The Healing Pause: Bringing mindfulness to Baylor Scott & White Health

As physicians, we are trained to respond swiftly—to analyze, intervene and stay in motion. But somewhere along the journey of stethoscopes and charting, I found myself asking, “What happens when we forget to pause?”

“The Healing Pause” is a simple, three-breath ritual I began practicing during the quiet in-between moments of clinical care—between patient visits, before walking into a hospital room or after receiving difficult news. It has now become the heartbeat of how I center myself, reconnect with my purpose and extend care—not just to others, but also to myself.

The power of mindfulness

Mindfulness is a simple way to support your mental health. By focusing on the present moment, you can reduce stress, improve emotional balance, and feel more connected to yourself and those around you. It’s not necessarily about clearing your mind but noticing what is happening in that moment and responding with greater awareness. By simply pausing during a busy day, mindfulness can help you find calm and clarity when life feels overwhelming.

Where it began

I developed this ritual during a time of deep transition in my life—moving cities, leaving a former institution and stepping into a new role here at Baylor Scott & White Health. Amidst the movement, I found myself craving stillness. I didn’t need long meditations or elaborate routines. I just needed a pause that felt like a reset.

And so, I began with three intentional breaths:

1. One breath to arrive in the body.
2. One breath to acknowledge the human in front of me.
3. One breath to return to compassion.

Sometimes I whisper this to myself internally: “I am here. They are seen. We are safe.”

Other times, I simply breathe and feel the shift—my shoulders soften, my voice steadies and my presence deepens.

A mindful pause that connects

People I care for have often told me, “You really saw me today.” I believe it’s because they felt what I felt—the power of presence.

In a world that moves fast and demands a lot, presence is the medicine we often forget to prescribe. The Healing Pause allows me to meet each person not just with my clinical mind, but with my whole being. And in that space, healing deepens—for both of us.

A practice for colleagues, too

I’ve shared this practice informally with colleagues who, like me, were feeling the strain of burnout. Whether between back-to-back visits or preparing for a family meeting, taking these three breaths has been a gentle but profound way to re-anchor ourselves.

It’s a way to say, “I see you. Let’s breathe. Let’s begin again.”

Bringing mindfulness to Baylor Scott & White Health

I’m grateful to be part of a medical community that values not just clinical excellence but also human connection. Baylor Scott & White Health has given me the space to bring this ritual into both patient care and physician wellness conversations—from one-on-one moments to broader dialogues on mindfulness in medicine.

Eventually, I hope “The Healing Pause” takes flight more widely through talks, trainings and tools—but for now, I’m simply beginning where I am: one breath at a time.

To any healthcare professional reading this:

You don’t have to have it all figured out. You don’t have to fix everything in a day. But if you can take one breath—fully, consciously—you’ve already begun to return to yourself.

That, to me, is healing.

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