The Stop Exercise

Where it comes from

The Stop exercise comes from the teacher G. I. Gurdjieff, who used it with his students in the early 20th century. At an unexpected command of "Stop!", everyone had to freeze instantly, in whatever posture they were in, mid-step or mid-gesture, and hold still while observing themselves.

The point is to catch yourself in the middle of ordinary life, before you have time to arrange yourself. In that frozen moment you can see your posture, your tension and your thoughts exactly as they are. Osho later taught a version of the exercise too, and a similar idea appears in the Vigyan Bhairava Tantra: just as you have the impulse to do something, stop.

You can practice it alone with a random timer, as below, while you go about your normal tasks.

How to practice

1. Choose an ordinary activity you can safely pause at any moment, such as tidying, walking around the house or washing up.
2. Start the Stop timer below. It will ring a bell at random moments.
3. Carry on with your activity normally until you hear the bell.
4. The moment it rings, freeze completely, in whatever position you are in. Don't adjust anything.
5. Hold still for a few breaths and notice: your posture, where you are tense, what you were thinking. Then continue.

Tips

• Freeze exactly as you are, even if it's awkward. The awkward moments show you the most.
• Notice what you were thinking at the moment of the bell. It is often surprising.
• Use it only during activities that are safe to pause. Never while cooking at the stove, driving or carrying something heavy.

A note of care

Only practice during activities that are safe to stop suddenly. If a frozen posture is uncomfortable, come out of it gently.