Loss can take many forms. We can grieve the end of a relationship, the loss of health, home, identity, or even the future we once imagined for ourselves. Sometimes we mourn unfulfilled dreams or the love we never received. These losses can feel just as profound as death because they touch the deepest layers of our psyche and sense of belonging.
And we don’t only grieve the loss of the ones we love; we also grieve our unmet needs, our expectations and the good times we cherished while we were together. It’s an immense, layered, and complex loss. But I believe the only way out is through.
Healing begins when we allow ourselves to feel every emotion to the brim, noticing and sensing it in the body without trying to get rid of it here and there. The key is letting go of the urge to escape the pain, even the unbearable ache of loneliness, and instead simply allowing it to exist.
I’ve found that giving myself a hug and gently rocking with closed eyes, either sitting or lying on my side, can be a powerful form of self soothing and nourishment. Through Vipassana meditation (a mindful, body based practice), Jungian clinical therapy, and somatic exercises, I’ve learned that when we allow ourselves to feel each emotion fully, while observing it with loving kindness, without judgment, without DEADLINES, and without the craving for immediate relief, every feeling eventually passes. And when it does, I feel lighter, stronger, and more emotionally resilient. 💛
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