Welcome to Dani Talks! Well, this is more like “Dani Writes” – you get the gist. This is a special edition of Psychiatria that is intended for me to hold space for myself to talk about things that I want to share with y’all. You can tune into the episode HERE if you want to hear my talking instead of read my writing. I hope that these will find a regular spot in the lineup someday, but they will remain special editions for now. Anyways, speaking of space – that’s what this first episode of Dani Talks is all about!

Space is a concept that I think I first learned about from yoga. I remember my teachers talking about breathing into the space in my hips created by a pose, or filling the space of the studio with a conscious sigh. From there, the idea bopped around in my brain for more than a few years and didn’t do a whole lot. Lately, some things have occurred that have made the concept of space has become so much more important to me.

A few weeks ago, I left my home in Michigan and trekked west to Salt Lake City, UT. As the saying goes, the mountains were calling and I had to go. Getting rid of many of my possessions and living a life of adventure and freedom in the west has been a dream of mine since high school. However, as I spent time with this desire and began to understand it, I learned that it was more about the space I would be creating than the actual physical changes to my life.

I wanted space – space to explore, space to adventure, space to be curious, and space to grow. You see, space to me is nearly synonymous with freedom. Space allows me to make my own choices based on my values and what I want. I think space and “stuff” (e.g. possessions, responsibilities, expectations, etc.) are inversely correlated. This means that the less stuff you have, the more space you have, and the more stuff you have, the less space you have. I define “stuff” in many different ways, but I think I’m always happier with less of it in my life.

When I have less possessions, responsibilities, and obligations putting a structure into my life, I can live as freely as I want to. I have room to take deep, full breaths. I have space to hear my own thoughts and to make my own, intentional choices. In my life up to this point, there have been so many years where I was scrambling for space. I didn’t have the freedom to make these choices, to claim the space I needed. I’m not generally into universals, but I think we need space in our lives just as much as we need anything else.

Are you enjoying my semi-melancholic musings on space? You can hear even more of them in the podcast episode! Find this episode of Psychiatria and all the others on your podcatcher of choice, embedded below, or at the links HERE. If you’ve already listened – What did you think? Do you have questions or feedback on something that could be improved? Ideas for future episodes? Any questions, comments, or feedback are welcome! Email me at podcast@freerangepsych.org. Want to keep up with the show and get a heads up on new episodes? Find me on Instagram (@PsychiatriaPodcast). I can’t wait to hear from you! Stay curious, dear listeners.

As always, this podcast is made possible by Free Range Psychiatry.

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