How does it feel to read the following sentence:
I am making boundaries for myself.
I don’t know about you, but when I read that I instantly feel claustrophobic. Like tight AF, I feel it in my throat, chest and belly. To me, it’s the opposite of spaciousness. But really, that’s exactly what it is. It’s a way people say that they are creating space for themselves, their being, their awareness, their self care, their needs.
But words matter. and it’s important to feel the energy of the words you think and say and experience.
Ok so let’s try this:
I am creating space for myself.
Ahhh… How does that feel? It’s different right? Same same but different. The idea and intention are the same but to me at least, the feeling goes from being behind a line or inside a box, to being in a wide open field of purple wildflowers. I don’t know why they’re purple, they just are. That’s how different it feels in my body. See what I mean? Words matter.
Close your eyes for a moment and say to yourself: I am creating space. What comes up? Maybe jot it down. Or not. It’s your world, I’m just writing in it.
I hear it all the time, in yoga classes or with people in casual conversation, “I am working on boundaries.” But because I am listening, what I hear is someone who is wanting to stay in their own energy, or block out someone or something that isn’t RYMING with them. But in a way that is like an invisible forcefield, wall or barrier. In a way that may actually box them in, subconsciously.
But what if we recycled our mindset about that and shifted the words a bit? We love doing that. Playing with our words, which lead to our thoughts and actions. I say lead but you know what I mean, it’s nonlinear, but interconnected.
What if we learned how to go within so deeply and quietly and to expand the wholeness that is already there? To visualize our own, bright & warm energy field growing up and out, filling up entire fields of wildflowers. So tuned in that our spacious energy is radiant, gentle and aware, RYMING with everyone and everything around.
Within RYME, we believe this practice and awareness of creating space is one of the basic understandings needed for the rest to fall into place.
During our RYME retreats, this is often a starting point, creating an energetic spaciousness so potent, each person can start to take deeper breaths, get quieter, observe more, reflect and begin to be curious about what they need, in each moment.
But how exactly does one create space for themselves?
Well there are literally infinite ways. RYMING the way we do, we have framed a few of our favorites. Based in science, mysticism and most importantly, our personal experience.
So, of course we explore how it feels to create space within both the mind and the body. Through meditation and visualization. Through moving, expanding and exploring the body. Through breathwork, and awareness practices.
Through playing with the energy field and how we communicate with others subconsciously within it. Through tuning into and asking questions about our experiences by engaging in therapeutic conversation and perspective play. Through swimming in the ocean and walking through the jungle. Through watching the way others create space for themselves within community.
And when we learn to do this, and harmonize the understanding in our mind with the experience in our body, we are RYMING. We can become more aware of what we need and how to communicate it. We can also become aware of what we don’t need and how to protect our own energy from that. By tuning into our wholeness and the waves of impermanence within our experiences, we can also create the space to allow what we need to shift and change. That is true presence.
We can create space that is fluid like water. That flows with the energy that is there. Exploring the deepest darkest cracks and also soaring up into little atmospheric drops.
We can be unbound, expansive and free.
