Holding Space

I like to have breakfast in this serene space, at a stone table under my favorite pinon tree. Recently, we have had some exhilerating mornings, fresh and clear, following evening rains. As I sit here, I'm surrounded by wet green lichens that grow on the pinon bark. The pinon and lichen relationship is simple, one living organism graciously holding space for another. The pinon is a strong, secure sanctuary for all who settle on or beneath its branches. We feel safe and unencumbered.

In my yoga class there is a woman whom I barely know but she feels like a friend. Her smile radiates and her greeting echos from her very core. Her gracious outreach clearly reflects a personal acceptance, a love and trust of who she is. Like the pinon she too is a sanctuary, rooted in vast and loving resources, reflecting back to us a sense of love and acceptance. Holding space.

To have your own experience of Holding Space, try the following meditation:
Remember a moment when you felt loved. Recall and relive the experience and feel the sensation of love. Let the love rest in your heart. Feel it there. Stay with this sensation for a minute or two.

Now inhale and let your breath rise from your belly into your heart. Feel the breath mingle with the sensation of love that is resting there.

On the exhale send the breath, now inseperable from the sensation of love, out into every tissue of your body. Sense the love all through your body. Continue this pattern of inhale and exhale for a minute or two.

Repeat the last two steps, but now, on the exhale, send the love into the spaces throughout and around your body. Sense its presence there. Continue this breathwork for a minute or two.

Now call to mind an individual** with whom you will interact today. Imagine him or her in front of you in the love-filled space around your body. Continue to inhale into your heart and exhale with love into the spaces in and round your body. Hold no expectations, no needs or wants from this person.

Be an observer of your own experience during the meditation. What was it like to hold this individual in your space? Be an observer of your encounter during the day. Let me know how it goes!

**The first time you do this meditation, pick someone with whom your interaction will be easy. The second time try this with an individual who will challenge you.