Holding Space

Holding Space

What does holding space mean? To hold means to sustain a certain state. Space, in this Sense, is not necessarily Distance or Removal. It is a physical and / or Mental Force field to Focus on one Task or Idea and to be fully present to that Task at Hand and not to let external Situations be distracting.  As. Jim Tolles writes in his blog , there are Four Major Components to. holding Space: Listen with the Heart, have no judgment, no intent on Needed to "Fix" the person, and give full Attention to the Other person.   This Idea Can be implemented in many Places. In Thailand, I have Heard Stories and observed. how Thai's use their religion to hold space for their people.

Buddhism is an important Aspect of Meditation . Meditation, according to the Pāli Canon, is to Change the State of the Mind. In coherence with the act of giving and virtue, the mind can reduce distraction and resentment. When practiced correctly, Meditation Can develop awareness and better concentration. We visited a Monk at the Wat Nyanavesakavan in Bangkok during Asanha Bucha (Buddhist Lent) Who Gave US a Great metaphor on Meditation. The Mind is like a Monkey; it runs around and around and around and is then quite exhausted. What do you do with a monkey (or mind) that behaves this way? You train it. Attach one end of a rope to the monkey and the other to a pole. The pole represents meditation and the rope mindfulness. When the monkey gets too far away, mindfulness gently brings him back to the focal point-all other things that the monkey can not reach fall away. This holds Space for the Mind to Focus on the Mediation without distractions. During breathing Meditation, the Mind is Solely focused on breath, thus Letting Go of judgment and giving Attention to one subject. The person Who is meditating has no intent on working on Solutions. to problems. Thus, the person doing the meditation is holding space for himself / herself.

Holding space is also seen with music. The monk talked about focusing with a singing bowl as a starting point. A singing bowl is a small metal bowl that is tapped or rubbed clockwise on the side to create a sustained tone. He gave us a case study about a woman who was constantly thinking about her husband who had cancer. She had thought about him every second of the day and dreamed about him at night. The monk had brought a singing bowl and told the woman to listen to it until it stopped resonating. She listened to it for about a minute. Afterward, she cried and said, "That's the longest I have not thought about my husband in a long time.". Here again, we see that the woman is focused on one idea with no judgment and no intent on fixing anything.

However, space can have to be a state of mind. It can also be a place. Buddhists hold physical space, such as temples, as a sacred space. The temples I have been to have been beautifully decorated inside and out with ornate images, markings, and sculptures. One of my favorite temples was on a mountain. For me, it was physically away from all other places, was quiet for meditation, and it was surrounded by much natural beauty. This time, the "Force field" is visible with a moat of Greenery Surrounding the Temples.  The sounds from the nearby cities were silenced at the top. I could here nothing but the wind, the monks chanting, and the bells hanging from the temple roof. This area is held as sacred space for prayer and reverence to Buddha.

Lastly, Thailand has held Space for me. Thailand has let me Culture Experience ITS, ITS Shared Food, Knowledge, and people with me. I have felt neither Unkindness or disdain for My Ignorance Coming into a Country and not knowing the language. Thailand put me in a completely different place than I've ever been before and I have had many experiences that will shape me for the rest of my life. It has made ​​me focus on what is truly important as a music therapist-the clients. I get so caught up in my own bubble and I miss events that happen all around me during sessions. I must get out of the mode of "performing" for clients and get in the mode of "create" and "explore" with clients.

 

This is a shirt that I fond at Central Salaya mall. It is a visual representation of holding space using music.