Mindfulness  ·  Mindfulness Exercises

Pema Chödrön’s Mindful Pause Practice – 3 conscious breaths

04/02/2020

Pema Chödrön recommends what she calls “pause practice” as a way of stepping out of the stream of thoughts and preoccupations that can so easily carry us away during our day. To do the practice, just pause and take three conscious breaths. That’s all.

Why would this be  useful? My explanation:

  • First, the pause brings you into the present moment and out of the preoccupations that can carry you away into anxiety, anger and so on.
  • Second, to do this you accept that it is worth doing and that you deserve to give yourself this pause in busyness.
  • Third, deliberate, calm breathing lowers stress especially if you breathe with your tummy.

The three breaths practice is, Pema Chödrön says (in an article on lionsroar.com), “a simple but powerful practice that each of us can do at any given moment.”

Opportunities to do this include:

  •  When you wake up in the morning.
  •  Washing up.
  •  Making tea or coffee.
  •  Brushing your teeth.
  •  In the car, on the bus, standing in line.
  • Standing or sitting in your work space.

“Let it be a contrast to being all caught up,” she writes. “Let it be like popping a bubble. Let it be just a moment in time, and then go on.”

Pema Chödrön is an American Buddhist nun and writer. Her books include “When things fall apart” and “Start where you are.” Her website: The Pema Chödrön Foundation

This post was originally published on 8th August 2016, updated on 4th February, 2020


Padraig O'Morain

I have practised mindfulness since the late 1980s, have taught mindfulness throughout Ireland and in London and have had books on mindfulness published in several countries and languages. I have demonstrated mindfulness on RTE, ITV and TV3 (now Virgin). I provide courses online. My latest book is "Acceptance - Create Change and Move Forward." My aim is to make mindfulness easily accessible to people in their everyday lives.