Trying to Explain Grief - Part Three

We may have had a conflicted or challenging relationship with our loved one who had died, and this can complicate our grieving process.

Or loss can come at a time when we are already dealing with stress or trauma, or ill-health ourselves, and our vulnerability, again, can affect our grieving process.

We may be familiar with some grief process models, and can find some help and guidance here. For example, the 5 stages of grief theory by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross; and whilst grief is not really something to be theorised, and has no definitive sequence for us all, it can be used to help us understand what we are feeling. (Her theory was actually, initially developed to describe a terminally ill person's reaction to their diagnosis, and not another person's response to the death of a loved one).

The 5 stages of Grief are:

• Denial

• Anger

• Bargaining

• Depression

• Acceptance

There is no order of progression, or it be that you will go through all 5 stages. Maybe helpful to use as a reference for common reactions to grief and help with self-reflection and offer some understanding?

As we try to cope with our loss, our feelings of deep yearning and sadness, we are also facing the loss of our roles in life and our living circumstances.

We are having to process our emotions, while adapting to new ways of living.

A grief model by J. William Worden is a theory that suggests people need to preserve their connection with loved ones, while moving forward in their lives. He lists 4 tasks for mourning;

1. Accept the reality of the loss

2. Work through the pain of grief (Yoga may be accessed as a beginning point)

3. Adjust to a world without the person who has died

4. maintain a connection with the deceased while moving forward in life

There is an emphasis on establishing a different kind of relationship with a person who has died.

Through acceptance, and adapting to a loss, peace can be found in rituals of remembrance. The strong, unbreakable bond of love's connection is preserved.

Scientific studies of how grief affects the brain, have found that grief activates same circuits in the brain as physical pain.

Focus may be, eventually, on your own health and well-being - You may feel ready to try something new - Or dive deeper into a spirituality practice - There will be a need, an inner calling to it; yoga and meditation will guide you into yourself, where peace, solace and wisdom reside at the level of your soul.

Creating a regular home practice, for Yoga and meditation, taking a Yoga course, or deciding to experience personalised spiritual coaching, can improve our ability to cope with the symptoms of grief. Not only cope but thrive, and truly experience the transformational quality that is Yoga - Yoga is medicine for our physical body, our mental health, our emotional body and connects us back to our spiritual Self.

Allow yourself healing, through the wisdom of Yoga (Discover Yoga as therapy). Helping you to improve the quality of your life.

Yoga makes sense of life, Yogic philosophy helps us understand death, and answers some of life's biggest and mysterious questions.

Yin Yoga has the benefit of a meditative quality and you may feel more able to access Yin Yoga over meditation right now, as it requires you to be using the physical body - Being still in meditation may be very challenging right now - Yin can help physically too; to release stiffness and experience spaciousness in the body - A sense of liberation, lightness, calm, quiet, serenity and peacefulness. Feeling great comfort and joy.

Yoga will guide you home, into yourself, in your darkest moments.