+ What am I supposed to do on this day?

The intention behind Day of Pause has always been for as many people as possible simply to do something different. Even though for many of us our external lives have been wildly interrupted by the pandemic, our instincts to distract ourselves and remain 'busy' are likely very well intact - despite there being more to feel and reflect on than ever.

Thus the intention remains: To disrupt our habit patterns by pausing, allowing us to open up some time - to allow ourselves to feel more, whatever our feelings may be.

In this space, you may wish to join in a collective reflection on these three questions:

• How does it feel to be outside of my daily patterns?
• What is becoming clearer to me about what and who I truly value in my life?
• What is one small (or big) step I can take toward living in deeper alignment with those values?

Although each of us makes up a part of this collective (in)action, there is no right or wrong way to participate on May 15th. You might simply use the day to notice what it's like to let go of these familiar impulses. You might reflect in solitude, or (if applicable) in dialogue with those whom you share your home. If it speaks to you, you might explore whatever is coming up for you through writing, or expressing through some other type of art. You might feel a desire to simply be still and not formally 'reflect' at all, and you might also discover a step you'd like to take on the day itself, toward creating your ‘new normal’.

It is important to acknowledge that for many of us, this may be a deeply uncomfortable and challenging experience. You may want to make some preparations beforehand for self-care during and after the day, whatever that looks like for you.

+ What about people who are clearly unable to pause?

One of the intentions behind Day of Pause has always been recognizing and pausing in solidarity with all those for whom a 24 hour pause is not possible — highlighting how, for so many of us, stopping long enough to really consider what we truly care about can jeopardize our identity, reputation, or our very survival.

What we are witnessing during this global pandemic is only further highlighting these inequalities, and the privilege of being able to pause at all. Those of us who have this privilege are encouraged to take part in support of those who do not: both for us workers who are being evermore recognized as essential, and for our neighbours who are too desperately struggling to meet their own essential needs to have the time or space for reflection.

At the same time, pausing for the full 24 hours is not necessary to be a part of this day. We encourage all who are called to participate to do so in a way that honours your own individual needs.

+ Can you suggest specific practices for pausing, on or leading up to May 15th?

Yes. Day of Pause is (and always has been) intended as a day to shake up and step out of our patterns together. It can serve us all well to practice ‘pausing’ for some amount each day. And, you may feel compelled to bring more conscious structure into the day itself.

Please see our Practices page for some exercises that can be helpful, both on and beyond Day of Pause. Engaging in these types of practices can help us bring more regularity and control into our daily lives, and find more clarity and aliveness on May 15th.

Prefer to read rather than watch? Browse some of the practices below.

• NOTICING

This is a practice you can try anytime you're in conversation with someone you want to deepen your sense of connection, presence and 'aliveness' with. The idea behind the Noticing practice is that we spend most of our time in conversations with others focusing on the content, or the topic of conversation, but we don't often tune into the here and now — or the unfolding process of what's occurring as we interact.

At any point in your conversation, try pausing and noticing your in-the-moment, felt experience. How does your body feel as you share, or receive what the other person has just shared? What thoughts are you aware of? How does the other person seem to you, or what are you finding yourself feeling curious about? These are observations you can simply notice internally, or you can try sharing with the other person, using the opening, "Hearing that, I'm noticing..." or "Sharing that, I'm noticing..."

• RIGHT NOW

This is simply the practice of noticing what is happening in your life at this very moment. Right now, you are reading this article. Try pausing for a moment, closing your eyes, deepening your breath, and bringing your attention to how your body feels. The moment you bring your awareness to this place, you learn that right now, you are safe. Practice this as many times as you feel the need—particularly in moments when your thoughts are moving toward an anxious or fearful place.

• MORNING CIRCLE

This is a practice of connection with others that can be especially helpful during days of self-isolation. Set aside a regular time each day for everyone in your household to gather. If possible, find an open space in a room for everyone to sit in a circle on the floor (so that everyone is on an equal physical level).

Each person takes a turn speaking: sharing with the others how they feel physically, mentally and emotionally (without blame or criticism), as well as something new and positive that occurred since the previous morning's circle. Everyone else commits to quietly listening to whomever is speaking, without interruption.

There is no ‘required’ number for a morning circle. This can be an effective practice for a household of two, or even a single person. (In this case, you can sit quietly by yourself and just notice how you’re feeling, and something new that you’re grateful for.)

• FEAR AS PRECIOUS ENERGY

Harnessing the power of our fear can empower us to be more fully present, rather than in a state of victimhood. In moments when you notice yourself feeling afraid, try pausing to connect to the sensation of fear in your body (not the associated thoughts), wherever it may show up and however it may feel.

While being kind to yourself and acknowledging how challenging this may be, do your best to actually feel it: immersing yourself in the sensation, rather than pushing it away. Allow it to broaden and unfold. Feel its energy. Then, see if you can remove the label of fear from that energy, and see your fear as the pure energy that it began as. Notice what that’s like, and if there’s a way in which you can channel that energy differently. Sitting with our fear in this way can allow us to access its power energy and repurpose it as positive action.

Trust and relax into this energy, and with this new awareness, focus on this field of the unknown. Open up to the beauty that exists within it. This field is one of infinite potential. Find the courage to swim in it like water-- knowing the sky above you is the unknown’s infinite potential.

+ Is there a connection between this event and the COVID-19 pandemic?

Day of Pause was first conceived of in December 2017, long before the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdowns. Many people had probably thought about or wished for an event like this before: Everyone on the planet stopping to see themselves and each other for a day, and for each of us to ask ourselves, "Who am I, and what really matters to me?”

Although the pandemic and resulting global shutdowns inspired some aspects of this precious opportunity to naturally unfold, much of the world's noise simply moved online, becoming largely responsible for a significant increase in fear, anxiety and hopelessness shared by much of the global population.

For the first Day of Pause, which occurred during the shutdowns in 2020, we invited people around the world to 'unplug' from their digital lives - disconnecting from social media, news outlets, and online events. In so doing, the invitation was to create space to reflect on what we could learn from the pandemic experience, and how we might use that experience to move toward each of our individual roles as part of the upcoming change — all while feeling the incredible shared experience of what it’s like to do so with so many others around the planet.