Creating Space

For the past few weeks I have been doing this Deep Stretch Yoga video on Youtube. I found it because I wanted something that would help me stretch out my sore and tired leg and hip muscles from squat day.

I’ve done the same session three times now and feel myself getting better with the shapes and movements, but there is one thing in particular that has stuck with me each time the practice has ended.

In the video, the instructor Adriene says a few times to “create more space” in your body so you can get into the poses easier. She coaches you through this telling you to breathe into each position and allow your body to slowly and gradually create the space needed to get into the position.

I did the video for the third time yesterday and this morning found myself during meditation thinking about the idea of creating space.

My mother use to tell me that projects fill the time allotted. If you have three hours to complete a project that should probably only take an hour, it will take three hours. I believe this concept translates well to our daily life.

We need to actively create space for the things that we want to do or the rest of life will fill that time.

Initially, this idea only really applied to working out for me. I knew that I needed to create space for lifting and moving my body so I started getting up at 4:30 to create that time needed to do that.

Then I gradually moved this practice to meditation. I knew I wanted to meditate, so I condensed my morning routine to allow for 10 minutes of meditation before I left for the office.

If I don’t get a chance to work out, I create space for a quick at home workout when I get home.

I make sure that I start my bedtime routine around 9 pm so I can have time to settle in with a good book before bed.

I’ve had numerous people how I have time to do things like read, workout, meditate, bullet journal etc. And the truth is, I probably don’t but I create the space and time needed to do those things because I know that they are good for my mental and physical health. I feel better when I make time for those activities.

Every day we actively choose to allot time to things. More often than not, that time is dedicated to things like scrolling through our phones, working, commuting, and doing everyday life. The truth is, everyone has all the time they need to do all the things they want, they just need to create the space to do them.

Initially, this might not be comfortable. You might find yourself worrying about not having enough time to do all of the things you want to but at the end of the day, you can always make time for the things that you need to do. The key is prioritization.

Prioritize creating space for the things that bring you joy and make you better and you will soon find yourself with all the time you need.