As the country begins opening up after this pandemic,
Let's take a look at the stages of grief that we have experienced during this time.
On the other side of grief from COVID-19,
We are not here by accident.
We are here by divine appointment.
Let us make meaning for the experiences that we have had over the last several months.
Breathe deeply,
Experience completely,
And feel freely.
Take a delicious,
Deep,
Cleansing breath,
And then another,
And a final cleansing breath,
And allow yourself to settle into your meditation space.
If there is something that you need to let go of during this meditation,
Just exhale longer than you inhale.
This stimulates the vagus nerve and will instantly relax you into your meditation space.
In this incredibly difficult time,
Let us focus on what is happening within our heart and soul.
Let us spend the next few moments in the peace within and our quest for hope and strength.
We will begin by focusing on something that makes our heart happy and full of joy.
I know this can be difficult right now,
But recall a memory of a person,
Place,
Or event in your life that has brought you great joy.
By centering on this,
We focus on our heart space,
And it will remind us on a cellular level that we have experienced hope,
That we know what it feels like.
This will open our hearts to this experience that we are having right now.
We are sheltering in place,
Or can we call it sheltering in presence?
We are practicing social distancing,
Or can we call it public distancing?
We can remain social,
And we can remain in the presence of our divine,
Our spirit,
And the universe.
And we know we are not alone.
The experience of grief is encompassing us right now,
And if we look at the different stages and our reaction to them,
Maybe,
Just maybe,
We can come to terms with our own beliefs and attitudes,
Creating an experience that will allow us to center on faith and hope and to calm our hearts,
A reminder that the stages of grief are not linear.
They are circular,
Just like the stages of meditation.
May you enter into this remembering that your experiences are yours and are not either right or wrong.
They just are,
And meditation is designed to take you to your own awakening and allow you to acknowledge your grief and beliefs.
Before we go through the stages and examine our own feeling,
Let us remember that we are all feeling anxiety right now.
We are thinking about the future and what it might look like.
The best thing we can do now is to come to this present moment.
Become present with your surroundings and realize that while anxiety is natural,
It does us no good if we stay there.
Let us work through the stages of grief to provide some relief.
We will come out on the other side with peace in our hearts.
Let's begin with the stage of denial,
Often the first place we go when trying to make sense of an event.
Focus on where you were when you first heard about the massive trauma and change to your everyday life.
Focus on what you first thought regarding your neighborhood,
City,
Community.
What was it that you denied?
Might you have denied that the virus was happening another place in the world and it wouldn't come to us?
What was it that you experienced in the denial when you first heard about the pandemic?
Rest in this for just a moment.
The next stage is anger,
Very natural feeling when we feel out of control.
What was it that you thought when you heard about the restrictions laid out for you in your community?
What did you feel when you knew it was close to you and your family?
What was your reaction when the government imposed restrictions?
Did you feel angry that activities,
Events,
And gatherings were taken away?
Were you angry that you were asked to stay home?
What is it that you were feeling after the denial and when you went into the anger?
Get in touch with those feelings for a few moments.
Another stage is bargaining.
If I do this,
Then that will happen.
What went through your mind,
Heart,
And soul when trying to figure out what your part is within this event?
Did you wonder that if you fulfilled the government's mandate that it would all be over sooner than later?
If you were to comply with this,
Everything else would be changed or saved.
What were some of the bargaining chips that you experienced when you felt that?
Then there is sadness.
This stage is the perfect example that their phases are not linear.
They are circular.
We have been sad the entire time.
Part of being sad is there's such uncertainty as to when it may end.
How has sadness been expressed inside you?
How has sadness come out when you heard of deaths and infections?
What did sadness feel like for you?
Get in touch with those feelings for just a moment.
Acceptance is another stage.
This is where we must recognize that this is truly happening.
While you can accept this,
You now need to figure out what the new normal might be for you,
Whatever normal really is.
Are you or have you reached this stage yet?
What are you feeling around accepting that this pandemic is a reality?
Where do you feel within your cellular level that it has and will affect you?
Are you willing to abide by the guidelines,
Distancing,
Hygiene,
And working from home?
Acceptance is where the inner power for you resides because you can do something about your grief.
Rest into these feelings for a few moments.
After all this,
There is meaning.
We want to make meaning of these darkest hours and our feelings.
When you think of the meaning you want to give to this experience,
What is it that you are looking for?
Is there comfort in talking on the phone for long periods of time or for going for a long walk?
With meaning comes comfort.
Are you finding things to appreciate during this time of crisis?
Are you feeling that this extended period of time has brought something for you to change,
To be,
To become?
What is the meaning for you in this experience?
And now,
For you,
What is your next step?
Ask yourself what you need to do.
It might be as simple as taking a nap after this exercise.
This can be exhausting work.
It could be connecting with family and friends in any way you can.
It might be having a discussion with a therapist.
But ask yourself what is your next step and listen.
Now take your own advice.
Do what you need to do and be sure that your heart is driving you because you have it within you to be able to express your grief in the way it best serves you.
If you have trouble doing this for yourself,
Know that there are many,
Many souls that can hold the presence for you.
Know that by making meaning,
You will have peace and know that you are loved.
This meditation was inspired from a Harvard Business Review article using David Kressler and Elizabeth Klueber Ross' book on the stages of grief.
