Watch the replay of the Mindfulness & Grief Book launch. Learn how mindfulness can help reduce suffering, and get a peek into the book’s creation.
While grief is like a roller coaster, and rarely feels “normal,” most of us have the natural capacity to make it to the other side. Along the journey we will feel a myriad of uncomfortable, intrusive and most of all unwelcome sensations. The pain we feel as a result of losing someone we love seems unfair, but it is natural, and while the loss itself is permanent, the intensity of pain will subside.
It is not only your heart that suffers when you grieve the loss of a loved one. For most of us, our body feels the icy pain of loss and collapses in on itself. You will certainly experience the physical aspects of grief in your own way, but some of the common reactions include fatigue, nausea, shortness of breath and a tight sensation in the throat and chest.
When someone we love dies it is not uncommon to have moments where we expect them to return to us. We absentmindedly set the table for two, or pick up the ringing phone and expect it to be their voice on the other end of the line. While not everyone who grieves will experience this magical thinking, it may help to know that it is normal, at least for a period of time.
The winter holiday season is supposed to be about cheerful things – like loving your neighbor and sending compassion to those less fortunate. This can be easy to do when things are going well. But what happens when you are feeling the pain of grief, when you are missing someone you love very much, and
This breathing exercise for grief is best done in a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Create a sacred space to practice your breathwork. If, like most of us, you do not have a dedicated meditation room, find a special chair, or even a spot on the grass that you visit regularly. Breathing exercises
Thank you Craig for bringing up the “time is a healer” myth. Psychologist and thanatologist Dr. Robert Neimeyer (and his crew at the University of Memphis, including Joe Currier) report that time only has a 1% effect on bereavement. It isn’t the amount of time, but what is done with the time that matters. (Yes,
Grief is a natural reaction to loss, and while most people are able to work through the loss with the support of friends and family, there are times when calling on professional support may be beneficial. As a thanatologist and Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy practitioner, I specialize in using the body/mind connection as a vehicle
Read the Original Article at HuffingtonPost Heather’s Response: Dr. Doka: Thank you for this wonderful article and the three points to address. I have been using Shneidman’s insight (“no one has to die in a state of psycho-analytic grace”) with my own family and clients since Dr. Martin exposed me to it in a seminar
The practice of yoga for grief may seem daunting at first glance. Contemporary media and fitness magazines depict model-thin women in the prime of their lives twisting into the most advanced expression of pretzel-like postures. They are strong; they are at peace; they radiate joy. If someone you love has died, the odds are you
Metta, the meditative practice of loving-kindness, is not only a way to send well wishes to those you care about, but can support you in being compassionate to those in your life that you find difficult, or even downright hostile. Metta Prayer of Loving Kindness May you be happy, as I wish to be happy.
If you have experienced a significant loss you are probably aware of the damaging effect grief has on the health of your body, mind and spirit. Professionals agree that the natural grief reaction sends the body into the state of stress, invoking the well known “fight or flight” response. When left unchecked, this response may
