Stopping

I believe that stopping is a simple but important skill to cultivate. We can learn alot from cats, who elevate the skill of stopping to an art form!  Pausing from our daily activities for any amount of time, whether it’s 30 seconds or a few hours, can provide a way to reconnect with the pure intelligence within us, so that we know how to go forward in a way that is the most grounded, creative, and healthy.

Stopping is important for me to remember because like a lot of people I am busy, sometimes too much so. While it’s all good stuff, it’s important to me to maintain my equilibrium. I strive to hear my own voice and priorities as I live my life, and when I get too caught up in “doing” that becomes increasingly difficult.

I use the tool of stopping in many different ways. I teach it in classes as a stress management strategy. I have found that I'm never so busy that I can’t stop for 30 seconds, sitting at my desk between patients at work, and appreciate what’s outside my window, the trees, hills and changing sky. Thirty short seconds is enough to lift my perspective from “gotta hurry” to “I am open to the good that the upcoming encounter will bring.” All is changed in those few seconds.

The essence of my day is enhanced when I spend my lunchtime stopping, meditating or sitting in my car with the windows down just listening to the wind in the trees. I nurture my time with my husband when we sit facing each other at the end of the work day, before getting on to cooking or whatever else is in store, to see each other, hear each other without distraction, and say hello.

Stopping can be quick, or we can enjoy even more extended amounts of time. For me backpacking for a weekend feels like a whole 48 hours of stopping, no phone or clock, and nothing whatsoever to do except exist in awe of the beauty of nature.  Moments of stopping allow me to connect with the infinite wisdom of my soul, where all that happens before me is an expression of perfection.

May you relish your moments of being in the middle of your doing, and may this tool be a blessing. . .