Grief Meditation

This meditation offers mindful presence with the felt sense of grief. For those experiencing or anticipating loss, this meditation seeks to provide space through present moment awareness of the body and breath to intentionally be with grief. Gentle guidance provided for any meditator. Please note this practice does not replace professional mental health care.

Transcript

Welcome to a mindfulness and grief meditation. Finding a space that's just right for you today. Recognizing. Spending time in the body. Or in grief. May require some additional support. Whether that is lying down in a bed. Or on a couch. Having a favorite blanket. Or a scent in the room. I don't know what will be just right for you, But being mindfully compassionate. To yourself. Providing whatever in the space is needed. For comfort. Extending this to the shape you place your body in during meditation, Ensuring it feels supportive. And right for you. Allowing the eyes to gently close or unfocusing your gaze. And taking a moment before sensing into the breath. Notice. This chef. Into being. Maybe even recognizing. The mask of happiness or contentment sliding away. No need for masks here. Sinking now into the breath and the body. Noticing the ebb and flow of the breath as it enters and exits the body. Not seeking to change the breath, Just being with the inhale and exhale. And as the breath enters and leaves the body, Maybe even noticing. Some emotion rising. Maybe a tightness in the chest or the throat. Maybe prickling in the eyes or tears. Maybe even sobs. No need to seek to stop or change this, Allowing the body to breathe and bring with that breath what is needed. Beginning to sense the body doing what it needs in this moment to release. This grief, This sense of release can be because of loss of all types. The face, The body, The mind holds back. Some of this intensity to get through the day. This here now is time to release that. And when this emotional release feels too much. Instead of building a wall or a mask, Here in meditation, Coming back to the ebb and flow of the breath like the ocean waves. Bringing up this emotion. And allowing it to release. Inhaling the sense. Of emotional release and exhaling the emotion in whatever form the body needs. Inhaling as if through every cell of the body. Sinking into this emotion that might be present anywhere in the body and allowing it with the exhale to come up and out. Inhaling the sense. Touching every cell in every part of the body and exhaling as if each cell in every part of the body is releasing what it needs. Maybe even using the mantra, Allow. Allow. To release on the exhale. If there's judgment here about too much or too loud or too intense. Seeing if you can be with that judgment. Maybe even saying thank you, Not now, And allowing the body. The mind to do what it needs to do here. To express this loss. Maybe images come to the mind or words. Maybe scenes or smells, Maybe names. Whatever is co-rising as you work through the body, Allowing those things to come forward as messengers, Sharing the depth of this loss. And allowing those emotions to be felt. Fully. Now recognizing as you're breathing in and breathing out where it might be most comforting to you to provide yourself some supportive touch. Maybe that's a hand on the heart or the face the belly. Maybe that's grasping opposite shoulders as if in a hug. Or around the waist. Recognizing the sense of self-compassion and comfort even in the midst of the release. And if it feels right to you, A gentle body scan from the toes to the ankles. Legs all the way up to the pelvis lower abdomen middle torso, Upper torso, Shoulders hands, Arms face, Head, And the crown of the head. Just sensing. Inhaling through the top of the crown of the head all the way down to the soles of the feet, This compassion, This care. As if hugging every cell in the body and exhaling. The worry, The concern. Allowing it to release. Inhaling through the crown of the head all the way through the body and exhaling all the way through the body through the crown of the head. Body breathing. No need to cleanse anything here, Just seeing what is available for release. And when you feel ready, Coming back to the felt sense of your breath. Tears remain or there's an intensity here. Maybe going back to body breathing just to see if you can give yourself some comfort. As the body is breathing itself, Noticing that the body is handling everything you need. As you go through this loss, This grief you're experiencing, Knowing that the body is here with you. Seeking to support you. And maybe sensing gratitude for spending some time in this way. Being. When you feel ready, Maybe opening the eyes and focusing your gaze. Or maybe moving the body in some way that it's asking, Whatever's right for you now, Doing so at the sound of the bell.