When you press the pause button on a machine it stops. When you press the pause button on human beings, they start." Dov Seidman. Pausing is part of living and breathing. It allows you the space to notice new possibilities, question existing ways of acting or simply appreciate the life you are living. Discover the benefits of pauses - short or long, daily or annually, the forces that work against it, and learn practical ways to design more conscious pause in our lives.

Robert Poynton is an Associate Fellow of the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. He designs and facilitates workshops, programs, retreats and events. Many of his friends regard his entire career as one long pause. He lives in Spain, is a co-founder of On Your Feet - a consultancy based in Portland, Oregon, and the author of Do Improvise.