Finding the Pause

Finding the Pause

Podcast Summary

In a world that moves too fast and demands too much, finding a moment of stillness can feel almost impossible. Yet, it’s within those moments that we can reconnect with something deeper. The pause—or the gap—isn’t just a break from thought. It’s an opening, a doorway to the infinite stillness that lies within all of us.

In our podcast episode, “Finding the Pause,” we explore the profound power of this gap: what it is, why it matters, and how we can weave it into our daily lives. Whether we’re seasoned meditators or just beginning our journey, the pause is an invaluable tool. It has the power to change not just how we experience our days but how we experience ourselves.

Here’s a closer look at what we shared in the episode: the essence of the gap, the tools we use to access it, and the ways it can transform our everyday lives.

Understanding the Pause or Gap in Awareness

The pause is elusive yet ever-present. It’s the fleeting silence between thoughts, the soft stillness between breaths. It’s not something we create—it’s something we notice.

For us, the journey to understanding this gap has been gradual. Early on, we doubted it existed at all, especially during those early, restless meditations. But over time, something shifted. By simply sitting with our breath, we began to feel the moments of stillness. It was as though the universe was gently whispering, “I’m here, always.”

This gap is what many spiritual traditions point to as the essence of awareness. It’s the quiet space behind the noise of the mind, the infinite silence from which all thoughts arise. And while the gap itself is subtle, its impact is profound. When we touch this stillness, even for a moment, it brings clarity, calm, and a sense of connection that lingers long after.

Practical Techniques to Access the Gap

The beauty of the pause is its simplicity. We don’t need elaborate rituals or advanced techniques to find it—we just need to breathe.

One of the practices we often turn to is grounding ourselves before focusing on the breath. By feeling the connection between our bodies and the earth, we create a sense of stability. From this grounded state, we let our awareness settle on the rhythm of our breathing. The pauses between the inhale and the exhale become our entry points to the gap.

This isn’t about striving or trying to “achieve” stillness. In fact, the more we strive, the more elusive the pause becomes. Instead, we approach it with curiosity and a sense of ease, letting the stillness reveal itself.

For those who find sitting meditation challenging, the gap can be found in everyday moments. Walking in nature, listening to the rustle of leaves, or even pausing to take a deep breath during a busy day can connect us to this space.

Finding the Pause in Real-Life

Pausing is a practice, but it’s also a way of life. We’ve found it in the most unexpected places: during a quiet moment in the morning, while cooking, or simply observing the natural world around us. These experiences remind us that the gap is always there, waiting for our attention.

What’s been most transformative for us is how the pause supports us during life’s challenges. When we’re overwhelmed or stressed, turning to the gap helps us find clarity. By simply breathing and noticing the stillness, we anchor ourselves in the present. The pause has taught us that it’s not about escaping discomfort but transforming it through presence.

Conclusion

The pause is our ever-present companion, a doorway to the infinite that resides within us all. By learning to recognize and rest in this space, we can bring greater peace and connection into our lives.

We invite you to take a moment now. Breathe. Notice the space between. That’s where the magic lives. It’s waiting for you—always.

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Abdi Assadi is unlike any other healer or spiritual teacher ever encountered. He is an expert in martial arts, and a dynamic healer practicing a diverse array of Chinese and Eastern Medicine, indigenous shamanic rituals, and meditation techniques. With a clinical practice in New York City for almost 4 decades, Abdi has accumulated a vast knowledge of real life experience working with several thousands of individuals, guiding them through the most difficult times, and teaching them how to understand themselves. One of the greatest things about him is he merges the human psyche with the spiritual psyche.

Steeped in deep wisdom and insight that is rare to find on this planet in these modern times, Abdi has an extraordinary ability in perceiving and comprehending human souls and their individual psyche. Guided by the divine, Abdi guides you to open up and see beyond your limited Self, into your own soul. His impeccable discernment enables him to unleash personal remarks that pierce through your veil, statements that you will never forget and in an instant alter your perception of yourself and your reality.

– Quotes from Shadows on the Path by Abdi Assadi:


All spiritual masters teach us that love is an activity before it is a condition – and that love is all-encompassing.
Page 18


It felt like I was coming off a race track and driving in a school zone. He knew, years before I did, that my speed was my way of suppressing my early childhood anxiety, and that only slowing down could heal it.

Why do you need to use all these words like God and spirituality? It is right here Abdi, all around you, all the time
Page 40


one does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.
Page 51


Ultimately it keeps grace out of our lives because we are using our will power to manipulate every event and person around us.
Page 74


His lesson, which I had begun to learn for myself, is that outside circumstances do not define our internal experience if we can surrender into them. Painful or undesirable situations will always arise; true suffering comes from our ego’s desire to resist life as it is.
Page 77


Note from Pernilla:
I met Abdi in the fall of 2014 and when I arrived in his office the first thing he said was, “It’s time that you stop carrying other people’s anxiety.” In the year that followed, my entrenched codependency patterns reared their ugly heads and I was confronted with a part of myself that I had never even known was there.

A few years later, Abdi said, “When are you going to start writing your book?”I looked at him in surprise. I was not a writer. My expertise was centered around creating crazy good Excel spreadsheets. However, I started writing and collecting notes about life issues and life experiences … and here we are a few years later.

Sally Kempton is a preeminent meditation teacher of our time.

She is an expert scholar in Hinduism and all Hindu texts especially in Kashmir Shaivisim. Formerly Swami Durgananda, she left monastic life in the 1980’s to teach publicly. She has written several books and is one of the most known and loved spiritual teachers in our time.

Note from Pernilla:

I met Sally at one of her workshops at City Yoga in LA in 2003. She had the most gentle and loving disposition, and I just wanted to always be around her. I was fortunate to have been part of her two year-long “Transformative journey” courses in 2006 and 2007 and many retreats ever since. She is the true representation of unconditional love and transmits intense shakti from her Guru Swami Muktananda.

Sally is the primary building block and foundation in my spiritual journey. Without her, I would have never found and stuck with meditation – the most transformative experience of my life. Without her, I would have been lost without a clue where to go next. Her wealth of knowledge of yogic philosophy and incredible understanding of the human condition is what makes her a force to be reckoned with.  She understands your depth and makes you feel seen, heard, validated, and deeply loved.