Welcome to the session on how to hold space for others. Begin by sitting on a chair, bench or cushion, lean straight back, allow the body and mind feel relaxed for a minute of alert and attentive.
Soft your arms and whenever you are ready, close your eyes. You might bring a slight smile to the lips, feeling the volume of the tongue, resting effffortlessly in a mountain. Feeling into your body, noticing any areas that are tense and any areas that feel relaxed.
Now gently turn towards the breath, an see if it is possible to connect to the… as if you were the… As you breathe in, be aware of breathing in. As you breathe out, be fully aware of breathing out. If it helps you concentrate, you can mentally note that you are breathing in, And as you exhale, mentally note you are breathing out. Follow each breath as if it flflows through you. Silently recognize each inbra and each outbra.
Now gently rest, and soften your focus. Today I would like to talk about holding space for others. When witnessing someone suffffer, it’s natural to want to help. A friend loses their job, so we help to rebuild their confifidence and send them job postings.
A Coworkers is diagnosed with a illness, so we encourage them to change their diet and lifestyle. We do this because its all ways of showing we care. There are times when offffering advice or solutions is helpful, but other times the most supportive thing we can do when someone is struggling is to hold space for them. Holding space means just being there, offffering a hand or hold a shoulder to lean on. It means being present and allow what’s happening to be without trying to prepare ourselves. It may not feel constructive, but often It’s the most helpful thing we can do.
A non-judgemental presence allows others to safely explore their emotions and trust their intuitive wisdom. By creating a compassionate space, we empower our friend or loved one to voyage down on their own path of healing or resolution at their own pace.
I recently lost an important role model. And one morning the most comforting gift I receive was a presence of a particular friend. She created a safe container for me to explore my own emotions. Her unconditional compassion allowed me to move through my disbelief, pain and anger. She didn’t try to fifix or change me, she didn’t project her own past experience into my situation. She just held the space for whatever I meet in. It’s hard to stand by as someone we love suffffers, but providing a safe environment for them is often the most kind and loving thing we can do.
So the next time someone close to you is experiencing a challenge, do your best to hold space for them, allow them to be vulnerable, to navigate the storm, explore their emotions and fifind their own way. As someone said: Just letting someone speaking their truth can sometimes be the biggest gift you can give them- to just hold the space for them.
And as we end our session, come back to the room around you. Hearing sounds, feeling your body and when you are ready, open your eyes.
