📝 Note: I wrote this blog in 2020 and am finally released to share this writing with you. I pray that it is on time for each person that reads it.
Confession: I am an excessive space filler.
I am in a season of focus and rest, and who knows when you will even read this blog because it won’t be shared in the present day.
As I go through this season, I've learned how often I want to fill my life with things. When I have nothing to do, I think: “Maybe I should clean, maybe I should get on social media, maybe I should send an email blast, maybe I’ll do yoga, maybe...”
I desire to fill that awkward and uncomfortable space with literally anything, but practicing Christ-Centered yoga has taught me that creating space in your life is a good thing.
In yoga, we allow our bodies to create space to make room. Our breath makes space within our body to allow us to fall even deeper into our stretch.
Our breath can also create space in our minds. As we focus on our inhales and exhales, we shift from anxious thoughts to calming breaths.
I am learning daily, that we don’t always have to be doing things.
That there is an element of sacredness to experiencing being bored.
Pause and Ponder: When was the last time you were bored? How did you handle it?
When we allow space in our lives instead of having this excessive need to fill every single moment, we make room for God. We make room for healing. We make room for the tough things we most often want to avoid.
Space has a way of causing us to face the things we normally avoid, to finally move through them.
I often talk about giving God room to be God. When we cease from the constant need to be busy, clarity has a way of appearing.
Let’s look at the prophet Elijah’s story for a brief moment.
“There, he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9-13 NLT)
Do you think Elijah was dealing with anxious thoughts as he made his way to this cave? Do you believe that the fear he was experiencing allowed his mind to become clouded? Elijah went to this mountain out of fear, but in reality, by going to this mountain, he created space.
In the creation of that space, he was able to separate himself from his enemies, his worries, and his fears and hear the voice of God.
The most powerful thing Elijah realized while on this mountain was that God was not in the noise.
God’s voice was the sound of a gentle whisper.
Three Reasons to Create Space In Your Life
Creating Space eliminates chaos and clutter. Meditating on God's Word is a powerful way to create space and eliminate chaos and clutter. When we focus on our inhales and exhales in meditation, we eliminate the chaos and clutter that can occupy our minds. We turn our thoughts from the worry of what could happen to the present moment of what is happening. Our breath connects us to the present moment and helps us to feel that we have some control because as you inhale and exhale, you are intentionally leading that breath. Our focus shifts to calmness, and in that calmness, we can hear God's whisper.
Creating Space provides room for God to move. When we take our hands off situations, God can place His hands on those situations. It is not easy because removing our hands requires a level of surrender that sometimes is hard to do, depending on the situation. Yet, no one can handle our problems the way that God can. When we turn to Him, allow our minds to focus on what He is saying, and turn from our perceived worries, anxieties, and problems. God can then move in miraculous ways.
Creating Space invites clarity. Cleaning up your home and removing those things that are no longer serving us in a season, creates space, invites rest, and promotes creativity and calmness in our mind. Have you ever cleaned out and up your home and immediately felt a shift in energy in your place? A clean home promotes a clear mind. A clear mind can bring clarity to so many things we are facing in life.
Helpful Tools
Just 10 Yoga Session
Child’s Pose (5 breaths)
Down Dog
(3 breaths, walk your legs by bending your knees letting your breath lead.)
Forward Fold
Hang there
(3 breaths, Fold your arms above your head, grabbing each elbow)
1/2 Way Lift (1 breath)
Mountain (10 breaths)
Forward fold (3 breaths)
Plank (5 breaths)
After your last inhale, exhale lowering to your stomach, then roll on to back
Reclining butterfly
Rest
On your back, let your feet and arms fall out in a V-shape
Affirmations:
I am enough to occupy this space.
I enjoy my company.
I am creating a secure space for myself.
By doing less, I create more space for what matters most.
My worth is determined by who I am, not by what I do.
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