Between the No Longer and the Not Yet: What It Means to Be in the Chrysalis
It’s clear that we are in the midst of great change — on the individual and collective level, but there’s something about being in the ‘midst’ that we all experience: a straddle between what no longer fits and what hasn’t fully formed yet.
It’s not quite a beginning.
It’s not quite an ending.
It’s the middle of the metamorphosis.
The chrysalis.
The cocoon.
The in-between.
This ‘in-between’ is called the liminal space and it exists between what you were and what you’re becoming — it’s a transitional zone, a time or place that exists between two states, it is not fully here nor there but in between. Being in that space, it can feel like your life is being thrown into flux — because it very well is.
This space can feel disorienting, raw, and at times, excruciating. You may question your choices, your identity, your direction, even your self-worth. It can feel like everything you know is falling apart and the unknown is so scary that you can’t even consciously acknowledge that it’s there. In your reality, it can show up looking like:
Inconsistent energy levels
Feeling lost, stuck, stagnant
Feeling overwhelmed and exhausted
Feeling fragmented, distracted or disconnected
Feeling confused about who you are or where you’re going or what your purpose is
Shifting dynamics in your relationships and connections
Retreating or limiting your interaction with the outside world
Adversity or challenging times
But that doesn’t mean something’s wrong. It means something sacred is happening. Here’s what’s also going on that you may not fully realize is happening because the above is usually what we gravitate towards:
You’re getting clear on your values
You’re establishing newer healthy boundaries for yourself
You’re learning to honor your own innate rhythms and seasons
You’re unlearning limiting programming
Shedding outmoded, outdated, and no longer useful conditioning
Learning how to listen to your inner wisdom
Reconnecting with your dear soul and getting to know yourself in ways you never realized you would
Learning to collaborate with the universe — trusting and surrendering to divine flow
You may not realize it, but you are evolving in real time. Being in the same space of what you were and what you are — it’s not apocalyptic — its metamorphic. How you emerge is dependent on the new program you instill while forming who you are.
If you are in this right now, you’re not alone. Only you can truly know what’s going on with you and no other soul on earth is experiencing to any degree of sameness, so the answer or way forward isn’t found anywhere else but within.
Don’t be lured by false gurus who claim to know you better than you or shrink back into inaction for fear of what is unknown. This is where you get to author your own storyline in the way that you want. While you’re in this liminal space, this is where the new script is written. It’s where the new visions, hopes and dreams are projected. It’s where the real you plans an emergence.
The caterpillar doesn’t know what the wings will look like when it dissolves into goo. Or when exactly the cocoon will crack open. And yet it trusts in its own divine unfolding. Your soul is doing the same.
Here are some things I’ve been doing for myself while I’m in my own Chrysalis phase:
Journal, Journal, Journal: I can’t encourage this enough. Thoughts can be overpowering — it’s better to get them out on paper so you can see what you’re working with. It helps you process. It puts words to feelings and creates a mental-emotional-somatic connection. It’s also the way you start to re-author your own storyline.
EFT Tapping: It allows for two truths to exist — to hold space for difficult feelings while simultaneously cultivating hope and joy. It also helps shift you from your head into your body and anchor into the present moment.
Breathwork: 2-part inhale, 1-part exhale. Conscious breathing. It’s been helping me in meditation and visualization practices to release and let go.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation through Vocal Resonance: Vocalizing “WHEW” from the top of my voice to the bottom while envisioning a wave clearing any anxiety or nervous energy out of my body.
Bookending Positive Programming: The most opportune states for brain retraining and positive change are the hypnagogic states — just before sleep and upon waking. Going to bed thinking and feeling the power of your affirmations helps your subconscious create a new program while you sleep. How do you know it’s working? You’ll wake up feeling more rested and affirmed.
Drink Structured Water: I add Celtic Sea salt or Himalayan salt to my water. I Reiki charge it, sound-tune it, and set intentions into it. Your body is made of energy and water — when both are in resonance, you become more grounded, and clear.
You have free will.
You can re-run the old program because it’s safe and familiar…
Or you can choose a more soul-aligned operating system for your life.
And this?
This is the space between.
The stretch of silence before the song.
The pause after the inhale and before the exhale.
It may feel uncomfortable, but it is ripe with possibility.
Because the space between what you were and what you’re becoming…
and is exactly where your soul is supposed to be.
As you move through your own space between, I invite you to pause and reflect on where you are.
Let these questions be gentle companions on your journey of reflection. You don’t need to have the answers yet. Just sit with what arises — softly, curiously, and without judgment.
What parts of you are you being called to release, even if you don’t fully understand what’s coming next? Can you let yourself grieve and honor what was without rushing to fill the gap?
What truths about yourself are beginning to emerge in the quiet of this in-between space? These will look like subtle realizations and ah-ha moments.
How can you offer yourself more compassion in this space? What rhythms, rituals, or reminders would help you feel safe, present and at peace right now?
Please take what resonates and leave the rest. If you’ve found this article thought-provoking, perspective-shifting, or validating, then my transmission was a success.
My favorite mantra: “Just for today, I am exactly where I need to be.”
A Blessing for the Space Between
May you soften into the unknown
and find peace not in the answers,
but in the quiet pause before they arrive.
May you hold your heart with compassion
as it outgrows old stories and beats to a new rhythm you’re only just beginning to hear.
The space between is the birthplace of your becoming.
And you, dear soul, are right on time.
Godspeed.
