Embrace slow. Take a pause.

Conscious Living practice #3

Welcome to the third installment of our conscious living practice series. I’ve shared more about why I’m starting this here. I aim to deepen mindfulness and enrich our shared journey toward conscious living. Previously, we dive into what truly matters in our lives.

Does it feel like life hit the fast-forward button as soon as the year began? If so, you’re not alone.

My life has gone on a fast track since the year turned 2025. It may be because we have a big trip coming up. We are going home to Malaysia for the Chinese New Year (yay!), also known as the Lunar New Year.

So this year, after many years since I've not celebrated back home, I once again find myself in the interlude—the time after New Year but before the Lunar New Year.

The interlude is the in-between. The pause. The space between the closing of one door and the opening of another, full of anticipation.

For those who celebrate, the Lunar New Year is a time of renewal, family, and connection—much like a second chance to start the year fresh.

Even if you’re not among the 2 billion of us celebrating this occasion, why not join in and revel in this interlude?

Let’s take a moment to slow down and create space before diving into all our intentions for the year. By inviting slowness into our lives this month, we can step into the Year of the Snake¹ with clarity and calm.

Photo by Morgane Le Breton on Unsplash

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Here’s what we are going to do

For the next two weeks, let’s take deliberate pauses in our lives. As we go about our day, we can keep these thoughts in mind. Choose one or more that resonate with you. There’s no need for perfection—the goal is to invite more mindful slowness into our lives.

• Observe times of the day that feel most rushed. How can we slow it down? If we rush too often, we will miss the special moments.

• When someone seeks to connect, stop whatever you are doing or thinking, look the person in the eyes, and give them your full attention. Listen. Connect. This is incredibly impactful with children.

• Pause before reacting. Breathe. Count to 10. Allow the lag time between experiencing emotion and giving a reaction. Pause before verbally responding or answering a question. Give yourself a moment to gather your thoughts.

For those looking to deepen their practice, choose one or more of the following to practice, or you may even create one of your own. Choose a frequency that is doable for you. The goal is to fill your cup and embrace calm.

• Give yourself permission to slow down. Meditate, do yoga, read a book, paint, or take a bath.

• Practice calm. Set aside a quiet time of the day to light a candle, sway to slow music, or practice a grounding exercise.

• Communing with nature. Go for an awe walk, walk slowly, and engage all your senses—see, smell, hear, and feel the breeze or cold on your skin.

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Share with us

I’d love to hear how you create space to slow down in daily life. Let’s inspire each other!

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1. The snake (蛇) is the sixth of the twelve-year cycle of animals that appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The coming Lunar New Year will signify the start of the Year of the Snake.