Welcome to Rhythms of Rest.
I am your host,
Ebony D.
Howell.
Today we're going to talk about spaciousness.
Spaciousness is the intentional creation of room in our lives.
Room to breathe,
Notice,
To feel,
Heal,
And to respond rather than react.
This is the practice of living with enough margin to be fully present to ourselves,
Others,
And to the sacred.
Spaciousness is the wide open place within us that emerges when urgency loses its grip.
It is the pause between breaths,
The silence between notes,
The clearing in the forest.
It is the stretch of the sky between clouds.
Spaciousness is what allows us to hear our own hearts again.
Is not about doing less simply for the sake of doing less.
It is about making room for what is essential.
Room for Wonder.
Room for rest.
Room for grief.
Room for joy,
Room for God.
Spaciousness reminds us that life is not meant to be crammed full.
Like the seasons,
The tides,
And the rhythm of our own breath,
We were created with room for both movement and stillness.
To practice spaciousness is to trust that we do not have to feel every moment in order for our lives to be meaningful.
So let's begin.
Find a comfortable position that's nourishing to your body.
You may choose to sit in a chair,
Rest on a cushion,
Or even lie down.
Allow your hands to rest gently wherever they feel supported.
And if it feels safe.
Soften your gaze or close your eyes.
Take a slow breath in.
In a gentle breath out.
Again.
Inhale slowly.
Exhale completely.
There is nowhere you need to be right now.
Nothing you need to accomplish.
Nothing you need to prove.
For these next few moments simply.
Allow yourself to be here.
Notice the places where your body is supported.
Feel the chair beneath you,
The ground under your feet,
The earth holding your weight.
Take another slow breath.
As you inhale,
Imagine creating space within yourself.
And as you exhale,
Release any tension you do not need to carry right now.
Breathing in.
You make room.
Breathing out.
You release and let go.
Notice your thoughts without trying to change them.
My clouds moving across a summer sky allow them to drift by.
Any sounds in your surrounding,
Allow them to just be.
You don't need to follow them.
You don't need to solve them.
Simply notice.
And return to your breath.
Now bring your awareness to the space around you.
The space between your body and the walls.
The space between one breath and the next.
The space between one thought to another.
Consider that spaciousness is not something that you must create.
It is already here.
Beneath the noise.
Beneath the urgency.
Beneath the striving.
There's a quiet,
Open place within you that has never been lost.
Rest there for a few breaths.
Imagine your heart expanding with each exhale.
Not becoming larger.
But becoming less crowded.
More open.
More available.
More free.
Now silently repeat.
I have permission to slow down.
I have permission to breathe.
I have permission to take up space.
I have permission to rest.
As this practice comes to a close,
Place one hand over your heart if that feels comfortable.
Offer yourself this blessing.
May I release the deed to rush?
May I trust the wisdom of enough.
May I make room for joy,
Wonder,
And rest.
May I move through this day.
With gentleness and grace.
Take one final deep breath in.
And a long slow breath out.
When you are ready.
Gently wiggle your fingers and toes.
And slowly return your attention to the room around you.
Carry the spaciousness with you.
The wide open place within remains available whenever you choose to return.
Spaciousness is not found by escaping your life,
It is discovered by fully arriving in it.
With affirmations and grace.
Until next time.
