Move Through Your Grief

Hello and welcome. Thank you so much for being here today. My name is Jamila Reddy, and I've had a long journey with grief. If you are grieving, I invite you to take a moment now to breathe. Know that you are seen, that your feelings are valid, and that you are allowed to take up space with your emotions. You and all you're coming with are welcome here. Heartache is a part of the journey of what it means to be alive, and none of us are exempt. I like to imagine that my soul signed up for the human experience. Before I chose a body and took form on Earth, I agreed to this wild adventure called life with all the joy and the pain, with all the beauty and the loss, the miracles and the suffering. In the depths of my grief, this thought anchored me. It didn't make it hurt less, but it did help me see that there was nothing wrong with experiencing my grief fully and deeply, and though it is so hard to say yes to grief, feeling the grief is the first step in softening it, healing it and transforming it. There really is no way out but through. So today, we'll move through it together with courage and so much kindness and deep, deep breaths. Let's begin. Get grounded in your body. If you can, close your eyes. Settle into the present moment. Start to slow down your breathing. Feel your belly inflate slowly and take your time letting out a nice long exhale. Notice how your body responds to your breath. Stay with those deep inhales and slow exhales. Now we're gonna do a body scan where you'll bring your attention to the sensations you're experiencing at this moment. Scan slowly, starting at the crown of your head, and travel all the way down your body, noticing if and where you feel any tension, heaviness, any tightness or warmth. Move slowly and scan for sensations in your shoulders, your chest, and all the way down to your toes. Feel free to linger in any place that is calling for your attention. Breathe deeply into that space, offering it your presence. I'll give you some time. When you feel complete with your scan, take a moment to acknowledge whatever you're carrying with you. My meditation teacher says, "If you can breathe with it, you can be with it," so remember to breathe with whatever's coming up, especially if it's grief. Acknowledge the sensations you're carrying in your physical body and the feelings you're carrying in your emotional body. If you feel any tightness or tension or just need a release, gather up your breath, feeling your belly rise and expand on the inhale, and exhale through the mouth with an audible sigh. (Jamila inhaling) (Jamila sighing) Keep breathing, using your voice on the exhale or returning to a neutral silent breath, whatever feels good at this moment. Grief is information. It...