Frequently asked questions

The Pause Practice is a collection of short, slow practices designed to shift how you feel.It is for people who spend a lot of time doing: working, exercising, thinking, organising, caring for others, those that could sometimes use a little help coming down from all that effort.You do not need to be stressed or burnt out to do The Pause Practice. Maybe you simply want to feel a little quieter, looser, less wired or more ready to rest.

The answer is a confusing: Yes! No! Maybe!!Yoga is one of the tools I use in The Pause Practice, because that is what I have taught for many years. But The Pause Practice is not about progressing your yoga practice or squeezing another workout into your day. The Pause Practice magic is about what happens afterwards: do you feel a little calmer, softer, less tense or more settled than when you started?Sometimes the practice will involve slow movement. Sometimes longer-held positions, breathing, stillness or simple relaxation. And sometimes a little bit of all of it. I will guide you through each practice and you follow along and check in together on how you feel afterwards.

The single most asked question from people that would love to try yoga but are worried about their level of fitness and flexibility. The answer is, you absolutely, really, really can do The Pause Practice.Flexibility is not the goal here (but it may be a "side effect"). Most practices are slow and supported, often floor based and you are never trying to force your body into a particular shape.I will show you how to use cushions, blocks, blankets, a chair or a wall whenever they make the position more comfortable, yet still super beneficial for you.The best version of a pose is the one in which your body can stop fighting to stay there. That's when we get to yielding, softening and letting go.

Yes, it can.The aim is not to transform your life in 15 minutes. The aim is simply to help you feel a little different at the end than you did at the beginning of The Pause Practice session.Research into individual sessions of yoga, breathing and meditation suggests that even a single practice can temporarily reduce feelings of stress or anxiety. And sometimes the most useful outcome is much simpler, namely: "I feel better than I did 15 minutes ago."

Changing state is a bit of an odd way of saying: changing how you feel right now.You might arrive to the pratice feeling wired, tense, overstimulated, restless or mentally full. You know that "I am in my head too much" feeling. And you might leave feeling quieter, softer, more grounded or ready to rest after the practice.It doesn't need to be a dramatic change. Moving a little way from wired towards quiet is still a change.

If you spend any time on social media, you will often hear terms such as "nervous system regulation", "vagus nerve stimulation" and "resetting your nervous system" in the wellness world.There is good evidence that things such as slow breathing, movement, relaxation and meditation interact with our stress and autonomic systems. But the science is more nuanced than many of the claims made online. And many online claims are sweeping and become farcical, in fact, we become a bit fatigued by them especially if our own experience does not match these claims. So The Pause Practice doesn't promise to "reset" or "fix" your nervous system.I want to keep it much simpler and hopefully more realistic (from what I have learned through teaching and my own experience). The Pause Practice is quite simply designed to give your body and mind an opportunity to come down from effort.

Yes, matter of fact, there is.Research into yoga, meditation and breathing practices has found reductions in perceived stress and anxiety, including studies looking at the effects of individual sessions.The evidence varies between practices and studies and no technique works equally well for everyone.The Pause Practice is not based on the idea that yoga is a cure for stress. It is based on something much more modest: slow movement, breathing, attention and stillness can help some people feel better in the moment.

Rest is stopping.Recovery is what allows you to be ready for what comes next.Sometimes rest is exactly what you need: lying on the sofa, sleeping, reading or simply doing nothing. But stopping an activity does not always mean we have actually shifted out of it. You can finish work and still be mentally working. You can leave the gym while your body still feels switched on. You can get into bed exhausted and still feel too wired to sleep. You can sit down with a cup of tea and your mind is taking you into 17 different directions in the space of a breath. Recovery is the needed transition.Recovery gives your body and mind a little time to come down from effort, stimulation, activity, that crazy monkey mind before asking them to do something else.The Pause Practice sits in that space between the two, between recovery and rest: a few minutes of intentional slowing down, gentle movement, breathing or stillness that can move you from doing to being, before you carry on with your day or before you properly switch off to sleep.

Whenever you feel you need to change gear.That might be after exercise, when you want to move from effort into recovery. It might be after work, when your body has stopped but your mind hasn't. Or it might be before bed, when you are tired but still too switched on to properly rest.There is no prescribed ideal time of day and no schedule you need to follow. Instead, notice how you feel now and how you would like to feel after.That is usually a good place to start.

Sometimes we just feel too tired for anything. If this happens you are probably not looking for another workout or another chore. You could come to The Pause Practice if you are tired, but just so wired. Some practices within The Pause Practice require almost no effort. You might lie over a bolster, put your legs up the wall, make a few slow movements or simply get comfortable and breathe.And if what your body really needs is sleep, choose sleep.The Pause Practice should never become another thing you feel you ought to do.

Yes, you can. You don't need to empty your mind or stop thinking for The Pause Practice. For many people, gentle movement is actually an easier route into quiet than sitting still and trying to meditate. Your mind can wander. You can notice it, come back to your body or breath and continue. And that is enough.

Very little.A yoga mat can be useful, but many practices can be done on a carpet or rug. Cushions, pillows and folded blankets can replace specialist yoga props if you don't have those to hand. A wall and a sturdy chair or your sofa are also surprisingly useful. If you practise regularly, a bolster and a couple of yoga blocks can make slower positions much more comfortable, but they are not essential.

No, it is not. The Pause Practice is a movement and wellbeing practice. It isn't therapy, physiotherapy or medical treatment, and it isn't intended to diagnose, treat or cure physical or mental health conditions. If you have an injury, health condition, are pregnant or are unsure whether a particular practice is appropriate for you, always seek advice from an appropriate healthcare professional.