The Space Between
This week's post takes a look at the balance in your spaces.
"Each place is the right place–the place where I now am can be a sacred space." ~Ravi Ravindra
In the world of typography, kerning is vital as an element of good design. It's the principle of adjusting the space between two specific characters to achieve a visually harmonious and fluid appearance in a typeface. Kerning is relational to the chosen font. Because letterforms have various widths, it's essential to distance them proportionally for you to perceive a proper balance.
The negative and positive spaces are equally important.
Negative adjustments bring letters closer together, while positive provide a bit of breathing room between characters. These small changes create a comfortable and natural flow as you read.
This fundamental concept can be applied to your life as well.
There are times when you need to be closer to your thoughts, feelings, and biases. To examine them and make micro-adjustments for growth and balance. As crucial is the need for space. For ease. For play. For rest. For lightness. This freedom allows you to recharge. The expanse between your mind and spirit is where you will find your joie de vivre.
This internal line of communication directly impacts the health of your physical body. The frequency at which you resonate—your energy—reflects the balance of your positive and negative spaces.
Mindfulness is the key to gaining access to your "spaces" and harnessing your well-being. This practice provides perspective, clarity, and discipline, and helps you better navigate your emotional landscape. Using mindfulness techniques lets you directly tap into your inner wisdom, helping to provide you with what you need precisely when you need it.
My question to you: Are you willing to give yourself the gift of presence in your day?
Insight to Action: Once you intentionally decide to spend more time in stillness and less time mindlessly chasing movement, you will notice that much of what you do is unnecessary. When you occupy your body, speech, and mind with excessive activity, you are distracted from what really matters. There's far more time to do the things that are important to you. There's far more space in the world than you realize.
Try the following as you go about your day...
Do only one thing at a time, avoid multitasking
Notice how often during your day you get the opportunity to do nothing
Can you take advantage of these moments and do less?
Notice when you fill space with mindless or busy-ing activity
Notice when you fill space in your mind by thinking
How often, outside of formal meditation, do you just sit and notice and listen?