{"id":54223,"date":"2016-05-13T15:00:56","date_gmt":"2016-05-13T19:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wanderlust.com\/?p=54223"},"modified":"2016-05-13T16:33:02","modified_gmt":"2016-05-13T20:33:02","slug":"the-importance-of-holding-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/ro\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Holding Space"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cHolding space\u201d is something we often first encounter in our yoga community. It\u2019s hard to describe. Perhaps it\u2019s during <a href=\"http:\/\/yoganonymous.com\/10-tips-for-giving-a-peaceful-restorative-savasana\/\" target=\"_blank\">Savasana<\/a> when we sense a stillness supported by our teacher that allows us to surrender more deeply. Or perhaps we know in ourselves that this is what we are called to do when a fellow classmate is struggling\u2014to just witness them with a loving heart. We may experience or offer this expression of support and love in our local yoga studio, <a href=\"http:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/nature-as-our-sacred-yoga-studio\/\" target=\"_blank\">practicing outside<\/a> with a friend, or at a <a href=\"http:\/\/wanderlust.com\/festivals\/\" target=\"_blank\">festival<\/a> or gathering with our tribe.<\/p>\n<p>If someone has ever held space for you, then you know it has a quality that is incredibly subtle and hard to quantify. \u201cWhat did this person do?\u201d You may be asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, nothing,\u201d you respond. \u201cThey were just there.\u201d But in their being \u2018there\u2019 and doing \u2018nothing\u2019 something very beautiful happens\u2014we gain a sense of peace or clarity; we feel loved and supported. And because of this person holding space for us, we feel we can move through the experience we are having instead of pushing it away\u2014and in that moment we can feel like a profound healing is taking place. This is why it\u2019s worth getting to know on a very deep level what it means to &#8222;hold space,&#8221; and how we can do it more often.<\/p>\n<h3>How We Hold Space<\/h3>\n<p>Coach and mentor <a href=\"http:\/\/heatherplett.com\/about-2\/\" target=\"_blank\">Heather Plett<\/a> has sought to get to the heart of what it means to hold space. She describes it as what we do when \u201cwe are willing to walk alongside another in whatever journey they\u2019re on, without judging them, making them feel inadequate, trying to fix them, or trying to impact the outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It is very\u00a0Taoist in its essence\u2014that in doing nothing we do everything, that in being empty we allow space to be filled by something beyond us\u2014yet many of the yogic teachings of the <a href=\"http:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/dharma-mittra-yama-the-foundation-of-yoga\/\" target=\"_blank\">Yamas<\/a> can also provide guidance on how to hold space. When we hold space we are bringing the loving kindness and compassion of <a href=\"http:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/ahimsa-practicing-love-in-action\/\" target=\"_blank\">ahimsa<\/a> to a situation. That\u2019s far beyond sympathy. As Buddhist teacher\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/pemachodronfoundation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Pema Ch\u00f6dr\u00f6n<\/a> reminds us: \u201cCompassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It&#8217;s a relationship between equals.\u201d In that moment of non-judgment, the person we are with can have their experience without feeling ashamed or inferior.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Holding space is, therefore, not just a beautiful gift to another, it is an opportunity for self-exploration.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Holding space also contains the very essence of <a href=\"http:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/asteya-the-secret-of-abundance\/\" target=\"_blank\">asteya<\/a> (non-stealing). It reminds us that when we worry about someone, or when we think we know how to advise them, we are in fact taking their power away from them. When we trust that they are their own best guide and don\u2019t fill the space with our words, we bring to the other the chance to hear their own <a href=\"http:\/\/yoganonymous.com\/10-ways-to-train-your-intuition\" target=\"_blank\">intuition<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>And finally, holding space incorporates within it <a href=\"http:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/aparigraha-learning-to-let-go\/\" target=\"_blank\">aparigraha<\/a> (non-grasping). When we hold space for another we come with no expectations of an outcome. As Pema says: \u201cWe think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don&#8217;t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. &#8230; The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>The Challenge of Holding Space<\/h3>\n<p>This doing &#8216;nothing,&#8217; and remaining empty is uncomfortable for many of us. For one, we often equate showing we care with some tangible demonstration of\u00a0words or actions, or even just sending loving thoughts. This may be what is called for, but this is not holding space.\u00a0But even beyond that, we have to ask ourselves: <em>Why<\/em> are we not content just to sit still with someone in their suffering?<\/p>\n<p>Often when we dig deep we find it is because we wish to avoid our own intense feelings\u2014the discomfort that can arise when facing another human being in their rawness, and in ours. We find it hard to let ourselves be empty because we are afraid of what may come up. We fear\u00a0our hearts will break if we have to <a href=\"http:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/sitting-with-grief\/\" target=\"_blank\">sit with suffering<\/a>. Holding space is, therefore, not just a beautiful gift to another, it is an opportunity for <a href=\"http:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/svadhyaya-getting-to-know-your-true-self\/\" target=\"_blank\">self-exploration<\/a>. It is a spiritual practice in itself.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>When we hold space we make more room in our hearts so that others can be in theirs.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/zenpeacemakers.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Zen Peacemakers Foundation<\/a> runs \u201cBearing Witness\u201d retreats where the sole practice is to sit with others in their suffering and to allow our discomfort to arise and to be moved through. <a href=\"http:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-hanuman-chalisa-a-chant-of-love\/\" target=\"_blank\">Krishna Das<\/a>, who sometimes attends the retreats, describes the practice as a way to \u201cclean your heart of fear.\u201d He explains: \u201cWhen you bear witness to another in their pain or suffering, many emotions arise, but the practice is not to indulge in them, but rather to recognize them, to bear witness to them, and in processing them you reach a place where you can be present to comfort another.\u201d When we hold space we make more room in our hearts so that others can be in theirs.<\/p>\n<h3>The Chain of Holding Space<\/h3>\n<p>Holding space can happen beyond our studios and our mats, beyond our practice and in our day-to-day lives. Personally, the power of holding space has struck me most deeply through my volunteer work at a <a href=\"http:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/serving-the-dying-end-of-life-doulas\/\" target=\"_blank\">hospice<\/a>. It has become clear to me that holding space creates a chain reaction.<\/p>\n<p>I had been visiting a patient over the course of several months\u2014she was without family, and so ravaged by cancer that she couldn\u2019t move more than a hand. We spent our time together mostly talking, or with me brushing her hair, and had formed a tender bond. But then <em>the day<\/em> I had known would come, came. When I arrived at her room, I could see she was still awake, but she could no longer move her hand, or even her eyes, nor could she speak, and\u2014even as a new volunteer\u2014I knew that\u00a0she would be passing that day.<\/p>\n<p>In that moment, all I could think about\u00a0was not screwing up. I knew she was scared, and I wanted so much for her to feel safe and at peace, and to know she was loved and supported\u2014that she could let go and be free. But try as I might to sit quietly, hold her hand, and hold space for her\u2014I couldn\u2019t. I was so deeply overcome with sadness, I couldn&#8217;t even bring myself to look in her eyes for fear I would fall apart in front of her. So instead, I fussed around her, with a lump in my throat, chatting away, and brushing her hair.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8222;Without opening a door we can open our hearts to the world&#8221; \u2013 Lao Tzu<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>And then it happened. A doctor came in who I had never seen before. She took the brush from me, held my hand, looked into my eyes, and didn&#8217;t say a word. And in that moment I gave myself permission to be <a href=\"http:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/seane-corn-grief-transforms-us\/\" target=\"_blank\">broken-hearted<\/a> and I cried. And when the moment passed\u2014which it did shortly\u2014I took a deep breath and then was able to sit with my friend, hold her hand, gaze into her eyes, sing to her, tell her I loved her, and then hold space for her to go through her own experience.<\/p>\n<p>In the <em>Tao Te Ching<\/em>, Lao Tzu says: &#8222;Without opening a door we can open our hearts to the world.&#8221; Indeed, while it may feel like &#8222;doing nothing,&#8221; when someone holds a space for us or vice versa, we take up our place in a\u00a0chain that allows others to do the same\u2014that allows others the opportunity for peace and clarity, the chance to feel loved and supported, and the possibility of experiencing a profound healing.<\/p>\n<h3>Who do you hold space for?<\/h3>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-33960 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/live-wanderlust-fest.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/HelenaveryHS.jpg\" alt=\"HelenaveryHS\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/HelenaveryHS.jpg 200w, https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/HelenaveryHS-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/HelenaveryHS-185x185.jpg 185w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>Helen Avery is a senior writer for\u00a0Wanderlust Media. She is also a journalist, writer, yoga teacher, minister, and full-time dog walker of Millie, residing in Brooklyn, New York. You can find out more about her on her website, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lifeaslove.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Life as Love<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To hold space and sit with another in their experience is one of the greatest gifts we can give to each other, ourselves, and our community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1495,"featured_media":54259,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1057],"tags":[178,884,342,2063,802],"class_list":["post-54223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wisdom","tag-community","tag-compassion","tag-connection","tag-holding-space","tag-practice-2"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v18.0 (Yoast SEO v27.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Importance of Holding Space<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To hold space and sit with another in their experience is one of the greatest gifts we can give to each other, ourselves, and our community.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"To hold space and sit with another in their experience is one of the greatest gifts we can give to each other, ourselves, and our community.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Wanderlust\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/wanderlust\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-05-13T19:00:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-05-13T20:33:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/holdspace.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1404\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"796\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Helen Avery\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Helen Avery\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/journal\\\/the-importance-of-holding-space\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/journal\\\/the-importance-of-holding-space\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Helen Avery\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d066630f602dfc63c012b93933a86297\"},\"headline\":\"The Importance of Holding Space\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-05-13T19:00:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-05-13T20:33:02+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/journal\\\/the-importance-of-holding-space\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1393,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/journal\\\/the-importance-of-holding-space\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/05\\\/holdspace.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"community\",\"compassion\",\"connection\",\"holding space\",\"practice\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Wisdom\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/journal\\\/the-importance-of-holding-space\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/journal\\\/the-importance-of-holding-space\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/journal\\\/the-importance-of-holding-space\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Importance of Holding Space\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/journal\\\/the-importance-of-holding-space\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/journal\\\/the-importance-of-holding-space\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/05\\\/holdspace.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-05-13T19:00:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-05-13T20:33:02+00:00\",\"description\":\"To hold space and sit with another in their experience is one of the greatest gifts we can give to each other, ourselves, and our community.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/journal\\\/the-importance-of-holding-space\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/journal\\\/the-importance-of-holding-space\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/journal\\\/the-importance-of-holding-space\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/05\\\/holdspace.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/05\\\/holdspace.jpg\",\"width\":1404,\"height\":796,\"caption\":\"Photo by Patty Cousins\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/journal\\\/the-importance-of-holding-space\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Importance of Holding Space\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Wanderlust\",\"description\":\"Your guidepost on the path towards a healthy &amp; inspired life. Find your true north.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Wanderlust\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/WL_Logo_Grey-05.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/WL_Logo_Grey-05.png\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":1200,\"caption\":\"Wanderlust\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/facebook.com\\\/wanderlust\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/wanderlustfest\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/wanderlustfest\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/wanderlustfestival\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/wanderlustfest\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/wanderlustfestival\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d066630f602dfc63c012b93933a86297\",\"name\":\"Helen Avery\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5726b26c0827e328a3b501f8d5131b6df370d592dcdcb1b5130ce96f3560c715?s=96&d=mm&r=pg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5726b26c0827e328a3b501f8d5131b6df370d592dcdcb1b5130ce96f3560c715?s=96&d=mm&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5726b26c0827e328a3b501f8d5131b6df370d592dcdcb1b5130ce96f3560c715?s=96&d=mm&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Helen Avery\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wanderlust.com\\\/ro\\\/journal\\\/author\\\/helenavery\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Importance of Holding Space","description":"To hold space and sit with another in their experience is one of the greatest gifts we can give to each other, ourselves, and our community.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_description":"To hold space and sit with another in their experience is one of the greatest gifts we can give to each other, ourselves, and our community.","og_url":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/","og_site_name":"Wanderlust","article_publisher":"https:\/\/facebook.com\/wanderlust","article_published_time":"2016-05-13T19:00:56+00:00","article_modified_time":"2016-05-13T20:33:02+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1404,"height":796,"url":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/holdspace.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Helen Avery","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Helen Avery","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/"},"author":{"name":"Helen Avery","@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d066630f602dfc63c012b93933a86297"},"headline":"The Importance of Holding Space","datePublished":"2016-05-13T19:00:56+00:00","dateModified":"2016-05-13T20:33:02+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/"},"wordCount":1393,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/holdspace.jpg","keywords":["community","compassion","connection","holding space","practice"],"articleSection":["Wisdom"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/","url":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/","name":"The Importance of Holding Space","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/holdspace.jpg","datePublished":"2016-05-13T19:00:56+00:00","dateModified":"2016-05-13T20:33:02+00:00","description":"To hold space and sit with another in their experience is one of the greatest gifts we can give to each other, ourselves, and our community.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/holdspace.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/holdspace.jpg","width":1404,"height":796,"caption":"Photo by Patty Cousins"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/journal\/the-importance-of-holding-space\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Importance of Holding Space"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/","name":"Wanderlust","description":"Your guidepost on the path towards a healthy &amp; inspired life. Find your true north.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/#organization","name":"Wanderlust","url":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/WL_Logo_Grey-05.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/WL_Logo_Grey-05.png","width":1200,"height":1200,"caption":"Wanderlust"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/facebook.com\/wanderlust","https:\/\/x.com\/wanderlustfest","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/wanderlustfest\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/wanderlustfestival","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/wanderlustfest","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/wanderlustfestival"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d066630f602dfc63c012b93933a86297","name":"Helen Avery","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5726b26c0827e328a3b501f8d5131b6df370d592dcdcb1b5130ce96f3560c715?s=96&d=mm&r=pg","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5726b26c0827e328a3b501f8d5131b6df370d592dcdcb1b5130ce96f3560c715?s=96&d=mm&r=pg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5726b26c0827e328a3b501f8d5131b6df370d592dcdcb1b5130ce96f3560c715?s=96&d=mm&r=pg","caption":"Helen Avery"},"url":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/ro\/journal\/author\/helenavery\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1495"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54223"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54223\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}