I believe as a wife, a mom, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a yoga instructor, a yoga therapist, a yoga studio owner and a human being- one of my main roles in life is to hold space.
What does it mean to hold space?
It means to be 100% present for the person or people in front of me. To lend my heart and my ears to what is needed in the moment- (here’s the hard part) without judgement or wanting to fix the problem or expecting anything in return.
When I sit down on my mat if front of a class, I remind myself that every person in that room is there for a different reason. Some people just want the physical aspect of yoga, some are looking for some stress relief and some may not know why they are there. As I lead the class through their practice- I try to meet everyone where they are.
To hold space for another person, teaches me how to be fully present for myself and my needs too. It really becomes a beautiful journey for everyone.
So, how can we strengthen our ability to hold space?
For me the first step, as I mentioned earlier, is to truly see the person in front of me. In order to do this we need to step outside of ourselves and see past what we need in that moment. Then, remember that everyone is dealing with something that we can’t see or maybe we can’t understand. When someone starts to speak and they feel safe, they will show you who they are. It’s common at this point, especially if the emotion or what is being said is uncomfortable for us, to want to fall into our habits-whether that is fixing or running away or making a joke. You need to hold space for yourself in that moment. Take a deep breath and feel your feet on the ground and remind yourself that what is being said or displayed has absolutely nothing to do with you. Even if what is being said is directed at you, this is how the other person feels and they are allowed to feel.
The process of holding space is not easy, but incredibly powerful.
I believe anytime we come together as a group, whether that is with our friends or in a random yoga class, we are there to support one another. sometimes some thing as simple as smiling at or acknowledging your mat neighbour, may be exactly what they (or even you) need. Never, ever underestimate the power of a smile.
We are all in this together!
Until next time,
Sandra