The word ‘space’ awakens a feeling of spaciousness within, as that is what it offers us – a place of exploration and understanding the meaning of life and our purpose on this planet. 

Space is a word that is used, quite often casually, without realising the full beauty of the word and what it can offer us in our lives.  

As I grow older, I am appreciating the value of it and how it can affect my day-to-day livingness, depending on how I use it.  

I am also feeling that time is no longer relevant – that in truth there is always the space to do what I need to do – and that if I become caught up in time, I can undervalue the quality and purpose of space.  

It is also often treated as if it’s of no importance and that all we need to do is fill it up with non-sense. I know this is how I have treated space and it is only as I have allowed more space in my day to connect to my body that I have begun to feel the value of spaciousness within – that my body loves space and the connection that increases as I allow the spaciousness that is God back into my life as I feel the in-breath and out-breath. 

When we allow more space in our lives, what do we do with it? We can ‘waste space’ by idling our life away without true purpose and this is what I did for the first few years of retirement, feeling I deserved a break. This perception of retirement is one that erodes our sense of purpose and we end up with a life of indulgence – and feeling lost.  

I still found myself very ‘busy’ as I had yet to come to a point where I was willing to look at space; it can feel quite scary when you have always made sure that you fill every moment with ‘achievements and doing’ in motivation and drive. 

Life suddenly (although in reality not so sudden, as this point had been building for some time) became unmanageable and a moment was dropped in: I connected to my true self and was guided to find support.   

When I allow space, the answer comes to me – within I hold this amazing wealth of wisdom, and it’s only when I stop that I allow a connection to the Ageless Wisdom that is available to us all. It feels awe inspiring when I realise that this wisdom is equally available to us all – no one has to be special, as we all are special… and yet not, as we are all the same in our essence. 

For me the space that was offered was the Gentle Breath Meditation™. It is simple and allows me to come back to my body and get out of the busy-ness of the head. It offers me a stop moment where I can connect and take stock and appreciate the wonders and magic that life holds. As we connect to the power of stillness, we are claiming ourselves in our sacredness. 

I had already begun to look for ways to simplify my life – I began to organise my paperwork and let go of so many things that were not serving a purpose. I then refined this process as I realised how many things I had around me in my home were reminders of attachments to the past and in their way were holding me in the past, rather than living in the spaciousness that is offered by our future.  

I was gradually feeling the benefit of space within my home as I no longer wanted my cupboards to be full to the brim – they seem to reflect back to me the squeezed feeling that I was also feeling in my body and when life felt stressful, I instantly knew that the lack of space was something I would no longer tolerate. 

I often find the two things – my home and my body – go hand in hand: when I clear things out, I begin to appreciate space in a new way – for the clarity it offers. When I let go of the clutter that I have used to distract me from me, I am left with a feeling of being at one with myself and my surroundings and then both my home and my body feel so much more connected to everything, including the Universe. When I allow space to support me I can begin to have a relationship with what I can feel around me – the higher vibrations of the Universe and the pull that it is offering me to return to the gloriousness of being at one with the all.  

Visiting the elderly, I realised that they lived through their past as a way to relate to life. It felt very important to allow them to feel that they still had a place in society… that they were not a ‘waste of space.’ I know that as my mother aged she felt that she was a ‘burden’ as she required help to support her in her daily life. 

As I age I feel very fortunate to be surrounded by people who encourage me to live life to the full… to not ‘give up’ on life and to value all that I can offer. I am deeply appreciating the space that I can allow others when I come from a point of observation and allow them a place where they are free to expand their own understanding of life.  

Space is a blessing that we can all experience as it expands our common understanding of one another… and the Universe that holds us all eternally in its space.  

I am valuing the beauty of my unfolding life and how much this has changed and allowed me to expand my experience – and that the more I can widen my horizons the more energy I can feel within. As I surrender into the spaciousness that is God I am surrounded by a beholding love that holds us all in space: a steadiness and stillness that is eternal. 

By Susan Lee, Retired/Volunteer working with a Refugee Centre in Norwich, and also supporting people to have access to Computers and Mobile Phones, Volunteering at a Care Home, Norfolk, UK 

Further Reading:
Making Space
Space, God, Purpose and human existence
The Power of a Pause – Lessons from a Garage Door