a meditation to create space in the midst of chaos
the deeper meaning of creating space
Often when we talk about space in yoga and meditation, it’s interpreted as an emptiness. We may think we have to be put on a peaceful front or that we must find a way to stop our thoughts.
I just want to be clear—this is not what we mean by space.
Rather, we’re learning to be with the experience within the space that’s already there. This space allows us to expand our awareness and our listening.
At the heart of the practice, we are setting conditions to help us stay open with the present moment and everything that it brings… everything that rises and falls.
finding the space in our snow globe
A snow globe is a great metaphor for this teaching. When a snow globe is shaken up, the glitter goes all over the place, and eventually settles.
It's said that the normal mind is like a snow globe when shaken—the thoughts are flying everywhere and swirling chaotically. The meditative mind is said to be more like the snow globe when all the flakes settle.
In this way, the metaphor for a meditation practice is really describing the process of letting the snowflakes settle gradually.
There's a beautiful teaching from Marc and Angel Chernoff that inspired this practice.
"Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no chaos, no trouble, or hard realities to deal with. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still remain mentally, emotionally, and physically centered.”
In this practice, we create a sense of center and groundedness, so we can arrive in the present moment and expand, relaxing enough to stay soft and open with whatever the present moment brings.
Join Jillian for FREE Deep Listening Meditations
These offerings include teachings from Jillian’s book, Deep Listening. that include awareness practices of the body, breath, mind, and present moment. Learning to pause is at the core of these practices. Pausing helps us create conditions to grow more calm, clear, and open, and to respond to the present moment with intention and purpose—rather than habitual action or reaction.
Join us live, plus each meditation is recorded and available for you to repeat as often as you wish throughout the week. These simple practices are good for all levels of experience.