Space: give it – take it – share it!

For this edition, I’d like to look at SPACE:

How do you feel when you hear:
You are blending in!
Accepted, seen… or invisible?

How do you feel when you hear:
You are standing out!
Proud, shy, seen… comfortable?

However your inner response to these questions is:

Taking up space and sharing space.
It is an ever-flexible and changing phenomenon!

Space has many forms:
physical space, emotional space, energetic space. 

Your body and its three-dimensional shape take up space.

The trees in the picture below can only grow in a healthy way if they have enough space to spread their branches and grow their roots.
It’s quite similar to your body and your personal space.

Here are some examples, related to your physical shape:

Experiencing
Space inside your body:

I remember standing in the subway in Argentina during the time of rush hour.
I was pressed against complete strangers in an uncomfortably intimate way – and there was barely space to breathe.
By planting my feet firmly on the ground and breathing deeply, I widened my chest: 
I “inflated” the space I was taking.

Space outside your body:

A situation in Amsterdam:
When biking in Amsterdam, especially in the inner city around the canals it often happens that the street is blocked by lorries when they unload the goods. As cyclist, you have to sometimes make your way through quite a narrow path.
Being aware of how much space you take simply avoids scratches and collisions on a practical level.

And: by consciously taking your space – to stay with this example on the bike – sitting up straight and having a 360-degree vision around, it’s much more likely that you get the space that you need also on an energetic level.

Those of you who are dancing Tango may know the dance of the space in the Milonga:
It can be quite influential where to place yourself in the room when you’d like to dance, where to sit or stand. Or to change that, when you want to rest…-)

There is also “inner space”.
Do you know the expression having “head space”?

Inner Space means having a clear mind, and the ability to process: emotions, reflect on actions…instead of being pressured by time or being reactive.

The Point:
How aware are you of space?
Inside and outside yourself?

Do you like to take up space?
Are you shy to take up space?

Do you sometimes feel that you are invisible?
Do you create space for yourself?
Literally in the house or by taking time out?

I invite you to experiment with shifts in space and the effect on yourself and other people.

How to do that?
Here are some simple ideas:
– When you enter a room, take a different place at the table
– Right now as you read this notice if you can breathe deeply and look around.
– Take a walk.

What does space give you?

• Opportunities to expand
• Being safe
• Changing perspective
  

You see, there are many shades and benefits to SPACE.
Being aware of it gives you opportunities to relate differently.

To yourself and others!
I wish you fun exploring and discovering new possibilities.

Note:
“Milonga” is a venue where Tango Dancers meet to dance.
It’s also a particular, very rhythmical form of Tango, with its roots in African rhythms.