Space II - a feeling of trust & peace

My first post discussed space as a means of allowing ourselves the ability to connect with our sensory experience. I defined it as being the energetic flow experienced when one is fully present with their senses and the interpretation of those senses, or the bridge between our external or internal experiences. The energetic flow is how we interact with what surrounds us through our senses. In a way, it is the full inhabitance of our physical bodies and the act of grounding through what connects us to our external experiences. Now, I want to further explore space as it both creates and equates to trust and peace. It is a more spiritual journey in what space is and how we can move beyond our sensory experience while remaining grounded.

The sensory experience grounds us in what is present around us and brings a sense of being to our bodies. This sense of being is the awareness you have when you feel each part of your body and connect with those feelings. An example is being out on a walk, and you feel your feet hitting the ground, the gentle breeze on your face that rustles your hair, and the heaviness of your arms as they swing by your sides. There is an active awareness of the bodily sensations of each part of the body from toe to head. This is the physical, internal experience of your body without regard to the perceptive or emotional response of your mind. To acknowledge that, ask yourself, how does it feel to acknowledge the sensation of planting each foot firmly on the Earth beneath me? What emotions arise when I think about my feet hitting the ground? Why might these emotions be present? Do this without judgment towards the emotions but simply as an act of noticing what arises and why they might arise. Repeat this for each sensation that really sticks out for you.

That exercise will aid in grounding you within your body and internal experience while connecting you to what you are sensing externally as a means of touch. I like touch because it integrates the entire body more easily than the other four senses. To engage the other four senses in this respect you must be capable of answering the question, where do you feel this in your body? A taste of a familiar flavor could awaken a warm sensation in your chest if you are aware of the emotional connection you feel from it. Emotions are the physical embodiment of our experiences and are felt throughout the entire body, even if we aren’t conscious of it, because of our nervous systems. Space gives us a secure place to feel these.

I laid out the explanation of being in our bodies because it is the precursor to remaining grounded while examining space as it relates to what is outside of us. I want to look at the definitions, pulled from dictionary.com, for the words trust and peace.

· Trust – reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.

· Peace – a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations; a state of tranquility or serenity.

If we look at each definition as they equate to space this would mean that space, the energetic flow when one is fully present with their senses and the interpretation of those senses is equal to both reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence and a state of tranquility or serenity (I’ll get to the first portion of the peace definition momentarily, but I want to start here.).

Let’s start with trust. How does space equate to reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing, or confidence? If space is the energetic flow experienced when one is fully present with their senses and the interpretation of those senses, then this could equate to the reliance on the integrity of this energetic flow. There is a constant flow between us and our surroundings because we don’t exist in a vacuum. There are continuous external stimuli being thrown at us in any given moment. Space allows for us to connect with these external experiences from a presence that only exists when we are connected to ourselves internally. This is not being in your head and overthinking the situation with questions of “what if” or wonderings of the past or future. This is engaging your body and mind simultaneously with what is in front of you through your senses. Trust exists because the more space is practiced, the greater confidence that comes with how you interact and view the energetic flow. Space allows for the creation of trust in yourself. Trust in yourself translates to trust in how you handle situations outside of you. It also can lead to greater trust in other people because you recognize on a deeper level the human experience. Everyone is experiencing the world through their senses and interpretation of those senses. Space equates to a trust in the commonality of the human experience.

Looking at peace, how do we get to a state of tranquility or serenity? By creating space and using the space to discover what makes us uncomfortable. Being curious about our discomforts provides our minds the ability to observe what is happening inside us. If we connect this mental activity with the ability to witness what it feels like to have our feet planted on the ground, the air on our face, etc., then we remain in our own space while examining how something or someone outside of us brought discomfort inside of us.

Now, how can this create a state of tranquility or serenity? When we bring attention to what gives us discomfort, we can introduce feelings of acceptance for the experience that is causing discomfort. The acceptance is important because it gives a clear statement of what is causing discomfort. Through acceptance, you can look objectively at the situation and determine what’s happening and how it’s affecting you. Accepting the experience allows for the dissipation of the discomfort because we can either a) remove ourselves or what is causing the discomfort entirely b) contradict the discomfort with something comforting. Without discomfort, what are we left with? A state of calm. This calm is our tranquility or serenity, and it is the space we give ourselves that helps us achieve this. Space allows for the creation of peace within our mental and emotional experiences, which in turn, extends to our external surroundings through the actions we do and the words we say. This is what creates mutual harmony between people or groups.

The practice of creating space for yourself brings feelings of trust and peace. Over time, the full integration of your emotional and mental state to your physical experience grants you reliance on your ability to create space and therefore a state of peace. Further, you begin to trust this state of peace, even if it is only for a moment, you know you can return to it because you created it to begin with. The space we make for ourselves leads to trusting in yourself, and others, and a peace that transcends everyday experiences.

Thanks for reading.

Much love,

Jen