Grief Yoga Videos & Meditation
What Does Grief Look Like?
Each person’s grief process and healing journey is different. Emotions can range from shock, disbelief, anger, guilt, and irritation to loneliness, anxiety, despair, and sadness. And because our mind and body are inseparable, the physical symptoms associated with grief are very real. These can include changes in appetite, sleeping problems, loss of energy, illness, and physical pain.
Meditation for Grief
Whatever kind of bereavement or grief you are experiencing, we can’t predict what thoughts, feelings, or sensations will arise at such an impossibly hard time. Maybe the huge sense of loss will leave us numb. Maybe the sadness will envelop us. Maybe we’ll feel waves of anger. Whatever arises, the pain will feel intense, and for a lot of us, we might even wonder if we’ll ever get through it and feel the same again.
The mere idea of sitting with the mind — our thoughts, feelings, and memories — at such a difficult time can feel overwhelming for many people. But what meditation teaches us when grieving is that we can create a space for ourselves: a space of acceptance & a space for healing.
When we practice meditation for grieving, we allow ourselves to sit with what we’re feeling, even if that feeling is numbness. We create a healthy environment for our pain and emotions to rise to the surface, and what can follow is a release of emotion that leads to healing.
The Benefits of Meditation for Grief and Loss
The roller coaster of emotions and sensations associated with loss can sometimes feel like too much to handle.
While meditation doesn’t change the way we feel, it does change our experience and perspective of those feelings.
Practicing mindfulness meditation for grief, or observing thoughts and feelings without judgment or reaction, helps the body and mind find peace and refuge in a time of great change.
Working Towards Acceptance
When we are grieving a loss, it’s normal to be in a state of disbelief or to feel a strong sense of anger and injustice. Whatever emotions arise, judging and/or suppressing those emotions only exacerbates them. But when we use meditation to sit with our entire being, we can embrace and process what is happening now. Acceptance does not mean forgiving, ignoring, or excusing what has happened. It simply means recognizing what has happened, processing it, and in time, finding that you are a stronger and different person because of it.
Remember, every individual’s grief process will be different. Someone might suggest that “you should get over your sadness already,” or that “you’ve been grieving for long enough.” You don’t need to pay attention to these comments. Gently remind yourself that your journey is your own, and you will benefit immensely from taking the time you need to heal.