The Power of Pause


The Power of Pause

When we first make contact with Barbie, we see she is well trained.

It seems as though most of us are in a constant rush. We want things to happen now and are impatient if this fails to occur. By slowing down and acknowledging the importance of spaces in time, we may actually achieve what we desire more quickly. The pause allows us a moment to reflect, exhale, become neutral, integrate, be mindful and listen.
Pausing when we put our hand out, before starting,  allows Barbie to make a connection and gives her a moment, as in a greeting.
A moment of stillness upon approach when wanting to engage Barbie instead of just marching up to her, walk a few steps, stop for a moment, exhale and diffuse your gaze causes an Barbie to feel less invaded. Then it allows her to meet us in the approach.
When doing groundwork and you give a signal, such as asking Barbie to move forward, people often give a signal and immediately scold when she does not comply. Remember that when we want to give a signal, the signal goes from our brain (the idea) to our body (to give the signal), to the animal's body (the physical), to their brain (registering the request), and finally back to their body (to respond). When we repeat the signal or become insistent it can 'unbalance' the animal; trigger less functional posture; and the movement becomes confusing to Barbie.
What we do with our body has a huge influence on the way Barbie respond to us. If we are tentative the pause gives us a moment to exhale and become more grounded. If we are out of balance, mentally, emotionally or physically, Barbie can 'feel it' when we interact with her. If you ask Barbie to step onto a strange surface and she doesn’t comply -- just give her a moment; exhale and often Barbie will then comply. If she is still unsure, change something. That might mean do something else or just take a break.
When life is speeding out of control, and the harder you try the less you seem to accomplish, remember to pause and allow yourself a moment to reflect, exhale, become neutral, integrate, be mindful and listen. You may be surprised at your ability to proceed with the issues at hand, in you daily life.

Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2018 at 12:12 PM

    Thanks for telling me more about Barbie, I met her at Valli's Food Market in Arlington Heights, Illinois. I thought she was the most well behaved trained dog that I ever seen in my entire life.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousNovember 18, 2018 at 7:46 AM

    Barbie is just the right size for me, what kind of dog is she?

    ReplyDelete

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