Being Intentional For Better Outcomes

The Pause

How often do we dive into playing or any activity for that matter without even thinking?  It’s like stimulus…react, without thought or awareness.  Let’s take all of the awareness building we did last week and put a pause so that instead of reacting we can respond. Practicing this throughout your day will make it way easier to do when you are facing your music stand, canvas, or computer.

Start taking a pause before you dive into the activity at hand.  This could be pausing before you place the fork in your mouth, then intentionally putting it in. Holding your toothbrush and pausing before you pick up the toothpaste.  Pausing before you sit down or stand up and thinking of the action you are going to take.

The pause only needs to be a split second, you think of what you are going to do, then do it.  I think we are looking at another way into mindfulness rather than mindlessness.

Eating is a BIG one for me.  So easy to grab the bag or ice cream container and not notice how much you are taking or that this is the second/third time you have been here.  Instead, notice the feel of the bag or container in your hand.  Look at it, see it.  Acknowledge that this is the ___ time you have refilled.

Then when you get to your craft the pause transfers to seeing your surroundings, hearing the sounds in your space, feeling the instrument in your hand, and checking in on your breath.  Organizing mind and body for what you are about to do rather than habitually diving in and hoping for a better outcome - a fix to a technical challenge, a better breath for the phrase, etc.

Be mindful, be curious….

Want to become intentional about something we totally take for granted? The Jaw - holder of tension, chewer of food. Body Mapping for EveryBODY tomorrow at 11am ET. Check it out

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