The Sacred Pause

On taking breaks from things to let ourselves catch up with life and make space for intentionally prioritizing things

I took a break making videos and writing this newsletter!

If you noticed, I am thrilled. If you did not, that is also cool. I took a break for two main reasons. First, I noticed my head was filled with lots of "shoulds" and thus not a lot of space was available for more intuition and and tapping into the zeitgeist of what would support people.

Second, I wanted to make my website more professional and actually get my services and scheduling tools set up for people to find me and work with me! So poke around my site and let me know what you think. Also, it might have changed the way this newsletter appears in your inbox. Don't worry, it's still me!

In my MA program in organizational psychology, I came across this awesome quote about saying yes to things (projects, tasks, additional job duties, etc). "Whenever you say yes to something, you are inherently saying 'no' to something else." So, that "no" may be quality, or timeliness, or not showing up as you had promised.

This was actually a HUGE revelation because at the time I was a civilian with a special operations unit and a motto in SOF is often "how do we get to yes?" This little quote blew all our minds! I am pretty sure it came from Peter Block's book Flawless Consulting but a quick google shows that Ryan Holiday (the Daily Stoic) also said it which tracks hard.

So, my friends, instead of "how do we get to yes" on whatever you have been striving for, I invite you to try out saying no to something else intentionally, because you are most likely already saying no in one way or another unintentionally. For me, I didn't want to throw together a garbage post, or half-assed video whilst working on my website and back end tech, so I said ok. I took a pause.

The Sacred Pause

In addition to this practice of reprioritizing things with the intentional "no," I invite you to consider practicing the Sacred Pause. This is something I learned during my trauma-informed trainings; in most it was a core practice of the whole course.

The Sacred Pause is simply recognizing when you feel off- maybe off-balance, maybe overwhelmed, maybe activated in a way you can't quite put your finger on- and slow down. Slowwww dowwwwn. Maybe that means taking a few breaths, allowing your mind and body to come back to harmony...maybe that means slowing down your pace...of walking, of talking, of doing. Maybe even coming all the way into stillness.

This practice gives your mindbody system a chance to tell you what's up, when you pause to listen like that. You can even pose the question- "ok what is going on here" and see if you get an answer. That answer is much more likely to come through in quiet, in stillness...in my personal experience at least!!

Another prompt for the Sacred Pause is "what do I need right now?" and see what comes through. Maybe it's a break in nature, a glass of water, a nap, or a one-song dance party. If you ask, you will get some kind of answer I promise!

So, the next time you are feeling off- and especially if you are feeling like you're going really fast- try a sacred pause.

This Week's Practice

This is a fun one...a couple weeks ago I did a filming spree with my friend Stacey who is also on YouTube, sharing all kinds of fun stuff about tarot, astrology and connecting with your intuition and spirit guides. As much as I am into the science, I am into the mystical so I love all those things too.

She had the idea for a series where she pulls a tarot card, does a mini-reading, then I come up with a related practice on the spot. It was so much fun! For the first one, the card was the Two of Pentacles, about balance, so I offered 3D breathing to bring more balance into the whole body...plus a few extra prompts about balance you'll have to watch to find out! Plus we learned how to do a collaboration in YouTube, so fun learning a new tool to boot!

One last announcement- Retreat!

There are a few spots left in the nature-centered retreat I am assistant hosting with my certified Forest Therapy Guide friend Tammy....it is 23-26 April near Ocala, FL and it will be a lovely opportunity to take a weekend-long pause. Lots of free time to explore the acres of forest, or pet the rescue goats and horses, or just take a damn nap outside of the scheduled activities. I'll be teaching yoga, facilitating some somatic practices, and leading some drumming meditations. It will be really fun, and a nice intimate group size (12 guests max)!

💕Carly

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter!! If you know anyone who would benefit from these practices supporting self-awareness, self-regulation, and reconnecting to oneself and the world around them, I would be delighted if you shared the love and passed it along 🙏

You can find me on YouTube and Instagram with my Military Yogini handle, I'd love to connect with you there!

I greatly appreciate any feedback, comments, or requests for practices/info. I've got a lot of knowledge and skills to share with people, so tell me what ya need and we'll see what I can do!! Simply respond to this email to send me your thoughts 😊