What Does it Mean to Hold Space for Someone?

The term "holding space" is commonly used in spirituality these days, but not many people are aware of what it fully means.

Holding space is having unconditional love for someone. This means loving someone unconditionally. There are no expectations of anything in return. Someone would not need to "earn" your love and you wouldn't "take away" your love if they did something you didn't like.

If you want to know if you are holding space for someone, ask yourself these questions:

If you are truly holding space for someone, you should be able to send them absolute unconditional love and still be in a peaceful place without judgement, resentment, jealousy, or any other negative emotion or thought. The only thing that would matter to you is their happiness, because their happiness and success is your happiness and success, regardless of your existence in their life.

If you find yourself saying no or feeling like you will "hate" them when you answer any of these questions, then you are not holding space for them.

Remember, love and hate are on opposite ends of the same spectrum. If you "hate" someone, that is love that desires control (or love that has no outlet), so it's being turned into frustration.

The true opposite of love (and hate) is indifference, and until you feel true indifference about someone, you still care, and that shows up as either love or hatred.