Moments to Pause

Bikram’s seminar is now past. Summer exits as September ends. The leaves start to swiftly spin and swirl from the trees, the cool breeze replaces the warmth of the sun, change is in the air. October rushes in.

All too quickly, we jump into our next project. We are encouraged to move right into the holidays: catalogs fill the mailbox, new fashions adorn shop windows, seasonal sales tempt us. But, before you put the pedal to the metal, stop.

Too often, we’ve come to equate ourselves with the experiences, events and accomplishments as if this is who we are. But it is only when we’ve identified with the emptiness that comes after the suitcase has been put away, the file has been archived and the trophy is on the shelf, that we are given the opportunity to complete the experience. This gap is a temporary lapse of external activity and is a necessary piece in preparing you for what’s next. Winter follows summer but not without that time in between, Autumn. Like nature, there is value in these moments to pause, and hesitate. It may feel indulgent, but it can be a cleansing. Without allowing space for a single conscious breath, an afternoon away, or a few days off, one anxiety piles onto another, we act impatiently and our behavior can be reckless and irritating.

Autumn’s pauses are the moments that separate drama from substance, that provide a time for us to decide what to take and what to toss, what works and what doesn’t, what feels right and what feels wrong, that allow a new interpretation of who we are to unfold. Creating this space can be the difference between the wisdom you bring or the baggage you carry into your next adventure.

Make time for your “October.” In yoga, we know that the benefits of the poses come when we are still. We are taught to relax in between each of the poses before we begin again. It is only when we are still that real growth happens. Like the practice, take time off to make yourself ready, centered, open and emotionally available, so that you may be fully present for the season ahead.

Michele