Let go of “busy”

You know that post-yoga feeling? The ease, light, calm, and grounded feeling… where you sort of float out of the classroom? It’s kind of like the post-massage feeling. Or the post-sunset watching feeling.

Each of those experiences has one key theme in common: space.

These blissful moments on the seashore, gazing at a mountain-scape, or rolling up your yoga mat are each reminders of how deeply satisfying spaciousness can feel. Space generated by a good stretch. Space created from loosened knots. Space experienced through a remarkable moment in nature.

And yet, before we know it, a thought or a full inbox or a distracting demand from your kiddo can fill that sacred spaciousness right up.

So we must intentionally welcome the space again.

But “space” can feel ethereal and elusive. Immaterial. Conceptual. And yet, it is through space that we breathe. That we stretch. That we expand. And that we know true freedom.

We don’t always see these results; we feel them. And it’s in this feeling space that we can determine when we need it. And when we have found it.

“I just need a moment,” is my most frequently uttered sentence. In the midst of a toddler tantrum, I’ll simply declare, “mama needs a moment,” and I’ll walk into another room. For a literal moment. Two, maybe three rounds of breath. But space. Physical, mental, energetic. Space. A reminder and a representation that I am in control of my response. To the most illogical three-year old argument. To an emotionally-charged post on social media. To an over-flowing pot of oatmeal on my freshly-cleaned stove. All of it. I am in control. I choose how I respond. And with four simple words, I can create the space that I require to respond with intention, personal power, and love.

The mess will happen. Things will get loud. You will feel annoyed. It’s okay. You get to choose how you respond. You always do. You are in control.

And one of the most enabling tools to ground in your own control in all of the practices that I have practiced is the creation of space. One moment - one breath - at a time.

This may annoy you to hear. I was annoyed for years at hearing “just breathe” as a solution for stress and feelings of overwhelm. But just because it is simple doesn’t mean it can’t be significant.

The winter season is energetically referenced as “the void.” Our ancestors honored it as time to rest and recharge. They knew that the snow would melt, and new buds would sprout. In the right time. And that rest in the wintry darkness would foster energy and expansion for the new life that would arrive with the spring.

Perhaps the word “void” makes you uncomfortable. Or perhaps it’s super cozy for you. However it lands, know that it is simply a stage in Mama Earth’s natural cycle. And as it arrives so too it will move along.

What if allowed the void of this season to inspire us and we invited in the sacredness of space? It can be on the yoga mat or simply in the breath we take before responding to our child - with love rather than frustration.

What if we welcomed the sacredness of space into our beings? It could create a little more room to hear your soul, God, your inner wisdom, and your true desires.

But how do we welcome something immaterial? How do we know we need more space in our season and in our beings?

Since it’s in the feeling space that we can determine when we need it and when we have found it, let’s ground around what the absence of space feels like. A crowded day. A loud mind. Auto-pilot. A busy life.

Have you described yourself as “busy” recently? No judgement, I used to wear that word like a badge of honor.

Take a moment and reflect on what “busy” feels like to you. Tight? Heavy? Tired? Overwhelming? Nervous? Never quite done? Out of control?

Do you like feeling those feelings? Are they working for you? Maybe “busy” serves you. But at the chance it doesn’t, I have a golden lining to offer you today: you get to choose. You can set “busy” down. Maybe just for a moment. Or maybe for a full season.

You decide what you hold onto and what you set down.

You can let go of “busy.” And that is the inspiration for our practical takeaway together today:

• On a small piece of paper, write down the phrase “I am busy.”

• Then, set it down. You choose how illustrative you need this step to be. You can fold it up. You can place it on a shelf. You can burn it (safely). You can bury it in your yard. You can tear it up. Take whatever action is most representative for you.

• And breathe. Inhale and feel the spaciousness in your body. Exhale and allow that spaciousness to remain.

And you don’t need to pick anything up in its place. You can set it down and allow the spaciousness that is created to just be. Perhaps it offers you some more room to move, to reflect, to listen, or even to breathe.

It may be uncomfy at first. That doesn’t mean it’s not right for you; it simply means it’s new. We often respond to new with squirms and furrowed brows. Just let it be for a bit. Maybe just a moment. Your first yoga class was probably uncomfy. Too quiet. Or perhaps far too loud in your mind. But you chose to roll your mat out again. Because you get to choose. You are in control.

Today, we are letting go of “busy” together. Loosening our grip. And noticing and welcoming the space that is generated in its place.

And just like each and every one of our practices, when we find ourselves describe ourselves as (Ooops!) “busy,” we simply begin again. We allow it to remind us to be kind. And we choose to direct this kindness towards ourselves. Because you choose. You are in control of how you respond, how you describe yourself, how you go about your day, and how you live this life.

Take the moment.

Set down “busy.”

And welcome the space that arrives.