During a time when people are carrying grief, fear, rage, exhaustion, uncertainty, and responsibility all at once, holding space is sacred.

Holding space is the act of creating a container with enough safety and steadiness for people to be fully seen—without being rushed, fixed, or made palatable. It’s making room for grief, joy, resistance, and hope to exist together.

Holding space is an act of resistance against urgency culture. It practices an abundance mindset—the belief that we have the time we need to connect, to feel, to metabolize what we’re carrying, and to ground ourselves.

Holding space is an act of love. It says: You don’t have to carry this alone. I’m here. We’re here.

While the world keeps moving. Work keeps demanding. Systems keep asking for more—while people are quietly bracing, breaking, or going numb. Holding space is one way we humanize each other inside of all that.

Recently, I had the honor of holding space during the Ground and Fortify event. What it reminded me of—deeply—was the power of gathering with people invested in the same world, the same future. 

There is something profoundly healing about being in a space—virtual or otherwise—where no one has to explain why they’re tired, why they care so much, or why they’re still trying. A space where care is assumed and presence is enough. That kind of gathering pours energy back into us.

What can holding space look like in practice? Here are four simple practices.

1. Name the moment before moving forward. Open meetings, classes, or gatherings by acknowledging what people may be carrying.

2. Slow the pace. Build in pauses. Even 30–60 seconds matters. Consider starting with a collective breath. Allow silence without rushing to fill it. And end conversations with a moment to land before transitioning

3. Ask questions that invite truth. Use prompts that don’t require optimism or solutions.

4. Normalize emotional complexity. Explicitly name that multiple emotions can exist at once.  This removes pressure to edit or simplify lived experience.

You can hold space for others. You can hold space in your communities, your work, your leadership. And just as importantly—you can hold space for yourself.

And if you’re unsure how to hold space—or feel like you’ve been holding too much of it alone—know that you don’t have to figure that out by yourself.

If you need support holding space for your people, your team, your community, or yourself, I’m here. Respond “SPACE” to this message and we’ll explore what’s possible.

With love, 

Altagracia 🌻