Sneaky Energy: Building Power in Moments of Stillness

If you've ever been on a roller coaster, you know that feeling as the car pauses at the top of a massive drop. You also understand that this space is anything but empty; it's full of potential: excitement, anticipation, regret, joy, even fear (maybe a little nausea?). There's so much going on in that pause that even though it's only a few seconds, it can feel like forever. What if we intentionally harnessed the power behind that pause to get the most out of our experiences? Keep reading...

Three Types of Powerful Pauses

• The Strength Charger: Holding challenging positions builds potential energy

Example: Extra breath in chair pose or plank creates explosive power

Practice tip: Find your edge (no pain, though!), then hold 2-3 breaths longer

• The Mindful Micro-Pause: Brief stillness between movements amplifies awareness and creates clean transitions instead of blurred motion.

Practical application: Count "one-one-thousand" between pose transitions

• The Reset Point: Complete stillness that recalibrates your nervous system.

  This one is my favorite, and I cue it in every class. As you move from one position to another, pause to notice and reset.

  
  

Quick technique: 30-second stillness with directed breath

The most powerful moments often emerge from moments of perfect stillness. As you move through your practice this month, experiment with the sneaky power of the pause—those strategic moments when you're not just waiting but actively building potential energy. Notice how holding a challenging pose one breath longer changes what follows. Feel how a three-second reset between movements creates cleaner, more intentional transitions. The next time you feel stuck, consider that you might not be truly stuck at all—you might simply be in that powerful loading phase, gathering energy for your next breakthrough. Your body understands this physics intuitively. Trust the process, embrace the pause, and watch as potential energy transforms into kinetic power, both on and off your mat. Boom.