Release, breathe, heal: How yoga can help you cope with grief

I am in love with yoga, not only because it has helped me stay healthy and strong for the past 20 years, but also because it has helped me cope with loss and heart break. Yoga has helped me process and release grief by addressing both the physical and emotional aspects of this challenging experience. Deep meditation on forgiveness, compassion, and gratitude have had profound healing effects on me. Grief can manifest in the body as tension, tightness, and emotional distress, and yoga poses can provide relief and a holistic approach to healing. Here's how yoga poses can assist in releasing grief:

Physical Tension Release

Grief often leads to physical tension and tightness, especially in the chest, shoulders, and neck. Gentle stretching and yoga poses can target these areas, helping to release muscular tension and create a sense of physical relief. For me, I store all my emotions in my hips, leading to lower back pain. Yoga also helps reduce this.

Deep Breathing

Yoga incorporates deep and mindful breathing. Breathing exercises can help us become more aware of our breath, which can be shallow and constricted during times of grief. Deep, intentional breaths can promote relaxation and reduce anxiety associated with grief.

Emotional Expression

Some yoga poses, such as heart-opening and hip-opening poses, can allow for the release of stored emotions. Grief can often be accompanied by suppressed emotions, and yoga can provide a safe space to express and process these feelings.

Mindfulness and Meditation

Yoga encourages mindfulness and self-awareness. Practices like meditation and body scanning can help us explore and acknowledge grief without judgment. This can lead to a deeper understanding of the grief process and facilitate its release.

Grounding and Centering

Grief can make us feel emotionally ungrounded and scattered. Yoga poses that emphasise balance and stability, such as standing poses and grounding postures, can help us regain a sense of centeredness and stability. Furthermore, the rhythm of a regular practice becomes an anchor in turbulent times.

Self-Compassion and Forgiveness

Yoga philosophy calls for self-compassion and self-acceptance. Engaging in yoga can help us cultivate a sense of kindness and gentleness toward ourselves during a difficult time like grief.

Community and Support

Participating in a yoga class or group can provide a sense of community and support. Sharing the practice with others who may be experiencing similar emotions can help us feel less isolated.

It's essential to approach yoga as a complementary practice to support the grief process, not as a replacement for professional grief counselling or therapy when needed. If you are experiencing profound grief, you should talk to friends and seek the guidance of a mental health professional to help you navigate through your emotions and grief journey effectively. Yoga can be a valuable tool in conjunction with other forms of therapy and support.

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The author is a writer and a yogini. You can follow her on Instagram or YouTube @ Shazzy Om.