A friend of mine mentioned the concept of liminal spaces to me and I was hooked! I read everything I could find and went down lots of rabbit holes! I brought it to my writing group and we’ve spent three sessions on it so far! The idea of that threshold between where you’ve been and where you’re going, that in between, that space, really captured me. The first night we discussed the concept and wrote poems about specific times we found ourselves in a liminal space. Mine was cathartic and cleansing.
The second night, we discussed examples of liminal space. Physical liminal space can be a staircase, hallway, plan, doorway, airport, train or bridge, for example. Emotional liminal spaces include divorce, death, illness, moving, graduation. Liminal spaces are typically not dangerous, but our perceptions of them may feel that way. We may feel stress or uncertainty, leading to anxiety or depression.
But liminal spaces can also be beautiful, like a foyer or atrium, a transformation, or a new path. Because everyone will face a liminal space at some point, it’s helpful to know how to face them and see them as a growth opportunity. This can come through mindfulness, breathing, and acceptance. The hero’s journey in literature is marked by such times that lead to expansion.
That night, I chose to make a list of liminal space examples from my life. Here is what I came up. Feel free to share your own.
- the summers before high school and college
- the summer before a new school year (for kids and teachers!)
- New Year’s Eve
- pregnancy
- divorce/break up
- wedding day
- in the salon chair
- sleep
- after texting/mailing a vulnerable letter
- a hurricane
- an accident/injury/illness/surgery
- an ambulance ride
- a diving board
- planting seeds
- buying a lottery ticket
- after ordering a meal
- between jobs
Photo: St. Paul’s Cathedral, London. 6.25.24 by LA
The Journey Inward 
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