One of our guiding principles at the Centre for Holding Space comes from Christina Baldwin’s book, The Seven Whispers: A Spiritual Practice For Times Like These. It goes: “Ask for what I need, and offer what I can.” This little truism is the foundation of our...
Orienting Toward Joy
by Krista dela Rosa | Feb 17, 2023 | Joy, Liberation and Tenderness
by Heather Plett Two weeks ago, I facilitated a retreat in Costa Rica, and our last session before wrapping up was focused on joy. We talked about how tenderness and liberation lead us toward joy and how that joy can sustain us even when pain and suffering come. Joy...
When you’re ready to see the tree
by Krista dela Rosa | Feb 14, 2023 | Complexity, Holding Space for Yourself, Liberation and Tenderness
by Heather Plett Last week, I was walking a circular path through the jungle that I’ve become quite familiar with during my visits to Costa Rica. I walk it nearly every day on my friend Mary’s farm. This time, though, I was walking it with a visitor who’d never walked...
The difference between tenderness and kindness
by Krista dela Rosa | Feb 8, 2023 | Community, Complexity, Liberation and Tenderness
by Heather Plett Last week, while hosting our Liberation and Tenderness gathering in Costa Rica, I was asked to explain the difference between tenderness and kindness. My response was something like this: Tenderness has the added quality of vulnerability that isn’t...
Peace is an Action
by Krista dela Rosa | Dec 15, 2022 | Brave Space, Complexity
by Emily Gillies When I think of peace, I think how over the years I have noticed a trend in the “meditation” and “self-help” realms where the images and the descriptions we are invited to associate with peace are focused on perfectly tranquil images, likely including...
You Need to Learn About Holding Space Because: Despite How it Feels, Discomfort Won’t Kill You
by Krista dela Rosa | Sep 26, 2022 | Brave Space, Community, Complexity, Holding Space for Others, Holding Space for Yourself, Shame
Listen to Krista read the post... Two things. One, I need to stop saying out loud that I’m going to write a post weekly because obviously, I’m terrible at meeting my own expectations. Second, the musings that follow are definitely directed more at me than...
You need to learn about Holding Space Because: You’re experiencing Empathetic Overwhelm
by Krista dela Rosa | Sep 12, 2022 | Brave Space, Community, Complexity, Holding Space for Others, Holding Space for Yourself
Listen to Krista read the post... You may have known this about us already, but Heather and I experience “the big ick” whenever we have to start marketing ourselves or our programs. Every year around this time, after a busy summer where we’ve done everything but a lot...
Holding Space and the Art of Motorcycle Riding
by Krista dela Rosa | Jun 13, 2022 | Uncategorized
Guest post by Emily Gillies, Master Holding Space Practitioner From the glorious summer Saskatchewan, Canada prairies, here’s another installation of how motorcycling is akin to holding space, from me, Emily Gillies! I am a Master Practitioner with the Centre for...
Holding Space is Annoying and Meaningless
by Krista dela Rosa | Jun 13, 2022 | Complexity, Hijacking Space, Holding Space for Others, Liminal Space
At least, that was the recent opinion of someone I follow on Twitter. This tweeter went on to suggest that, instead of offering that phrase to folks, you simply say, “Damn, that sucks”. The replies went on to mostly agree with her, suggesting that telling people...
Krista’s Thoughts on Community: Part 1 – Normalize Outgrowing Community
by Krista dela Rosa | Feb 7, 2022 | Community, Hijacking Space, Holding Space for Yourself
One of the few constants of the human condition, whether we like it or not (or whether we accept it or not) is that we are constantly changing. We know this is true physically. Our bodies change dramatically over the course of our lives - from infancy to old age and...