The Art of Holding Space

by Yuna Lee

In breathwork, tea ceremony, and healing spaces, we often speak of “holding space.” But what does that really mean? It’s not a technique—it’s a presence. A kind of stillness we choose together. This poem is a quiet reflection on what it feels like, what it asks of us, and what it gives in return.

The Art of Holding Space

(*Inspired by the structure of Elizabeth Bishop’s “One Art.”)

The art of holding space—we keep it with breath.

Not fixing, not advising, not naming pain.

We stay beside. We let what comes, just go.

We watch their words arrive, then cease, then flow,

resist the urge to comfort or explain.

The art of holding space—we keep it with breath.

We offer warmth, a presence soft and low—

no answers, only trust in what remains.

We stay beside. We let what comes, just go.

Like moonlight held in bowls of melted snow,

we carry quiet, not a need to gain.

The art of holding space—we keep it with breath.

At times we long to help, to soothe, to show

a gentler path—but reaching would constrain.

We stay beside. We let what comes, just go.

This is our vow: to hold, not to forego

what rises true through joy, through grief, through strain.

The art of holding space—we keep it with breath.

We stay beside. We let what comes, just go.

Summing up

I think holding space means being fully present with someone without judgment, control, or trying to fix them. Here are the layered meanings of holding space:

1. Emotional Presence

• Being there for someone with empathy and openness.

• Allowing them to feel their feelings without minimizing or redirecting them.

2. Non-Judgmental Support

• Creating a safe, accepting environment.

• Letting someone express themselves without fear of shame or rejection.

3. Energetic Container

• Providing calm, grounded energy so another person can process emotions, trauma, or transformation.

• Often used in healing work, breathwork, and rituals.

4. Compassionate Boundaries

• Being supportive without taking on the other person’s emotions.

• Understanding your own limits while remaining present.

5. Witnessing

• Deeply seeing and hearing someone in their truth.

• Acknowledging their experience without inserting your own.