Pause the Thoughts

Stop. Take a deep breath. And try to remember the last time you breathed without thinking about anything. For most people, we hardly ever are breathing without thinking about something, whether it be I wonder if my shoes are on the wrong feet because people are giving me funny looks to What is my schedule like tomorrow? to When will she give us our tests back? The anxiety is killing me. Our lives these days are jam-packed. People don't make phone calls sitting down at a desk with their mind only on that matter anymore; now we talk to our mothers and our clients while getting a latte, while reading a magazine, while driving, while working out even. In this day in age, we have adapted ourselves to be able to multitask in order to get everything done in our busy lives. Usually, we think of multitasking as a positive quality to have. And while it can become useful at times, it often allows us to not completely absorb the moment that we are in. Instead of steering all of our attention at one activity, we allocate minimal attention to multiple activities.

One activity that I have recently took on since returning home for winter break is yoga. While yoga may not be the toughest physical activity, it is one of the most challenging mental activities. At my first yoga class, the most important thing I learned was six breaths in, seven breaths out. During that hour, I relaxed and was able to breathe without thinking about anything else. I focused my mind entirely on what I was doing at that moment. Between my deep breaths I was able to forget the world, the reality. It was like pausing life - putting it on hold until you were ready to start again.

Now I am able to appreciate my breaths of silence, without any thoughts interrupting my breathing. Sometimes concentrating on a single activity makes us cherish it even more than before because we notice aspects that we missed previously. For me, I realized the importance of taking a step back from life and letting yourself catch up. Don't be afraid to push the pause button every now and then.