There are going to be times in your life when you experience grief; sometimes, it’s not easy to identify the enormity of our emotions when they are embroiled in grief, and we all manage and express them in different ways. From an Ayurvedic perspective, key ways to help move through the grieving process are practising yoga, writing in a journal, getting out in nature as much as possible, going for Ayurvedic massages and meditating. Sitting in contemplation/meditation can help connect to complex feelings, and writing them down in a journal can help with the reflection and digestion process. Practising yoga can help move any stored trauma through the body and offer group support. The power of touch can help with feelings of isolation and loneliness, and getting out in nature’s rhythm is healing and can be immensely powerful and transformative. Here are two yoga poses that can help with the grieving process.
Balasana Child’s Pose
If you can take your mat outside into the fresh air or open your windows, light a candle and find your way into tabletop position on all fours. Take a deep inhale; as you exhale, sit back on your heels and bring your knees together. Now, bring your arms by your sides or extend them out in front of you. Make sure you are warm and comfortable using cushions, folded blankets or yoga blocks. Allow yourself to relax and let go. If you want, completely cover yourself with a blanket; this can feel especially comforting and relaxing. Stay here for as long as you need just be mindful of your knees. When you are ready, gently move out of child’s pose into downward-facing dog, stretch your legs, then come to sit in a cross-legged position. Child’s pose is therapeutic; it helps balance emotions and is grounding, relaxing, calming, and energising. It fosters self-awareness and focus, and stretches, strengthens and lengthens the body helping with flexibility and range of motion.
SUKHASANA Chakra Meditation in Easy Pose
Come to a comfortable seated position: cross-legged, on your heels, on a chair, or, if you are advanced in your practice, the lotus pose. Sit with a straight spine to help the nerve impulses travel up and down your spinal column; make sure you are warm and comfortable, and close your eyes. Take a few minutes to practise either anulmoa viloma or nadi shodana pranayama before coming to meditation. Now, focus on your root chakra at the base of the spine; keep focusing on this space, gently breathing in and out through your nose. After two to three minutes of stillness with your eyes lightly closed, shift your awareness up your spine to your eyebrow centre, which is known as the ajna chakra. This is the space between your eyebrows and is known as the space between your thoughts. Focus on ajna chakra for two to three minutes, then open your eyes. Now lie on your back in Shavasana for relaxation. Meditation can help regulate emotions, relax the mind and body, improve focus and concentration, lower blood pressure, improve cognitive function, and boost the immune system, creating space for a deeper connection with yourself. After relaxation, you might want to write down any thoughts and feelings that emerge. Talking things through can also help.
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