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There is power in a pause\u2014a lot of power.<\/p>\nThere is power in a pause\u2014a lot of power.<\/p>\n
When asked why he played so well, piano virtuoso Artur Schnabel responded, \u201cI handle notes no better than many others. But the pauses; that\u2019s where the art resides.\u201d<\/p>\n
A pause is simple, almost invisible. What does a pause do and how can we cultivate the fine art of pauses?<\/p>\n
A pause is a conscious slowing down\u2014a space-maker between stimulus and response. Pausing activates the parasympathetic nervous system<\/a>, which helps us become calm. When our nervous systems are calm, we have more capacity to avoid reacting out of habit, and instead, to choose a response that is more satisfying, effective, and attuned to the situation at hand.<\/p>\n My first \u201caha\u201d about the transformative power of pausing came when I got fed up with my list-bound behavior. I was always moving like a freight train to get through my list of self-imposed and other-imposed things to accomplish. As if by never stopping, I was going to someday get through the list and finally be able to relax. This was a fool\u2019s errand. So, I decided to try an experiment and took 5 minutes between things on my list. I could not believe what happened in 5 minutes.<\/p>\n I had a chance to feel what I was drawn to do next on the list, and even better, a number of things on the list became less urgent, or I realized they were things I could easily delegate to someone else. My list grew smaller, and I grew more aligned and satisfied with my tasks.<\/p>\n Learning to pause is also a personal gift of self-care<\/a>. Pausing briefly throughout the day reduces tension. More space and less anxiety<\/a> and rush make much-needed room for pleasure and wonder. We can then work harder while being happier and more relaxed.<\/p>\n When we are moving too fast, or when we don\u2019t take time to pause, we can easily misuse power because our habitual reactions overtake our ability to choose a more considered response.<\/span><\/p>\n As I am teaching, I often invite my students to stop and take three breaths whenever we transition from one topic or process to another. The pause created by taking three breaths allows for a little clearing and a chance to make room inside for the next thing. I feel so strongly about this that I consider it unethical for people to be too busy to take three breaths.<\/p>\n When we are moving too fast, or when we don\u2019t take time to pause, we can easily misuse power because our habitual reactions overtake our ability to choose a more considered response. I tend to react to an issue with an immediate idea of how to fix it. When I take three breaths before responding, I make room for a more creative and inclusive unfolding of the resolution.<\/p>\nPausing As Self-Care<\/h2>\n
Pausing in Relationships<\/h2>\n