PAUSING

Pausing is a 2-3 minute exercise that calms the mind and body by stimulating the practice of sensory awareness – known also as mindfulness or presence. It can be practiced in various postures, eg. sitting on a chair, a bench or cushion. Pausing in the natural world can be particularly conducive to quieting the mind and connecting with what is around you.

THE STEPS

  1. Sitting in a comfortable but erect position, let the body relax from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet. Let tensions dissolve… (allow time)

  2. Using the sense of touch, feel the body as a whole…. Feel the feet in contact with the floor, the clothes on the skin, the air passing across the face. Be aware of your breathing; let it deepen….

  3. Using the sense of sight, let the eyes receive the images in your immediate surroundings. Without naming objects, be aware of color and form. Just see and know that you are seeing….

  4. Using the sense of smell, breathe in the scents around you; smell and know that you are smelling….

  5. Using the sense of taste, recognize whatever taste may linger in the mouth and know that you are tasting….

  6. Now open the listening and let it extend to the furthest sound without strain or comment…. Rest in the deep silence from which the sounds arise and into which they recede….

  7. Resting in this awareness, feel your sense of self extend into your surroundings. Let imagined boundaries dissolve. If a thought pulls the mind away from simple presence and you awaken to this distraction, redirect the attention to one of the five senses and the connecting circuit of healing energy between body and mind will be restored.