The essence this poem is speaking about is formed around the Japanese concept of Ma. Ma can be described as empty space, as a gap between one thing and another, or as a pause within movement or flow.
And yet it is more than a pause or a gap between boundaries or objects. Instead Ma describes the energy or the experience of being in that space or gap.
Have you ever walked into a party and been swept up by the excitement?
Or felt a sense of quiet come over you in a library?
Or felt unnerved walking into a situation?
What you were experiencing is the Ma of those events or situations. The energy that fills up the space. It’s like the “vibe” or “aura” of that situation.
Let me put it another way, the Ma is the energy between 2 people and not just the physical bodies or the space the 2 bodies occupy. It is the relationship, the unspoken connection or intention that is present.
Today, i invite you to be curious about the Ma in your life, in the pauses, spaces and situations within the shapes and boundaries of objects and people.
What does it feel like to consciously step into the gap? To experience the room that the walls and windows create?
What do you notice? Do you feel the Ma?
By bringing our focus on to this concept of Ma we have the opportunity to create clear, intentional, and supportive spaces between us and the people and situations in our lives and work.