The need for healing

Invited

To ponder How has the death of your loved one affected you directly and indirectly?

Much has been researched and written about grief, and some approaches identify a number of stages in the process. While these phases are not necessarily linear or sequential, such a slant can give the impression that grief is predictable. It is most certainly not! Grief affects every part of us—emotions, thoughts, bodies, spirits, connections, and sense of purpose and meaning—all at once, moving more like waves or spirals than in straight lines.

Just as our experience of grief is highly personalized, so is our experience of healing. You might talk about your experience or you may keep it to yourself; you might resume work, or you may step back for a while. You might also seek the support of a trained professional such as a doctor or counsellor. There is no single pathway to healing, but all begin with noticing what is happening for you and deciding what would help you at this time.

When we are healing from physical injury, we do what helps to reduce pain and symptoms; we work with health professionals to find the therapy, equipment, and support we need. The grief experience is handled very differently in Western society. We are usually left alone at some point to get on with it, and often with no clue about what to do next.

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Chapter 1

It is well known that if a broken bone is not treated properly, the chance of a full recovery with full movement is limited. The same may be said of healing from loss. You can do nothing and let time ease some of the symptoms, but healing with the intention to be fully alive yourself requires some attention.

CHAKRA Base or first chakra The energy of the red chakra (also known as muladhara) is concerned with safety and security. It lies at the base of the spine in the perineum. When it is activated, we feel alive, grounded on the earth; we share a sense of vitality with all living things. We are comfortable in our own skin.

Muladhara

The whole experience of being alive changes with the death of a loved one. It can disturb our energy and displace our sense of security. What was once real and physically present is no longer. The emotions of our previous life are replaced with others that are much less familiar

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