One of the best yoga prompts I ever received was being told during savasana, the relaxation pose at the end of the practice, to “take up as much space as you’d like.” It was exactly what I needed on a difficult day. That prompt has become a mantra for me on and off the mat. As I stretched out like a starfish, I realized I had been feeling like I was collapsing inward. Now, I felt energy returning to my body. I even went back to my writing with a renewed sense of energy.
This prompt came to me again last week. With the ongoing barrage of devastating news from around the world, I was feeling a sense of overwhelm, despair, and the steady drumbeat of dread. What can I do here where I am? My muscles were tight and contracted. Everything felt like too much. I realized that my whole posture was saying, “I’m not feeling safe right now.” I know I’m not alone.
Swept up in a storm of unrest, distress, negativity and grief, many of us find our response is to move inward, both physically and mentally. Rest and withdraw is an intelligent response, giving us a chance to recharge. Still, I wonder how many of us might be trying to stay off the radar, consciously or unconsciously, especially now. In a very real way, what is happening in the world today may be bringing back unwelcome messages or experiences, telling us it is not okay to be different, not okay to attract attention or to speak up, that it is not safe to be who we are. We may have learned to make ourselves small. To stay quiet.
If that sounds like it might describe your experience, here is my invitation to you today. First, take a breath. Check in with yourself. Notice how you are holding your body. Are your legs always crossed? Shoulders rounded forward? Are you clenching your jaw or feeling tightness in your throat? Does it feel like you are gripping through your abdomen? Like you are actually trying to hold the atoms of your body in?
In your own time, stand up, or if you can, find a spot on the floor and lie down. Take a big breath in and then blow it out. Now, spread out. Give yourself permission to take up space. As much space as you want. Spread your arms out wide and overhead. Stretch your legs. Experiment with this sense of spaciousness. If it helps, picture a starfish spread out on the sand or a mighty oak tree with its branches spread against the sky. If movement feels supportive, move your body. Do this for a minute, or more if you’re able. Then pause again and notice what has shifted you.
With love,
Kathleen
“I am large. I contain multitudes.” - Walt Whitman, Song of Myself