The Power of the Pause: Slowing Down For More Presence This NovembeR

It's tempting to fill every space. Here's why I'm not

What a month! 

October was a whirlwind.  Between all those long weekends in Taiwan, a ton of Halloween party classes (yes, I love dressing up, but I'm happy to retire my costumes until next year!), and finishing it all off with a super high-energy Bollywood-themed Bachelorette party this past weekend, I have to ask...

Anyone else feel ready to slow down for November?

While there's still a lot to do, embracing the "power of the pause" is high on my priority list this month.

It reminds me of something I learned years ago. I was in rehearsal with my burlesque troupe, and we were working with a musician on an a cappella song. Each of us was responsible for one unique, repetitive sound to build the melody. After proudly presenting what we had, the musician offered some valuable advice: our sounds were important, but we shouldn't forget the impact of a pause.

A pause, he explained, creates space and can be just as important as sound. This is space for focus, for emotion, for emphasis, or for a moment of reflection before carrying on.

I've often thought of that idea, whether when choreographing a song or in life – that not every space needs to be filled. It's so tempting to pack our lives with activity, plans, noise, commentary, productivity, or work (this is a hard one for me!).

But taking pauses in our daily lives offers us that same beautiful space: for reflection, for rest, for emotion, for focus. I also find it's a key  way to truly connect with awareness, presence, and gratitude – all things on my mind as we get closer to Thanksgiving.

So this week, I'm looking for my own moments of pause:

• Taking deep belly breaths when I feel the tension in my shoulders rising.

  
  

• Enjoying quiet evenings with the TV off, even for just a few minutes.

  
  

• Walking home from class just a little slower to notice what's around me.

  
  

• Closing my eyes for just a moment during our cooldown to appreciate what my body has done.

What's one moment of "powerful pause" you can give yourself this week? What might taking that pause bring to your day? 

Have a calm and present week!

Keep moving!

xx,

Katie