Pause, Rest, Be - by Octavia F Raheem (Paperback)

About the Book

"If you're trying to push your way through endings, beginnings, and places of uncertainty, only to find yourself more confused, disconnected, tired, and uncertain, this book will hold and fortify you. Yoga teacher and activist, Octavia Raheem, offers us the motivation and guidance we need to restore ourselves in the midst of all sorts of change. Change in our lives-whether it be welcome, joyful, challenging, or more subtle-presents us with the opportunity to pause and gather our energy to work with whatever lies ahead. Drawing wisdom from yoga philosophy and her many years of teaching experience, Octavia Raheem offers us the motivation and guidance we need to restore ourselves in the midst of all types of change. Raheem gives us three simple restorative yoga poses (savasana, side lying pose, and child's pose), and offers short teachings, reflections, and practices to see us through times of ending, beginning, and liminal/transitional space. She shows us how slowing down, stillness, and deeper connection to our own transitions empower us to move through collective shifts with more grace-and what it means to navigate shifts and change with presence and courage. Each section includes fifteen short chapters that encourage us to rest, evoke memory, journal, pray, practice, and inquire about what we believe is possible for the future. In doing so, we are invited to come home to right now with a renewed sense of connection across space, time, and our human collective"--

Book Synopsis

Gold Nautilus Book Award Winner

Restoring your body, mind, and spirit amid change is an act of courage, empowerment, and hope. This warm, powerful guide will help you honor the changes and spaces in your life with purposeful rest and reflection.

If you're trying to push your way through endings, beginnings, and places of uncertainty, only to find yourself more confused, disconnected, tired, and uncertain, this book will hold and fortify you. Yoga teacher and activist Octavia Raheem offers us the motivation and guidance we need to restore ourselves in the midst of all sorts of change. Change in our lives--whether it be welcome, joyful, challenging, or more subtle--presents us with the opportunity to pause and gather our energy to work with whatever lies ahead.

Drawing wisdom from yoga philosophy and her many years of teaching experience, Raheem offers us the motivation and guidance we need to restore ourselves in the midst of all types of change. She gives us three simple restorative yoga poses (savasana, side lying pose, and child's pose), and offers short teachings, reflections, and practices to see us through times of ending, beginning, and liminal/transitional space. She shows us how slowing down, stillness, and deeper connection to our own transitions empower us to move through collective shifts with more grace--and what it means to navigate shifts and change with presence and courage.

Review Quotes

"Octavia Raheem has the authentic, searing voice of a teacher who is intimate with the mercurial nature of transformation. Pause, Rest, Be contains powerful stories, expertly guided restorative postures, and anchors for self-study and reflection. Radical, meaningful, and practical medicine for a volatile, rapidly changing world."
--Bo Forbes, Psy.D., E-RYT, C-IAYT author of Yoga for Emotional Balance

"In need of an inner reset? Look no further than Pause, Rest, Be. Octavia's wise and honest teachings put the reader at ease and give us permission to embrace more of our true self than we ever thought possible."
--Light Watkins, author of Knowing Where to Look

"It's not an exaggeration to say that Pause, Rest, Be is life changing. Like a restorative backward bend, our heart opens and heals with the support of Octavia Raheem's words. This book is like a song, and could be called 'Octavia's Gita.' How lucky we are to hear her siren song, drawing us back to the truth of our essential self."
--Jivana Heyman, author of Accessible Yoga and Yoga Revolution

"Pause, Rest, Be emerged from an old, wise, ancestral place. It contains prayers, musings, teachings, and practices that coax us into allowing ourselves to slow down, develop a more intimate relationship with ourselves, and most importantly, rest. It is clear Octavia Raheem channeled Spirit as she was writing the gift that is Pause, Rest, Be because each section, prayer, practice, and word feels as if it is infused with Spirit. Raheem offers a different way for us to see endings, the between space, and beginnings. It is the reframe we need at this time. It is the medicine, the spell, the potent potion that will heal us all."
--Michelle C. Johnson, author of Skill in Action and Finding Refuge

"This book is a prayer that invites us all to be still enough to notice that each transition is a portal to healing, remembering, and knowing. Octavia Raheem weaves practices and sacred wisdom in practical ways that honor where we are at any given moment on our journey."
--Tracee Stanley, author of Radiant Rest

"A sacred call inward--home to yourself. Pause, Rest, Be is a poetic prayer of real-life wisdom, and the depth of stillness is felt on the page. Octavia's words are a soothing invitation for us to courageously do what most of us fiercely resist: slowing down, letting go, and listening. Whether you are mourning the loss of an old life, in the midst of vast uncertainty, or beginning a new chapter, this book will support you to soften, feel, rest, and move closer to the truth of who you are."
--Shannon Algeo, author of Trust Your Truth

"Place this book on your nightstand or altar. But wherever you place it, keep it close at hand. It is a banquet, a feast for the soul. Turn to any page and be fed by the wisdom of the ages. Inspired and inspiring, this is a brilliant offering from Octavia Raheem."
--Gail Parker, PhD, author of Restorative Yoga for Ethnic and Race-Based Stress and Trauma, and Transforming Ethnic and Race-Based Trauma with Yoga.

"Part practice, part poetry, this book will feed your soul. Octavia is a magnificent voice of truth. In a sea of overachievement, Octavia reminds us that rest is just as powerful as action, and that through rest, we can align to an even greater sense truth."
--Justin Michael Williams, author of Stay Woke

"For those of us who carry the weight of the world on our shoulder and in our hearts, Octavia Raheem's words offer a call to rest that is not about denial or selfishness, but instead is about the rest that is required if we are to live fully and embrace the complexity of our shared humanity. Pause, Rest, Be is an antidote to a culture of speed and burnout (often rooted in trauma), and a call to remember who we really are and can be."
--Hala Khouri, M.A., SEP, E-RYT author of Peace from Anxiety

"This inspiring guide helps readers honor life's detours with hope, reflection, and renewed joy."
--Woman's World

"Through the lens of three restorative yoga postures, she offers poetic and compassionately grounded reflections on endings (Corpse Pose), the space in-between (Side-Lying Pose), and new beginnings (Child's Pose). Raheem encourages us to slow down and be present with the emotions and stress that arise during times of transition and transformation. Detailed instructions and photos guide us into each pose, and her personal stories and prompts invite us to root deeply into our own insight and courage within the storminess of change."
--Mindful Magazine

About the Author

OCTAVIA F. RAHEEM is a wife, mother, and author of two books--Gather and Pause, Rest, Be. She is the founder of Devoted to Rest(TM), a transformational, rest-focused immersion for visionary leaders making a high impact in their fields. She teaches high-achieving individuals how to awaken their fullest potential through the power of rest. With 10,000+ hours of training and teaching experience, she is a true luminary in the areas of rest, restorative arts, wellness, and yoga. Octavia has been featured in Yoga Journal, Well + Good, Tricycle, and more.