Meditation Mondays
A Meditation for the Grieving Parent
Welcome to our Mindfulness Mondays. Every Monday, I will share a mindfulness practice, or a meditation. Paid subscribers will also receive an audio recording of the practice.
This week, our meditation practice focuses on grief. After a pregnancy loss, many of us grieve, and even experience complex grief. We grieve the loss of our pregnancy, the loss of our baby, the loss of trust in our bodies, and the loss of a hope, or a dream. At times, grief can feel so palpable, that all we want to do is shove it aside, ignore it. The more we resist it, however, the stronger the feeling can become.
Today, let’s sit with our grief for a few moments.
Start by getting comfortable. You can sit upright in a chair, or you can lie on the floor.
Find the strongest point where you feel your body connecting to the ground. Do your feet feel connected to the floor? Do you feel the back of your legs against a surface? What part of your body feels most connected to the ground?
During the exercise today, don’t change your breathing. Instead of deepening the breath, we are going to focus on the natural rhythm of your breath. Start now, by counting your breaths as you inhale and exhale.
Inhale. One.
Exhale. Two.
Inhale. Three.
Exhale. Four.
Continue counting in this manner for a few moments on your own.
And now, release the focus on the breath.
What is grief? How do you feel grief in your body? When you think about grief, what words come up for you? Are there other feelings you associate with grief – maybe sadness, anxiety, worry?
With those emotions present, with those thoughts present, with the physical sensations present, try and rest. Rest into this moment.
Our grief is real. It can be uncomfortable, but grief is valuable. We grieve someone we loved deeply. We grieve our hopes and dreams. We grieve that which is important to us. My grief tells me that I loved with my full heart. I loved my child, and I did everything I could to support my child. I grieve because I am an incredible, loving parent.
I grieve because I am tending to my body, and to my heart. Grief is the way through which I heal. It is my heart telling me that something mattered here, something was important. And in this grief, I am honoring that which was lost. I am honoring my child, my pregnancy, my dream, and myself.
Sit for a few minutes in this space. Simply notice what comes up for you.
And, when you are ready, bring yourself back into the present space. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Begin to stretch your body. And when you are ready, open your eyes.