Meditation For Grief

The purpose of this meditation is to take the time to honor the emotions we feel following the loss of a loved one. By anchoring ourselves in our breath and in our body, we find the internal support that allows us to move forward in our process of grief and transform our relationship to the being we love.

Transcript

Hi and welcome to this meditation for grief.

The loss of someone dear to us is one of the most difficult human experiences.

It's also a time when we can feel all the love we shared with that person and it's an important phase of transition in our lives from which we emerge transformed.

In today's meditation we're going to take time to honor the emotions we feel following the loss of a loved one.

If you feel that tears need to come out you're welcome to give yourself a moment to cry and fully embrace what's going on inside you and if you feel blocked or have difficulty feeling your emotions that's okay too.

You can always come back to this meditation later when you feel ready.

Start by sitting comfortably and symmetrically and make sure that the front of your body is open so as to receive the full range of your breath.

When you're ready you can gently close your eyes and slowly let your attention turn inwards.

Close your mouth so that you're only breathing through your nose.

Allow the muscles in your body to relax and come to stillness.

The only thing that is moving is the air coming in and out of your nostrils.

Now choose an anchor for this meditation.

Perhaps the sensations of the breath at the entrance of your nostrils,

The sensations in the rise and fall of your chest,

Or those in the movements of your belly.

Observe your breathing as it naturally slows down.

Feel the gentle sensations traveling within you with each new inhalation.

If during the meditation you are disturbed by thoughts,

Noise,

Or physical sensations,

That's perfectly normal and it's part of the practice.

When you become aware of them,

Simply bring your attention back to the sensation of the air moving in and out of your body.

And if you feel a strong emotion rising inside you or you feel like crying,

Allow yourself a moment to do so.

You can always come back to this meditation later.

Abraham Lincoln said that what matters is not how many years are in one's life,

But how much life is in one's years.

The aim of today's meditation is to recall moments in the life of your loved one,

To help dissolve the pain felt about his or her departure,

And to move forward in the grieving process.

Start by bringing to mind the quality of your loved one that brought you happiness.

Bring to your body the joy you felt when your loved one used this quality with you.

Here and now,

With each inhale,

Bring to your body the joy of receiving the gifts of your loved one.

Now bring to mind someone they were especially close to.

While remaining focused on your breathing,

Try to send all the love you can to this person who is also in mourning,

And silently wish to them,

May you be healthy.

May you be happy.

May your dreams come true.

May you be healthy.

May you be happy.

May your dreams come true.

Now think of a good memory you shared with your loved one,

And remember the joy and lightness you felt at that moment.

With each inhale,

Bring to your inner body the joy and lightness you felt at that moment.

Now visualize your loved one in a place they loved.

While remaining focused on your breathing,

See if you can call up all the enthusiasm they felt when they were in that place.

Here and now,

With every inhale,

Bring to your body the enthusiasm your loved one felt when they were in this cherished place.

Finally,

Imagine yourself holding your loved one in your arms,

And imagine them saying to you,

Everything's going to be alright.

I'll always be with you.

Don't worry.

Everything's going to be alright.

I'll always be with you.

Don't worry.

Imagine this person transforming into a warm,

Beautiful,

Loving light coming all around and inside you.

Here and now,

Feel your connection to this person,

And remember these words from the French author Victor Hugo,

You're no longer where you were,

But you're everywhere that I am.

This meditation will soon come to an end,

And when you're ready,

You can slowly come back to the space around you by noticing the surrounding sounds,

The weight of your body on your seat or cushion,

And of course all the colors around you.

I wish you all the courage you need in this grieving process.

I wish you to honor the pain,

To allow it in and let it wash over you.

I wish you to honor the memory of your loved one,

While also not forgetting to enjoy your life,

Because that's what he or she would have wanted.

I hope this meditation was soothing.

I wish you all the best.

See you soon for another meditation.

Reviews

This came up when i searched for grief. Thank you so much for this simple but powerful meditation. My grief is over suddenly losing my husband 7 weeks ago after being together for 52yrs. He was my soul mate, my saviour, my shepherd keeping me on track.
One early morning the words “he’s in me and around me” came. So lovely to have that confirmed by you Jonathan. Quantum physics all his particles including light are in me and around me in the universe.
I will listen and listen again to this very soothing meditation🙏🏼
I’ve been listening to your wonderful Morning meditation with music for over 8 yrs. Still inspiring me🙏🏼

This is what I needed to hear today, voiced in a way that was best for me to hear.

From one formerly unfulfilled attorney to another: thank you, Jonathan. 🙏🏼

Excellent! Very helpful. Thank you.

Absolutely beautiful and poignant. Touched my heart and soul. The end brought tears to my eyes. Thank you Jonathan. You have soothed and comforted me in this very painful time.
In gratitude…Peter

Thank you for your gentle guidance 🙏 💜

A simple practice to be with the emotions and the grief and just accept what is there.

So beautiful and all the ways

Beautiful thank you

Thank you, it was so nice, sweet and human. I found it soothing, too...

Beautiful meditation for sitting with your grief.

Thank you for this beautiful soothing meditation. Exactly what I needed today 💚🙏 My grandpa died two years ago on his 90th birthday & this meditation helped so much to honor him 💚

Thank you, this was nurturing and soothing. I will come back to this meditation again. 🙏

Thank you for the beautiful meditation. I lost my 22-year old son suddenly almost five years ago. I am grateful for the love and light he brought and continues to bring into my life. This meditation let me honor that. 🙏💜

I found this really helpful

The best grief meditation I've heard by now that concentrates on the light of the deceased person. Thank you so much ❤️‍🩹❤️

Losing our son is so painful. Every little bit helps.

Thank you for this wonderful, compassionate guided meditation Jonathan. I lost my beautiful daughter Emily 2 1/2 years ago. This is a very soothing reminder that our grief is an extension of all the love we will always have for our loved ones who have passed. So much gratitude to you 🙏🏼💕

Thank you, Jonathan! My dad passed away this summer very unexpectedly. It’s been a rough time for my entire family especially my mom. Wishing her health and happiness in this meditation was very soothing and seeing my dad in his favorite place, which was working with my brothers on our farm…reminded me that there are so many good memories, and as we enter the holiday season that he would want us to be happy, and that joy and sorrow can exist in the same moment. So while I grieve the loss of my father, there is still joy in the world and in our memories, and I thank you for that reminder this morning. Namaste.

The holidays are always difficult to embrace. Thankyou for your kindness in offering these words for remembering my loved ones.

Ty 🫶🏼