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43. SPACE AGE 2/13/04
“Good Health is a fundamental need. In childhood, most of us took good health
for granted; times of ill-health always came as surprises. Slowly as we grow
older and begin to have accidents, contract diseases, and encounter stress. We
come to realize that health is largely an individual responsibility. Current
research only underscores that we are the primary factor in improving or
degrading our health.”
James Fadiman Ph.D.
from Unlimit Your Life.
One morning listening to Good Morning America I caught the daily dose of medical warnings from the media. Basically, a doctor was talking about the problems of stress and the accompanying congestion, which affect the flow of body fluids. Then he went on to talk of the dangers that are posed for our heart from congestion. The advice, delivered with an attitude that “we are in the best of hands” while our medical establishment is on the case, falls on us with a slight suggestion that our physical life is under the treat of death. Basically what I hear is that the medical profession does not understand congestion.
Whenever I hear the word congestion, regarding the body, the most obvious remedy to me is the need for SPACE. Now, doesn’t SPACE sound like an obvious solution to congestion? If we can get some agreement that ‘creating more SPACE’ is a good way of solving many problems of congestion, we can focus our attention on creating more SPACE.
The Dictionary explanation
of Congestion defines the verb congest.
Congest. L congestus, pp. of congerere, to bring together, pile up < com-,
together + gerere, to carry, perform ] 1 a) to cause to much blood, mucus etc.
to accumulate in the vessels of ( a part of the body ) b) to clog with mucus of
other bodily fluid [her sinuses were congested] 2 to fill to excess; overcrowd
[a congested highway] –vi. To become congested – con ges’tion n. con ges’tive
adj.
The word contraction also comes to play here since; when things are contracted we tend to get congestion. Contraction means to draw together, to reduce in size, make narrow, shrink and shorten.
Aside from the questionable idea that we can ‘conquer space’ can we really do anything about or with SPACE? There are many references to SPACE like, making SPACE, having SPACE, needing SPACE, owning SPACE and sacred SPACE which give the impression that we can do something about SPACE. Maybe we can!
After some forty years of presenting breathing and alignment it is obvious, to me, with the use of expansive breathing we are increasing our internal SPACE, making more room for the natural functioning processes of the body to operate. The positive results across the board, from severe physical problems to active wholesome performance represent the helpfulness of applying breathing techniques as a way for understanding both our being in the body as well as our performance. I have come to believe that most internal problems are a result of the closing down of our internal SPACES.
That we can learn more about our breathing and the body is a redundant theme of this blog. This is not because of any lack in us per say, but because of the abrasive nature of life itself that can cause us from early childhood to constrict, shrink, or withdraw physically from the ‘outrageous fortunes’ that life imposes on us.
The body is truly amazing in its ability to function with and overcome most of the constrictive ignorance’s that are imposed on it. We are able to pursue our dreams despite many limitations that we may have crystallized in the body. With more ways appearing on the scene to help us not only free our being and body, but help us feel the expansive nature of each insight, the idea of SPACE can become more tactile. We can observe that the use of breathing is a central idea in most modalities. Mindfulness practice is not only used for training the mind these days but as a way of managing our health.
The previous entry Full Breathing Session is an excellent way to become acquainted with this idea of creating more internal SPACE.
I am happy with the thought of SPACE being an item that we do have some control over. (Let’s call this active participation with the energy fields around us). The way that we animate our being influences the SPACE around us. When we feel good and generate warmth others are moved by the radiation of this positive energy that is being sent out, prayer being a fine example of this. Prayer is an appreciation of the expansive nature of energy which touches, moves and influences the SPACE around us.
“Combining Full Awareness
of Breathing with full awareness of the movements of our body during daily
activities—walking, standing, lying, sitting, working—is a basic practice to
cultivate concentration and live in an awakened state.”
Thich Nhat Hanh, from Breathe! You Are Alive.
Posted by Harmon at February 13, 2004
Comments
You're not trying to make a space case, are you?
Of course, you are right. The other day I did a 20 minute breathing session with myself, lying on a bed, and it was fantastic. So much room to breathe already exists in my body when I take advantage of it.
And then, I have resumed going to yoga, and the last teacher I had spoke a lot about breath and space. I really felt it when I got home.
And, of course, with the bouncer one is very aware of space, on the outside and on the inside of the body.
It is, in a way, about giving ourselves room to breathe, to be, to be more and less of who we are.
Now, I am going to leave *this* space, but I'll remember to keep breathing big all night long...
-- Jordan
Posted by: Jordan Gruber on February 14, 2004 02:07 AM
Hi Jordan
True, I am making a space case, the more I look at space, which is immeasurable, a kind of playful application to thinking about the body arises. I’m glad you enjoyed the emphasis. I look forward to your writings about working with the Spirit Riser.
Posted by: Harmon on February 15, 2004
Harmon,
As Sun Ra said it, "space is the place". It is so true that the breath allows us
the space to feel the openness, the ability to feel infinite expansion. We are
psychologically creating space because of the clarity that comes with breath
work. There is a deeper level of consciousness, not only of the body, but of all
the energy around us. No longer is there confusion which makes us feel cluttered
and contracted. The body naturally aligns itself with the mental clarity.
Another element which occurs from space awareness is clarity of sound. When one
is confused and congested, sounds feel cluttered and sometimes very annoying.
However, as one becomes more clear, as the mind calms itself, feeling this
space, sound begins to align itself as though the universe creates its own
orchestration, including all sounds to be included in a harmonious way. Sound
can be heard from great distances, much further away than when one is cluttered.
The feeling of space in relationship to sound allows one to feel grounded and
open at the same time. As the Japanese say, "Tenshinage", or "heaven and earth".
Peace.
Chris
Posted by: Chris on February 17, 2004 03:16 AM
Yes Chris sound and space do have a relationship. There are many sessions where I will have a person start making a sound that vibrates in the body and then let it change as they continue. This becomes an intuitive play of sound that when done for a long period results in a feeling of more space in the body. As a youngster I remember naturally playing with unfettered sounds which felt good. I also have observed very young children playing and exploring sound. We learn to hold sound which is holding energy still, fortunately we can open up and release these energy binds and feel more space. One has to marvel at how full are the sounds of birds and animals in nature. You of course, being a songbird do appreciate the whole spectrum of sound filling the space.
Posted by: Harmon on February 20, 2004 05:53 AM
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