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Grief in its many forms | Navigating the tides of change

breathwork grief
grief-breathwork

one

Yes, Grief is the physical death of a loved one. The loss of a loved one can never truly be understood until you go through it yourself, so send yourself grace my love and be kind during this time.
 

two

Grief is the ending of a marriage, a friendship, a relationship. Allow yourself time to grieve what you had with this person, forgive yourself, then, when you are ready forgive that person's soul, forgive and begin to plant new roots, roots that reach deep down to the depths of your soul to access the voice within.
 

three

Grief can also be the ending of a business career, ending of an athletic career, moving away from your hometown or your friends/family. This one often times gets overlooked as grief, but it is. So shed some grace upon yourself, and give yourself time to grieve that chapter of your life.
 

four

Grief can be saying goodbye to your adult child and becoming an “empty-nester.” It can also be felt as a new parent, grieving the life that once was before your beautiful baby entered your world. Grief is many different things. It comes in all shapes, sizes and colors…it is a full spectrum of changes. Receive this knowing, then send yourself some gentle love. It is ok to want to be held during these trying, painful times of the unknown. So give yourself a big hug, take a deep breath and know that this grief will eventually transform into something beautiful. 
 

BREATHE through the Grief:

You no longer have to hold onto ALL of the pain that Grief has gifted you. Yes, I said gifted, because even the most traumatic and agonizing times shed light and healing upon us. Grief is an interesting thing, and in my opinion, a lifelong thing. When we experience loss, I don't believe it ever completely goes away. I know from personal experience that grief shifts and transforms. 

Einstein states, “energy can neither be created nor destroyed - only converted from one form of energy to another.” GRIEF is an emotion and emotions are “energy in motion.” Therefore, grief can never be destroyed, just transformed.

Over the years, I have found out that there is no one way to grieve, no specific process or steps you “should be" going through after a loss. No, none of that. Grief is unique to the individual. So I am not here to tell you how to grieve, what to feel, or when to let go. 

The Lung organs in Chinese Medicine govern the emotions of sadness and grief. It's no wonder we usually get that little hiccup and double inhale when we are crying (maybe you've seen a child do this when they're crying) or maybe you're like me, a "professional emotional expresser" and have felt it yourself when crying. That double inhale when we are crying is our Breath's way of trying to regulate our nervous system when we are in pain, sad and/or grieving. A conscious breathwork practice can assist in clearing out and/or working through the grief we as humans have experienced, whether that is grief we are currently experiencing, grief from 5 years ago, 15 years ago, generational or past lifetime. Our physical bodies literally hold onto every trauma we have been through. And the breath is one beautiful way to begin to liberate ourselves from the pain of grief. 

Grief Practice:

* Take a deep breath in and hold, then exhale. Repeat 3 times
* Place a hand over your heart space and acknowledge yourself for all the grief and change you have navigated thus far in your life. Maybe you say these words out loud or maybe you write them down.
* Take another deep breath in and hold, then exhale.
* Give yourself permission to release the pain and or emotions of this grief, for your highest good. You are safe to let go and surrender what no longer serves you.
* End this practice by doing something that fills your cup up! (Dance to your favorite song, treat yourself to a coffee or tea, go out in nature and soak up the beauty, eat a cookie, whatever creates a feeling of joy). 

If you are wanting some extra guidance with a breathwork practice you can click here to book a discovery call to sign up for a one-on-one session.

Until then, BREATHE in....BREATHE out...and repeat.

Infinite gratitude,

xoxo
Melanie