S P A C E to Pause and expand
My experience with building the “Pause Muscle” which I practice as a 3 breath minimum in between movements from left to right side of the body…
Just this week I and found myself on my mat in one of my favorite a restorative positions “Supported Legs”, exploring some very gentle arm movements on my Left side.
Here I paused for “3 breath pause” before moving on to the Right Arm…
At first all I could feel the icky discomfort in the space of the PAUSE, and my mind started to spin, my desire list felt overwhelming…anyone relate?
Here I could feel the resistance within…
Despite the Discomfort, I dove towards it and got curious, staying for my “3 breath minimum” and then…
I could feel how much softer my left side felt than my right.
It’s what unfolded next that really blew my mind!!
After those 3 breaths, I surrendered in and witnessed how the softness started expanding throughout my body…especially in my breath, it felt absolutely amazing.
I could literally feel myself taking up more SPACE in my Body!
This feeling is what brings me back to my Mat over and over again…
Had I kept moving onto the next thing, had I not gifted my body the PAUSE, the space, I believe I would have missed out on this NEW level of expansion in my body…
Not something I want to miss out on, because this is the expansive space that has allowed my body to keep doing what I love, and keep learning new things that I love…like learning to surf at age 42!
In the past I was unconsciously pushing through my discomfort on auto pilot, making it about the arm movement, trying to fix my body. I didn’t yet know how to surrender towards the tension/pain, listening to what my body was trying to tell me.
I’ve witnessed over and over that when we humans take up space in our bodies the pain shifts every time. And yes I’m happy to share this experience with anyone.
The best part is integrating the pause into daily…less reacting, and more responding in alignment of my current values instead of past trauma patterns.
We all need S P A C E to pause, Restore, And take up S P A C E…
Practice on your own by pausing, and witnessing 3 breaths flow in and out of your body. Stay in curiosity as to what you arises either physically or emotionally… what is your body saying to you in this moment?
XOXO, Paleena