“I struggled with health issues my whole life due to stress. As a massage therapist of twenty years, I wanted to understand stress and how it affects the body and mind. The practices of mindfulness and emotional intelligence came to my attention. I attended a week-long intensive retreat on the neuroscience of yoga and meditation. At the retreat, I lived mindfully or in the present moment. I was aware of what I was doing and my surroundings were peaceful. Stress was reduced.

Well, of course it was! I had meals prepared for me, attended classes, and performed mindful exercises.

When I got back to my daily life, being mindful and in the moment was impossible. I was like a squirrel. My attention span was all over the place. I needed to understand why mindfulness was so hard. I looked to the sky, asked God for guidance, and three powerful words came to me, “Pause Breathe Proceed.”

These three words are a reminder to stop that freight train our mind and body live on. Our brain is wired to react in a certain way to just about every situation. Pause Breathe Proceed is a simple process anyone can use throughout their day to actually rewire the brain to respond differently and find peace, power and purpose.

My husband, Kevin, is an engineer. He would never go to yoga, meditation or mindfulness class, but he can easily bring Pause Breathe Proceed into his day. (He also reminds me to pause and breathe occasionally!)

Although my life is not stress-free, my stress is controlled and I am free. My physical, mental, emotional and social health are strong. I am learning so much about myself. This is what I wish for you too!”