Making Space for Spirit by Lexie Wolf
Some people seem to draw energy from chaos—creative souls who can spin beauty from noise and clutter, who find inspiration in the swirl of it all. Is this you? I admire you, even though I get kind of exhausted watching you do your thing. I increasingly crave quiet and space—the kind that lets me breathe, listen, and remember what’s beneath all the noise of this insane world. And the noise of my ridiculous mind, of course.
Yes, this is going to be another one of those “thank goodness for yoga” posts. What did you expect? I really feel that way. All the time.
My practices help to loosen what’s tight, soften what’s clenched (I’m oh so clenched), make room again. With each breath I expand a little beyond my rough edges, creating space in the body, space in the mind, and space in the heart.
I find a bit of space in the body where I can reduce tension and tightness. Poses like twists, heart openers, or side stretches literally create space in the body, and that physical spaciousness often translates to a sense of emotional or mental release.
I create distance between the mind and the anxiety-inducing thoughts it churns out. Not by silencing them but by stepping back enough to see them clearly. The difference between being inside the storm vs. watching the weather pass.
Breath is the most powerful space-maker of them all. Pranayama, the practice of conscious breathing, becomes a bridge between contraction and expansion. Conscious breathing opens internal space for presence, calm, and vitality. The pause between inhale and exhale is pure awareness.
With every movement and breath, we not only lengthen muscles and quiet the mind—we also invite energy to flow more freely. The subtle body, like the physical one, can become congested from stress or holding on. In yoga, the subtle body refers to the energetic dimension of our being that exists beyond the physical form. It’s composed of channels (nadis) through which life force (prana) flows, and energy centers (chakras) where that energy gathers and transforms. Breath-focused practices clear these energetic blockages, restoring the natural current of vitality that wants to move through us.
These practices certainly ease anxiety and help cultivate resilience. They steady the nervous system and soften the rough edges of modern life. But in the wisdom traditions from which yoga comes, that was never the final aim. The true purpose was to make space for spirit—for something larger than the small self to enter.
When we create space within, those empty places don’t stay empty for long. They begin to fill with light, insight, love—whatever name you give to the sacred. For me that is the real gift of practice: not just calm, but a deep, living sense of belonging to something vast and eternal.
