New Book Club Read: Making Space by Thich Nhat Hanh

The Free People Book Club is back! I recently received this magical little book called Making Space: Creating a Home Meditation Practice. It’s written by Thich Nhat Hanh – zen master, poet, activist – a man who is considered to be one of the most influential teachers of Buddhism. The book is all about how to bring peace and harmony into your home by creating thoughtful spaces for meditation, and using simple tools, like your very own breath.

The book was a gift from my dad, and it seemed like one of those things that was brought to me by the energy of the universe. As soon as I opened the first page, I knew this was a special book. The words are simple and relatable, yet incredibly powerful and instantly calming.

It’s a small book with just about 90 little pages, but the content within it is so wonderful that I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to bring back the book club. So if you’re interested, get yourself a copy of Making Space, and read along with me as I cover one or two chapters per week, over the next few weeks. It’d be awesome to hear your input as we read; even if you aren’t able to get your hands on a copy of the book, I’ll be recapping the chapters as we go, so you’ll still be immersed in its wisdom.

The introduction speaks of how our physical space affects our inner being; how a peaceful space for the body brings the mind to a more peaceful state. The first step in creating a peaceful space is all about intention. Notice the original character – the intention – of the space you’re in, and work with it to help enhance a certain feeling. Do this through the use of thoughtfully-chosen colors, objects, and placements.

The perspective that Hanh introduces that I found to be most interesting is the idea that space can foster communication – with ourselves, with others, and with the space itself. He says, “Wherever people put attention and purposefulness into how things are designed, there’s care and love in that space. We can feel and communicate with that care and love. We also communicate back with the space we are in. The intention of sacred space is to make room so we can return to ourselves and touch something deep within ourselves. It’s a wonderful way of communicating.”

+ Do you feel that sense of communication in your own physical space?

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