enough is enough, exhale

Ma means "interval" or "opening," both in space and time. Often referred to as negative (empty) space, it's positive in that it can birth something new. An invitation to heightened awareness is seen, for instance, as open space in rooms and gardens. With regard to time, it's a pause that invites contemplation. Ma is found in unpainted areas on folding screens, void areas in a photograph, silence during conversation, the hush between breaking waves. It's about the vitality generated by emptiness, in the way a blank page gives rise to creative energy. It's about being in relationship, because our engagement with ma allows fresh perspectives to emerge.

- Ann Tashi Slater, writer, speaker and teacher, from her book, "Traveling in Bardo: The Art of Living in an Impermanent World," as quoted in "The Marginalian."