Can spaciousness be a spiritual practice? Can you cultivate spaciousness? What is spaciousness, anyway?
This word entered my heart after a lovely week of relaxation and delightful weather in Florida. My body and my soul felt different. Healed. Whole. Where before the trip I was tense, depressed, and battered by many internal and external storms, a sense of tranquility surrounded me once home. The space within me, my internal spaciousness transformed.
I have been on vacations before, but this one was different. I came home with more peace and this sense of fresh spaciousness. What was different? I want to learn from this time so I can carry more spaciousness into my life as I move forward. What elements did I observe?
I am one who is always striving and one who likes to stay in control. I am learning as I enter this wonderful later stage of life to lesson my grip on my circumstances and to hold things lightly and be more open and adaptive. What a unique space to live and explore. Did I bring this new point of view on vacation with me this time?
Looking back on my time in Florida here are the elements I noticed:
Slowness – We moved at a slower pace while on vacation. Yes, we used our watches, but time didn’t dictate our behaviors as much as it does as home. I wonder if how I lessen my reliance on the tick-tock hours if the sense of spaciousness would rise at home. If I moved my body slower? Ate slower? Wrote slower? Who am I competing with in a race anyway?
Senses – All my senses were heightened as we traveled. Perhaps because places were new, I was more aware and at home things are the same. I become so accustomed to the same noises and smells at my house. The term is called house blindness when our brains stop seeing clutter or even normal environment of our homes since we see it every day. I bet this type of sensory blindness takes over me spiritually too. What am I missing with my dulled senses? Becoming aware certainly helps. Rituals do too. Praying to see with new eyes would be helpful.
Somatic – Somatic refers to the body. I breathed differently on vacation. Ever watch a cat? I think I treated my body like a cat. Slower deep breathing. I stared out the windows. I watched sunrises and sunsets. I stretched. I don’t think I purred but maybe…
Soak in the present – staying in the present moment definitely helps in the practice of spaciousness. I know my mind no longer worried about the what if’s of the future or the if I could only change the past. I savored the present moment and held its beauty. I paid attention as I listened deeply to my hubby and friends as they shared in conversations and fun times together. In my moments of prayer, my mind wandered less. God is always present in every space, but I was more aware of the Presence in the present.
It feels good to name these elements and gather them into my toolbox to use for practicing spaciousness in the journey of life. What do you think?
What would you add to this list to create spaciousness?