Want more flow in your home, the key is spaciousness
Elements in ar . chi . tec . ture part 2
The Value and Nature of Space
Trust can open doorways to the creation of space
I need space. I love having my space. I need space to work, think, live, breathe, be myself. We may say this once or twice a week. Maybe more, maybe less, depending on our awareness of space and the frequency which we need it. We need space to exist, to be alone, and to be in community. We refer to having space as it relates to us personally or internally, as well as externally or in community. We are striving for balance and integration.
Space has Power
Our personal space is the area closest to us, surrounding our bodies. This is a powerful field of influence as it affects how our personality is expressed and how we interact with those around us. Another aspect is our mental space. Whether or not our mind feels full, cluttered, clear, or at ease all is relative to space. The state of our mind impacts our mood, our bodies, and how we choose to experience life, love, and nature. Our physical body needs space. If we are congested, stagnant, restricted, constipated, either in the figurative or literal sense we will not function at our best nor will we feel well. We thrive in flow; where movement can be fluid and unrestricted. Lastly, the space that we inhabit, be it home or workplace is equally important to allow for space. This is the physical place where we reside and spend time with family, friends, a community or in solitude. The home is a space that dramatically influences our lives. All of these areas interconnect and coexist, to some degree within the other.
Ensuring your Value
How can we honor space, both physical and mental, emotionally and spiritually? In my own life I allow space for my mind and spirit by literally choosing to take time and daydream. The kind where you sit outside and let the sun hit your skin, simply watch trees move, the clouds roll by, listen to birds, watch shadows change, and dream. If a thought comes into my mind, I attend to it, allowing it to move on for the next one to arise. The longer I can sit in silence, the more my mind calms down. I tend not to judge or react or decide, rather I am practicing watching and receiving. It is a practice of expanding time into space.
I find daydreaming therapeutic. As an adult it takes discipline, as time so often has an agenda. I will say it is a challenge for me, programmed with one thousand reasons about how to produce and do more. Sitting, watching, and thinking, subtly and powerfully, contributes to the state of space. Tuning into these senses ignites inspiration and flow. Expanding space can also be sitting in the quiet stillness of dawn with a tea or coffee. It can be turning off the lights and putting on a piece of music and really listening. By Breathing deeply, visualizing your body and the space around you filling with liquid light or even creating art can make space for your mind and body.
Adjust and Edit
Just as we attend to the spaciousness of the mind and body, the home deserves the same focus. In this time where the paradigm is changing around what it means to connect with beauty and nature, honoring the space within and around us is an incredibly valuable practice.
If we desire flow, beauty, and ease, having a space that fosters this is important. I call it reducing the physical static in our lives. Cluttered areas that seem to accumulate things, papers, objects can become areas we avoid. Eventually they may become spaces we ignore entirely and where there is no movement; stagnation is eminent. How do we reduce the static and create space within space?
First and foremost, consume mindfully. Bring what is valuable and necessary into your life. Other simple practices can be to radically edit what you do have. Do this if it feels right and timely. Look at the objects surrounding you, are you experiencing a sense of openness or constriction? Are the objects or furniture in the right place? Does it make sense to have them there? Does it optimize my experience? Play around with your possessions. Move a painting, a rug, plants if they do not seem vital, they may need different light. How does that feel? Having flow is about creating space. Once established, energy will move naturally on its own. In this state, space can feel still or vital, a ripe field where creativity can emerge. I like to begin a project, work, and cook with a clean slate. When I take the time to clean a room or the entire home, I feel free and calm and ready to create. The potential energy is buzzing. It is from here I can begin.
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Make it happen
Feeling stagnant or claustrophobic? Want to love coming home to your space?
When you look around, do you feel like you are living in your space or someone else’s?
What do you love, where do you avoid going? Learn how to embody and implement these principles into your life.