How Mindful Pause started

Mindful Pause began in 2022, during a time when disconnection felt very present in the world, in the city, and in myself. I was working remotely, navigating burnout and stress, and feeling the pressure of unhealthy work dynamics. I also became more aware of how loneliness can quietly sit beneath everyday life. At the time, it felt like I was slowly numbing myself without fully realising it was happening.

We can become so focused on getting through our days, managing responsibilities, and holding everything together that we rarely slow down enough to feel, reflect, or truly take in what life is asking of us. I noticed I was oscillating between autopilot numbness and moments of overwhelm, caught in my mind and constantly pulled between the past and the future. Swept away by external stimulation and often chasing a false sense of validation, there was very little bringing me back to the present, let alone reminding me to be gentle or kind with myself. I fell into a habit of not taking care of my wellbeing, without really knowing how to change or what to do instead. Life began to feel less alive. I wasn’t experiencing its joy or sweetness… it became more about existing than truly living, until something cracked within me, as I could no longer bear the stress that was affecting me emotionally, psychologically, and physically. I knew I had to make a real change.

Around this time, my mum’s cancer relapse and late-stage diagnosis deeply changed how I saw everything. It forced me to question what truly matters and invited me to make a conscious choice to live more fully in the present, even when that meant making bold, uncomfortable decisions and letting go of identities I had spent years shaping. This prompted me to go through significant personal changes. The core pillars of my life: family, partnership, and career, began to shift and fall away. There was anxiety and fear of anticipated grief, sudden changes in my work, a painful separation from a long-term relationship, and the need to move away from the home I had built. With this came a loss of control over the narrative I thought I was living.

Mindful Pause grew from a simple desire to be with it all, even when it is messy, and to create a sense of community, a reminder that we are all making sense of this thing called life. At the heart of these sessions is an offering of kindness, gentleness, and care for the mental, emotional, and physical parts of ourselves, something we often forget when our hearts are closed, when we chase after things, people-please, self-sabotage, put others’ needs before our own, or lose ourselves in pursuits that no longer nourish us.

I printed a few posters for the gathering and pinned them up in the park. There was no social media and no grand marketing plan. I trusted that whoever needed this space would find it. And people did! One by one, strangers of all ages and backgrounds showed up, willing to sit together, work with the mind, soften the body, and simply be. What started small gradually grew into gatherings of over 30 people, and I still feel deeply humbled every time.

From the beginning, these monthly sessions have been donation-based and intentionally non-transactional. I wanted them to remain accessible, to create a space that feels comfortable and at ease, with the option to contribute to charity if you wish, or simply show up and be part of the community. The practices shared draw from my teacher training in mindfulness, sound healing, compassion-based practices, personal meditation and silent retreat experience.

Mindful Pause continues as an invitation: to slow down, to feel, to reconnect, and to remember that we are all in this together, and that we don’t have to do life alone all the time.

Sitting with a group of other human beings for an hour and a half can sometimes be the most sensible and radical way to gently disrupt the rhythm of everyday life.

If this resonates with you, please join us for our monthly sit. We look forward to welcoming you.

With love,
Sandy