My intention is to offer you little sparks for inquiry and exploration along your path.
Today we begin with a question: What do you notice in the pause?
Here are a few ways to approach and explore this meditation in practice:
Pranayama: Do you recall our box breathing technique? Inhale for a count of two, hold for two, exhale for two, hold empty for two? Keeping the rhythm of the box breath and giving equal emphasis to all four parts of the breath. Did you notice the places the mind will go in the stillness and silence of each kumbhaka (breath retention) practice between inhale and exhale?
Asana (Postures): You could practice our opening breath with fingers touching the earth, then inhaling arms wide and to the ceiling until they meet for a moment in the pause as hands touch above the head feeling into that sensation before exhaling them apart and around until they once again greet the earth and pause there before the following inhale... or move through a few sun salutations before pausing in a yin expression of child allowing all effort to cease for 3-5 minutes as you simply observe before repeating the motion again... or hold chair for as long as you can noticing all that you can in holding before releasing the shape to stand and observe in stillness there and trying that cycle a few times.
Journaling Meditation: you could sit and reflect on all that you notice, beginning with the things around you, writing in a stream of thought each of the details you realize, maybe sounds, colors, textures, objects, until you work your way inward to your body, breath, thoughts, feelings, and emotions... all at your own pace for inquiry and exploration.
The Universe has hit the pause button on our "normal" everyday lives and much may arise in the pause between the way things were and the way they will be, but we've practiced these techniques on the mat and now is the time to practice them off the mat. We've got this. All is yoga.
So... what do you notice in the pause? And can you BRFWA that? Can you BREATHE through it, RELAX into it, FEEL exactly as you do and WATCH whatever arises, ALLOWing it to simply be what is true in this moment without judgment?
