The Power of Pausing: An Equinox Invitation to Simply Be

We are in the energies of the Equinox, a time of year that reminds us to pause and rebalance ourselves before we jump into the movement of the next “season”. In Traditional Chinese Five Elements system, the Equinox belongs to the Earth Element that invites us to remember that we can’t always be in action and doing, in order to have true balance, we also need to be in stillness and in an energy of receiving with ourselves, nature, and each other, without the pressure of doing. 

As someone who has a LOT of natural “doing” energy, I can have a tendency to push myself and by default the whole of my life and those in connection with it to always be “doing” something patterns. Early on I realized this level of push or drive was not optimal or something that was even being asked of me. Enter the teacher of the Equinox energies! 

Personal Case Study in Learning with the Equinox energies

Over the past couple of months, I have found myself having to call forward the energy of balance, pause, and softening more than typical for me.I felt like the universe was requesting that I "simply sit”. 

Due to divine timing and what often felt like chaos that came out every time I made a plan, there was no ability for me to gain traction on my own “doing” plans. My Earth School list of things I need to do, should be doing, and even felt that I had to be doing where lovingly blocked at every turn. It was like the universe simply said, “No, you are going to be sitting and being the art of allowing instead of doing,” and that was that. 

Every meditation brought forward phrases that had words like allow, soften, flow, balance, receive, be…While these phrases might have brought relief, ugh instead, my ego mind really struggled with surrendering its to-do list and accepting the reality of what was happening for me. My Mind kept trying to project what “should” be happening and thus fighting the grace that was present to support me. 

At this point, I can chuckle at how hard my Mind fought back. However, in the moment the struggle was real. It took ALL the tools in my meditation tool-box to help keep me somewhat in flow.  

The Tension Between Doing and Being

My mind kept circling back to the thought that it was a new year and I had things to do and plans to execute! I needed to be planning and launching new programs for Unbridled Change and I was literally launching a new publishing project, The Sacred Witness Oracle Suite, which included my first Oracle Deck and Guidebook and my second book Trauma Informed Enlightenment: Awakening to the Healing Power of the Sacred Witness. I did not have time to stop moving and tend to items like healing, recovery, and family matters; I had “work” to do. Yet that wasn’t really true. Yes, I had work to do and this “work” also included all the things my mind was trying to put in the “other” category. And the “other” category was the reality and WERE my focus and attention was being called to be - healing, pause, and being with. Spirit was trying to help me embrace that there was a way to honor both rhythms.  

A Gentle Reminder from Lottie

Lottie, a beautiful new member of our household, who got her name because she jumped into our car in a parking lot as a kitten, came forward to help me remember the power of pausing and regrounding. 

Just the other day, I was starting to fall back into the “push” rhythm and was getting lost in my own to-do list and feeling that I was never going to make a meaningful dent in it. As I was trying to straighten up our family room, she leapt up onto the couch and called to me to join her. 

Sitting down for a moment, I softened and started to make her a little nest with a blanket I had just folded to put away, so that she could curl up in. Once she settled in, I figured she had what she had wanted and I went to get up and start back-checking off my to-do list. 

Just a moment before I could stand up she gently reached out and used her paw to hold onto my hand. Grabbing onto my finger just like a little child does, she pulled my hand into her and started to purr. 

The message was clear. Stop, be with me, be with yourself. Sit with me. 

I had a flash to take a quick picture of the moment to save as my phone background. Every time I would look at it, it could help serve as a reminder to me to stop, pause, and simply be with that moment and those I’m with, even if just for a few moments before moving again. 

And I’m happy to share the grace that came from those few moments of meditation. As I sat and listened to her purr, I felt myself get a little more “air” with my list. From this place of openness, I was able to allow grace and inspiration to point me to an “item” on my mental to-do list that was way down the list for me and not something I was about to move into beforehand. My mind would not have picked that item and I certainly would not have approached it the same way. 

The inspiration I felt guided me to stop cleaning and instead ask my daughters if they wanted to take a break from their own to-do lists too, and go into town with me to run errands. It wasn't necessary for them to go with me, but it turned out to be the perfect little pause. We had a lovely little afternoon of connection, laughter, conversations, and yes, checking off those items on the to-do, but with a totally different energetic field with us as we did it. 

Making Space for the Sacred Pause

These pauses really do pop all the time. However, it is our own mental to-do list and momentum of the day that keeps us from engaging in the. 

Just like Lottie prompted me to pause and be with her, we need to do the same thing for us too. 

Having a daily practice that sets us be in alignments with these pause moments is key so that we can: 

• ground, 
• presence, 
• And remember to actually take the pauses before transitioning from one rhythm of the day to the next. 

If this is something that is calling to you, I invite you to join us in our LIVE meditation and mindfulness classes. 

I love these classes! 

They are the perfect blend of self-paced learning videos mixed with live zoom classes that together offer the perfect little pause moments that we all need. 

Classes are typically on Monday morning from 10:30 - 11:30 am ET and are a great way to start off your week centered and with a little heads-up of the different habits and protective mechanisms that your system might be expressing, so that you can start to break free from them, and pick a different path to move from throughout the week.

Click here to explore the current class offering and join us when it feels aligned for you.

Also, you can check my recent Equinox Gathering and Card Draw that I did for our Sacred Witness Oracle Circle Facebook group for additional Equinox practices and guidance that can help you pause, open and simply be with what is. 

Offering light love and joy! 
Michelle