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1/10/2024
Time and space
Our current society encourages "busyness" and it is easy to fill our days with tasks and obligations. It is not surprising that many people find themselves, exhausted, uninspired, and, wishing for, you guessed it, more time... An additional 24 hours in a year is not going to change how we relate to time. It is however an opportunity to reflect on it and to assess if we are making the best use of our time. The concept of time inevitably leads to the concept of space. After all, one can't exist without the other, as theorized by Einstein. Space is a word I use quite often in my teachings. To a certain extent, yoga creates space in our body, in our mind, in our breath. The physical aspect of yoga (asanas) allows us to improve our flexibility and strength, hence, achieving a sense of spaciousness in the body as opposed to congestion. The breathing and mindfulness techniques (pranayamas and meditation) do the same for our mind; they allow us to achieve a sense of overall well being, and to connect to the present. In other words, a regular yoga practice can lead to more space in the mind and body. This morning, as I was finishing my personal yoga practice, my teacher asked us to bring our mind to a place that creates a sense of calm for us. In the past, my imaginary place of calm was typically a meadow or a forest. I would imagine myself walking in nature, feeling a light breeze on my skin.
Today, I instinctually moved "within". I shifted my gaze towards my heart, started breathing mindfully, and connected to the sense of calmness that resides within me. And I smiled. I smiled, because at that moment, I realized that, amongst other things, this sense of calm within myself was a direct result of some specific changes I made in my life, in relation to "space". Are you one who wishes to have more time? If so, what would you do if you had more time? Learn a new hobby? Travel? Spend time with family and friends? Work more? Sleep more? Are you one who often says "I am so busy..." "I have no time..." If that resonates with you, take a moment to consider some practical measures I've implemented in the last few years (and some quite recently) to assert control over my time, rather than letting time dictate my days. BY CREATING SPACE I NOW HAVE MORE TIME 1) I leave space between meetings, classes, tasks. In other words, my daily calendar has spacious holes in it. This was not always the case but I am now quite comfortable with the term under achiever. I no longer need to see my daily calendar filled with productive tasks. The empty space in my calendar gives me wiggle room to start, continue, or finish anything, or to simply rest. 2) I created space between "myself" and "people" who unintentionally drain my energy. I choose who I spend time with, how long and how I spend time with them. The idea here is not to avoid everyone but to monitor and modify how I engage with them. It is self-preservation and it has made a huge difference in my life. 3) I deleted social media from my phone. When I want my fix of social media, I now have to open my laptop and I tend to spend less time on it. By doing so, I have more brain space, and more time on my hand. If you haven't done so already, evaluate the amount of time you spend scrolling. You will be surprised at how much time is spent on entertaining content. 4) In between tasks, chores, meetings, I take the time to reset. I step away from my workstation, roll my shoulders back, and start breathing consciously, creating space at the top and bottom of my inhalations. Gently inhaling for 1,2,3,4, holding for 1,2, exhaling for 1,2,3,4,5,6, hold for 1,2... After 5 cycles of breaths, I am ready to move on to the next task, project, or chore, and I feel refreshed, spacious.
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