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This summer, something unexpected took shape at the IEA Conference in Minneapolis: Pause 9.
More than an installation, it was a living work of art—part sanctuary, part inquiry, and an out-of-the-ordinary experience. Pause 9 offered a unique way in: a pause that bypassed the intellect and opened the heart.
Like all of DLL’s work, Pause 9 was rooted in Roxanne Howe-Murphy’s forthcoming book, The Four Sacred Portals™. These portals—Sacred Holding, Sacred Trust, Sacred Connectedness, and Sacred Engagement—offer pathways into our deepest capacities to live from and engage with life in kinship and wholeness.
Pause 9 translated these teachings into an experiential, sensory space. In less than ten minutes, participants were invited to slow down, soften, and reconnect with the intelligence of the heart. Some left with a sense of being held, others with renewed trust, or a felt connection to themselves.
Those who experienced Pause 9 may remember being invited to step into the quiet space amid the bustle of the conference and discover a deeper rhythm of being. Through silence, subtle cues, and nature-inspired imagery, participants reflected on questions like: What do you trust in this moment?
Art has always carried the power to midwife us through times of upheaval. At a moment when words falter and systems fracture, art opens a different doorway: one of imagination, beauty, and deep presence. It allows us to open to the truth that only the heart can know.
The making of Pause 9 itself was an artistic expression—and an act of community. Over six months, an intergenerational group of artists, designers, and spiritual guides co-created the installation. Each person brought their vision, skills, and heart, and together something larger than any one of us emerged. The process itself was as important as the installation that was unveiled.
The Four Sacred Portals™ were not abstract ideas guiding us from the outside; they were alive within the creative process, and within us:
- Sacred Holding provided the bedrock that supported our inner resources and allow them to serve a greater good.
- Sacred Trust carried us through uncertainty and experimentation.
- Sacred Connectedness allowed our diverse contributions to weave together.
- Sacred Engagement called us to show up fully and meet life with open hands, open heart, and an open mind.
“This is the time when we must stop standing outside our lives, analyzing or judging what is happening in the world around us, and instead allow life to move through us. At each portal, at each threshold, we are invited to let Love move through us and take action in the unique ways only we can offer. When we shift from viewing life from the outside as a separate entity to being fully immersed in the experience and allowing it to be within us, then our hearts are in resonance with the heart of life.” – Roxanne Howe-Murphy, EdD, The Four Sacred Portals ™.
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Pause 9 was a moment. Life is a journey.
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We invite you to walk with us at Deep Living Lab.
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