Give in to the the Gifts of Grief: how to heal from grief and loss

how to heal from grief and loss, the only way out is through it. 

Grief might not be our favorite emotion, but it’s a powerful friend and ally.

Change is the nature of the universe, and grief is our guide the through the losses this causes; loss of loved ones, of old versions of ourselves, of trust, of dreams and passions…

Grief gives us a way to honor and remember what’s gone.

It grounds us into our bodies and into the moment.

It cleans us out so we can release the past and move forward.

Ideally, we’re constantly experiencing little cycles of grief, each exhale releasing the old, each inhale accepting what comes next.

When we ignore and suppress our grief, not only do we hurt our bodies, but we remove ourselves from our experiences and deny ourselves the peace that comes from getting to the other side of our pain.

Fall is the time of grief.

When the abundance and joy of the Summer months shifts into shorter days and cooler weather, it’s the body’s natural time to turn inward and mourn.

So…

Let’s take advantage of the support of the season and dive into our grief. Let’s release old grief so it doesn’t get caught in our muscles and lungs (some natural holding places for grief). Let’s let it wash through us and wring us out.

How do we do that?

For the next few weeks, I invite you to listen to your grief.

When you begin to feel it welling up in you: pause for a moment. Don’t try to distract yourself or go on with your day. Stop and sink into your body. Take a few deep breaths, and allow whatever’s trying to flow out to move. Inhale deeply, and let it all out on exhale. It may be tears, a sigh, a groan…

Whatever it is, let it take you over. Keep breathing, and trust that the grief is doing its work for you. Don’t look for the story. Just breathe and let it pass through.

I know this isn’t necessarily easy. Grief often demands that we surrender to it, letting go of our sense of control so it can carry us to the other side of our loss. And letting go can be scary.

So, let’s do it together.

Here are two ways we can support each other in exploring the gifts of grief.

1. Commit-post in the comments below that you’re committing to surrendering to your grief. Say “I’m open to the gifts of grief.” That way, when we start to dive into our grief and it feels overwhelming, we can take courage from the fact that so many of us are doing it together.
2. Join my free session. On November 19th, I’ll be hosting a free online grief session. We’ll release old grief and heal trauma while deeply supporting the body. Each person who joins adds to the energy of the group, and I’d love to have you there <3

Can’t wait to see you in the comments, and in the session! Make your grief commitment below, and then learn more about the free session here.