Your Personal Self-Care Mini-Retreat + The Power of the Pause

 I was teaching a yoga class the other day and when we got to savasana, a divine truth flowed through (thanks to the wide-open state that yoga instigates - three cheers for yoga!). 

Savasana is a pause. It’s an in-between moment, bridging the active part of class with whatever you head off to do when you’re done. 

The main benefit of savasana is integration. Yoga is meant to stir up prana (life force energy) and get it flowing. Savasana helps you integrate that energy so that you and your system can optimize it as you proceed to step off the mat and out into life.

I reflected on this truth and understood even more deeply how powerful it is to take a pause. 

I think my habit of pausing (regularly and often, in multiple ways) is one of the main reasons why I don’t experience much overwhelm. 

I used to feel overwhelmed most (or all) of the time, but that has shifted.

The power of the pause is a key component in this shift. 

If we tend to rush forward toward: the next thing, the next goal, the next activity, it keeps us in the energy of go-go-go.

If, instead, we take time to pause, it changes everything. 

There are many ways to pause: 

>Savasana, of course.

>Taking a full belly breath in between tasks and activities. 

>Meditating.

>Setting intentions as you move on to the next thing. (For example, whenever I get in the car, I say, “I am intending a safe and pleasant drive.”)

>Pausing before a meal to connect with gratitude and appreciation.

>Putting white space in your calendar. (To do this, literally write White Space in a block of time, make it sacred/non-negotiable, and then when you get there, ask yourself, “What’s the most loving thing I can do for myself right now?” Then you do it.)

>Going on a retreat. (Absolutely the most impactful and powerful way to pause, in my experience.)

How could you incorporate the power of the pause into your life?

Is there an idea above that appeals to you? 

Here’s another one:

How about a personal self-care retreat? 

I took some time to create a self-guided experience that’s designed to fill you up from the inside out with the help of my friends and colleagues, Julie Robbins and Susan Miller. 

We each contributed a guided experience to the mini-retreat and we’d love for you to treat yourself to it. (Oh! I just noticed that most of the word retreat is treat. Never thought of it that way but it certainly is a treat for all the parts of you: body, mind, emotions, spirit. Love that!)

In the personal self-care retreat, there’s a lovely meditation, some simple and practical ideas for grounding and a 30-minute BodyAwake Yoga class that will knock your socks off (except probably your socks will already be off so watch out for your toes).

This personal self-care retreat is complimentary. It’s our gift to you to help you pause before heading into the amped-up experience that the holidays can often bring. 

To access our free gift, simply click here, enter your name and email and you’ll get the PDF that will guide you through a powerful pause. 

You could do the personal retreat from start to finish in an hour, or over the course of a day (doing a practice here and there), or you could stretch it over a few days and just do one practice each day. It won’t take you more than 30 minutes at a time so no excuses… give yourself the gift of the powerful pause. 

A friend of mine told me that her yoga teacher used to say, “If you don’t have 10 minutes to meditate, then you need two hours!”

So true. Same thing with any kind of pause. 

It’s hard to understand just how powerful it will be until you do it. 

It’s counterintuitive but when you pause regularly, you actually get more done in less time. And what you accomplish is much higher quality because you’re more present, centred and aligned. Wild, right?

Click here to get your free gift: Your Personal Self-Care Retreat

We’re excited to help you bring more expansiveness into your life.

Power of the Pause to the People!

With tranquil love and enlivened courage,

Christina

>Creator of Courageous Self-Care

>so impressed with how I went with the flow this week, if I do say so myself (every day had major changes and it all unfolded so gracefully… thank you habit of pausing!)

>celebrating my son Oakley’s successful black belt test this weekend - his new black belt is a symbol of 10 years of devoted practice - Yay him!

PS - I’m not so much a Black Friday Deal kind of girl due to my counter-culture ways. Instead, please enjoy the free gift of the Personal Self-Care Retreat. Click here to access it. 

Stressed? Anxious? Worrying as a habit?

We had our first 9D Breathwork session to Release Stress and Anxiety yesterday and it was fantastic with rave reviews. 

There’s one more chance to attend tonight (or get access to the 48-hour replay if you can’t attend live). 

Breathwork is another significant way to pause and make a tremendous shift from the inside out. 

The only way out of stress and anxiety is through. You can dance around it for years or you can lean in and find relief permanently in just a couple of hours. Now that’s a good pause!

More details are here

I LOVE U2. I’ve shared several of their songs previously and it’s time for another one. Their newer album is peak (to quote my teenagers - it means awesome/amazing/tops). 

Songs of Surrender is acoustic versions of their big hits and this one is so gorgeous. It holds a special place in my heart because I used to sing it to my daughter as a lullaby when she was little. 

Being the clever little girl and knowing that I would love to philosophize about the song (in order for her to stay up later), each night she would ask me, “What do you think that line means?” We dissected the song in depth over the course of many months. 

Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses is beautiful - both the original and new versions. Plus, it gives you lots of food for thought. 

If you’re curious about the meaning of the song, just contact me. I could probably write a thesis on it, thanks to Zoe and her curiosity.