During our lifetime, undoubtedly we all will suffer a loss. The loss of a loved one is usually the most heartfelt and profound loss a person can feel. The emotional and physical toll grief can take on the body can make you feel as though you will never overcome the loss.
I recently lost my husband to cancer and can honestly say that, save and except for the support of family and friends, the practice of yoga is what allowed me to work through the emotional struggles before and after his passing.
Yoga forces you to focus on not only the physical but also the emotional experience of your grief. It does not allow you to flee from it, as most of us would like to do during difficult times.
As you practice, you are in the present moment. Your body works through the postures, balancing your mind through the breath and centering yourself through meditation. You are placing yourself in the here and now, where your grief resides. Yoga allows you to let grief be. It stops you from repressing your emotions and instead helps you incorporate them into your life.
If someone is going through a loss of any sort, while dealing with that loss, I would urge you to consider going deeper into your practice. Find peace in the asanas and pranayamas. Use them to bring yourself closer to what you are experiencing. On the other end of it, you will be free.
– Lynn Keimel, Yoga Instructor
