Spaceousness - Vastness - Emptiness

Spaciousness might seem an odd topic for recovery but it is very important. Feeling claustrophobic and trapped is certainly no fun yet a part of daily life. I tend to get wound up at work so at lunch or on breaks I go up on the roof of the parking lot five stories up. There is nothing else that tall nearby so the sky is very open and vast. Besides, I can look down on the people and cars and it all seems so much less urgent and significant. I think that's why I like the desert so much, lots of open space, open sky, very quiet, and very little hustle and bustle. Practicing spaciousness is really is very helpful for me, I highly suggest giving it a try. Even now, just thinking of it made me draw a deep breath and relax a bit. Emptiness is a very interesting and important subject as well. As a Christian I seek to empty myself (of self) so I can be filled with God. My Buddhist side practices emptiness of self by identifying with all beings and creation; Inter-being. My favorite explanation of Non-self (Anatta), is the analogy of a chariot. If you take it apart and look at the axle, wheels, yoke, body, etc., you might ask yourself, where is the chariot? The same for us. If we are made up of the food we eat, then the sun, rain, air, and earth that made that food are part of us too. Take away any part of that and we could not exist. Again this proves nothing really is personal, permanent, or pervasive (see P.P.P. post). This gives us freedom. Freedom to enjoy life, to make our own choices, and be happy.