Taking Yoga Off The Mat: The Power Of Pause

by Jamie Durner

As you may or may not know, in Kundalini Yoga after each exercise or posture there is usually a period of quiet, a pause.  For those of us who are continually on the move with lots to get done in a day, this pause can sometimes feel uncomfortable or like a waste of time.  Yet, in yoga, this pause, this time of quiet reflection and integration, is equally as valuable as the time spent in physical and energetic movement.

The pause is one of the greatest gifts you can offer yourself. It is the time of allowing, of listening, of being in connection with your truth.  If you are always moving, you don't make time to hear or see what's happening within you and you can miss many important cues and messages from the bodymind.  It is often during this quiet, especially at that long pause at the end of Yoga practice in corpse pose, when you will hear answers from your inner wisdom floating up between the seemingly random thoughts.  

If you don't stop to listen, how will you ever hear the voice of your inner wisdom?

In taking yoga off the mat, I invite you to ponder the value of the pause in other aspects of your life. Like the balance of the different energies we play with in yoga, our life as a whole thrives when it has a balance between the inward and outward energies, between the action and stillness, between the talking and listening.

So take a moment or two this week to pause.  Before going to bed, upon waking, whenever.  Give yourself the gift of three minutes and lie down and simply follow the energy in the body and listen.  What do you hear?  Feel free to send me an email and share your discoveries!

©Jamie Durner, 2009

 Jamie Durner, BodyMind Coach™ and workshop facilitator, holds multiple certifications across the health and wellness disciplines including Nationally Certified Massage Therapist, Registered Kundalini Yoga Teacher, and Associate Credentialed Coach. She is the creator of the Healing and Harmony from the Inside Out program and publishes “Healing and Harmony” monthly Ezine with easy-to-use, FREE tips to move beyond the pain and discomfort in your body and your life…sign up now at www.jamiedurner.com.  And she is one of the Expert Authors for HealthyWomanGuide.com.