Yoga as a remedy for grief
Last newsletter, we shared about the concept of Trauma Informed Yoga. I received many interesting insights from our teachers; I am ever-inspired by the vast nature of yoga and the myriad perspectives into its benefits on each human level: physical, emotional, intellectual and -perhaps most importantly- spiritual.
In that previous blog was a brief mention of how trauma and grief might overlap, and how yoga and mindfulness can be explored as a remedy for these complex experiences.
Many of us already have significant grief stories. Yve Harrold is a Samadhi community member and yoga teacher, who became a certified grief educator after the death of her husband. Next month, Samadhi will host 2 workshops (details HERE) with Yve on the impactful journey we humans will all experience sometime: grief.
In 2020, I began to process anticipatory grief while helping my mom through a downhill cancer journey. By early 2022, I had lost both her and my grandma within 8 months of each other. I was drawn to the idea of yoga as a medicine for the pain of mourning loss so I’ve participated in various programs, retreats and courses.
What I find as I stay present with this inner work:
Sharing from our own experience is a profound way of getting stored emotions out of our bodies. Having a designated time and format available for this has been a huge relief.
Holding space for others is also therapeutic: Listening, really listening to another with grace and compassion and without questioning, trying to solve or even affirm the sharer is a healing art.
Times when I didn’t feel I had the strength for a physical practice in me, I always felt better when I did some.
“The body needs to move. Healing requires motion. Emotion is energy in motion. On difficult days - community and movement continue to help me along.” Paul Denniston
In addition to joining one or both sessions in April, the following are excellent resources: Grief Support Network (GSN), a Boulder-based non-profit, Center for Somatic Grieving (CSG) with Wendy Stern and Grief Yoga with Paul Denniston.
The book Healing Through Yoga: Transform Loss into Empowerment – With More Than 75 Yoga Poses and Meditations is available HERE.
With love and respect for our individual processes of life’s most difficult seasons.
Emelia
