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Hi there, I’ve been meditating lately on the different contexts in which the idea of “space” shows up in my life. “I need space” is a plea my highly sensitive system regularly shares with me, and one I’ve become skillful at meeting through spending more time in wild places, more time recovering, and more time not apologizing for needing a low-demand life. And what about my relationship with space itself? The moon, the stars, the awe of being part of the cosmos. It was a relationship that our ancestors engaged with out of necessity: unable to default to a smartphone’s GPS like we do, they relied upon the markers in the sky to guide them. I’m meditating on what I’ve missed by focusing so much of my attention on screens rather than on the space around me and above me, and how I might repair some of that relationship, to remember again my place within the universe. Lastly, I’m pondering the idea of “taking up space.” For those of us who hold marginalized identities, such as being socialized as a woman, or being disabled, being perceived on purpose can feel like a daunting growing edge. And yet, the parts of me who hide to avoid criticism or worse feel grief at the cost of hiding, for to hide is to suffocate and devalue the life force. I’m setting an intention to befriend these parts this season. There is no longer essay this month: the writing I share here is what comes through me when I hike in the forest, which I haven’t been able to do as a result of holiday travel and because the rain here in Northern California has been both steady and much appreciated. Rather than force a piece through me for the sake of arbitrary consistency, allowing the next one to lie fallow in this time of winter dreaming felt like the appropriate and life-giving approach, respectful of my body as part and extension of the sleeping land itself. In the meantime, you can access past essays here. I hope you find yourself aligned with the internal and external seasons you’re navigating. If you could use some help remembering what alignment feels like, please read on for details about my two Free Discussion Groups this month. And, if you’re looking to explore your own relationship to space, autism, or ancestral remembrance, you might consider working one-on-one with me in an Internal Family Systems (IFS) – informed session. All the best to all the parts of you,
Patrice
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