Learning to Trust the Pause

photo made by @Claudia_Gschwend

A body-led reflection on slowing down, releasing old patterns, and making space for what’s next.

We are in that time of the year when the body naturally asks for rest. A time to slow down, take a step back, declutter — not just our homes, but our inner space too. A moment to look back at the year, to gently draw a line, to bring clarity. To make space. Because productivity and prosperity don’t come from pushing — they spring from deep rest.

This is a time for hibernation. A time where rest and creativity grow from a space that feels sacred and honoured. A space that is tended to daily. Where each day has room to give voice to what it truly needs.

These past weeks have been incredibly rich for me. Moving back home, of course, comes with its challenges — but it carries so much sweetness too. There is something deeply soothing about being in a place that feels familiar, where things are simple, where life flows with ease. Here, I found what I had been longing for: groundedness, safety, connection, comfort.

In this space, my inner child feels alive and spoiled. I feel like I’m finally in flow, exactly where I’m meant to be. It’s new for me not to plan ahead, not to know where I’ll spend the summer. And yet, here I am — surrendering to this moment, trusting that the right opportunities, the right people, and the right situations will come in their own time.

This is my intention right now: to stay inspired, to recreate myself every day in the form I long to embody. Because we can’t attract the life we wish for if we continue behaving, thinking, and being in the same old ways. Old patterns don’t lead to new paths.

So this becomes a conscious practice — one of awareness, responsibility, curiosity. Asking questions, and then sitting long enough to listen for the answers. Feeling into what is aligned, and what is ready to be released. It’s a lot like cleaning out a drawer: you take each piece, look at it, understand whether it still serves you, and gently let it go. Whatever is precious to you though, is kept and probably even more revered and honoured.

The difference is that when it comes to behaviours or attitudes, letting go isn’t enough — we also need to consciously replace them with something more aligned. One personal example for me is noticing how I snap sometimes, the words I use, how predictable that pattern can become. Once I start sliding down that familiar path, the ending is already written.

But awareness changes everything. When I notice the body, the breath, I can pause. Plus, I can rehearse a different response before it happens. What will I say? How will I act? What do I choose next?

In the end, it all comes down to practice. Behaving is a practice, just like thinking. And stepping out of mental and emotional habits takes both attention and intention.

At the heart of it all lies self-respect and self-compassion — the relationship we have with ourselves. Because, as the poet Rupi Kaur says it, “you lose everything when you don’t love yourself, and gain everything when you do.” Loving yourself is essential. And learning how to live with more peace and harmony takes time, commitment, and the wisdom to understand the consequences of our actions.

I’ll close with a passage from Thich Nhat Hanh’s Mindful Communication, a book I warmly recommend — it truly is delicious:

‘When you throw a rock in the river, no matter how small the rock is, it will sink to the bottom of the river. But if you have a boat, you can carry many tons of rocks, and they won’t sink. The same is true of our suffering. Our sorrow, fear, worries and pain are like rocks that can be carried by the boat of mindfulness. If we give ourselves the time and space to embrace and recognize the suffering, we won’t sink into the ocean of anger, worries or sorrow. We become lighter.’

May this season take what is tired, heavy, and outdated.

May it clear what no longer serves your becoming.

And when the time is right, may a new you spring forth — rooted in rest, nourished by patience, ready to meet the new year with softness and strength.