Mindfulness teachers often refer to the power of the purposeful pause or a moment of mindfulness. David Steindl-Rast said, “Try pausing right before and right after undertaking a new action, even something simple like putting a key in a lock to open a door. Such pauses take a brief moment, yet they have the effect of decompressing time and centering you.” A purposeful pause creates the space for being in the present moment before taking action or speaking to another person.

Continuing the theme of harmonious music described in the previous blog post, Arthur Rubinstein, one of the greatest piano virtuosi, is reported to have said, “I handle notes no better than many others, but the pauses, ah, that is where the art resides.” The simple pause, an extra breath, a look into the other person’s eyes can all bring us into the present moment and allow us to really notice what is going on. The purposeful pause creates the space for concentration and helps us with setting an intention for how we will show up. We can all benefit from a moment of mindfulness. That moment can be a short as a single breath and can extended if we have more time and greater need.

I recently produced a Moment of Mindfulness, a short meditation accessible via an online video and a downloadable audio file. This Moment of Mindfulness is a six-minute guided meditation that I hope will bring a sense of calm into your life and prepare you for whatever is happening next at work, at home, or wherever you find yourself today. I invite you to take a purposeful pause, a moment of mindfulness, and listen to the meditation