The Wisdom of the Pause Between Breaths
Welcome gentle souls,
A moment like no other
There is a beautiful, soulful quiet place between the inhale and exhale, and exhale and inhale.
The air stops moving for a brief moment. The pressure within the lungs gently balances with the air around us.
Breathing in, we open up and receive. Clean, clear air enters the body, bringing oxygen and the nourishment our system needs. Every out breath is an opportunity to let go, to release what is no longer needed.
And then, there is the pause.
Those tiny pauses in our breathing are little nuggets of gold to notice. When we spend a moment simply watching the breath, whether in meditation or just sitting quietly, we give ourselves an opportunity to step out of doing and into the spaciousness of being.
Your breath brings you straight into the present moment. Simply noticing your breath can bring you to that secret stillness we all have within us.
Let your breath flow naturally and normally. Don’t force it or control it. Just observe it for a few rounds.
Notice that exact exquisite moment between the inhale finishing and the exhale beginning, and the exhale finishing before the inhale resumes.
Keep everything relaxed, your shoulders, your jaw, your abdomen and simply notice.
This pause is your inherent gift to yourself; a beautiful moment of clarity, your secret weapon for releasing stress, a lucid interval of absolute stillness,
A moment of emptiness.
A moment of potential.
A moment before life rushes back in.
The suspension at the top of the inhale.
The fullness.
The weightless moment of hanging at the highest point.
The crest of a wave.
Billowing blue,
Becoming the balance,
The breath in its beauty
The crest and the void.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine this space between the breaths can be understood as a moment of cultivating inner awareness. The concept of Yuan Shen relates to our deeper spirit and consciousness. This pause allows the Qi (life force) to anchor deeply into the lower Dantian. The Dantain is traditionally understood as an energetic centre within the body. The pause becomes the turning point between the yang quality of inhalation and the yielding yin quality of exhalation
In yoga, the conscious exploration of the pause between the breaths is known as Kumbhaka (breath retention). The Sanksrit word is often translated as ‘pot’ or ‘vessel’, evoking the image of the body as a vessel containing and regulating this precious prana, our vital life force, before it is released once again.
This pause isn’t empty.
The pause is full and ripe with possibility.
A chance to be completely in tune with your raw, essential self.
I like to think that the wisdom of the pause is that this space where nothing appears to be happening, is where everything is possible.
A moment of stillness.
A moment of becoming.
A moment of simply being.
Your inherent, beautiful self is full of possibility.
Until next time,
Blessings,
Stephanie
If you enjoyed this exploration of the breath, I’d love for you to come and join me for some yoga practise, breathwork and a little more space to simply be.
Soul to Soul Yoga classes begin on 4 September, 10am-11am, at Whiteleaf Yurt, Oxmoor Farm. Great Missenden.
Or join my seasonal soul letters for a monthly note on the season and what is coming up.
May your light shine brightly.