Find a comfortable position where you can fully relax.
Allow your body to settle naturally without needing to hold or fix anything right now.
You may gently close your eyes if that feels comfortable or simply soften your gaze.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in.
Gently exhale.
Again,
Breathing in slowly.
And breathing out,
Allowing your shoulders to soften just a little more.
Let your breath rise and fall naturally.
There is nowhere you need to be.
Nothing you need to solve in this moment.
Just allow yourself to be here exactly as you are.
As you continue breathing naturally,
Begin to imagine yourself in a calm,
Serene,
Safe place.
Perhaps it's a quiet beach at sunset.
Maybe a peaceful forest,
A cozy cabin beside the rain.
Or maybe it is simply a place your heart creates for you now.
Notice the details around you.
The temperature of the air,
The colors surrounding you.
The gentle sounds nearby.
Maybe there's a soft rhythm of ocean waves moving in and out along the shore.
You are safe here.
Held here,
Nothing is demanding anything from you.
Feel the ground beneath you,
Supporting you completely.
And all points of contact where your body meets the surface holding you up.
With each breath,
Allow your body to soften more deeply.
Relax your forehead,
Your jaw.
Your neck and shoulders.
Allow your arms to grow heavy and relaxed.
Soften your chest.
Your stomach.
Your hips and legs.
Even the muscles in your feet can let go.
Breathe in calm.
Breathe out tension.
As you rest here in this safe place,
Gently allow the feeling of grief that can arrive in so many unexpected moments.
Sometimes grief appears with the memory.
A song,
A scent.
A place used to go together.
Sometimes it comes in the middle of an ordinary day with no clear reason at all.
Maybe someone simply asking how are you and suddenly the wave rises.
Or maybe there's no trigger you can identify.
Just a heaviness,
An ache,
A longing that quietly appears.
And if this happens to you,
You are doing nothing wrong.
Grief moves on its own rhythm.
Like the ocean beside you,
Feelings rise and feelings fall.
Some waves are gentle,
Some are powerful,
Some barely touch the shore before receding again.
You do not have to stop the waves of feelings.
You do not have to fear them.
You only have to allow them to move through.
Imagine yourself sitting safely beside the ocean now,
Watching each wave of feeling come and go.
A wave of sadness may arise and you notice it.
A wave of anger,
Confusion,
Loneliness,
Love.
Just notice each feeling with compassion instead of resistance or overwhelm.
You do not have to become the wave.
You are the awareness watching it move through.
And just as every wave eventually returns to the sea,
Every emotion shifts and changes too,
And you can breathe with it.
Inhaling gently.
Exhaling slowly.
Perhaps grief has changed the way you see the world.
Maybe everything feels unfamiliar now.
Maybe you feel lost at times,
Even unsure of who you are or uncertain about your path forward.
Sometimes grief changes not only our lives,
But our sense of identity.
You may wonder how to interact with people now.
Maybe you feel misunderstood or even unrecognizable to yourself or others.
Sometimes loved ones even stop reaching out as much because they don't know what to say.
And that can create another layer of pain and loneliness.
And along with grieving the person,
Relationship,
Or chapter of your life that was lost,
Maybe you're also grieving the version of yourself that existed before the loss.
The self who moved through life differently.
The self who once felt more certain,
Maybe carefree,
Connected or whole.
And if that's true for you,
Allow yourself compassion for that grief too.
Place a hand gently over your heart if that feels comforting.
And silently remind yourself with love.
That even if this is hard,
I am allowed to feel what I feel.
Now in your mind as you sit.
Calmly beside this peaceful ocean of waves,
Imagining the waves beginning to carry beautiful memories towards you.
Not to overwhelm you.
But to gently reconnect you.
Perhaps you remember a smile,
A laugh,
A moment of warmth a conversation,
A feeling of love.
Allow yourself to visit these memories softly without needing to hold onto them too tightly.
Grief exists because love exists.
And while grief can feel unbearably painful at times,
It can also be a reflection of deep loving connection.
A reminder that someone mattered.
That something meaningful touched your life and still does.
In this way,
Grief can also become a sacred space where love continues to live.
Not every memory needs to break you open.
Some memories may become places you visit with tenderness,
With gratitude,
With compassion.
You can honor the love without becoming consumed by the pain.
Imagine now that the ocean waves are washing gently over your feet.
Across your toes,
Each wave carries compassion.
Each wave carries support Each wave might even whisper,
You do not have to carry this all at once.
You are allowed to rest,
Allowed to heal slowly.
To have moments of joy even while you're grieving.
Healing does not mean forgetting.
It does not mean the love matters less.
It simply means learning how to carry love and loss together and in hand.
And little by little you begin to trust that you can feel your emotions without drowning in them.
The waves of feelings come and go and you remain.
Breathing,
Noticing,
Allowing.
Take a gentle breath in.
And exhale.
Notice the calmness of your safe place,
The steadiness beneath you,
The softness in your body.
And before we close,
Offer yourself this reminder.
I can honor my grief without losing myself inside it.
I can feel my emotions with compassion.
I can carry love forward.
I am allowed to heal in my own time.
I'm allowed to go about my day and take care of myself and have new memories.
Take another deep breath in and slowly exhale.
Begin gently bringing your awareness back to your body,
Back into the space around you.
And when you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
Move through the rest of your day or evening with gentleness toward yourself and others.
And may you remember that even in grief,
Love continues to exist within you.
