Pause for Breath: bringing the practitices of mindfulness and dialogue to leadership conversations

Amanda Ridings, BSc (hons) 1983

Pause for Breath: bringing the practices of mindfulness and dialogue to leadership conversations This book is for leaders, coaches and practitioners who are intrigued by their contribution to, and impact in, conversations, and who are committed to cultivating an authentic presence and voice.

The book explores:

• The influence of internal dialogue on your interactions with others and your effectiveness in your organisation;
• How to increase your versatility in challenging or delicate conversations and to develop capacity for doing this in ‘bad weather’ (adverse conditions); and
• How to germinate systemic change, one leadership conversation at a time.

The core theme explores how to bring mindfulness – full mind, body and spirit awareness – to conversational encounters in order to break out of habitual and often unproductive cycles of exchange born of ready-formed thoughts, opinions and beliefs.

The aim is to develop the capacity for 'slow conversations' rather like slow food, which draws on fresh ingredients, mixed carefully. In slow conversations, time is taken to sense and select thinking and feeling responses through developing a deeper congruence with self and greater connectedness with others. In seeking to encourage more spacious conversations, the book offers a blend of theory, practice and personal experiences and invites the reader to begin their own inquiry into the conversational exchanges they take part in or witness.

'This innovative book offers a unique blend of practices using physical, emotional and spiritual components that are down to earth yet powerful enough to shift unpleasant interactions into skilful and satisfying communication.' Wendy Palmer, author of The Practice of Freedom and The Intuitive Body 'Like breath itself, the text has a lightness and rhythm that invites us into a profound sense of space and possibility which is also familiar and ordinary.

This is a practical roadmap for those seeking more satisfying conversations and more enduring results.’ Susan Szpakowski, Executive Director, ALIA Institute, and author of Little Book of Practice

ISBN: 9781906954239