Episode 27: The Power of the Pause with Deirdre Wilcox

Posted on by Wynne Leon

Have you had a joy snack today? It’s when you stop to take in something that might otherwise go unnoticed but when you pay attention, you get a bite of joy. I’d never heard of joy snacks before this podcast conversation I had with meditation and yoga teacher, and massage therapist, Deirdre Wilcox, but tidbits like this are just one reason that she’s one of the people I regularly go to for wise counsel. And in this episode of the podcast, Deirdre and I talk about the power of the pause.

Deirdre talks about the pause she implements when we converse, the moment to let a question sink in so that she can respond in a thoughtful way that is more in-line with her wise mind. We talk about how pauses can help us when our buttons are pushed so that we can work to build bridges instead of walls with the people we love. Or in the cases where building walls is the most appropriate course of action, that we do it intentionally.

Deirdre introduces me to the idea of interosception – the way the mind perceives and gathers all the available input from the body – and how pauses to allow that to work to create freedom from our 1st level reactions into more accurate responses that are in-line with our deeper wisdom.

In this episode, we hear about the breath practices that help us to align with small pauses. In the breath, we can find ways to notice all the pauses in life around us – in the ocean, the lunar cycle, the solstices and find a way to anchor our natural pauses.

At the end of our time together, Deirdre describes a few small pauses she takes in a day to notice and remember what is around and how these short moments of mindfulness can help to slow our race through life and instead enjoy the here and now.

This is a great episode about using an extra beat to access better information, respond with more care, and pay closer attention. I know you’ll love it.

Episode 129: Wish I Was Here with Ilsa Rey – Sharing the Heart of the Matter

Wynne Leon and Vicki Atkinson talk with author Ilsa Rey about her book, Wish I Was Here that will be released on December 23, 2025. The conversation delves into the thrilling narrative where Anna's best friend Isaac invents an invisibility pill and is kidnapped for it. In a desperate attempt to save him, Anna takes the pill herself, leading to a race against time to find him and secure the antidote before she remains invisible forever.Ilsa tells us about her 10 year journey of writing the book as well as all the ways she used rejection and feedback to grow. We talk about writing in the zone as well as the research that goes into great books like Wish I Was Here.TakeawaysAnna's best friend Isaac invents an invisibility pill.Isaac is kidnapped for his invention.Anna takes the invisibility pill to save herself.She has one week to find Isaac and the antidote.Remaining invisible could lead to insanity and death.Anna must follow clues left by Isaac.The story explores themes of friendship and urgency.The narrative is filled with adventure and suspense.The invisibility pill serves as a catalyst for the plot.The stakes are high as Anna races against time.Links for this episode:For show notes and more great inspiration, please see https://sharingtheheartofthematter.comVideo Trailer for "Wish I Was Here": https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Py-B0EbMMmEV3QBsxDHxVX4Pfr3d04wy/view?usp=sharingPurchase Wish I Was Here on Black Rose WritingIlsa's blog: Writing and Martial ArtsFrom the Hosts:Vicki’s book about resilience and love: Surviving Sue; Blog: https://victoriaponders.com/Wynne’s book about her beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith; Blog: https://wynneleon.com/
  1. Episode 129: Wish I Was Here with Ilsa Rey
  2. Episode 128: This is Your Body on Trauma with Meg Bowman
  3. Episode 127: King Copper with Lauren Scott
  4. Episode 126: Cherry Whip with Michael Antman
  5. Episode 125: Jade's Broken Bridge with Michele Lee Sefton

Search (and subscribe!) for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Apple, Amazon, Spotify or Pocket Casts OR Listen to on Anchor Episode 27: The Power of the Pause with Deirdre Wilcox

Links for this Episode:

Episode 27: The Power of the Pause with Deirdre Wilcox on Anchor

Deirdre’s website: http://deirdrewilcox.com

22 thoughts on “Episode 27: The Power of the Pause with Deirdre Wilcox”

  1. Joy snack sounds like a wonderful concept – and I don’t mean a bag of pork rinds. 😆 I’ll have to think about how I intentionally find the time to do that today – likely a bike ride with our T.

    Have a nice weekend ahead with your family, Wynne!

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  2. I’m with Ab…a ‘joy snack’ sounds yummy…and purposeful! Thanks, Wynne…and Deirdre. I love the reminders to slow things down, take an extra beat…or two…to improve the quality of our responses, our interactions. Listening to you two = joy snack! 😘

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    1. Slow things down, take an extra beat – you’ve summed up so much great wisdom! By the way, I found my glasses yesterday over by the bag of Doritos the kids left on the counter. I’m not sure that it counts as a joy snack but it was evidence I was over there eating something… 🙂

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  8. I haven’t listened to this yet, but I’d better get on with it so I don’t miss out on any more joy snacks. A joy snack in my world today would be making a check beside the items that I’m so far behind on, but that sounds a lot like work! I’m going for a few bites out of a joy-full snack—the calorie-less kind!

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