The Space Between: When We Begin to Question What We Believe
Recently, in Yoga Nidra, we explored the space between.
That place where something is shifting, but what comes next hasn’t quite taken shape.
Where we’re invited to pause, even when part of us wants to move ahead and figure it all out.
I’ve been thinking about that space beyond our practice.
We can find ourselves there when we begin to question something we’ve always believed.
Something we learned growing up.
Something our family held dear.
Something we accepted so long ago that we don’t remember ever choosing it.
And then an experience, a conversation, or a question makes us pause.
Do I still believe this?
It sounds like a simple question. But sometimes, asking it can leave us feeling unexpectedly unsteady.
When a belief is part of our belonging
Our beliefs live within our relationships, our memories, and the ways we’ve learned to understand the world.
Some connect us to people we love, communities we belong to, and causes we believe in.
Others have helped us make decisions or feel a sense of order when life was uncertain.
And as we watch what is happening in the world, we may encounter something that asks us to look again.
A story we hadn’t heard.
Someone’s suffering we hadn’t fully understood.
A perspective that unsettles something we thought we knew.
We may wonder whether making room for that perspective means betraying the people or causes we care about.
Whether acknowledging someone else’s pain somehow diminishes our own.
Those can be difficult questions to sit with.
So when we begin to question a belief, we may also wonder:
What would it mean if I saw this differently?
Would the people close to me understand?
Would I still feel like myself?
I know the hesitation of wanting to ask a question and worrying about how it will be received.
Of wondering whether someone will hear curiosity, or decide that my question says something about my character, my loyalty, or my heart.
That can make it tempting to stay quiet.
To leave the belief where it has always been.
And yet, the question may still be there.
We don’t have to rush toward an answer
There is a moment between recognizing that something deserves another look and knowing what we think about it now.
That is an in-between, too.
We may feel curious and uneasy at the same time.
We may understand why we once believed something and still wonder whether it fits who we are today.
This is where I return to what we explore in Yoga Nidra: being the witness.
Observing what arises without judgment, without needing to explain it or make it fit what we already know.
There is a depth to that experience that words don’t quite reach.
A sense of connection, of recognizing something true within ourselves.
I wonder what becomes possible when we bring some of that openness to the beliefs we carry.
We don’t have to replace one certainty with another by the end of the conversation.
We can listen, read, reflect, and take time to consider what we’re learning.
We may change our minds. We may find that we still hold the same belief, but understand more clearly why.
Either way, we’ve given ourselves room to examine it.
Having someone beside us
Sometimes, that room is easier to find with someone we trust.
Someone who can hear “I’m not sure anymore” and let us finish the thought.
Someone who asks questions without steering us toward their own answers.
Who respects our pace. Who can help us pause when the conversation begins to feel overwhelming.
That person might be a friend, a coach, a therapist, or someone in our community.
What matters is the quality of the relationship: can we be honest, disagree, and remain free to arrive at our own understanding?
Having that support can help us feel grounded while something familiar is shifting.
We can choose one question. One conversation. We don’t have to pull apart everything we know.
And we can say, “That’s enough for today.”
Take a walk. Make something to eat. Notice our feet on the ground. Return to the familiar rhythms that support us.
The question can wait while we find our footing.
A place to begin
Perhaps something in the news has stayed with you.
A conversation has left you unsettled.
You may find yourself questioning what you believe—or noticing how strongly you feel the need to defend it.
Those moments can happen closer to home, too.
An expectation about what a good mother does.
An idea about success.
A belief about rest, responsibility, or what you owe other people.
Something you were taught about a community or an experience different from your own.
You might begin by asking:
Where did I learn this?
Does it still feel true to me?
Is there something I haven’t made room to hear?
Who could I explore this with and feel supported—even if we disagree?
You don’t need an answer ready before you begin.
I’m learning that self-trust includes being able to say, “I want to look at this again.” To listen carefully, consider what we discover, and give ourselves time.
Perhaps that willingness can also make a little more room between us.
Room to ask what someone means before deciding for them.
Room to recognize their pain while honoring our own.
There is room for us in that space between.
Even before we know what comes next.
If something here feels familiar—something you’re questioning, a change you’re sensing, or an uncertainty you’d like to explore—you’re welcome to join me for a complimentary 20-minute Vision Call.
We’ll talk about where you are, what’s coming up for you, and what support might help you take your next step.
You don’t need to have it all figured out before we talk.
