“Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
There is an art to taking up space.
shared by amy day
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From the Yogi’s standpoint, we move forward out into the breach armed with Intention, deeply tethered to the Breath. We move in shapes and symbols and myth. We reside inside the language of the Warrior. We take the stance of an Eagle, a Crow, a Dancer, the crescent of a not-quite-full Moon. We build bridges and turn the wheel and dance right out upon the precipice of what is comfortable and peer beyond the Edge. We witness the gorgeous transformation that takes place when “ordinary” bodies gather inside a space and step into the work of embodying something Deep, Rich, Mythic. Inside this container, they move beyond the pedestrian and into the territory of heroes, minor deities, phenomena, both natural and sublime. Inside that space, we witness ... *The nurse take on the form of the goddess. *The tired, worn-down mother take her rightful form as a warrior. *The injured, heart-heavy seeker get strong and rooted as a tree. We watch as we practice growing into the spaces we inhabit. We try on shapes and names and postures to see how they fit. To see what piece of us needs witnessing, celebrating, ACTIVATING so that we may live into this grand, new form. .... So, too, the Artist understands what it is to inhabit space. To take the deeply ordinary tools of eyes, hands, heart, voice, paint, clay, wood, string, rhythm, pulse, word—WHATEVER they carry in their humble form—and translate it into something Deep. Something of great resonance. Feeling. And worth. The splash of color that transforms a simple dining room into an immaculate Feast for the eyes. The magic combination of words, meaning and rhythm that translates ordinary discourse into a mouthpiece for the Divine. The dancer who uses her body to alight something wordless and holy, ancient in our pulse and bones. The singer whose voice melts and simultaneously quenches a wordless ache and longing in our heart. ..........
From both of these figures we learn:
If you are going to take up space ... ... Do as the good camper does. Leave it better than when you first encountered it. Don’t be afraid to erect tiny altars, monuments, and BEAUTY in your wake. Enter the space because you know what for and WHY you came.
Amy Day is a longtime yogi, writer, herbalist, mama & lover of all things creative. She believes in crafting practices & communities which supports us inside this Life right now. In creating rituals and relationships that liberate, activate & sustain us. She works with groups and individuals that are hungry for transformation. The type that shows up not just on the cellular or soul level - but that ripples into the world beyond.
Through her work as a teacher, podcaster, healer, storyteller, et. al. she hopes to inspire us all to use the mighty tools we all possess - to craft the type of world we wish to inhabit.
One faltering & bless-ed step at a time. You can find out more about her, and the work she does over at TheWorkOfTheseHands.com