Creating Space: The How and Why

Creating Space: The How and Why

Some of my best ideas come to me when I’m on my yoga mat or spending time in nature by myself. How about you? What have you noticed when you create space in your life; e.g. when you sit still, stop doing and get out of your head and into your body? Feel free to add to the list below.

What happens when we create space? 

We feel:

  • Calm and relaxed
  • Playful
  • Free
  • More Joy
  • Connected to our “true” selves

We:

  • are open to new people and opportunities coming into our lives
  • allow negative thoughts and emotions to surface and be released
  • provide space for creative ideas to emerge
  • experience improved health
  • get clear on what is really important to us.

How can we create space? Here are a few ways I’ve found helpful. 

  • Spending time in nature
  • Meditating daily
  • Leaving my calendar “open”
  • Doing yoga 3 times a week
  • Painting
  • Journaling regularly

How can you start “Creating Space” in Your Life?

I – A good place to begin is by answering the following questions:

  • What fills me up? and 2) What drains me?

Here are a few examples to get you started

What fills me up?

  • Spending time in nature
  • Painting
  • Writing
  • Regular Yoga practice
  • Spending time with my grandbabies

What drains me?

  • So many emails
  • Feeling responsible for others
  • A totally planned and structured life
  • The “shoulds” in my life
  • Old programming that says in order for me to be loved and valued I need to achieve and perform.

II – Review your two lists/ answers to what fills you up and what drains you. Commit to integrating two or more items from “what fills you up” into your life starting tomorrow and start to reduce and eliminate two or more items that “drain you”. Over time, continue adding and eliminating things from your lists and notice how you feel and what your days look like.

It is important to do this in your own time, listening to your body. Remember this is not a race or an opportunity to say to yourself “look at all the new things I’m doing”. Rather, it is to assist you in getting out of your head and into your body; to becoming more consciously aware of what you do, how you feel, and what things bring you joy.

I’m doing an experiment this summer and have committed to “creating more space in my life” and to noticing what my life looks and feels like when I do this. How about you? Does this idea intrigue you? 

I’d love to hear your thoughts, and strategies you use to create space in your life. Feel free to comment below and to share this post with others.

 

 

 

 

An Open Letter to Mom: Celebrating Moms & Motherhood

An Open Letter to Mom: Celebrating Moms & Motherhood

My Mom was an amazing woman. Sadly she died too young at 62, after living with metastases from breast cancer from age 54. When she passed, I consciously looked at myself, and my life, and realized that I did not want to die young. I reflected on some of the ways I lived my life and decided to take better care of myself; instead of give, give, giving as my dear mother did, to start setting better boundaries. Gabor Mate in his book When the Body Says No cites powerful evidence regarding “cancer personalities”. He shares how many of his clients who die of cancer give to everyone else and tend to put themselves at the bottom of the list; and rarely if ever show anger.

My Mom was one of these people. She never had a negative word to say about anyone. She was the first one to be at someone’s home with a casserole when a friend or relative passed or got sick. She was creative; a poet and writer, and she did many crafts. She was warm, kind and thoughtful.

Thank you Mom for all I learned from you. You were so patient. You encouraged my creativity. You trusted me and let me find my way, even though I was quite adventurous and from a young age loved to climb on play structures and hang upside down on swing sets. You supported me when I backpacked Europe by myself even though I’m sure you had some concerns about it. Thanks for always being there! I appreciate when you advised me to start coming home earlier at night in my teens as Dad was getting upset. Thanks Mom for all the songs you taught me. Now with my own grandchildren, many of those songs “are coming back to me”. I love singing them to my four grandchildren under three. Who knew! …  Thanks Mom for loving me unconditionally.

Mother’s Day is coming up soon. It’s an opportunity to tell your Mother how much you care about and value her. Whether she’s still alive or has already passed, I encourage you to write an open letter to your Mom.

I invite you to share your reflections and comments below. Feel free to share this post with others.