Busyness, distraction, and stress have all led to the shrinking of the modern mind.
I realize that’s a strange thing to say. Most of us don’t think of our mind as something with space in it, as a thing that can either be big or small, expensive or claustrophobic.
But just think about the last time you felt overwhelmed, stressed, or out of control. Chances are, you might not even have to think that hard. You might be experiencing that state right now as you read these words.
What happens in these moments?Â
First, our mind wanders. It spins through all sorts of random thoughts about the past and the future. As a result, we lose touch with the direct experience of present time.
Second, we lose perspective. We can’t see the big picture anymore. Instead, it’s like we’re viewing life through a long and narrow tunnel. We become blind to possibility, fixated on problems.
Put these two together and you’ve got the perfect recipe for eradicating space in the mind. The landscape of the mind begins to feel like a calendar jammed with so many meetings, events, and obligations that these neon colored boxes cover-up even the smallest slivers of white space.Â
So it could be nice for our partner, for our kids, and, mostly, for our ourselves to consider:Â how can we create more space in the mind?
Here are five tools for creating mental space. If you want to go deeper, check out my new book with Sounds True on the topic called OPEN: Living With an Expansive Mind in a Distracted World.
1. Meditation.
You’ve no doubt heard about all of the scientifically validated benefits of this practice. It reduces stress. It boosts productivity. It enhances focus.
That is all true. But here is the real benefit of meditation:Â it creates more space in the mind. To get started, try it out for just a few minutes a day. Use an app or guided practice to help you.
2. Movement.
So, maybe you’re not the meditating type. That’s fine. You can still create space in the mind by setting aside time for undistracted movement.
The key word here is “undistracted.” For many of us, exercise and movement have become yet another time where our headspace gets covered over by texts, podcasts, or our favorite Netflix series.Â
There’s nothing wrong with this. But it can be powerful to leave the earbuds behind every once in a while and allow the mind to rest while you walk, stretch, run, bike, swim, or practice yoga.
3. Relax.
When it comes to creating headspace, we moderns, with our smartphone-flooded, overly-stimulated, minds seem to inevitably encounter a problem: we’re often too stressed, amped, and agitated to open.
Relaxation – calming the nervous system – is perhaps the best way to counter this effect and create more fertile ground for opening. When we relax – the real kind, not the Netflix or TikTok kind – the grip of difficult emotions loosens, the speed of our whirling thoughts slows, and, most important, the sense of space in our mind begins to expand.
How can you relax? Try yoga. Try extended exhale breathing, where you inhale four counts, exhale eight counts. Try yoga nidra. Or, just treat yourself to a nap.
4. See bigger.
When life gets crazy, the mind isn’t the only thing that shrinks. The size of our visual field also gets smaller. Our eyes strain. Our peripheral vision falls out of awareness.
What’s the antidote to this tunnel vision view? See bigger.
Try it right now. With a soft gaze, allow the edges of your visual field to slowly expand. Imagine you’re seeing whatever happens to be in front of you from the top of a vast mountain peak. Now bring this more expansive, panoramic, way of seeing with you for the rest of the day.
5. Do nothing.
Now for the most advanced practice. It’s advanced because it cuts against everything our culture believes in. In a world where everyone is trying desperately to get more done, one of the most radical acts is to not do — to do nothing.
Even just a few minutes of this paradoxical practice can help you experience an expansion of space in the mind.
Lie on the floor or outside on the grass. Close your eyes. Put on your favorite music if you want. Set an alarm for a few minutes so you don’t freak out too much.Â
Then, stop. Drop the technique. Drop the effort. Just allow yourself to savor this rare experience of doing absolutely nothing.
Thank you
You’re welcome, Wendy – nice to connect with you here.
Your words touch me and I thank you for this.
Dear Wonder,
I am so touched by your feeling nature. I wrote to you today and sent Heart Of Hearts, but this was before I read this. As tears roll down my face, this sadness that the Opening creates is so visceral. I watched the colors lately in such great awe and wonder, feeling like I am seeing, really seeing for the first time the true magnifiscence. As an artist, I thought I always saw things deeply but since this heart opening the radiance is overwhelming. I find tears rolling often. Some say the heart waves touch a place that words cannot. I hope you and Tami enjoy them. You have blessed my life. What a true connection. Thank you.
Beautiful.
Matt, I love the way your read the Universe like a book…..I feel elated and I open to the depths of my soul when I read your material. Thank you for being a Light of Divine Grace. My inner child is jumping with joy to know there is light at the end of this dark tunnel! Love Laurie
Dear Laurie, thank you for your very kind words and for sharing this journey with me and with your friends at Sounds True. We look forward to more… our love, matt
Thank you Matt for your timely and poetic post, for the truth of your words. I have enjoyed this blog since I first learned about it at WakeUp Festival last summer in Estes Park. There is definitely a falling way of many things in my life on the outer right now; I am unsure where I will land or how things will get worked out. Conversely I am having some incredible experiences of Grace. In January I attended a one-day Mindfulness retreat led by Michael Ciborski who lived as a monk in Plum Village with Thich Nhat Hanh for 7 years. When Michael led us in the “Touching the Earth” guided meditation that day, the timelessness and beauty I experienced was so raw and filled with such Beauty that I could almost not bare it; I felt unimaginably connected to all of Life. Later I had this thought; If I give myself to this completely, I may fall in Love with the entire world, and I mean Everything. It’s like a fear of propelling toward a cliff and not knowing if I will return. I can sense that my ego has no paradigm for this, that it fears annihilation.
Thank you for sharing ego, now back to this conversation of Love.
~~~
The inner chamber of our heart always has a light on. There is that sacred place between the inner and the outer that is the bridge to our soul. May we honor that chamber and may we go there often to dwell and drink from the well deep within.
Thank you Matt for sharing and giving words to where I am today.
Nancy Fabiano
Kansas City
Dear Nancy, it’s nice to hear from you and thank you for sharing your experience with us. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed your time with Michael and the experiences which seemed to be triggered by that time; and, yes, always… back to this conversation of Love. Take care, Nancy.