natural beat.
Begin to notice how that pause feels in your body.
Not empty.
Not waiting.
But full of awareness.
Now think back to a moment recently when you reacted quickly.
No judgement.
Just notice.
Imagine that moment again but with that pause.
A breath.
A beat.
What's changed?
The power of the pause is that it puts you back in choice.
You don't have to react.
You can respond.
You can breathe.
You can soften.
You can wait.
And choose.
Now let's begin in a phrase to help steady the breath and deepen an awareness.
As you inhale,
Silently say,
I am.
As you exhale,
Present.
Let that settle in.
Inhale.
I am.
Exhale.
Present.
Continue to do that in your mind for a moment of stillness.
If your mind wanders,
Just return back to the breath.
Back to the phrase.
Inhale.
I am.
Exhale.
Present.
Slowly begin to bring a little movement back into the body.
Wiggle your fingers and toes and roll your shoulders if it feels good.
Take a long deep breath in and slowly let it go.
There's strength in the pause and with practice that strength becomes yours.
Anytime.
Anywhere.
Thank you for being here.
I'll see you in the next session.
